This week the top stories sections on our Canadian French- and English-language pages included stories like a peek at the anti-union lobby groups backing and advising the Tory election campaign, the struggle against the privatization of Hydro Quebec, the AFL’s Alberta-wide solidarity pact as unions there gear up to take on the UCP government in the aftermath of CUPE’s victory in the education sector, and the launch of the CLC’s “Building a Better Future for Working People” platform as the federal election kicked-off.
We also carried the CFNU’s call for the federal parties to address healthcare workers safety and Unifor’s reaction to yet another layer of tariffs the USian government will be applying to the auto sector.
But my favourite item, among our Canadian stories at least, was about the Boilermakers’ decision to endorse the federal Tories. But then again, I have an odd sense of humour. So read what you will into my use of the word ‘favourite’. And into that decision.
On our Working Women news page you’ll find stories from Canada and from around the globe in 9 languages.
Stories like the long and unbelievably, the still ongoing struggle of healthcare workers in Quebec for pay equity, and the opening of registration for the Summer Institute for Union Women. The Institute is unique, offering a series of workshops across BC and some states in the western USA, that bring together women from different workplaces and unions. It focusses on building organizing and leadership skills and, most importantly, supportive networks.
And among the Canadian items appearing on our health and safety page and newswire this week was coverage of the calls from CUPE and library management for the government of Saskatchewan to stop relying on public libraries to do the job of effective addiction supports. The appeal came after two Saskatoon libraries had to be closed after workers there were subjected to attacks by library users.
A couple of provinces over the same issue in a different but also public-facing workplace. The BCNU was, yet again, raising the alarm after a nurse at a large hospital was strangled into unconsciousness.
Take a look at the international stories on our health and safety page and you’ll see that levels of violence directed at workers whose jobs bring them into contact with the public are spiking globally.
Punch Nazis, not library workers.
LabourStart’s Photo of the Week isn’t often Canadian but as a Canadian is our photo editor and as that Canadian is me, you all get to hear about our Photo of the Week in each episode.
This week we carried a photo of a Ghanaian investigative journalist who was murdered because of the work he did. That was years ago and his union, the Ghana Journalists Association, had to work hard in order to get the police to investigate. Last week they celebrated a victory of sorts when a suspect was arrested and charged.
Impunity in the murders of or assaults on journalists investigating the powerful is something the IFJ, the global union federation for media workers, has been fighting for decades. And despite important victories like this one, that struggle continues.
Labour’s history is what our current struggles are built on and this week we marked the anniversaries of these events:
This week in 2006 an accounting instructor died from injuries received on the picket line at Centennial College in Toronto during a province-wide strike. John Stammers, 62, was a member of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
And in 1912 thousands of workers started to walk out of railway construction camps on the Fraser River in British Columbia in a strike led by the Industrial Workers of the World. When Joe Hill visits the strikers he writes a ditty for the Wobbly Song Book.
There are lots more Canadian labour history items like this to be found at the bottom of our Canadian news pages. Look for them and be inspired.
LabourStart hosts online solidarity actions at the request of unions around the world. This week we’d like to highlight urgent appeals for online solidarity with trade union activists in New York City who are fighting union-busting by a cinema chain and another appeal for our solidarity by trade unionists facing jail and worse in Belarus.
And this week we have some great news for you as our campaign to force the release of a Turkish trade unionist awaiting trial on trumped-up, a term that is taking on new meaning these days, charges was released from prison. His union credits our online action for contributing to the decision to release him on bail and asked us to thank all the supporters around the world who sent a solidarity message.
So: thanks!
If you can spare just a few seconds you can do your part in struggles like these by sending a solidarity or protest message.
Look for details on our site.
Is your dream job a staff position with a union? On our main page is a link to our jobs listings page where you’ll see openings at unions around the globe. If you’re looking for work with a Canadian union or perhaps one of the global union federations be sure and check it out.
Before i go, a quick shout out to us. You and me and all Canadian workers. The tariffs hit next week it seems. This is Derek Blackadder from LabourStart reporting for RadioLabour.
Labour News Network 