By Gerard Di Trolio Right now, scabs are the secret ingredient in Covered Bridge Potato Chips made near Hartland, New Brunswick. After members of UFCW 1288P began their strike for a first contract on January 5, Covered Bridge turned to scab labour. Workers are seeking their first collective agreement with Covered Bridge after voting to Continue readingBoycott Scab Chips
Editor's pick
By Andrew Stevens Workers at the Best Western Seven Oaks Inn in Regina have been walking the picket line since December 28. In a show of solidarity, at least a hundred supporters joined the strike on the evening of January 6. Despite the support, however, Seven Oaks is still operational, even though workers and union Continue readingSolidarity with UFCW 1400’s Seven Oaks workers
By Daniel Tseghay When students and instructors came together at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, on November 27th, they marched through campus and presented a set of demands to a representative of the university president. Addressing the many manifestations of racism at the university, with a focus on the experiences of African/black students Continue readingChallenging Anti-Black Racism on Canadian Campuses
By Doug Nesbitt and David Bush 2015 was a year of struggle and progress for the Canadian labour movement. The defeat of the Tories federally and in Alberta, and some notable legal victories were tempered by the three interrelated problems: sharp austerity policies applied at the provincial level, the continuing employers’ offensive on workers, and Continue reading2015: The Canadian labour movement in review
By Denise Leduc For over a decade, Local 63 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stages Employees (IATSE) has faced anti-union sentiment by some sports and entertainment groups in the city of Winnipeg, according to Barry Haines IATSE International Representative. The latest incident occurred on November 16, three days after IATSE Local 63 had been Continue readingIATSE Local 63 fighting anti-unionism in the CFL
By David Bush On Wednesday taxi drivers in Toronto took their battle against Uber to the streets. The protest was just the latest salvo in an increasingly bitter and seemingly complex war over the future city’s taxi industry. Since Uber rolled into Toronto in 2012 it has dramatically shaken up the city’s taxi industry and Continue readingUberXploited: Behind the Toronto taxi wars
By Chris Grawey, CUPE 4207 member and Vice-President Niagara Regional Labour Council for Niagara South I attended my first Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) Convention in Toronto last week as a young worker delegate representing the Niagara Regional Labour Council. The convention was an eye-opening experience that revealed the good, the bad, and the ugly Continue readingOFL Convention 2015: The good, the bad, and the ugly
By Tara Ehrcke With only a little bit of fanfare, the BC government announced last week that most of BC’s public sector workers would be receiving a surprise .45% pay increase next year under the “economic dividend” clause negotiated into most contracts. Labour leaders rightly pointed out how meagre this .45% increase really is. CUPE Continue readingEconomic dividend symptomatic of state of public sector labour movement in BC
By Daniel Tseghay In the year of Vancouver’s incorporation as a city in 1886, industrial unionists formed a local branch of the Knights of Labor. The union, which sponsored the Asiatic Exclusion League, played a prominent role in the riot that erupted the following year. Three hundred white workers expressed their animosity towards the Chinese Continue readingA history of migrant work in BC: Labour’s choice between exclusion and solidarity
by David Bush and Doug Nesbitt So there we have it. Harper is gone. The Liberals surged from third place to win in this marathon election. The NDP, which was leading in the polls in August, slowly lost steam after they promised to prioritize balancing the budget and refusing to tax the rich. Ever the opportunists, Continue readingAfter Harper: Confronting the Liberals
by Tara Ehrcke Just one year ago, BC teachers returned to class from what was the longest teacher strike in Canadian history. Teachers, upset with over a decade of deteriorating funding and particularly with large and complex classrooms, were unwilling to accept a contract offer which simply maintained the status quo. In one of the Continue readingThe rise and fall (?) of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation
By David Bush and Doug Nesbitt When the writ for the federal election dropped on Aug. 2, both political parties and trade unions moved into full election mode. The lengthy 78 day election period puts spending constraints upon unions including direct election spending and third party campaigning on issues relating to the election. Most unions Continue readingWorkers, unions, and the election