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NDP on Budget '09

A missed opportunity to support Canada’s most vulnerable In the face of an unprecedented financial crisis the Conservative government of Canada tabled a budget this week. The document is full of half measures that would leave too many vulnerable Canadians behind. Whether it was the lack of action on Employment Insurance reform, the lack of aggressive measures to fight poverty in these tough times, or the decision to tie up

Pensions: A tale of two (and a half) commissions - and four provinces (by Louis Erlichman)

For several years before the most recent stock market meltdown, there was already a lot of talk about a pension crisis in Canada. The 2000/01 collapse of the tech market bubble and declining interest rates meant that sponsors of defined benefit pension plans could no longer take the contribution holidays they had gotten used to, and had to make significant pension contributions. Even though pension surpluses were no longer common,

Budget fédéral 2009 : Analyse préliminaire du Congrès du travail du Canada

Impact sur les emplois et l’économie Ce que nous avons demandé : La grande priorité du budget aurait dû être d’empêcher le taux de chômage de grimper à au moins 8 % cette année et de s’établir dans les deux chiffres l’an prochain. Un « plan de relance », ce n’est pas la même chose qu’un déficit. Si le gouvernement fédéral se dirige vers un déficit, c’est d’abord et avant

The 2009 Federal Budget: Preliminary Canadian Labour Congress Analysis

Impact on Jobs and the Economy What We Wanted The most important priority for the Budget was to stop the unemployment rate from rising to at least 8% this year and to double digit levels next year. “Fiscal stimulus” is not the same thing as running a deficit. The federal government is going into deficit mainly because tax revenues are slumping along with the economy, but this does not inject

Half-hearted Budget Doesn’t Go Far Enough

Georgetti says government must do more to stimulate economy and help innocent victims of recession OTTAWA – The Canadian Labour Congress says that the federal budget doesn’t go far enough to stimulate the economy and put money into the pockets of Canadians who are innocent victims of the economic recession. “We have called repeatedly on the government to fix the Employment Insurance program so that laid-off workers have adequate benefits

Machinists Achieve Five Years of Stability at Messier-Dowty!

Monday January 26, 2009 For Immediate Release St. Laurent, QC – Both the workers and the company are viewed as winners in the latest contract agreement signed by the members of IAMAW Local Lodge 1758 and Messier-Dowty. “Recognizing the current global economic situation, I feel we were able to negotiate a contract that will ensure the financial stability of our members and the company for the next five years,” explained

Health and Safety News: MSDS - A FORGOTTEN TOOL

WHMIS or Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System requires Provincial and Federal workplace compliance to its legislation. In our never ending world of Health & Safety acts, codes, legislations, guidelines and standards (lawyers have nothing on us) WHMIS is one of the few regulations that is universally pervasive to provincial and federal workers. Employers must provide WHMIS training to all workers. Inside the WHMIS legislation is the Material Safety Data Sheet

Machinists have new deal with ABB Lachine!

Tuesday January 6, 2009 For Immediate Release Montréal, QC – Members of IAMAW Local Lodge 1660 employed by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) Incorporated of Lachine, Québec, have a new collective agreement. The three-year deal provides for wage increases of 3 per cent in each year. Other agreement highlights include : •A signing bonus upon ratification of the agreement •New classification of Fitter •Creation of a summer schedule •Three sickness days paid

C'est l'économie! qui compte!

Les Canadiens et les Canadiennes ont été frappés durement par la crise économique. Nous perdons des milliers d’emplois et nos pensions sont mises à mal. Le gouvernement doit trouver des solutions qui aident tout le monde et non seulement les banques et les grandes entreprises qui nous ont mis dans ce bourbier. Les travailleurs et les travailleuses et leurs syndicats feront partie de la solution à mesure que les Canadiens