James Chumsa reports from the picket lines on Vancouver Island about the forestry workers’ strike against concessions demanded by Western Forest Products.
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From May 8-11, 2019, Winnipeg unions hosted the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike Centenary Conference: inviting union members, labour activists and leaders from across Canada to reflect on the history for the general strike, and apply its lessons to the present and future of the labour movement. This episode compiles audio from the disability and labour Continue readingDisability justice & labour organizing
By Bianca Cunningham “Three years ago I was at a union meeting and a member stood up and asked why we got such good pay and benefits as Saskatoon Co-op employees,” said Jodi Smith, a member of Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1400. “Grant Wicks, now the general manager of the co-op, answered that Continue readingSaskatoon Co-op strike didn’t beat two-tier
On Wednesday, June 26, Winnipeg Transit drivers, members of ATU Local 1505, announced they would not enforce fares on Thursday, June 27, which included transit to the Winnipeg Blue Bomber’s home opener. Last month, ATU Local 1505 took its first legal job action on May 14, 2019, not enforcing fares for riders. Shortly after, the Continue readingBus drivers on second “fare strike” give Winnipeggers free transit
By Bob Barnetson Alberta’s minimum wage for youth under 18 has been reduced as part of a broad series of labour-law rollbacks enacted by the new United Conservative government. The short of it is that workers under 18 and enrolled in school will have a minimum wage of $13 per hour, instead of the $15 per hour Continue readingEdmonton Public Library flirts with cutting teens’ wages
Dear Brother Yussuff, We are calling on the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), in the most urgent terms possible, to express public opposition to the Government of Canada’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners are waging war in Yemen. The war has plunged the country into what the United Nations (UN) Continue readingOpen Letter to CLC President Hassan Yussuff on labour opposition to Canada-Saudi arms deal
by Emily Leedham Winnipeg Transit drivers, who are members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, will not be enforcing fares from riders tomorrow, Thursday, June 27. This will be the second time ATU 1505 has taken this form of job action, the first “fare strike” taking place last month on Tuesday, May 14th. After the Continue readingWinnipeg Transit drivers go on second “fare strike” tomorrow
By Chris Brooks It was a bad sign. On the day voting began at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the shift change suddenly turned blue. Throngs of workers were passing through the factory turnstiles in both directions, as the day shift ended and the night shift began. On the preceding days, handfuls of union Continue readingWhy the UAW Lost Again in Chattanooga
by Emily Leedham On Rank & File Radio – Prairie Edition, Avi Lewis, Co-founder and Strategic Director of the Leap, shares the untold story of the Leap Manifesto, labour and the 2016 Federal NDP convention in Edmonton, Alberta. We also talk about the pressing need to bridge the labour and climate justice movements, and what Continue readingThe Untold Story of the Leap, Labour & the 2016 Federal NDP Convention
By Bob Barnetson Last week, Alberta’s United Conservative government introduced legislation designed to suspend the arbitration of wage re-openers in most public-sector collective agreements. This move is widely expected to give the government time to cook up wage-freeze or wage-rollback legislation. There’s good coverage and analysis of this decision elsewhere. One of the more interesting twitter exchanges about this that Continue readingLabour Politics and Deflection
Avery Edwards is a community organizer, gender freedom fighter, and a co-founder of PYROS, the Prairie Youth Radical Organizing School, located on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton. In 2018, PYROS launched Queer Scouts, a cohort style leadership development program that empowers queer and trans youth to challenge injustice in their schools and communities through collective Continue readingLGBTQ Rights are Workers’ Rights, Climate Justice is Labour Justice
By Evan Johnston On June 5, the Ontario government introduced Bill 124, the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019. Peter Bethlenfalvy, current Treasury Board President and former Wall Street executive, claims that the bill “allow[s] for reasonable wage increases, while protecting the province’s front-line services, restoring the province’s financial position and Continue readingFour things you should know about Bill 124