An Interesting Response from Barry Weisleder, Canadian Federal Secretary of Socialist Action, located in Toronto

I just had an interesting experience with a Socialist Action Conference held online at the 4:00 session: There were three presenters at the 4:00 session: Lisa Kreut (Hospital Employees Union in British Columbia), Corey David (machinist and member of the Municipal Socialist Alliance) and Julius Arscott, former executive member of the Ontario Public Service Employees … Continue reading An Interesting Response from Barry Weisleder, Canadian Federal Secretary of Socialist Action, located in Toronto →

Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Two: A Finnish Collective Agreement

Introduction Managerial power to hire workers, fire workers, allocate them to various positions (subject to the collective agreement) and to supervise their work is rarely discussed in union settings. Should it be discussed? Is it relevant for determining the kind of lives people can and will lead? Some of course may claim that unions do … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Two: A Finnish Collective Agreement →

Social Reformists Making Any Assertions They Want: Should Marxists Tolerate This?

On a Marxist listserve, I recently started questioning the sincerity of a writer. He made many unsubstantiated assertions--like Trump. I find such an irresponsible attitude to be insulting, given the nature of human suffering in this world dominated by the class of employers. First Insult to the Working Class: Providing No Evidence that Unions Openly … Continue reading Social Reformists Making Any Assertions They Want: Should Marxists Tolerate This? →

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 →

A Lack of Crticial Analysis of the Failure of the Union Movement to Generate a General Strike Against a Conservative Government

John Clarke, a radical here in Toronto, provides a general negative characterization of the union movement that opposed the reactionary effort by the Ontario Conservative government of not only legislating workers back to work even before they went on strike but also trying to use the nonwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and … Continue reading A Lack of Crticial Analysis of the Failure of the Union Movement to Generate a General Strike Against a Conservative Government →

The Ontario Federation of Labour’s Workers-First Agenda: A Critique: Part One

Introduction The so-called radical left here in Toronto rarely engages in any detailed criticism of unions or groups of unions. Quite to the contrary. They either make vague assertions about "the trade-union elite" or the "trade-union bureaucracy" (union bureaucrats or business unions), or they remain silent when faced with the persistent rhetoric that unions. It … Continue reading The Ontario Federation of Labour’s Workers-First Agenda: A Critique: Part One →

The Radical Left Needs to Call into Question Existing Social Institutions at Every Opportunity, Part Six

The following issue deserves a separate post. As I have tried to stress throughout these posts, unions in Canada (and undoubtedly elsewhere) are inadequate organizations for representing the interests of the working class The issue illustrates how union reps limit the development of a critical approach to a society dominated by a class of employers. … Continue reading The Radical Left Needs to Call into Question Existing Social Institutions at Every Opportunity, Part Six →

Socialism and Central Planning: Mr. Gindin’s Analysis of The Political Situation of Workers in General, Part One

The following is a two-part series on Bill Resnick's interview with Sam Gindin, in accordance with the two-part presentation of the interview. I put my summary of Mr. Gindin's talk in italics; my comments are in regular print. I also use italics when quoting others. One of Mr. Gindin's key criticisms of both GM and … Continue reading Socialism and Central Planning: Mr. Gindin’s Analysis of The Political Situation of Workers in General, Part One →

The Contradictions of Social Democracy: Mr. Gindin’s Musings on the Closure of GM’s Oshawa Plant

The following is a critique of an article written by Sam Gindin before the coronavirus pandemic emerged. It is relevant to the current situation because of the current call for public ownership as a solution to the problems that we face. Mr. Gindin published an article on February 3, 2020, titled Realizing 'Just Transitions': The … Continue reading The Contradictions of Social Democracy: Mr. Gindin’s Musings on the Closure of GM’s Oshawa Plant →

Defense of Arrested Picketers is Vital–But Not the Idealization of Collective Bargaining, Collective Agreements and Strikes

On January 20, 2020, Jerry Dias, president of a large private-sector union in Canada, and others--were arrested in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Despite my criticism of Mr. Dias on this blog, in this instance he and others deserve support--as do the workers who are on the picket line in that city. I am copying the details … Continue reading Defense of Arrested Picketers is Vital–But Not the Idealization of Collective Bargaining, Collective Agreements and Strikes →