Unemployment and income supports Holes in the safety net: CERB and EI coverage falls shortZaid Noorsumar, Rankandfile.ca, March 29 2020 Wage subsidy plan is full of big problemsNora Loreto, Rankandfile.ca, March 31 2020 Demand Compassion: Rent Strikes & Emergency BenefitsEmily Leedham, Rankandfile.ca, March 30 2020 Much stronger conditions needed on federal wage subsidy programToby Sanger, Continue readingWeekly labour news digest – April 5 2020
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By Nora Loreto Justin Trudeau announced his government’s most significant aid package for Canadians workers on Friday. The Liberals will subsidize wages by 75% to convince employers to stop layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic. The measure will be available to all businesses, and eligibility criteria are slowly being released. The decision increases his previous promise Continue readingWage subsidy plan is full of big problems
By Zaid Noorsumar The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) introduced this week by the Liberal government is a vast improvement over the beleaguered Employment Insurance system but still excludes many people. The CERB applications are expected to be available online on April 6 with payments to be issued within 10 days. Recipients will be paid Continue readingHoles in the safety net: CERB and EI coverage falls short
By Doug Nesbitt Postal workers across the country are pressing Canada Post management to clean up its act. COVID-19 infections among postal workers have already led to the suspension of mail delivery in Newfoundland and most recently the closure of a mail depot in North Bay, Ontario. In Edmonton, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Continue readingHow Edmonton posties are fighting for health and safety
By Haseena Manek Since Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced restaurants would stay open for takeout and delivery during the COVID19 pandemic, bicycle couriers have ben deemed “essential” workers. Already a dangerous job, bicycle couriers working for food delivery apps like Foodora, Uber Eats, Doordash and Skip the Dishes have no sick leave, no health insurance. Continue readingEssential but precarious: Toronto bike couriers fight for a union
Editor’s introduction The following letter was received by Andrew Stevens, a Regina city councillor and co-founder of Rankandfile.ca. It was first shared publicly on Facebook. It relates to the scab camp established at the Co-op Refinery in Regina in which the employer has locked out refinery workers for over 100 days. Stevens writes of the Continue readingRN says Co-op Refinery scab camp “a disaster waiting to happen”
By Doug Nesbitt Postal workers are widely recognized as essential services during this crisis, but they’re sounding the alarm about working conditions which pose a glaring threat to themselves and the public. On social media and in the mainstream media, postal workers are frustrated with the failure of management to respond effectively to COVID-19 threat, Continue readingDelivering during COVID-19: Canada Post’s shocking working conditions
By Zaid Noorsumar Protective equipment shortages in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis are causing panic among home and community care workers and placing them on the verge of quitting, says an Ontario nurse who works in the sector. Janice Ackerman*, a registered practical nurse (RPN), says personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, Continue reading“We are dropping like flies,” says Ontario home care nurse
By Doug Nesbitt At least half of Hamilton’s sanitation workers initiated a health and safety work refusal on Monday March 23 at 7am. By 11:30am, the Ministry of Labour was contact to address the ongoing work refusal. The seventy sanitation worker involved are members of CUPE Local 5167, the union representing City of Hamilton employees. Continue readingBehind the work refusal by Hamilton sanitation workers
Federal government to legislate $82bn aid package The federal government announced a $82 billion aid package as a temporary measure to provide relief to businesses and workers, as Canada reacts to unprecedented job losses. The package includes $55 billion in tax deferrals for businesses alongside direct payments of $27 billion. The latter includes $10 billion Continue readingWeekly labour news digest – March 22 2019
By Zaid Noorsumar Ontario’s home care workers are facing uncertainty due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in a sector that is already under stress due to decades of privatization and underfunding. Workers across the sector who serve over 700,000 clients appear to be hampered by the shortage of personal protective equipment such as surgical Continue readingHome care workers face new health risks and financial hardships
By David Bush Oh there goes gravity. In short order the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an unprecedented global economic downturn, whose full force we have not even begun to register. Global supply chains — in ruins. Industries like airlines, tourism, hospitality, railways, entertainment, retail, restaurants, manufacturing, auto — smouldering craters. Stock markets — a carnival Continue readingThe Viral Crash