Introduction I find it interesting how radical activists forget their own past--such as formerly expressing social-democratic or social-reformist views. John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), posted the following recently (July 09, 2024) on Facebook: Some people conclude that the insufficient level of social resistance in this society is because … Continue reading Vast Overestimation of People’s Understanding of Their Situation Limits People’s Capacities to Aim for a Socialist Society
Tag: Fair wages
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
The Police Arrest a Union Leader
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coaliton Against Poverty (OCAP), posted the following on Facebook recently without comment despite the evident reformist rhetoric of union leaders: “The Ottawa Police Service are using intimidation tactics, plain and simple. And that’s meant to demoralize and discourage striking workers.” From Press Progress. The arrest of a … Continue reading The Police Arrest a Union Leader
Review of Thier’s Book “A People’s Guide to Capitalism,” Part Three
I recently participated in a group called No One Is Illegal here in Toronto. The group decided to provide a zoom reading meeting every week to discuss the book A People's Guide to Capitalism, by Hadas Thier, with many participants not belonging to the group but interested in understanding more about capitalism. We read the … Continue reading Review of Thier’s Book “A People’s Guide to Capitalism,” Part Three
The Rhetoric of Unions and Social Democrats or Social Reformers
I read the following on Facebook. It is quite typical of social-democratic or reformist unions and social democrats or social reformers in general: The use of rhetoric to justify their activities without engaging in any form of discussion or debate. All bolded words or phrases are my emphases: Support OPSEU Local 5119 ON STRIKE at … Continue reading The Rhetoric of Unions and Social Democrats or Social Reformers
Fair Contracts (or Fair Collective Agreements): The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Two: Warren “Smokey” Thomas, President of The Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU)
Introduction This is the second part of a series on the ideology or rhetoric of unions when it comes to collective agreements. In the first part, I compiled a list of some of the claims of the largest national union in Canada--the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)--that collective agreements signed by its various local … Continue reading Fair Contracts (or Fair Collective Agreements): The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Two: Warren “Smokey” Thomas, President of The Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU)
Employers as Dictators, Part Two
Union reps typically refer to fair compensation in order to justify their short-term actions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with short-term goals as such, but when they are presented as the same as what should be a long-term goal (fairness and freedom), then such goals become an ideology that justifies the power of employers … Continue reading Employers as Dictators, Part Two
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
Once Again on the GM Plant Closure in Oshawa and the Limitations of the Social-Reformist Left
Sam Gindin published an article on the Socialist Project website entitled GM Oshawa: Making Hope Possible. The following is a continuation of two previous posts on the closure and the inadequate nature of the social-reformist left in dealing with such closures (see Management Rights and the Crisis in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada: Limitations of the Reformist … Continue reading Once Again on the GM Plant Closure in Oshawa and the Limitations of the Social-Reformist Left
Management Rights and the Crisis in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada: Limitations of the Reformist Left, Part One
The Socialist Project Steering Committee wrote the following on its website (Taking on the GM Shutdown: Unifor, Oshawa and Community Control) : General Motor’s plan to end production at its Oshawa plant at the end of 2019 is a callous, cynical act by the U.S.-based multinational auto giant that needs to be challenged. After accepting … Continue reading Management Rights and the Crisis in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada: Limitations of the Reformist Left, Part One
The Abolitionary 