jerry dias ← Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes

Alberta Politics: Canadian labour movement abuzz in wake of Unifor decision to quit Canadian Labour Congress

Jan

17

2018

PHOTOS: Unifor President Jerry Dias (Photo: Unifor Local 591-G). Below: Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff and former Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan. The Canadian labour movement is abuzz debating and speculating on the potential ramifications of the decision of Canada’s largest private-sector union to quit the Canadian Labour Congress. Unifor’s National Executive ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

Jan

11

2018

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Jerry Dias writes that a new year has already seen far too many examples of corporate greed rampaging out of control. Elizabeth Bruenig highlights the contrasting treatment of poor people who face increasingly stringent requirements to access even meager benefits, and the wealthy who are being handed ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links

Nov

10

2017

Assorted content to end your week. – Thomas Frank asks how we’ve allowed billionaires to escape any responsibility for the maintenance of civilization by moving their wealth offshore: I know that what the billionaires and the celebrities have done is legal. They merely took advantage of the system. It’s the system itself, and the way ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

Sep

28

2017

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Kevin McKean discusses how inequality undermines the goal of ensuring a healthy population. Matt Bruenig examines new data showing that the concentration of wealth in the U.S. is getting more extreme by the year. Steven Pearlstein writes about new polling showing that the U.S. public strongly favours ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

Aug

31

2017

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Sarah Anderson studies how corporate tax cuts enrich CEOs, but don’t do anything to help workers. And she then follows up with this op-ed: If claims about the job-creation benefits of lower tax rates had any validity, these 92 consistently profitable firms would be among the nation’s ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links

Aug

25

2017

Assorted content to end your week. – Abigail McKnight and Richard Reeves write about the gilded floor that prevents the wealthy from facing the realities lived by most people. Eric Levitz discusses how the Trump economy is producing plenty for the ultra-rich, but little but mediocrity for everybody else. And Michelle Styczynski points out that ...

Accidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links

Aug

13

2017

This and that for your Sunday reading. – Jerry Dias writes that corporate greed is the common thread in numerous stories about Canadian workers being left without jobs or support. And Yves Engler points out that trade agreements have ultimately served little purpose but to entrench corporate power. – Chris Doucouliagos reminds us that inequality ...

Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links

Aug

9

2017

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Linda McQuaig makes the case as to why any NAFTA renegotiation needs to focus on workers’ rights: NAFTA has been key to the transformation of Canada over the last two decades, enabling corporations to become ever more dominant economically and politically, while rendering our labour force increasingly vulnerable ...

Accidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links

Jul

25

2017

This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Jerry Dias and Dennis Williams write about the fundamental changes which we should be seeking to make to NAFTA in order to ensure that workers’ and citizens’ interests aren’t left out of trade rules: Meaningful Nafta renegotiation must comprehensively focus on balanced trade that provides real wage ...

Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links

May

27

2017

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – David MacDonald studies the federal government’s loopholes and giveaways targeted toward those who already have the most – noting that there would be plenty of revenue to fund the programs we’re told are unaffordable if that preferential treatment was ended. And Felicity Lawrence highlights how multinational corporations are ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links

Apr

27

2017

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Ben Kentish reports on the Equality Trust’s research showing that the poorest 10% of the population in the UK actually pays a higher percentage of its income in taxes than the top 10%. Dominic Rushe, Ben Jacobs and Sabrina Siddiqui discuss how Donald Trump is going out ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

Jan

9

2017

Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Sean McElwee offers his take on the crucial failings which have led the U.S. Democrats to their current nadir in which principles and values have been discarded in the pursuit of power they’ve failed to secure. – Mike Konczal and Marshall Steinbaum highlight the importance of effective government ...

Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links

Dec

28

2016

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Jonathan Chait sees Larry Kudlow’s claim that “Wealthy folks have no need to steal or engage in corruption!” as an all-too-accurate statement of the belief system underlying Donald Trump’s presidency: What has been exposed is not only the lie at the heart of Trump’s campaign, but a delusion ...

Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links

Nov

12

2016

Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Arancha González Laya distinguishes between international trade and corporatism – arguing that we should be looking to ensure people benefit from the former by reining in the latter: Making trade more inclusive requires action on three broad policy fronts: trade rules, domestic social protection, and international cooperation to ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

Oct

27

2016

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Jordan Brennan points out why Nova Scotia (and other jurisdictions) should move past austerity economics: The McNeil Liberals appear set to rack up budgetary surpluses through a strategy of public sector wage suppression. This is likely to backfire. It is an elementary insight of economic analysis that, ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

Sep

15

2016

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Graham Lowe and Frank Graves examine the state of Canada’s labour market, and find a strong desire among workers for an activist government to ensure improved pay equality and social supports. Oxfam reaches similar conclusions in studying workers and employers in Scotland. And Emma Teitel reports on ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links

Jul

15

2016

Assorted content to end your week. – France St-Hilaire, David Green and Craig Riddell offer some needed policy prescriptions to fight inequality in Canada: As first steps toward expanding the share of the economic pie going to workers, the minimum wage should be gradually increased to $15 and the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) significantly ...

Accidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links

May

19

2016

This and that for your Thursday reading. – Peter Mazereeuw reports on the growing opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership which may result in it never coming into force. And Jerry Dias reminds us why we should be glad if that movement wins out over the corporate forces who assembled it behind closed doors: (T)he far ...

Montreal Simon: The Most Ridiculous Reason For Not Firing Tom Mulcair

Apr

8

2016

Well as you all know, Tom Mulcair is perched precariously on a narrow plank, over the deep blue sea.With the big question being, will he be standing or swimming on Monday? But even as he marches or limps towards his destiny, some of the old guard are hobbling out to defend him.And this has to be the most ridiculous reason ...

Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links

Jul

22

2015

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Jerry Dias discusses how the Cons have pushed Canada into an avoidable recession by slashing useful funding in order to send out pre-election baubles: How far has Canada’s economic star fallen? Only recently Prime Minister Stephen Harper boasted that Canada’s economy was “the envy of the entire world.” ...

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links

Jul

3

2015

Assorted content to end your week. – Jerry Dias sees the forced passage of an unamended Bill C-377 as a definitive answer in the negative to the question of whether the Senate will ever justify its own existence. And Nora Loreto emphasizes that the bill has no purpose other than to attack unions: The amendments ...

The Canadian Progressive: For Canada, a commitment to the environment and jobs is possible

Jul

3

2015

Naomi Klein and environmental activists will call for a “long term sustainable strategy that leads to renewable energy” during the March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate in Toronto on July 5. The post For Canada, a commitment to the environment and jobs is possible appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.

Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links

Nov

7

2014

Assorted content to end your week. – Jessica McCormick and Jerry Dias respond to Stephen Poloz’ view that young workers should be happy to work for free, and note that he of all people shouldn’t be pointing the finger at individuals to address problems with systemic unemployment: The most infuriating aspect of Poloz’s statement is ...

Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links

Sep

1

2014

Miscellaneous material for your Labour Day reading. – Andrew Jackson discusses the future of Canada’s labour movement, while Gil McGowan highlights the fact that unionization can be no less important in Alberta and other booming areas than elsewhere. And Jerry Dias notes that there are some reasons for celebration this year. – But Edward McClelland ...