This was written around six years ago; it is still relevant. I thought it appropriate, on May 1, the International Workers' Day, to refer to something that disturbed me on Facebook yesterday--a post by the Toronto Airport Workers' Council (TAWC), which included some remarks (and a video) by Howard Eng. Howard Eng is the CEO … Continue reading The Toronto Airport Workers’ Council (TAWC): One Step Forward and Two Steps Backward?
What Kind of Organization or Structure does an Anti-Capitalist Struggle Require?
The following is a critical look at a leftist conference held on April 26, 2014 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, entitled Building Solidarity Against Austerity. Session 3. Fighting Austerity Today. Specifically, it looks critically at the presentation by Dave Bush, a leftist activist in Toronto, who argues that it is necessary to create an organization for … Continue reading What Kind of Organization or Structure does an Anti-Capitalist Struggle Require?
Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part Two
I thought it appropriate to post on the issue of safety and health in relation to working for an employer. In Canada, April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, or Workers' Mourning Day, for workers killed, injured or suffering illnesses due to workplace hazards. Why do unions and the social-reformist left often speak in … Continue reading Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part Two
Worker Resistance Against Management, Part Two
This is a continuation of a series of posts on worker resistance. The following was written by Herman Rosenfeld. Since it formed part of a course that he, Jordan House and I presented for workers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, I am including the preliminary instructions and the subsequent questions so that others can … Continue reading Worker Resistance Against Management, Part Two
The 2018 West-Virginia Teachers’ Strike and a Socialist Movement
Read this post in English [Utilicé ChatGPT (Inteligencia Artificial) para traducir la versión en inglés al español.] The social-reformist left like to claim that what they are interested in is class struggle from below--the self-organization of the working class that opposes the power of the class of employers. In a podcast, David Camfield's analysis of … Continue reading The 2018 West-Virginia Teachers’ Strike and a Socialist Movement
A Case of Silent Indoctrination, Part Four: The Saskatchewan History Curriculum and Its Lack of History of Employers and Employees
This post is a continuation of previous posts on the Canadian history curriculum. The background to the post is provided in that first post (see A Case of Silent Indoctrination, Part One: The Manitoba History Curricula and Its Lack of History of Employers and Employees). But just a reminder: the research question is: Does … Continue reading A Case of Silent Indoctrination, Part Four: The Saskatchewan History Curriculum and Its Lack of History of Employers and Employees
A Short List of the Largest Private Employers in Canada, According to Profit
When belonging to a leftist organization called the Toronto Labour Committee (Ontario, Canada), I worked on, in a minor position, on some statistics related to financial campaign contributions for the Toronto elections. Not being satisfied with this, I proposed that we start trying to develop a class analysis of Toronto. I indicated, though, that I … Continue reading A Short List of the Largest Private Employers in Canada, According to Profit
Fixed Social Dogmas and the Special Language of the Social-Reformist Left
Michael Perleman refers to the Procrustean dogma that characterizes much of the discussion about the social world in which we currently live. What better characterization of the social-democratic rhetoric of "fairness," "decent work," a "fair wage," "economic justice" and "social justice?" From Michael Perleman, The Invisible Handcuffs of Capitalism: How Market Tyranny Stifles the Economy by … Continue reading Fixed Social Dogmas and the Special Language of the Social-Reformist Left
Critique of a Social-Reformist Left’s Position in RankandFile.Ca on GM’s Decision to Close the Oshawa auto plant
An article (Buckle Up: GM Declares War on Oshawa) by Gerard Di Trollo, Dave (or David) Bush and Doug Nesbitt, written for the social-reformist unionist website Rankandfile.ca purports to look critically at GM's decision to close the Oshawa plant. It is far from critical in this regard. The title of their article is GM's … Continue reading Critique of a Social-Reformist Left’s Position in RankandFile.Ca on GM’s Decision to Close the Oshawa auto plant
Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part One
The title is a variation of one of the subsections in chapter two of Jeremy Reiman's The Rich Get Richer … and the Poor Get Prison. In a couple of earlier posts, I pointed out that working for an employer involves needless deaths and injuries (The Issue of Health and Safety in the Workplace Dominated by … Continue reading Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part One
The Abolitionary 