In October, the New York office of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung celebrated its 10th year of operation. CD columnist and editor André Frappier was there. Photo by Behance. The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung held its annual meeting in New York on October 28-29, the 10th anniversary of the opening of its
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Canadian Dimension: CUPW’s difficult choice
CUPW workers picket at the Canada Post processing facility in Winnipeg, June 2, 2011. Photo by Trevor Hagan. Over the past few weeks, CUPW members across Canada and Québec have been debating whether or not to accept the extension of their collective agreement as proposed by the union’s National Executive
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Québec Solidaire tightens party discipline with a view to election
At Québec Solidaire’s recent National Council meeting, controversy broiled over the leadership’s proposal to censure an organized group within the party, the Collectif antiraciste décolonial. Photo courtesy Québec Solidaire/Twitter. Québec Solidaire (QS) was born 15 years ago from the unification of the principal left forces in Québec that adopted a
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Fighting the extreme right, building the left
Masked Proud Boys at a protest in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photo by Anthony Crider/Flickr. This article is a response to “Banning the Proud Boys—be careful what you ask for” by John Clarke, published in Canadian Dimension on January 16, 2021. The federal government’s addition of the far-right group the Proud
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Québec solidaire defines its political priorities
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Manon Massé, elected spokespeople for Québec solidaire. Photo from Twitter. The pandemic has changed how civil society operates, making it difficult to function democratically. The strictures on holding rallies and demonstrations not only make it harder to exert popular pressure, but also limit interaction between activists and
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: CLC breaks solidarity with labour movement by endorsing Bill Morneau for OECD’s top job
CLC President Hassan Yussuff speaks at the Ontario Federation of Labour Convention, November 21, 2017. Photo courtesy of the OFL Communications Department/Wikimedia Commons. On October 30, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) issued a joint statement with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in support of Bill Morneau’s candidacy for the position
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: For an Internationalist Perspective in North America
Manon Massé, one of the two current leaders for Québec solidaire since 2017. The 2018 national assembly election in Québec marked a breakthrough for the Left. While a right-wing coalition won the most votes, the election’s biggest surprise was the unprecedented success of the left-wing, pro-independence party Québec solidaire (Solidarity
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Fighting Bill 21 in Québec
A sticker seen in Montreal on May 20, 2019 referring to Québec’s ban on religious symbols enacted by Bill 21. Photo from Flickr. During the federal election, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet presented himself as Québec’s spokesperson while defending the policies enacted at the provincial level by the majority CAQ
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: The 2019 National Convention of the Democratic Socialists of America
Photo by Steve Eberhardt. Courtesy of The Nation. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) held its biennial convention from August 1-4 in Atlanta. There were 1,056 delegates, representing 80 local associations from all over the United States. As a representative of Québec solidaire, I had the privilege of being among
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Prospects for the federal election
Photo by European Parliament The NDP is currently at its lowest level of popularity since its meteoric rise in 2011, when the party won 103 seats, including 59 in Québec, with nearly 31 per cent of the vote. Ambushed by Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe in 2015 on the issue
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Québec solidaire’s hard-fought win against the current
Photo by Québec solidaire The rise of Québec solidaire was in some sense historically ordained, although we didn’t realize to what extent. We kept hoping and working to make it happen. The political process is not a linear one. There comes a time when the parties that have dominated the
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: The rise of the Right & the challenge of building a Left alternative
Just a few months away from the next Québec election, the polls are indicating a possible majority government for François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), with 37 per cent of the vote, versus 28 per cent for the Québec Liberal Party that continues to slide, a historic 19-per-cent low for
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Bill C-27 pension reform: an unprecedented attack on all
Photo by Art Babych/Shutterstock.com On October 19, 2016, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled Bill C-27, taking aim at the Pensions Benefits Standards Act governing pension plans in workplaces under federal jurisdiction: crown corporations, air and rail transportation, telecommunications and banks. The proposed new legislation allows employers under federal jurisdiction
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: National Struggle and Class Struggle: Complementary or Contradictory?
Photo from Public Domain Parallels Between Catalonia and Quebec A major item on the agenda of the upcoming convention of Québec solidaire (QS), to be held in the Montréal suburb of Longueuil December 1-3, will be a proposal for fusion with another pro-independence party, Option nationale (ON). This will entail
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Québec solidaire gains ground
Photo by Quebec Solidaire Last Winter, Québec’s electoral representation commission made a controversial decision to redraw the boundaries of the electoral map in a way that jeopardized the existence of the Ste-Marie–St-Jacques riding, represented by Québec solidaire MNA Manon Massé. The ensuing massive popular protest forced the commission to back
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Québecers mobilize against intolerance and exclusion
The testimony gathered by media covering the January shooting at a Québec City mosque brings to light a somber situation. According to a representative of that city’s Muslim community, many no longer go to mosques for fear of being identified, while some women have stopped wearing hijabs, hiding their faith
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