Assorted content for your Friday reading. – In writing recently about employer efforts to intimidate workers into backing corporate-friendly candidates, I figured that the best examples we’d see would come from individual corporate magnates – as the candidates themselves would surely be smart enough not to state publicly that they
Continue readingTag: labour.
Peace, order and good government, eh?: And that’s where I stopped reading
I scanned through this article at iPolitics far enough to make sure that I wasn’t just objecting to something projected onto it by a copy editor whose headline didn’t reflect the author’s intent. But there it was, in the third paragraph: There is currently a bill before Parliament (Bill C-377)
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Erika Shaker describes the effect of the “right-to-work” laws so popular among our more regressive politicians: “Right-to-Work” still remains a dubious—even Orwellian—term, probably because we have a sweatshop-sized vat of research documenting examples of what this scheme has meant for those American jurisdictions
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Crawford Kilian talks to Ed Broadbent about the effect of increasing inequality and the prospect of changing course: On how quickly things could turn around: “I’d like to see a strategic plan. We can’t change overnight after 20 years. We could take
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On end goals
Since the Regina Chamber of Commerce apparently isn’t too fond of having its own words pointed out publicly, I’ll offer a quick refresher as to how its statements about its desire to shut down workers’ political activity compare to its sad claim to free speech. Again, here are two separate
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Dalton McGuinty’s resignation speech
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced his resignation! McGuinty, who has led the Ontario Liberals since 1996 and been premier since 2003, stunned his caucus Monday evening with the announcement and call for a “renewal” of leadership. The following is the text of McGuinty’s resignation speech: Sixteen years ago, when I
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your weekend reading. – Thomas Walkom comments on the Cons’ preference for low-wage, no-rights immigrant labour as a means of avoiding good jobs for Canadians: Theoretically, temporary work visas are supposed to be reserved for those with unique skills. But increasingly, the notion of skill has been
Continue readingwmtc: walmart workers issue ultimatum, threaten to walk on busiest shopping day of the year
Walmart workers have been trying to reason with their employer and get better working conditions for many, many years. Walmart doesn’t ignore their pleas and demands: it punishes them. Retaliation against workers who stand up for better conditions, although illegal, is commonplace. Workers who have joined OUR Walmart – Organization
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the dangers of allowing corporate voices and employers to dictate what citizens are permitted (or required) to say about political issues. While I didn’t include a direct comparison in the column, I’ll point out the rather stark contrast between the employer abuses exemplified by Murray Energy Company and
Continue readingAlberta Diary: MP Russ Hiebert’s anti-union campaign: is Bill C-377 another Tory ‘own-goal’?
Unidentified Conservative Party Member of Parliament contemplates B.C. Tory MP Russ Hiebert’s “own goal.” Strangely, actual Harper Government MPs may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Hiebert. What are Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s boon companions in the courts, fern-encrusted law offices, plush executive suites of provincial medical associations and
Continue readingwmtc: workers on strike at walmart! support this historic labour action.
Last Thursday, October 3, was a historic date for working people. For the first time in the 50-year history of Walmart, Walmart workers are on strike. Walmart is the largest private employer on the planet, with more than two million employees worldwide. Twenty percent of all employed USians work at
Continue readingCanadian Dimension Feed: Skilled Labour
He must have walked out, I thought as I looked around our department at the warehouse. In the morning the Lead Hand brought a new guy over to our crew that worked on the brick-load. The brick-load was a transport truck filled wall-to-wall, back-to-front, floor-to-ceiling with computer components from a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Free speech for me, but not for thee
Needless to say, the Regina Chamber of Commerce’s attempts to paint concerns about its purporting to speak on behalf of the City as having anything to do with free speech generally have no basis in reality. But if we want to look for somebody who’s making a concerted effort to
Continue readingStraight Outta Edmonton: Solving Alberta’s Labour Shortage
China’s CNOOC Ltd.’s $15.1 billion bid for Calgary basedNexen Inc. reflects a growing interest among state-owned Asian energy companies in Alberta’s oil sands. In addition to China, three state-run Indian companiesare eyeing oil sands assets held by ConocoPhilips, jointly offering $5 billion this past July for six of its properties.
Continue readingStraight Outta Edmonton: Solving Alberta’s Labour Shortage
While many are skeptical of Asia’s foray into the oil sands, there is plenty to be gained by strengthening economic ties with China and India.
Although much has already been written about foreign direct investment spurring growth in the oil sands, collaboration with China and India can also address other challenges impacting the sector, as well as Alberta’s economy as a whole.
Labour shortages are by far the biggest challenge to Alberta’s economy. Demand in the oil and gas sector for workers with technical and professional skills is not being matched. Further, with the high wages being offered by that industry, workers are being driven away from other sectors of the economy, leading to a chronic labour shortage — as well as a rise in inflationary pressures — which is being felt across the province.
Solving Alberta’s labour crunch requires innovation and bold action to allow employers in the province to identify talent and entice them to live and work in Alberta.
To this end, Alberta’s colleges and universities must play an integral and much more proactive role in alleviating the province’s chronic labour shortage. Not only in training and developing young Albertans, but also connecting the province’s employers to talent the world over. This should go well beyond the international student programs operated by nearly every post-secondary institution in the province. Instead, focus should be placed on developing larger, longer term programs to train and recruit international talent to Alberta.
For instance, Alberta can benefit from recent social and legislative developments in India, which have sparked a revolutionary change in attitudes towards and opportunities for higher learning in that country.
India is experiencing a post-secondary education boom. With a middle class that has grown from the liberal economic and trade reforms of the 1990s, demand for diplomas and degrees have soared, and are seen as key to social mobility and economic advancement.
By 2020, 44 million Indians are expected to be enrolled in the country’spost-secondary education system. During the same period, the number of colleges and universities in India are expected to triple.
In order to meet the demand for higher learning, the Indian state has responded by passing legislation that would allow for foreign post-secondary institutions to establish campuses in the country. In doing so, Indian legislators hope to provide Indians greater access to the world’s leading post-secondary institutions, in addition to opening a growing sector of its economy to foreign investment.
For Indian students, instead of leaving home and paying hefty fees to attend school abroad, they can now or will be able to attend the likes of Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Warwick University and Schulich School of Business (York University) in their very own states.
In most instances, not only are the fees cheaper and the curriculum the same as their sister campuses, but students are able to complete their final semester in the home country of their college or university. This allows Indian students to obtain internationally recognized diplomas and degrees, making it easier to attain employment and immigration abroad — the goal of many.
For colleges and universities in Alberta, India offers a particularly unique opportunity.
In an era where governments are scaling back funding to post-secondary education, India presents itself as a lucrative opportunity. Alberta’s colleges and universities can make up funding shortfalls by expanding into India, with its large market, significant growth potential, and cheaper start-up and operating costs.
Further, Alberta’s post-secondary institutions can provide employers in the province with unprecedented access to India’s talent pool. Indian graduates, with their familiarity with English and strong technical skills, are aggressively sought after around the world. By being on the ground, Alberta’s colleges and universities can do a better job of identifying, developing and connecting Indian graduates to employers and industries in the province.
With respect to Alberta’s trades and technical schools, such an expansion could be especially beneficial. A shortage in trades workers is particularly acute in the province, due in part to differing regulatory requirements and expertise that make it difficult for workers from foreign jurisdictions to easily enter Alberta’s workplace.
However, by allowing NAIT, SAIT or other colleges to establish campuses in India, and offer the same trades programs and opportunities for apprenticeship in Alberta, we can standardize the training with provincial requirements. As graduates make it through the program, they can be fast tracked into Alberta on a temporary workers permit, which after the set period and application can turn into permanent residence, and eventually citizenship.
Not only will salaries and guaranteed employment opportunities draw Indian students, but a program such as this would ensure that Alberta employers are targeting individuals who have the appropriate skills and expertise to address their particular needs.
As Alberta’s economy continues to grow, novel solutions need to be developed to address the unique challenges confronting it. This requires creativity, thinking big and taking risks.
Fortunately, Albertans have a long history of doing just that.
Straight Outta Edmonton: Solving Alberta’s Labour Shortage
China’s CNOOC Ltd.’s $15.1 billion bid for Calgary basedNexen Inc. reflects a growing interest among state-owned Asian energy companies in Alberta’s oil sands. In addition to China, three state-run Indian companiesare eyeing oil sands assets held by ConocoPhilips, jointly offering $5 billion this past July for six of its properties.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Mitchell Anderson’s final report on Norway’s highly successful management of its oil resources puts Canada’s current philosophy to the test: Seen through this lens, how is Canada doing? Abysmally…: 1. Dependency. Even with our vast oil wealth, Canada currently relies on other
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Major Canadian Unions Endorse Mass Sit-in Against Tar Sands Pipelines and Tankers
Today (September 26), the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP), the Canadian Autoworkers Union (CAW), the BC Teachers’ Federation, the United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union-CAW, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees BC (CUPE BC) have all added their names to the growing list endorsing the October 22 Defend
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: CAW Sets Sights on National Auto Policy as Chrysler Deal Ratifies
CAW members at Chrysler have approved a new collective agreement, voting 90 per cent in favour of ratification. Voting took place at a series of ratification meetings held Saturday September 29 and Sunday September 30 in Windsor, Brampton and Etobicoke, Ontario. The contract with Chrysler follows the pattern deal set
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your weekend. – For those wondering where progressive leaders are going with their policy proposals, the last week offered a couple of noteworthy examples. At home, Tom Mulcair’s Canadian Club speech commented on the importance of real roles for the government and the public in making
Continue reading