Halifax Shipyard workers walk off job, say co-worker killed himself following suspension

Workers at the Halifax Shipyard walked off the job on Thursday, Nov. 28 to protest how management had treated a fellow worker, who took his own life after receiving a 30-day suspension. One worker told Metro News Halifax that 56-year-old Peter MacKenzie had been bullied and harassed by management before committing suicide. He had worked for the Irving-owned shipyard for 35 years. Workers said that they would remain off the job until management agreed to change how they treated workers.

Hamilton Street Rail becoming friendlier workplace for women, union says

After a damning report that demonstrated the extent to which women employees faced harassment on the job, the union representing Hamilton transit workers has said that the workplace environment has improved as a result of the implementation of various progressive measures. After a woman employee challenged relentless harassment that she faced while on the job, recommendations were made for how to reduce harassment faced by women workers. Eric Tuck, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 said that the union was pleased that management had implemented nearly all of the recommendations and that his members have seen a noticeable shift in workplace culture.

Union goes to court over flight attendant ratio change

CUPE has filed a judicial review with the federal court to stop Transport Canada’s plans to allow for fewer flight attendants on commercial flights. The change would allow Sunwing Airlines to reduce its number of flight attendants from 1 per 40 passengers to 1 per 50 passengers. The change has already been approved for WestJet, where savings from the reduced staffing levels reach $30 million. The request, made by nearly every Canadian air company, had been consistently denied by Ministers of Transport until this past October when the WestJet exemption was granted. WestJet flight attendants are not unionized.

Unions rally as Alberta government poised to ram through two new labour bills

Labour activists in Alberta are protesting their government’s plans to introduce new labour legislation that would dramatically increase fines for workers who engage in, or threaten an illegal strike. Unions would have to pay their employers for time lost as a result of illegal strike actions and employers could refuse to remit union dues for three months. Fines for engaging in an illegal work action would go from $1,000 per day to $250,000 per day, and union leaders could face fines of up to $10,000. The legislation targets Alberta Union of Provincial Employees members, many of whom do not have the right to strike, and who have been without a contract since March. The other part of the proposed labour legislation would make it impossible for this round of negotiations with AUPE to go to arbitration.

Student movement spokesperson challenges labour movement to hit the streets

The former spokesperson of the main student union behind Quebec’s 2012 student strike predicted that the future will be even more difficult for the labour movement if they limit themselves to defending only their members and do not fight for broader social gains. Speaking at the the congress of the FTQ, Quebec’s largest trade federation, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois called on the labour movement to focus not just on collective bargaining and wage increases but also on higher education, employment insurance, Indigenous rights and the environment. “What’s the point of earning two percent more on wages if the electricity bill increased by 15 percent? What’s the point of negotiating a $100 bonus if you pay twice as much to send our children to college?,” he asked. According to Nadeau-Dubois, the only way for the labour movement to win is to return to the streets, as the student movement did in 2012. “If the economic elite continues to attack us, there is only one answer and that is to defend ourselves. And it is not only in the courts and in the media, but in the street.

How Tim Hudak’s Tories are unifying unions: Cohn

The attacks waged by Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leader Tim Hudak have united unions across the province, argued Toronto Star columnist Martin Regg Cohn. The Ontario Federation of Labour, dealing with some internal division just months ago, emerged with a united front at their recent convention. Plans from some unions to present another candidate and oppose Sid Ryan were abandoned and Ryan ran unopposed. Cohn argues that the attacks against labour might backfire against Hudak, and cites the fact that the anti-union agenda of Hudak was criticized by many delegates at his party’s last convention, and that high-profile Conservative activists are warning that attacking labour will alienate more people from their party than bring them in.

New data shows temporary foreign workers program filling 1 in 4 jobs

Recently released data shows that one in four new jobs in Alberta in 2013 were filled through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employers are getting the go-head to hire temporary foreign workers despite the province’s unemployment levels. Temporary foreign workers are paid less, treated worse and live in precarious and dependent circumstances. The AFL president called again for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to be scrapped in favour of comprehensive immigration reform that would see foreign workers come to Canada as permanent residents.

Canada’s super-rich grow even richer

Some of Canada’s richest families saw huge increases in their wealth since last year. The newspaper and information tycoon family the Thompsons, the richest in Canada, saw their net worth increase to $26.1 billion, up 30 percent from 20.1 billion last year.  The second on the list of richest families, the Westons who own Loblaws among other businesses, saw their wealth grow 24 percent from $8.2 billion to $10.4 billion. Workers at their companies have seen cuts and lay-offs.

Temporary Foreign workers launch association in Quebec

Dozens of temporary foreign workers in Quebec have launched a new Temporary Foreign Workers Association (TFWA). In 2011, the last time statistics were compiled, there were 300,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada. The launch of the association will be an attempt to challenge what one temporary foreign worker says is the government’s attempt to “keep [workers] misinformed and isolated”. The association will provide workers with access to legal aid clinics, workshops on labour rights, as well as translation services. The association will campaign for workers to get access to employment insurance and health care, open work permits, easier access to apply for permanent residency, as well as the right to unionize.