Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part Nine

As another year passes with more workers dying while working for an employer, and the platitudes come pouring in about the importance of recogizing April 28 as the Day of Mourning for workers who have died on the job, it is better to continue to analyze critically the issue of what workplace safety means in … Continue reading Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part Nine →

Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Seven: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)

Introduction I had no intention of doing any research concerning the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). However, when a postal worker and an alleged socialist, Kiri Vadivelu (member of the alleged socialist organization Socialist Action) claimed the following: By weakening CUPW, Ettinger [CEO of Canada Post] is attacking the very bench mark CUPW sets … Continue reading Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Seven: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) →

On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part Two

Introduction In a previous post (On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part One), I pointed out that, despite some interesting and relevant political views expressed by the Greek philosopher Panagiotis Sotiris during a lecture, such as the need to engage in radical politics and not succumb to … Continue reading On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part Two →

Should Not the Radical Left Take into Account the Attitude of Workers Towards Their Own Jobs? Part Thirteen, The Case of Safeway Canada Workers

Introduction One of the few things that I agree with the academic leftist Jeff Noonan, professor of philosophy at the University of Windsor, Ontario, is that leftists must start where workers are at: Political engagement begins from trying to understand where people are coming from. But where people are coming from can be interpreted in … Continue reading Should Not the Radical Left Take into Account the Attitude of Workers Towards Their Own Jobs? Part Thirteen, The Case of Safeway Canada Workers →

Another Abstract Slogan or Cliche of Social-Democratic or Social-Reformist Organizations: Employers or Corporations Paying Their Fair Share of Taxes, Part Five: The Canadian Labour Congress

Introduction I have pointed out that the major Canadian unions use cliches like "fair contracts." (see for example the posts on the two largest Canadian unions Fair Contracts (or Fair Collective Agreements): The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part One: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of … Continue reading Another Abstract Slogan or Cliche of Social-Democratic or Social-Reformist Organizations: Employers or Corporations Paying Their Fair Share of Taxes, Part Five: The Canadian Labour Congress →

On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part One

Introduction I attended Panagiotis Sotiris' Lecture "The Possibilities of Left Government in Europe" on September 24, 2025 (see https://socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed-video/possibilities-of-left-government-in-europe/). There is much with which I agree, such as the need to engage in more radical politics. In the case of Greece, for instance, the possibility of withdrawing from euro during the economic crisis was met with … Continue reading On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part One →

Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Seven: The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)

Introduction I was surprised to read an article from Kiri Vadivelu (December 31, 2024, "No to Legislative Strikebreaking! Victory to Postal Workers!") in The Red Review, a "Socialist Action journal." [Socialist Action is an allegedly socialist organization]. Vadivelu was a candidate for mayor in the last municipal elections in Toronto--and I voted for him since he … Continue reading Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Seven: The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) →

Management Rights (Managerial Responsibility) and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Twenty: Nunavut, Public Sector

Introduction A local leader of a leftist workers' organization here in Toronto stated that I kept repeating the same thing. Yes, I did--the issue is the same throughout. How can the so-called left refer to a fair wage or a decent job even in unionized settings when workers are used as things by employers for … Continue reading Management Rights (Managerial Responsibility) and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Twenty: Nunavut, Public Sector →

Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Six: The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL)

Introduction Since in this blog I have often referred to particular union reps referring to collective agreements as fair in some way, I thought it would be useful to provide further examples of this rhetoric to substantiate the view that unions function as ideologues for the continued existence of employers--even if the unions are independent … Continue reading Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Six: The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) →

Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Toronto Radical John Clarke’s Blog, Part Three

Introduction In my first post in this series Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Blog of the Toronto Radical John Clarke, Part One , I started with an hypothesis: many activists in practice assume that it is unnecessary to engage in theory in any rigorous manner (even if they claim the contrary) since … Continue reading Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Toronto Radical John Clarke’s Blog, Part Three →