Strikes aren’t dangerous, but Tory and Liberal union-busting rhetoric is

In a tweet published last week, Ontario’s Liberal Party called strikes “disruptive” and said that they “can become downright dangerous,” using this anti-union rhetoric as a shot against the province’s New Democratic Party. Text in a video included in the tweet read: “The NDP puts unions first. And the public second.” These anti-worker comments and… Read More Strikes aren’t dangerous, but Tory and Liberal union-busting rhetoric is

June 6, 2018June 18, 2018 Haseena Manek

Migrant workers score victory against racial profiling and coercion of DNA by police

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has ruled that the applications made by two of 54 current and former participants of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program regarding racial profiling in Elgin County were in ‘good faith’. The legal representatives for the respondent in the case, the Ontario Provincial Police, called for the case to be… Read More Migrant workers score victory against racial profiling and coercion of DNA by police

May 16, 2018June 18, 2018 Haseena Manek

A Green Economy for All: The Environmental Racism Project

“We want to ensure that the new green economy is inclusive of racialized people,” says Christopher Wilson, a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), and Ontario regional coordinator for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). “Climate change is at the forefront of a number of policy discussions, and we want to… Read More A Green Economy for All: The Environmental Racism Project

January 1, 2018June 18, 2018 Haseena Manek

Defending Public Health Care: Dr. Danyaal Raza Speaks Out

“We believe that everyone in Canada should have access to high quality health care,” says Dr. Danyaal Raza, chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare and a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital, in Toronto. “And that to me — it’s strange to say it — but it’s this piece of public policy that’s an embodiment… Read More Defending Public Health Care: Dr. Danyaal Raza Speaks Out

September 22, 2017 Haseena Manek

When Hate Goes Public

Stand Up and Speak Out “On the one hand, I am a librarian and, as such, I am professionally committed to freedom of speech and bringing forward a broad range of viewpoints in the library,” says Maureen O’Reilly, president of the Toronto Public Library Workers Union (Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4948). “However, we… Read More When Hate Goes Public

August 31, 2017September 22, 2017 Haseena Manek

Power in a Union: Lessons from Danish Labour

When international student Michaela Cavanagh received her first paycheque from her job as a server in a Danish restaurant, she realized 37 per cent of it went to the state. Compared to the typical Canadian income tax rate, this amount seems ludicrous. But Cavanagh’s hourly wage is 128.64 Danish Kroner — approximately $25 Canadian dollars.… Read More Power in a Union: Lessons from Danish Labour

November 1, 2016March 27, 2017 Haseena Manek

DNA Sweeps: How a Lack of Oversight Permits Police Coercion

DNA—the most private and intimate of information—is being swept up in blanket canvasses by Canadian police, who say the samples are collected from individuals who meet either demographic or geographic profiles, and only with their consent. But the process requires no court order, no legal oversight, and is subject to no comprehensive policies. And advocacy… Read More DNA Sweeps: How a Lack of Oversight Permits Police Coercion

October 13, 2016October 18, 2016 Haseena Manek