Today on Rank & File Radio, teachers and students fighting for quality, public education. We’ll hear from Megan Linton, from the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students, on creating a prairie solidarity network for students to connect, share knowledge and organizing skills. And we’ll hear an excerpt of my interview with Eric Blanc, Continue readingBuilding Student & Teacher Prairie Solidarity
youth
By Alexandra Bradbury “How can we get young workers involved?” That’s the question on everyone’s lips, with union density at near-record lows. Many unions have begun holding summits for young members or forming local committees, which is great. But too often they’re missing a step that’s more essential: don’t sell young workers out. When you Continue readingHere’s the Secret to Getting Young Workers Involved
By Peter Hogarth “I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! Doesn’t it feel good to say that and mean it?” Rejean Hoilett from Fight for Ryerson $15 and Fairness commented after leading the crowd in the chant at the Ontario Federation of Labour’s (OFL) Young Workers’ Assembly. The gathering of Continue readingYoung Workers Assembly shares lessons of the Fight for $15 and Fairness
By Denise Martins This week, the Ontario Federation of Labour will once again be debating whether or not to redefine young worker from “30 years old or under” to a vague definition that leaves it up to each affiliate to define. Young people need a labour movement that will stand up on their behalf more Continue readingYoung Worker for Life?
In the waning hours of Monday evening at the Canadian Labour Congress’s Young Worker Summit, a surprise guest was announced. The 400 young union activists who had gathered in Ottawa to address the issues facing their generation would be face-to-face with the most influential decision maker in the country: Justin Trudeau. As Prime Minister Trudeau Continue readingWhy we turned our backs on Trudeau
By Dan Darrah The internship, especially with the rise of the so-called “knowledge economy” since the 1980s, has become an unavoidable part of the college- and university-age experience for many young Canadians. For good reason, too: internships offer students practical on-the-job experience in many of the fields they will one day work in. They offer Continue readingReform Unpaid Internships Now!
By Seamus Wolfe, CUPE 4943 As a young worker and a delegate to the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) 2014 Convention held last week in Montreal, I heard much about how young workers were taking our place in the CLC. In my experience, however, I would say that young workers are taking our place despite the CLC. Continue readingThe experience of one young worker at the CLC convention
By Gerard Di Trolio Activists opposing unpaid internships rallied in Toronto to call upon Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa to take action on the issue in the next budget. Organized by Stop Unpaid Internships in Ontario, over twenty protestors stood outside of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in downtown Toronto where Sousa was holding a consultation Continue readingFighting Unpaid Internships
In September of this year Baristas Rise Up in conjunction with the Canadian Federation of Students-Nova Scotia held a panel discussion entitled Study, Work, Organize in Halifax, Nova Scotia as part of NSPIRG‘s rad frosh. The panel explored the problems facing students and young workers in Nova Scotia and creative strategies and tactics for fighting back. The Continue readingStudy, Work, Organize: Organizing Students and Young Workers in Nova Scotia
In our third installment of the Unifor Interview Series with union leaders, staff, and rank-and-file members, we speak with Roxanne Dubois about Unifor’s Community Chapters. Roxane is a staff member of the CEP and now Unifor, and is a former chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. She presented a discussion paper on community chapters Continue readingUnifor Interview Series: Roxanne Dubois on Community Chapters
We continue our weeklong series of interviews with Unifor union leaders, staff, and rank-and-file members. Today we speak with Lindsay Hinshelwood, an assembly line worker at Ford Oakville and a member of Unifor Local 707, formerly of the Canadian Autoworkers. [audio:https://www.rankandfile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/LHfinal.mp3|titles=Lindsay Hinshelwood interview] Lindsay is a rank-and-file Unifor member who ran from the floor for Continue readingUnifor Interview Series: Lindsay Hinshelwood, Local 707
Dave Bush speaks with Shay Enxuga, an activist with the Baristas Rise Up (BRU) campaign. Shay recently authored the article Queer Struggles are Class Struggles which looks at the experience of queer and trans workers in the low wage service sector. Shay speaks about the working experiences of young queer and trans workers and their Continue readingRank and File Podcast With Shay Enxuga