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Caterpillar fiasco highlights failure of economic and social policy

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Feb 13 2012
The factory operated profitably and productively for decades. Then suddenly its workers and the whole community were confronted by an uninvited visitor — who barged in, demanded money, and then left, leaving a shuttered plant and immeasurable social despair in its wake… Caterpillar had no sooner digested its new subsidiary, than it began shifting production to Indiana (where new right-to-work laws effectively ban unions) and Mexico… moving jobs out of Canada won’t stop Caterpillar from raking in billions in revenue here… Yet nothing was demanded from Caterpillar in return for this largesse

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Squeezing the middle

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Jan. 23, 2012
Most Canadians are guaranteed nothing by our lean, mean, globalized economy. Even university-educated specialists (like accountants or programmers) have been squeezed by new technology, and by trade rules which allow corporations to outsource any job to the lowest global bidder… About the only structural protections most Canadians have going for them are public programs (like health care, education and pensions), and unions (to help equalize their power with employers). Yet these are under attack, too, from the same governments that allow (even glorify) the social irresponsibility of corporations. Governments are cutting the social wage as employers try to slash money wages.

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Keep the foothold in GM

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

November 21, 2010
The fact that 50,000 Canadians continued to work and pay taxes, instead of collecting EI benefits, boosts the net fiscal position of the two governments by at least $2-billion per year. So in economic and social terms, more than just financial terms, the rescue was both necessary and successful… But more importantly, there’s a sound economic case for preserving a government equity share in the long run.

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Look to Chinese strikers for hope

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

Jun 25 2010
Even though chances are slim that the G20 meeting will prove a watershed moment in outlining an ambitious agenda for decent jobs, income equality, poverty reduction, environmental protection and peace, I firmly believe these are still achievable goals… it will be the actions of working people and community members, together, building solidarity and raising their voices that will drive this positive and progressive social and economic agenda.

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Canada-EU deal will affect more than trade

Monday, May 10th, 2010

May 10 2010
… most Canadians haven’t a clue that our federal and provincial governments are negotiating with the European Union what could be the largest, most significant bilateral trade deal in history. The lack of transparency in these negotiations has prevented meaningful public debate. In a twisted way, the absence of public debate has been misconstrued by media commentators as public complacency. In a more contrived way, neo-liberal and free market pundits conclude that Canadians finally understand the economic, social and perhaps even moral benefits of free trade. This is hogwash.

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Rising employment number masks devastated job market

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Published On Mon Feb 08 2010.

The number of part-time workers actively looking for full-time work has skyrocketed by 184 per cent since 1997. A rise in involuntary part-time work is one clear sign that Canada’s labour market is growing increasingly precarious, a phenomenon that isn’t captured in the month-to-month figures. The explosive growth in temporary agency and contract work is also cause for concern. In the midst of a devastating recession, temporary work actually grew by 13,200 in Canada while permanent jobs fell off a cliff.

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