New song from Son Volt mixes some US labour history into Crazy Horse-ish guitars. youtu.be/tcMrJFMC_Ck?...
Coalfield Wars
YouTube video by Son Volt - Topic
youtu.be
Another among various opinion pieces from the broad left that decries "austerity" and public service rollbacks without mentioning that the federal NDP unanimously backed the recent Liberal income tax cut, estimated to reduce federal revenue by a huge ~$5.4 billion per year.
Canadian Dimension@canadiandimension.bsky.social · 2w agoMark Carney promised "elbows-up" nation-building. What Canadians are getting instead is a carve-out economy—where environmental protections, Indigenous rights, and labour standards are treated as obstacles to growth, write @shirip.bsky.social and Eve Saint.
USW & IAM aren't "US" unions, but are international unions with members in Canada and the US. If UAW hadn't split in 1984 (Cdn members left to form a new union -- the CAW, later a Unifor co-founder), such an international auto union today might've been part of this opposition to Trump’s tariffs.
The Globe and Mail@theglobeandmail.com · 2w ago
Analysis of union contracts by Ontario's Ministry of Labour shows median wage rate increases beating inflation since 2023, and by a bigger margin than pre-pandemic. Seems weird that labour advocacy organizations like the OFL and the CLC aren't publicizing info like this.
Happy 82nd birthday to my @uswmetallos.bsky.social union organizing mentor, colleague, and pal Brando Paris. Best union organizer I've ever known, over a long career he helped thousands of people in Ontario win the right to engage in collective bargaining.
It appears, so far at least, that there's no evidence that the Ontario NDP's decision to pitch lower taxes has done anything good for the party's level of support.
David Coletto@davidcoletto.bsky.social · 2mo agoNew Ontario poll: PCs hold a clear lead at 41%, with the Liberals at 32%. But beneath the stable vote numbers is a restless electorate: most think Ontario is on the wrong track, and 70% would like to see a change in government. #onpoli More: abacusdata.ca/ontario-pcs...
On George Michael's birthday, here's Kevin Russell (aka Shinyribs) with his great cover of GM's Freedom youtu.be/K2t5LY1xs8g?...
Shinyribs Freedom 90
YouTube video by Shinyribs
youtu.be
The federal NDP says it opposes spending cuts of $60 billion by 2029 ("The NDP will fight this every step of the way"). How does that square with the NDP voting unanimously for the Liberals' income tax cut which slices federal revenue by $5.4 billion annually?
Don Davies@donvdavies.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe Carney Liberals are slashing $60 billion from the services Canadians rely on — including over $2 billion from Indigenous programs. They're demanding sacrifices from working people, while handing out billions in corporate welfare. The NDP will fight this every step of the way.
Close to 400 contracted-out school bus drivers join a union,,, but, per recent tradition, scant fanfare or applause from our provincial or national labour federations. www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...
Hundreds of Hamilton-area school bus drivers vote to unionize in rare first for city
Drivers at First Student — city’s top school transit provider — want better pay, work conditions
thespec.com
An interesting quote in this article, although it's left pretty much unexplored, is the Unifor organizing director saying "we welcome partners in the labour movement to join with us because it’s not just a Unifor fight, it’s a labour movement-wide fight".
JE Fred Wilson@fwilson2.bsky.social · 2mo agoExcellent article and interview with @unifor.org Organizing Director Justin Gniposky on the organizing breakthrough at Walmart. #Canlab Walmart Workers Have Won A First-Ever Contract In North America www.readthemaple.com/walmart-work...
Article decries the provincial Liberal and Conservative parties' roles in blocking Toronto from pricing road usage that could help fund maintenance and public transit. But the provincial NDP deserves to share in the discredit - it opposes road pricing too.
The Globe and Mail@theglobeandmail.com · 2mo agoWalter Reuther's house is for sale. www.freep.com/story/money/...
Really big gap between Canada and the US in 'satisfaction with democratic system'. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
"Periodic efforts ... to develop and propose alternative sectoral bargaining arrangements ... have failed due to a combination of employer resistance, lack of government commitment, and disagreement among unions." Too bad that one of the key barriers to broader-based bargaining is union disunity.
CCPA — Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives@policyalternatives.ca · 2mo agoManitoba has an opportunity to address the low-wage, precarious work that has plagued Canadian workers for decades By Niall Harney and Adam King @policyalternatives.ca #canlab www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Contrast the US union federation's focus on supporting union growth with the timid grasp on the issue recently displayed at the convention of the Canadian Labour Congress. Whether it's 'enough' or not, the American central labour body seems better aligned on this score. aflcio.org/press/releas...
AFL-CIO Passes Early Organizing Milestone, Announces Plans to Unionize Millions More Workers | AFL-CIO
In the face of unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration and anti-worker corporations, union membership grew across industries and the country
aflcio.org
The cuts to this program "are expected to save the government $231.9 million annually." The NDP opposes these cuts. But last June, the NDP supported *dropping* federal revenue by about $5.4 billion annually when NDP MPs unanimously voted to back the Liberals' latest income tax cut.
Don Davies@donvdavies.bsky.social · 2mo agoLiberals are cutting healthcare to some of the most vulnerable people in our society, those forced to flee war, disaster, persecution. Not only is that mean-spirited and unethical - it is foolish, as most will end up sicker and in emergency rooms. x.com/althiaraj/st...
Private sector union coverage is being chipped away. It's now at about 15%, lower by almost a third compared to where it was in 1997. But it's not clear that many unions in Canada want the CLC to put this issue on or even near the top of its priority list. So, we get messaging like this.
Brad James@jamesbrad.bsky.social · 2mo agoCanada's national labour federation laments poor working conditions without asserting that unionization is a way to make things better or that employees with unions can win a fairer shake. This shyness about enthusiastically promoting collective bargaining isn't new, but it's hard to explain.
Canada's national labour federation laments poor working conditions without asserting that unionization is a way to make things better or that employees with unions can win a fairer shake. This shyness about enthusiastically promoting collective bargaining isn't new, but it's hard to explain.
Canadian Labour@canadianlabour.bsky.social · 2mo agoNearly half of Canadian workers say their job is the most stressful part of their day. Psychological injuries, including burnout, chronic stress, harassment and violence, are now among the leading causes of disability in Canada. 👇
The union's president recommended rejection. The members voted strongly in favour of acceptance. www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
Canada Post workers vote to accept new contract | CBC News
Canada Post workers have voted in favour of a new contract, ending years of tensions and back and forth negotiations between the union and the Crown corporation, including nation-wide strikes.
cbc.ca
Walked about 6 km through west end Toronto this morning and the city's beautiful. Parks, roads, and public spaces I walked were clean and in nice shape, especially after a busy weekend. Good on @toronto.ca employees and the rest of us.
HST cut? Marit Stiles: "Our tax cut is for the mom working multiple jobs, getting home late, picking up a rotisserie chicken and salad..." Avi Lews: "I checked my grocery bill... almost $300...and there was only $3 of tax. There's barely any tax on food. That cannot be the solution..."
Looks like the Machinists union guy's skepticism about Graham Platner from months ago continues to have been prescient.
Brad James@jamesbrad.bsky.social · 8mo agoGood profile of Graham Platner, candidate in Maine's Democratic senate primary. Profile's author says that to a local Machinists union leader, he "looks more like a non-working-class person’s idea of a working-class person". Notable details re: his recruitment, too. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP seem quite excited about their new plan to take the HST off of prepared food and beverages. At about 3 min 45 seconds into this clip, Avi Lewis takes a different stance. www.cpac.ca/headline-pol...
NDP Leader Avi Lewis Speaks with Reporters – May 28, 2026
In Toronto, NDP Leader Avi Lewis takes questions from the media following his speech at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario convention. (no interpretation)
cpac.ca