Labour - Unions

Speech to the founding convention of the Unifor union in Canada

We are living in a time of dis-ease when the millions who are consistently working long hours pass by the millions of unemployed as ships in the night. The former, physically exhausted from overwork, share with the “chronically unemployed,” themselves psychically drained from months of fruitless search for work, the continuum of employment as the extremities – from none to too much. The most obvious solution – to share the work – never enters the popular discourse.

Nora Loreto has released a new book From Demonized to Organized: Building the New Union Movement with support from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives that serves as a call to incite union activists and supporter, debunk anti-union rhetoric and start the conversation around building a strong, community-focus union movement in Canada...video

There's a new interview with Unifor president Jerry Dias, "Young people have been betrayed by Canada" over at rabble. I'm not going to argue with that statement, it's a fact. Young people have few job options, and huge student debts. In the major cities, they will never be able to buy a house. They expect to need dual paycheques to raise a family with no public childcare in most provinces. But let's not kid ourselves.

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2013/10/07/canadian-employees-replaced-...

It was unlike any Labour Day Ryan Louis had experienced.

As hundreds of pipefitters and welders arrived at Husky Energy’s Sunrise project for their weeks-long shifts, a company spokesperson told the crew of approximately 270 this would be their last.

Their replacements?

I’m so very happy and honored to be able to share this historic day with you. The energy in this room — and the hope the founding of this new union has inspired across the country – is contagious. It feels like this could be the beginning of the fight back we have all been waiting for, the one that will chase Harper from power and restore the power of working people in Canada. So welcome to the world UNIFOR. A lot of your media coverage so far has focused on how big UNIFOR is — the biggest private sector union in Canada.