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Nominate your 2018 Scumbag of the Year

It’s that wonderful time of year again where we gather with friends, family, and co-workers to swap stories about the scumbag employers making our lives miserable. As per tradition, we at RankandFile.ca take this time of year to bestow our coveted Scumbag of The Year award on the special scumbag who made workers’ lives hell in 2018. This year we are adding a new wrinkle to contest. We will be giving out two Scumbag of the Year awards, one for the private sector and one for the public sector.

The Rules

In the comment section below, let us know who you think are the year’s worst bosses, scumbag politicians, and right-wing hacks. There are plenty of scumbags around the world, so we limit it to Canada. We will compile two separate top five lists by next week and you our readers will choose in an online poll the winners of our Scumbag of the Year award.

Submissions: Nominate your candidate in the comment section below. Tell us why they deserve to Scumbag of the Year. Nominations close on December 18, 2018.

Past Winners

2017: Galen Weston Jr., President and CEO of Loblaw
2016: Mark Lever, President and CEO of the Halifax Herald Ltd
2015: Deepak Chopra, Canada Post CEO
2014: Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Justin Trudeau for Legislating Postal Workers back to work, which is unconstitutional….but he didnt order CPC to negotiate!!!

  3. This is tough as I have 2

    1st Doug Ford
    2nd Ken Todd, CAO Niagara Falls

  4. Doug Ford needs this win above any other. He stood there in my workplace, McDonalds Kenora, shook my hand, and outright lied to my face about ending deeming, and ‘turning [wsib]upside down’. Doug Ford is a liar, and a scumbag. I will not shut up. Lying liar.

  5. Doug Ford – picking on workers, eliminating protections for children, and pretty much everything else he’s done since becoming premier

  6. Sears Executives for getting a big bonus but still cutting their retirees pensions.

    Scott Moe and the Sask Party for running up the biggest provincial debt in history in Saskatchewan- scumbag!

  7. Year 2 in a row – Don Sinclair of the Ontario College Council. Don is stonewalling part-time college workers at the bargaining table, after successfully lobbying through the Chamber of Commerce to strip Bill 148 rights to a $15 minimum wage, equal pay for equal work and paid sick days for the 10,000 or so student workers at Ontario Colleges. Last year Don came in a close second after a bitter college faculty strike – he deserves our support for Scumbag of the Year.

    • I second that nomination. His press release gleefully welcoming Bill 47 was abhorrent.

  8. Oh without doubt its Doug Ford! Scumbag drug dealer premier. He has no education and acts like a repellious teenager. Or 2year old depending on his mood.

  9. Doug Ford, for attacking workers with Bill 47 and removing workplace rights, for removing environmental and health protections, for going after francophones and children, for putting the remaining watchdogs under political control, for his fake environmental plan, for his cuts to healthcare, installing a government for the rich, never “for the people”, for seriously weakening the anti-racism directorate, for removing measures for equal pay for women, and planning to ignore aboriginal rights in the so called ring of fire, and everything retrograde he’s done and will do.

  11. Justin Trudeau for trampling on the basic human rights of workers: hands down

  13. Private sector: Tim Hortons corporate and franchises for their retaliation against workers over the $14 minimum wage in Ontario.

    Public sector: Justin Trudeau for strikebreaking

  15. University of Saskatchewan for trying to arbitrarily change the negotiated pensions of CUPE 1975 support staff

  16. Mark Chipman, owner of the Winnipeg Jets and a luxury condo development in downtown Winnipeg that he successfully pressured city council not to require him to include 10% “affordable” units in (after public outcry, council announced they would make the company pay $200,000 in property tax refunds that it’s receiving from the city to fund a single unit of affordable housing somewhere else in the city). utter scum!

  17. There are so many scumbags to choose from. I think, like the Academy Awards, there should be categories i.e. Scumbag Business Tycoon Canadian, Scumbag Business Tycoon International, Scumbug politician – National, Scumbag politician- provincial, Scumbag politician-municipal, Scumbag politician-International, Non-business/politician scumbag, etc., Maybe even online scumbag group (I’d nominate Ontario Proud for that).

  18. I nominate Peter Munk’s corpse. Barrick Gold is awful and the Munk debates are wretched. The myth of his philanthropy is vomit inducing. The Munk family should have its wealth expropriated and given to communities from which it robbed and poisoned.

  19. Of course….Doug “For the People” Ford for halting the $15 minimum wage and a host of other reasons (not enough space in this comment box).

    Honourable Mention to Justin Trudeau.

  21. Unifor president Jerry Dias. He kisses the Liberals ass and that’s how we have who we do now. Dias gave the autoworker a shit contract and belittles any member that disagrees with him. Do I even need to mention CLC?

  23. As always there is no shortage of potential scumbag nominees, but Doug Ford surely takes the cake this year.

  24. Justin Trudeau for legislating Posties back to work, not fulfilling his promises on FPTP, purchasing a useless pipeline, offering a 2 year wage freeze to public sector workers followed by a 0.75% increase while approving hefty salary increases for himself and fellow cronies…the list goes on and on

  27. Canada post is worst public sector boss for not negotiating a collective agreement with its workers . For having a two tier wage system and not paying workers for all hours worked . Not paying RSMC overtime pay and weekend overtime pay .
    Trudeau is worst politician . Says all kinds of wonderful things but does the opposite from buying a pipeline and legislating postal workers back to work .

  31. Muhammad Qazi/Qazi Family. Owner/s of Fairfield Manor East and West Retirement Homes, who neglected elderly residents and didnt pay staff or provide proper equipment and let the homes deteriorate to the point, the fire marshal had to shut down the homes.

  35. Rhonda Lenton, York University for presiding over the longest post-secondary strike in Canadian history. Helped all the way by both Kathleen Wynne & DoFo.

  36. I really want to say Mary Bara, CEO of GM, but I have to give it up for DoFo. He may not run a global corporation like Mary, but he is a world class piece of shit.

  37. Doug Ford, premier of Ontario – tyrant, destroyer of democracy, gangster politician – the list is endless

  39. Hands down, Doug Ford. Mary Bara as a close second. But you must select Ford.

  40. Definitely Doug Ford. Why? Geez where do I start? Killed corporate revenue generating cap and trade costing us millions and now have to oay for legal challenges along with ripped up green energy contracts. Green Energy act gone not renegotiated. Open fir business but not a green economy business. Home energy rebates gone. Electruc vehicles gone. Do ithing climate plan. Workers rights diminished and minimum wage frozen. ODSP increases cancelled. Wants to build a subway for the price it could be used to increase transit services everywhere. Sex-ed! Killed the watchdogs so no one can tell on him. Environmental commissioner and Child Advocate, Francophones. And then there is the OPP buddy appointment! I’ve probably missed a few more! It’s a gong show government!

  41. Steve Clark, for selling out Toronto in order to secure a cabinet post.

  42. I nominate Doug Ford for #scumbag of the year for his, destruction of the middle class, healthcare, education and his lack of care for the wellbeing of our seniors, children, abused, poor and ill.

  43. I nominate Doug Ford for the scumbag of the year for being the worst politician. Attacking education, healthcare, the working poor and our most vulnerable citizens.

  44. I nominate Doug Ford for the worst political leader. Plus I will have to nominate the barracuda from GM for her heartless way of conducting business.

  45. Doug Ford.
    Never thought I could come to despise anyone more than Harris or Harper.
    Scheer would be a close second.
    Lisa Raitt, tied third.
    Lisa MacLeod, tied third.

  46. Doug Ford for sure. He is anti-everything except himself and his rich white buddies. Has not shown an inkling of empathy.

  49. So many choices but Jessica McDonald of Canada Post, Justin Trudeau, Bill Morneau, and Patricia Hadju are close seconds for the unconstitutional evil bullshit they’ve been pulling against Canada Post workers

  50. Jessica L. McDonald, interim President and CEO of Canada Post. Justin Trudeau for legislating postal workers back to work

  51. Mainly
    Jessica L. McDonald
    President and CEO of Canada Post

    This company treats employees like garbage lying and bullying people like crazy.

    Must also nominate the following politicians for having roles in the legislation that sent CUPW workers illegally back to work

    Justin Trudeau
    Prime Minister of Canada

    Patty Hajdu
    Canadian Politician

    Carla Qualtrough
    Minister of Public Works and Government Services

  53. As there are so many deserving scumbags that I also support there being different categories for private sector and public sector.

  59. Tim Hortons
    and the shady franchisers, that took the opportunity to even further berate their already underpaid over worked labour pool. Throw in hiring temporary foreign labour and over the top price increases and the continued destruction of a Canadian tradition through Americanization and aggressive corporate modelling

  60. Boris Serebryany and Alex Garber, CEO and COO of Fiera Foods, that food processing company we all know & love. In the face of mounting evidence of their shady safety record and exploitation of temp workers, would Fiera Foods back down? Hell no, they double down! No one can tell them not to kill their workers, not when there is still money to be made.

  61. Justin Trudeau. Treasury Board tabled its salary offer of 0.75% per year at the bargaining table with Revenue Canada employees.

    Faith Goldy. White supremacist

  62. Jason Kenney. For not only taking part in a measure to inflict suffering on gay men dying from aids, not only for bragging about it years later, but also for acting like it was some minor gaffe he doesn’t apologize for today.

  64. The entire management team at canada post for boss scumbag and the entire liberal and tory caucuses for scumbag politicians because of the refusal by canada post management to negotiate and because of unlawfuly revoking a workers right to freedom of association including the right to bargain collectively including the right to strike

  65. In no particular order:
    Doug Ford
    Andrew scheer
    Lindsay Shepherd
    Jordan Peterson

  66. Since Doug Ford seems to be very popular, my choice is Tony Clement, MP for somewhere in Muskoka. He has a creepy habit of sexting young women who want nothing to do with the old hack.

  69. Please, let’s not forget the CEO of General Motors. Her prize ought to be the nationalization of GM, without compensation, under workers’ and community control.
    Public sector: it’s hands down Thug Ford. His prize is obvious too: for a General Strike to force an early election.

  70. Mary Barra, President of GM, is my nominee. She proves that capitalists have no commitment nor loyalty to country, not only their own, but to profit and the bottom line. It is time to nationalize GM under democratic control.

  71. Brent Ramsey – Private Sector / Many Rivers Counsilling Services in Yukon
    Doug Ford – Public Sector / Premier of Ontario

  72. – Doug Ford for repealing labour bill 147
    – Kathleen Wynne for excluding autoworkers for the full 10 sick days
    – Ray Tanguay, union buster and one of the key players ensuring the exploitation of auto workers

  73. Labour Minister Patty “the Scrooge” deserves a nomination, for violating postal workers’ constitutional rights by pushing emergency legislation to force them back to work and setting us ALL back 100 years in our rights. Bah humbug!

  74. Mary Barra, President of GM – Private sector
    Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario – Public sector

  76. The Liberal Party of Nova Scotia. There’s not enough space to write about this crew. Treatment of teachers, unabashed assault on workers rights and rights to collective bargaining and freedom of Association. Austerity budgets. Failing to support small businesses. Taking away rights of organized labour instead of working to improve the quality of work for all Nova Scotians. Closing hospitals. Working with private sector canals to promote privatization of public services by openly passing resolutions in support of these goals at their Arms, and underfunding public services to set them up for privatization. Closing down law amendments to avoid hearing from all who wanted to speak. Openly ignoring the majority will of their constituents. And generally being cowards.

  77. The Nova Scotia Government for allowing 20 tonnes of tires to be burned in a furnace per day,and approving this as a “Trial” for a year…….The environmental impacts will be felt for generations to come

  78. Justin Trudeau for not fixing the Phoenix pay system & commiting treason by signing this country over to private corporations & the UN.
    The list goes on & on with this man.. ????

  80. Gerald & Anne, Woodlawn BulkBarn owner.
    Cares way more about the money than his staff. Mistreats them and acts quite childish when things don’t work out in their favour.

  82. Kit Singh of the smiling goat. Not paying his workers for their labour repeatedly then trying to push a lawsuit against workers and their union for speaking out about the situation.

  83. Maybe since there is do many god damn scumbags out there we should expand to one per province in both the business and political categories.

  84. The Liberal Party of Canada. For attacks on workers from coast to coast to coast.

  85. Doug Ford Hands Down! He claims he’s for the People (including the vulnerable people) when it’s more like He’s for the wealthy few 1%!

  86. Stephen McNeil
    Union busting, destroying healthcare and education. Dictatorship. No respect for the citizens that voted him in.

  87. Tough choice between Doug Ford for everything that he is and Justin Trudeau for the violation of charter rights by the postal worker back to work legislation. Can’t they both win?

  89. I think the award should be shared between Canada Post Corporation and Doug Ford. Both have been evil to workers.

  90. Worst Boss- Canada Post; Worst politician- Doug Ford

    • Agree! Jessica McDonald who keeps sending Canada Post workers condescending letters after not negotiating a fair and proper contract.

  94. Rachel Notley, for betraying the hopes of the left and turning into yet another shill for the oligarchs.

  95. As a Nova Scotian, it makes me very sad that 50% of past winners losers?) have come from my small province. It’s Ontario’s turn. Doug Ford is the most horrendous thing to come out of this country since…..actually perhaps ever. Scumbag doesn’t go far enough. So that’s the public sector.

    Private? Unfortunately I think that Canada Post acts as if it were for profit so definitely their CEO. If you consider it to be public then I’ll go with GM.

  97. So many Scum bags to choose from! However, I’m going to nominate Canada Post CEO Jessica McDonald ( I can’t nominate her 17 Vice Presidents or the whole board of directors so Jessica will have to take the fall which is why I’m sure they appointed her anyway) I’m making this nomination due to her refusal to negotiate a fair collective agreement with her workers. As well, I think it’s disgusting the way she spews Untrue propaganda manipulating facts and figures while she collects her $550,000 plus bonus annual salary and rewards all of her 17 Vice Presidents whopping six figure salaries plus bonuses! Jessica you ARE a Scumbag!!!

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