My endless battle for workplace safety “It has been a long four years and even though we now have a lawyer, not much has happened, which is very frustrating,” reads a recent email from a former co-worker. Almost a decade later, specific workers are still being harassed in my seriously toxic former workplace. What happened Continue readingForced out by a broken system
women
The Service, Office, and Retail Workers’ Union of Canada This comic tells the inspiring story of SORWUC, a union created out of the women’s movement of the late 1960s. It was first published by the Graphic History Collective, which has authored a series of excellent working-class histories. The illustrations were done by Ethan Heitner, and Continue readingAn Entirely Different Kind of Labour Union
On this International Women’s Day, we turn to Peterborough, Ontario in the mid-1960s… Tilco Striker from Matthew Hayes on Vimeo The short film above, created and presented here at ActiveHistory.ca by Matthew Hayes, is the story of women workers in a Peterborough, Ontario plastics factory who unionized and struck in the mid-1960s against management harassment Continue readingThe Tilco Strike
By Samantha Ponting A workplace can become so toxic for a woman, and other genders that commonly face violence and discrimination, that the easiest escape is often to quit the job. I spoke with a friend last week who was complaining about how all her male co-workers belittle her and don’t value her opinions. When Continue readingStories of sexism in the workplace
Call for chapter proposals There are many untold stories about women’s labour education in North America. If you are interested in writing a manuscript about a women’s-only school, course, or program, within one union or involving many, please consider sending an abstract for a chapter to the editors, Cindy Hanson and Adriane Paavo. Interested contributors Continue readingWomen’s Labour Education and Leadership Programs
Times are good for Canada’s banks. At the end of 2013, the country’s Big Five – Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, CIBC, TD, and Bank of Montreal – delivered a record $29 billion in profits and stock value is up 20 percent from the year before. The CEOs of these financial institutions list as some of the Continue readingIn the Shadow of Profits: Work and Unions at Visa Financial
In our final installment of the Unifor Interview Series with union leaders, staff, and rank-and-file members, we speak with Gary Engler, Vice-President of Unifor Local 2000, the Media Union of BC. Gary also recently penned two articles at Rabble.ca, “Thoughts on Labour Day” and “Unifor and the potential rebirth of militant union activism.” He recently Continue readingUnifor Interview Series: Gary Engler, Local 2000
By Meaghan Frauts [audio:https://www.rankandfile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/JHWU-FulleditforRF-1.mp3|titles=JHWU] Not unlike the challenges confronting the Canadian labour movement, Jamaican workers and unions are experiencing a period a turmoil and uncertainty. The fall of the Jamaican dollar in June of 2013 pushed the rate to over $100 JA for every $1 USD for the first time ever reducing the purchasing power Continue readingJamaica: A Leader in Protecting the Rights of Domestic Workers