Tracy MacMaster is a member of the Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU). They are out on strike. I have outlined some of the reasons for the strike in another post. Recently, MacMaster posted the following on her Facebook page: What do we want t? A fair contract! If we don't get it, SHUT IT … Continue reading The Dogma Of Some Trade-Union Activists: The Cliche of a Fair Contract”
Tag: Collective Agreements
A Radical Leftist’s Exaggeration of the Ease of Characterizing the Exploitation of Workers
I waited two weeks for a response by John Clarke, a radical leftist here in Toronto, to reply to my criticism of certain aspects of his analysis of the strike of the Air Canada flight attendants' strike (see his article https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/taking-stock-of-the-air-canada-strike). He never responded, so I am copying my critique on the Canadian Dimension page. Radical … Continue reading A Radical Leftist’s Exaggeration of the Ease of Characterizing the Exploitation of Workers
The Air Canada Flight Attendants’ Strike, Union Democracy and the Lack of Concern for the Hidden Exploitation of Workers by the Radical Left in Canada
Introduction David Camfield, a self-proclaimed socialist who uses the rhetoric of Marxian theory, published an article analyzing the strike of Air Canada flight attendants in August 2025 (see https://tempestmag.org/2025/08/more-pay-but-less-union-democracy/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMh6_lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvYWjC7j6XQYPpvDZtwOyf-TdSHBi749pLzDUhX8B9y-EA6W5Yq8g7oFulQv_aem_wQoDsDNTG1nJk7nzGQiKCQ). I will not focus on the details of the strike since Camfield provides such details in the link. However, I will focus on some limitations of his … Continue reading The Air Canada Flight Attendants’ Strike, Union Democracy and the Lack of Concern for the Hidden Exploitation of Workers by the Radical Left in Canada
Mark Hancock, President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): A Consistent Social Democrat or Social Reformer as Witnessed by His Stance During the Air Canada Flight Attendants’ Strike
Introduction Kiri Vadivelu, a member of Socialist Action, posted the following on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/reel/2156080044871135): For long time, Liberals and their counterparts betrayed Canadian workers coast to coast under the disguise of democracy. Mark Hancock, National President of CUPE showed everyone how to confront political and legal thuggery in the true Canadian way. Enough … Continue reading Mark Hancock, President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): A Consistent Social Democrat or Social Reformer as Witnessed by His Stance During the Air Canada Flight Attendants’ Strike
York Region paramedic fired over Israel comments speaks out, wants to know if politicians played role
A York Region paramedic who expressed her opposition to Israel's bombing of Gaza was fired spoke out about the situation and about the grievance against her firing (see https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-region-paramedic-politician-comment-1.7598487). (see also, for a videoclip, https://globalnews.ca/news/11314675/ontario-paramedic-fired-for-criticizing-israel-hopes-to-be-reinstated/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). The report from that link is as follows: Julia Alevato · CBC News · Posted: Jul 31, 2025 5:18 PM EDT A York Region paramedic … Continue reading York Region paramedic fired over Israel comments speaks out, wants to know if politicians played role
Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Seventeen: Public Sector, Alberta
Introduction Collective agreements limit the power of the employer (aka management) to do what it wants. They are better, generally, than not having a collective agreement. However, the limitation of managerial power is itself very limited. Management still can use the collective group of workers for purposes not defined at all by those workers. Is … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Seventeen: Public Sector, Alberta
Identity Politics, Personal Pronouns, the Exploitation of the Working Class and the Union Cliche of Fair Contract
I had a debate, of sorts, with a so-called Marxist here in Toronto. I referred to J.P. Hornick, leader of the Ontario Public Employee??? Services??? Union (OPSEU): Over the years we have turned the LCBO [Liquor Control Board of Ontario] from a majority casual workforce, over 85% in 2017, to one where we now have … Continue reading Identity Politics, Personal Pronouns, the Exploitation of the Working Class and the Union Cliche of Fair Contract
Economics for Social Democrats–But Not for the Working Class, Part Six: Collective Bargaining
In the following, I provide a series of examples taken from the Internet that illustrate that Mr. Stanford, a former economist for the Canadian Auto Workers union (now Unifor) and author of the book Economics for Everyone: A Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism, expresses a social-democratic or social-reformist position. It is meant to … Continue reading Economics for Social Democrats–But Not for the Working Class, Part Six: Collective Bargaining
Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Thirteen: Public Sector, Alberta
Introduction The power or employers to dictate to workers is hardly confined to Canada, of course. Various countries dominated by the class of employers have the right to dictate to workers except as limited by the collective agreement (and, of course, certain legislative acts). Collective Agreement Between the City of Medicine Hat and the Canadian … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Thirteen: Public Sector, Alberta
Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Twelve, Public Sector, Quebec: Contract Faculty, Bishop’s University
Introduction At the beginning of writing this blog, I wrote up some posts that focused on the management-rights clause of collective agreements between a union and an employer in order to demonstrate the limitations of collective bargaining and collective agreements. I then integrated the issue of management rights into an anlaysis of the rate of … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Twelve, Public Sector, Quebec: Contract Faculty, Bishop’s University
The Abolitionary 