Machinists’ News

The Canadian Territory won two first place awards in the IAM 2011 Newsletter and Website contest. IAM Local Lodge 712 newsletter, Union 712, won the first place award for Best Layout, and IAM Local Lodge 869 newsletter, IAMAW, won the first place award of General Excellence. Both locals are from Montréal. Other newsletter winners included Local Lodge 712 with a second place award for General Excellence, Local Lodge 869 with

The Conservative government has tabled legislation that will end the National long-gun registry. The registry was created as part of a response to public pressure, particularly through women, to strengthen gun control legislation following the tragic events at the École Polytechnique, December 6, 1989. There has been a substantial decline in the number of homicides, domestic violence incidents and suicides using rifles and shotguns since the registry was implemented. Law

In addition to rejuvenating the American Labour Movement, the struggle to restore collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin is now the inspiration for a newly-released collection of labor songs by Milwaukee, WI Local 66 member Joe ‘Pepe’ Oulahan. “I’ve always admired the troubadours of the 40’s and 50’s such as Joe Hill, Woody Gutherie, and Pete Seeger,” said Oulahan. “These folk singers wrote and played songs of the struggles of working

Most Canadians depend on public pensions – Old Age Security, the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan and Guaranteed Income Supplement – to provide for their basic needs in retirement.  Unfortunately, public pensions currently barely bring most older Canadians up to the poverty level.  A large proportion (over a third) of seniors have no significant additional retirement income, from workplace pensions or RRSPs and other savings. As employers cut back on workplace pension

Many Canadians invest their retirement and other savings in mutual funds, frequently on the advice of “financial advisors”/mutual fund salespersons.   Remarkably, a lot of these Canadians don’t know how much they are paying in fees, and even more important, how big a bite even seemingly small annual fees can take out of their savings.  Canadian mutual funds charge the highest fees of any advanced country. Over the 30 or more