Expressing Solidarity with the Striking Air Canada Flight Attendants Involves More than Referring to Their Just Rewards

Introduction John Clarke, former major organizer of the defunct Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), recently posted the following: Solidarity with the Air Canada flight attendants and full support for their just demands. Radical leftists should certainly support the flight attendants' struggles, including being paid while working for an employer. Radical Leftists Need to Link Visible … Continue reading Expressing Solidarity with the Striking Air Canada Flight Attendants Involves More than Referring to Their Just Rewards →

Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Four: The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

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 Four: The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) →

Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Three: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

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 Three: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) →

Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Two: Unifor

Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part One: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)

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 One: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) →

Fair Wages as a Socialist Goal? The Limitations of the Organization Socialist Action

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 as a Socialist Goal? The Limitations of the Organization Socialist Action →

Another Example of Union Ideology Concerning a “Fair Contract” and “Fair Wages”: The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 831

I came across the following, which provides further evidence of how unions use the concept of "fair wages" to paint over the oppression and exploitation of workers (see https://springmag.ca/municipal-workers-in-brampton-are-striking-for-fair-wages): By Santiago Moran-Izquierdo On November 7, after nine months of negotiations and nine proposals rejected by their employer, City of Brampton workers started their strike. CUPE … Continue reading Another Example of Union Ideology Concerning a “Fair Contract” and “Fair Wages”: The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 831 →

Vast Overestimation of People’s Understanding of Their Situation Limits People’s Capacities to Aim for a Socialist Society

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 →

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 →