Posts Tagged ‘economy’

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Clawing back pandemic pay for grocery workers is a grotesque, predictable outcome

Wednesday, June 17th, 2020

In normal times, callous, profit-centric corporate behaviour is not particularly remarkable. But one effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to amplify our society’s ugliest tendencies in a way that’s difficult to ignore. Clawing back an extra couple of dollars from grocery staff during a pandemic, while spuriously implying the risk is no longer there, transcends conventional ugliness to become distinctly grotesque.

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Why the CERB had to be extended – and why it has to be fixed

Wednesday, June 17th, 2020

… incentives matter. If someone can receive as much money for working as not working, that’s an incentive to not work. The CERB payment is $500 a week; assuming a 35-hour week, that’s more than the minimum wage in eight provinces… If someone declines work under those conditions, it isn’t because they’re lazy or irresponsible. It just shows that they’ve got a grasp on their own financial arithmetic.

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I am still an essential worker — don’t take away our pay hike

Tuesday, June 16th, 2020

… we’re able to work through daily changes in safety standards all while staying calm during the first weeks of the pandemic. As workers, we went from invisible to essential and to being called “heroes” in a matter of days. The $2-an-hour raise gave most of my coworkers the boost they needed to make a living wage in Canada; in short, that means it took a pandemic for the majority of the food supply chain to be able to afford to live.

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A strong child-care system is essential to our recovery from the pandemic

Monday, June 15th, 2020

Early learning and child care is a powerful equalizer, narrowing achievement gaps that emerge before children even start school. Educational child care is needed more than ever to help families address the trauma of the pandemic, to support parent employment and to ensure children aren’t left behind.

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Stephen Lecce’s letter to parents doubles down on the Ford government’s half-baked child care plan

Monday, June 15th, 2020

… if Premier Ford and Minister Lecce are scratching their heads and wondering why so many child care centres are refusing to open their doors until this hot mess is fixed, perhaps they should put their listening ears on. Instead of doubling down on the current child care reopening plan, it is time to think hard about how we could create a better child care system for Ontario.

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The U.S. and Canada have little differences, but today, they are adding up fast

Sunday, June 14th, 2020

American society is tilted slightly more towards freedom than order. Canadian society tilts slightly in the other direction… Americans are richer overall, but the median Canadian household now earns more than its American peer. Research in fact shows that Canadian households in the bottom 56 per cent of the income distribution are better off than the same American households.

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There’s no shortage of labour. Employers just need to improve their offer

Saturday, June 13th, 2020

Employers’ complaints of “labour shortages” are not credible; and a more universal approach to income protection (as partly reflected in the CERB) should be maintained. Ultimately, we must find a better “incentive to work” than compelling people to accept low wages, uncertain hours, and risk of infection on pain of destitution.

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The conservative path to a fairer country

Wednesday, June 10th, 2020

Sound conservative values, such as fiscal responsibility, an economy that works for all, fairness, opportunity, self-reliance, respect for the rule of law and personal freedom are essential if we hope to level the socioeconomic playing field and allow communities and individuals to thrive… Through solid political and civic engagement with our democratic institutions, social and economic justice can be achieved… It is essential that marginalized communities are not just in the room, but are also in decision-making positions. This is not about quotas; it is about diversity.

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Unpaid sick days are what ails Doug Ford’s recovery plan

Tuesday, June 9th, 2020

It makes no sense to expect the working poor to become poorer if they come down with COVID-19. Nor is it fair to demand they sacrifice their individual wages, in poor health, so as to benefit society’s collective health… By penalizing sick workers, we will only make more people sick. The premier is right to preach that workers should stay home when unwell. But he should put his money where his morality is, rather than demand that those who can least afford it bear the burden

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On child care, politicians are doing exactly what they said they wouldn’t. Women are paying the price

Saturday, June 6th, 2020

Despite all the goodwill of officials and the commitments from politicians and business leaders, they’ve done exactly what they said they wouldn’t do: opened the doors to recovery without opening the doors for parents, especially mothers. It doesn’t work for families, it doesn’t work for employers who need a broad range of employees to come back, and it certainly doesn’t work for a fair recovery.

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