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

Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Eleven: Public Sector, Manitoba

Introduction The following is the continuation of a series that illustrates the common power of management over workers in unionized settings (and of course in non-unionized settings). 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 … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Eleven: Public Sector, Manitoba

Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Ten: Private Sector, Ontario, Canada

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 Carpenters' Employer Bargaining Agency (E.B.A.) and the … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Ten: Private Sector, Ontario, Canada

Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Nine: Private Sector, Saskatchewan

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 Construction Labour Relations Association of Saskatchewan Inc. … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Nine: Private Sector, Saskatchewan

Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Seven: Imperial Oil Stratchona Refinery and Unifor Local 21-A

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 Seven: Imperial Oil Stratchona Refinery and Unifor Local 21-A

The Rhetoric of Union Reps: The So-called Good Job and Fair Wages of Liquor Store Workers

Introduction Workers working for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) are now on strike. There seem to be three issues from the point of view of the union (Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local (OPSEU): job security (since Conserative Premier Doug Ford plans to privatize liquor sales by permitting such sales in local grocery … Continue reading The Rhetoric of Union Reps: The So-called Good Job and Fair Wages of Liquor Store Workers