Introduction A local leader of a leftist workers' organization here in Toronto stated that I kept repeating the same thing. Yes, I did--the issue is the same throughout. How can the so-called left refer to a fair wage or a decent job even in unionized settings when workers are used as things by employers for … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Nineteen: Private Sector, New Brunswick
Tag: Public sector unions
The Dogma Of Some Trade-Union Activists: The Cliche of a Fair Contract”
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”
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
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
Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Thirty-Two: The Attack on Unions by Employers and the Government
This is a continuation of a series of posts on summaries of articles, mainly on education. When I was a French teacher at Ashern Central School, in Ashern, Manitoba, Canada, I started to place critiques, mainly (although not entirely) of the current school system. At first, I merely printed off the articles, but then I … Continue reading Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Thirty-Two: The Attack on Unions by Employers and the Government
Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Five: An Australian Collective Agreement
Introduction I was unable to find a specific management rights clause in an Australian collective agreement. However, such rights are implicit in it. For example, in the 2019-2022 Enterprise Agreement between Geoscience Australia and two unions--the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and Professionals Australia--it is implicit that management ultimately establishes the standards used to … Continue reading Management Rights and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Five: An Australian Collective Agreement
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 Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Five: Middle-Class Delusions
This is a continuation of a critique of an academic leftist (aka academic historical materialist), the philosopher Jeff Noonan. As noted in a previous post, Professor Noonan makes the following statement in relation to employees at a university (from Thinkings 4: Collected Interventions, Readings, Evocations, 2014-2015, page 13): Instead, all members of the institution– faculty, librarians, … Continue reading The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Five: Middle-Class Delusions
Worker Resistance Against Management, Part Four
This is a continuation of a series of posts on worker resistance. The following was written by Herman Rosenfeld. Since it formed part of a course that he, Jordan House and I presented for workers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, I am including the preliminary instructions and the subsequent questions so that others can … Continue reading Worker Resistance Against Management, Part Four
The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Three: Collective Bargaining and the Interests of the Working Class
This is a continuation of a critique of an academic leftist (aka academic historical materialist), the philosopher Jeff Noonan. Another example of the limitations of Professor Noonan's analysis is the following (from Thinkings 4: Collected Interventions, Readings, Evocations, 2014-2015,page 10): And sometimes it is necessary to struggle to protect or extend our rights as workers to … Continue reading The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Three: Collective Bargaining and the Interests of the Working Class
The Abolitionary 