By IAM Canadian General Vice-President (@IAMAWDavid) Dissent and protest are as much a part of democracy as elections, participation and debate. The right to protest has been a vehicle for many movements that ultimately changed our society for the better; the labour movement is a testament to the collective power in fighting for a better society. In recent weeks, a movement has emerged in Ottawa and elsewhere as an outcry
By Guillaume Valois LL712 and DL11 Communicator Montreal – In response to Airbus’ statement to accelerate aircraft recycling by creating partnerships in different regions of the world, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), calls on our governments and stakeholders in Quebec’s aerospace ecosystem to mobilize to make Quebec a North American leader in this area. This is the kind of project that could have positive impacts at
The award of this year’s Nobel Prize in economics has further exploded a decades-old myth that increasing minimum wages costs jobs. The prize was awarded to David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens for real-world research in the 1990s that demonstrated, empirically, that the idea touted by conservative economists that higher minimum wages mean fewer jobs is not based on fact. ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: “These Nobel Prize
By Craig Heron, Professor Emeritus, York University How will you acknowledge the 1st of May? The provincial government probably won’t let you dance around a Maypole in any local parks. So maybe we can take a moment to ponder how people in Canada have celebrated this day more soberly for more than a century. The history of May Day is wrapped up in the struggle for an eight-hour day. In
By Ivana Saula Mass unemployment, a slow recovery and debt incurred over the last few months have prompted discussion about Universal Basic Income (UBI). Success of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) has been used as a prelude to a conversation about UBI, given how effective it was in assisting thousands of workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic. Missing from this narrative is that many workers were initially
David Chartrand, Quebec Coordinator for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) This article was published in Les Ailes du Québec If the sacrifices of aviation industry workers are a necessary evil in these times of pandemic, the Trudeau government’s inaction towards them only worsens the side effects. It has been said for almost a year now; the government must put in place a sectoral assistance plan for
OPINION By Frank Saptel Communications Representative, IAM Canada If history has taught us anything, it’s that if we don’t learn from past events, we will repeat the same mistakes. COVID-19 has caused havoc in Canada and around the world. Workers have lost jobs; businesses have closed and few in the world have remained unaffected. The standard of living for those negatively impacted is cause for concern. The recovery will
As of March 2nd, more than 89,000 people in nearly 60 countries have reported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world. More than 3,000 people have died as a result. By all accounts, this is serious, and we should all take care of ourselves – and others. During these times, those who cannot go to work, or are forced to stay at home, are in real danger of losing
This opinion piece appeared in Le Devoir on 03 January, 2020 David Chartrand Quebec Coordinator As the Swissport Airplane fuelers at Pierre Elliott-Trudeau and Mirabel airports take strike action, it is time for the public to better understand the reality of the workers who make a living there. In recent years, there has been a deterioration in working conditions, this deterioration is accompanied by an increase in responsibilities, workload and
By Derek Ferguson, Special Representative, Political Action Whether it’s the Public Sector Wage Arbitration Act (Bill 9) in Alberta, Ontario’s Protecting a Sustainable Public Generations Act (Bill 124), or Manitoba’s Public Services Sustainability Act (Bill 28 – Conservative governments across Canada continue to blame Unions for the manufactured fiscal deficits they say they inherited . After waiting nearly two and a half years, Manitoba’s public sector unions finally went to
