Off the Hill: The myths and realities of Canada’s labour shortage (FULL VIDEO)

On Wednesday, May 15, our Off the Hill panel focused on all things labour — specifically, the myths of Canada’s labour shortage, the challenges facing migrant workers and what the future of work looks like in Canada.

Our panel featured MP Matthew Green, economist Jim Stanford, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour Laura Walton and researcher and policy analyst at the CCPA, Véronique Sioufi. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.

About our guests

MP Matthew Green was first elected Member of Parliament for Hamilton Centre in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Previously, he served for the 2014-2018 term as the Ward 3 Councillor, and first person of colour to be elected to Hamilton City Council. Green is NDP Critic for Employment and Workforce Development; Labour; Ethics; and Deputy Critic for Public Services and Procurement.

Laura Walton is the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Canada’s largest provincial labour federation. The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. Laura previously served as the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), which represents over 55,000 education workers across the province. In 2022, Laura led an historic strike that won unprecedented gains for OSCBU members and that led to the defeat of Bill 28, the provincial government’s landmark anti-labour legislation.

Jim Stanford is an economist and the director of the Centre for Future Work, a labour economics research institute with operations in Canada and Australia.

Véronique Sioufi is the racial and socio-economic equity researcher and policy analyst at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC.

About Off the Hill

Since 2019, Off the Hill has been rabble.ca’s live monthly panel which breaks down important national and international news stories through a progressive lens.

Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies, this webinar series invites a rotating roster of guest activists, politicians, scholars, researchers and more to discuss how to mobilize and bring about progressive change in national politics — on and off Parliament Hill.

Join us the third Wednesday of every month at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET. The live, digital show is one hour long – 45 minutes of moderated discussion followed by 15 minutes of audience participation.

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