Conservatives legislate an end to yet another strike
I wonder if they reckon that just out and out banning strikes would be too controversial. Or maybe its just that they might want to let a strike go on…
unions
Serving mobile members
Today’s workshop was serving mobile members. I gave the same workshop last year but I’ve updated the deck with new numbers, a bit about QR codes.
Tomorrow to Hamilton
The Hammer. For the Canadian Association of Labour Media conference. Featuring hours and hours of cutting edge workshops on communications new and old for union communicators. Including yours truly talking…
Defending Green Jobs at the WTO
As a partner in Blue Green Canada, the United Steelworkers have issued the following news release: WTO Called Upon to Dismiss Japan, EU Challenge to Canadian Renewable Energy Policy Canadian…
a tiny glimpse into the ways our government serves the corporate and financial world, not the people of Canada
Some Key Areas Where Neoliberal Policy Undermines both the Industrial Economy and Canadian Democracy Under the Harper Regime, the investor class is constantly being protected at the expense of the…
School employers seek to force BCTF members to volunteer
This is kind of amazing – the BC Public Schools Employers’ Association (the arms-length thing the government created to manage negotiations with the BCTF) is going to the LRB to…
More Worker Bashing in BC, with Squishy Numbers
Below is a recent tweet from a new worker/NDP/union attack Twitter i.d. talking about how awful unionized workers are. Read it, then let’s de-spin it for sanity: Average salary in…
Opting Out of Union Dues
Murray Mandryk’s excellent column today saves me the trouble of writing a lengthy blog post on the Saskatchewan government’s recent musings about labour legislation. From an economic perspective, it’s worth…
If You Could Change One Thing
I had a great change of pace last week, when I stayed out at the CAW Family Education Centre at Port Elgin to teach a 5-day course on “Economics for…
Let’s Have an End to People Dying at Work
Ben Isitt is a Victoria city councillor, historian, professor, lawyer and optimist. Rarely have I been so moved by an account of the struggle working people have in the face…
Fraud, fear and greed
If Romney Hates Government And Its Workers So Much Why Is He Running For President?, Dave Johnson, Campaign for America’s Future Mitt Romney says government workers are paid too well…
Ontario to Mine for More Revenue
Last week’s provincial budget promised a mining sector review “to ensure Ontario receives fair compensation for its non-renewable resources,” a proposal advanced by this blog and the United Steelworkers before…
Lockouts Almost Derail GDP Growth
Statistics Canada reported today that economic growth dropped to a bare 0.1% in January. The New Year began with Rio Tinto locking out former Alcan employees at Alma, Quebec, and…
Budget 2012: Pennywise But Pound Foolish
Marc, Andrew and Toby have posted substantial analyses of yesterday’s federal budget, but here are my two cents about its economic forecasts. Table 2.1 envisions a 7.5% unemployment rate this…
Ontario Budget Emulates Drummond
Perhaps the most striking feature of today’s Ontario budget is how close it comes to last month’s Drummond report. Drummond’s recommendation for 2017-18 was $134.7 billion of provincial revenue, $117.5…
And again with the pre-emptive legislation, Lisa Raitt
I’m beginning to think this might be a pattern. Same company, same rhetoric, same lies. They’re all in favour of letting workers try to defend their livelihoods at the bargaining…
A Cheery Chart For A Friday Morning
Unions Not In Decline (Quite)! Time to slam a celebratory 6-pack in the parking lot, lads! Then its off to build cars.
“Globalization” and Unions
Last weekend I participated in a labour law conference at the University of Western Ontario, speaking on a panel which was asked to weigh in on the impact of trade…
BC isn’t broke: putting teacher bargaining in perspective
Last Monday, BC teachers held a Day of Action in communities across the province to protest the BC government’s decision to legislate a contract and put an end to their…
What will Canada be?
I wonder if evangelical christian Stephen Harper would agree with views of American fundamentalist Franklin Graham. That million dollar a year American preacher is the son of Billy who began…