This was written around six years ago; it is still relevant. I thought it appropriate, on May 1, the International Workers' Day, to refer to something that disturbed me on Facebook yesterday--a post by the Toronto Airport Workers' Council (TAWC), which included some remarks (and a video) by Howard Eng. Howard Eng is the CEO … Continue reading The Toronto Airport Workers’ Council (TAWC): One Step Forward and Two Steps Backward?
Tag: trade unions
Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part Two
I thought it appropriate to post on the issue of safety and health in relation to working for an employer. In Canada, April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, or Workers' Mourning Day, for workers killed, injured or suffering illnesses due to workplace hazards. Why do unions and the social-reformist left often speak in … Continue reading Working for an Employer May Be Dangerous to Your Health, Part Two
The 2018 West-Virginia Teachers’ Strike and a Socialist Movement
Read this post in English [Utilicé ChatGPT (Inteligencia Artificial) para traducir la versión en inglés al español.] The social-reformist left like to claim that what they are interested in is class struggle from below--the self-organization of the working class that opposes the power of the class of employers. In a podcast, David Camfield's analysis of … Continue reading The 2018 West-Virginia Teachers’ Strike and a Socialist Movement
Confessions of a Union Representative Concerning the Real Power of Employers
In the context of the process of passing legislation related to the Westray mining disaster (ultimately diluted to satisfy the interests of employers), a union representative explicitly expressed the reality that workers face when they work for employers. The problem with this explicit admission of the power of employers is that it does not play … Continue reading Confessions of a Union Representative Concerning the Real Power of Employers
Unions and Safety on Jobs Controlled by Employers
The following tries to explain why unions do not adequately address the safety concerns of rank-and-file workers who work for an employer. Of course, safety conditions in non-unionized settings may be even worse, but we should not idealize unionized settings either. They are better than non-unionized settings, generally, but they remain inadequate since workers' safety … Continue reading Unions and Safety on Jobs Controlled by Employers
Social-Reformist Leftist Activists Share Assumptions with the Right
In an earlier post (Basic Income: A Critique of the Social-Reformist Left’s Assumptions and Analysis: Part Two), I argued that the social-reformist leftist activist Mr. Bush used Karl Marx's theory of surplus value for conservative (reformist purposes). This post will expand on this view by pointing out, in a more theoretical way, how Mr. Bush, … Continue reading Social-Reformist Leftist Activists Share Assumptions with the Right
The Socialist Project’s Critique of Doug Ford’s Attack on Local Democracy Falls Short
The following was written almost six years ago; it is still relevant. The Socialist Project has rightly condemned Doug Ford (the new Premier of Ontario, Canada) for his unilateral reduction of the number of Toronto city councilors (in the midst of Toronto elections, no less--indeed, an autocratic act) (see Ford's Attack on Local Democracy in … Continue reading The Socialist Project’s Critique of Doug Ford’s Attack on Local Democracy Falls Short
Basic Income: A Critique of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty’s Stance
Leer este post en español In the pamphlet published on the Socialist Project website, Basic Income in the Neoliberal Age (Toronto, 2017), the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) implies that only a social-reformist vision--maintaining the welfare-state--is a viable option; it implicitly assumes that going beyond it is not viable. Its argument combines both a realistic … Continue reading Basic Income: A Critique of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty’s Stance
The Limitations of the Social-Reformist Left
Leer este post en español Introduction I used to belong to a leftist organization in Toronto. I started, slowly, to realize that it really has little to do with challenging the power of employers as a class despite the rhetoric concerning class issues being a priority. This view was confirmed when a movement for the … Continue reading The Limitations of the Social-Reformist Left
