By Eve Ottenberg China has more strikes per year than any other country, many thousands. These strikes are often unplanned, spontaneous, even chaotic, and the bosses stop at nothing to suppress them: they lie, cheat, call in the police, and hire gangsters to intimidate strikers or even beat them up. But the strikes keep happening—especially Continue readingBook Review: Chinese Workers Strike against Runaway Factories
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By Jesse McLaren Ford proclaimed a “strong, stable majority government,” but the Ontario election results don’t represent a surge to the right. Instead there has been a polarization to the left and to the right, and Ford’s own voting base includes both those pushing for austerity and those angered by it. While Ford is strong Continue readingFord has no mandate for cuts
By Robert Devet Some seafarers visiting the port of Halifax earn as little as $1.37 per hour, says Karl Risser, an inspector for the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) As an inspector, Risser, under some circumstances, is allowed to board ships to check working conditions among the crew. He asked that we do not identify Continue readingThe ugly underbelly of the shipping industry
On March 5 over 800 members of CUPE 2424 at Carelton University went on strike. The main issue of the strikers was an attack on their pensions. The administration’s proposed rollback on pensions is not unique as workers right across the country are facing down employers’ attacks on pensions and benefits.
By Evan Johnston Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Ontario university workers continue their strike actions Strikes continue at York University in Toronto and Carleton University in Ottawa this week. As we reported last week, over 3,000 teaching assistant, graduate assistants, research assistants, and contract faculty at York University — members of CUPE 3903 — went on Continue readingWeekly Labour Briefing – March 17, 2018
The following open letter was published on January 22, 2018. By John Cartwright On January 17, 2018 the Canadian labour movement was plunged into a crisis with the exit of Unifor from the Canadian Labour Congress and the launching of raids on bargaining units of UNITE HERE Local 75. This open letter is intended as Continue readingAn open letter to our movement
2017 was a record year for RankandFile.ca. We launched our newest publication, The Nine Hour Movement: How civil disobedience made unions legal and our organizer’s handbook, 15 and Fairness Now! sold roughly a 1000 copies. We published 310 stories, videos, interviews, news updates and job posting this year. 125 of those were original stories, news reports or Continue readingBest of RankandFile.ca in 2017
By Kevin Taghabon After staying strong on the picket line, and building solidarity that helped shut down the Ontario Food Terminal, Ippolito workers have reached a deal. Workers with Teamsters Local 419 had been striking for paid sick days, fair wages, job security, and respect on the workplace. Workplace respect is of particular significance in this struggle. Continue readingOntario Food Terminal workers strike and win
When the U.S. entry into World War II created an unprecedented demand for new workers. Notions of what was proper work for women changed overnight. Thousands of posters and billboards appeared calling on women to “Do the Job He Left Behind.” Rosie the Riveter was born — the symbol of working women during World War Continue readingWeekend Video: Rosie the Riveter
Workers take on Cineplex management in Quebec | Labour day | B.C. NDP abandons 2021 deadline to reach $15 minimum wage | NSGEU gives notice of charter challenge to Bill 148| Teamsters strike at Pearson airport | First responders and mental health | Phoenix pay crisis | Union employees on strike at Holiday Inn Express Continue readingLabour News Update: September 4, 2017
This panel discussion invites Toronto labour leadership to respond to a comparative book on labour strategy and political action in Toronto and New York City, titled Unions and the City: Negotiating Urban Change. The book discusses how local unions in four sectors (hospitality, film, green energy and childcare) seek to advance organizing and collective bargaining Continue readingWeekend Video: Unions and the City
By Peter Whitaker On October 19, 2016, Finance Minister Bill Morneau introduced Bill C-27, which would bring in target benefit pension plans for the federal private sector and Crown corporations. Harper’s Conservatives had considered the target benefit plan as a replacement for employees and retirees’ guaranteed defined benefit pensions. Target benefit pensions shift all the Continue readingBill C-27: Paving the way for privatization