Labour News

 

Global Research, June 10, 2010

“[T]he majority of politicians, on the evidence available to us, are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power. To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that they live in ignorance of the truth, even the truth of their own lives. What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.”– Harold Pinter, Nobel Lecture (Literature), 2005

The maintenance of the hierarchical structures that control our lives depends on Pinter’s “vast tapestry of lies upon which we feed.” Therefore the main institutions that embed us into the hierarchy, such as schools, universities, and mass media and entertainment corporations, have a primary function to create and maintain this tapestry. This includes establishment scientists and all service intellectuals in charge of “interpreting” reality.

In fact, the scientists and “experts” define reality in order to bring it into conformation with the always-adapting dominant mental tapestry of the moment. They also invent and build new branches of the tapestry that serve specific power groups by providing new avenues of exploitation. These high priests are rewarded with high class status.

Labatt Canada has just announced that it will close its Lakeport Brewery in Hamilton, Ontario. This is more tough news for the steel city as only weeks ago, Siemens has announced it will move its operations to North Carolina, putting almost 600 people out of work.

With the EI  numbers rocketing to unheard of numbers thousands of workers who have never used the EI system will applying for benefits. Many of these workers will decide to do so on line at Service Canada in order to avoid finding and driving to the EI office which for some will be an hour or more drive away.

 

Such uninformed already troubled individuals will then shortly after receive instructions on how to file your biweekly reports either online or by mail. They will receive by mail, or when checking the EI help line receive the message that “your claim has been received and we are working on it” and will assume that this is indeed the case and that after the prescribed waiting period they will start to receive benefits.

 

This is NOT the case, those applying online will not receive any benefits until 28 days AFTER the hard copy of their separation slip is put in the hands of the staff at your “local” EI office.

"In the old days it was expected that about half the children in a family would die before they grew up; this involved pain, illness, and sorrow to the mother, often great suffering to the children, and a waste of natural resources in the care of children who never lived to become productive." - Bertrand Russell, 1931

Antonio Martinez used to pay smugglers thousands of dollars each year to sneak him into the United States to manage farm crews. Now, the work comes to him.

Supervising lettuce pickers in central Mexico, Martinez earns just half of the $1,100 a week he made in the U.S. But the job has its advantages, including working without fear of immigration raids.

 

Friday, February 22, 2008 Study: Hourly earnings, 1997 to 2007 Hourly earnings of managers, as well as those of professionals employed in business, finance and computer and information systems, increased faster than those of any other occupational groups during the past 10 years, according to a new study. On the other hand, blue-collar workers in manufacturing, clerical employees and salespeople in retail trade saw virtually no growth in earnings. The study, published today in Perspectives on Labour and Income, found that between 1997/1998 and 2006/2007, the average hourly earnings of managers employed in the private sector grew a solid 20%. This was four times the average rate of 5% among other private-sector employees.

Um, never mind – I don't need the job that badly Job candidates are turned off by interviewers who act aloof, keep them waiting, cross-examine them or ask weird questions, survey shows VIRGINIA GALT Globe and Mail Update February 12, 2008 at 12:00 AM EST It's not just employers who end uninspiring interviews with “don't call us, we'll call you.” Prospective employees are also turned off by awkward, unprofessional interviews, according to a study released Tuesday. More than half of job candidates report that the behaviour of the interviewer influences their decision to accept a position – or not, according to a global survey of 3,725 job-seekers, co-sponsored by human resources consulting firm Development Dimensions International Inc. and online job site, Monster.com.

Overwaitea calls for two-hour shifts as talks begin with B.C. grocery workers Mon Feb 4, 11:46 AM The Canadian Press VANCOUVER - Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union local 1518 are stunned by the opening contract position taken by the Overwaitea/Save-on-Foods Group. In its latest bulletin, the union says Overwaitea has proposed two hour shifts for workers, down from the current minimum of four hour shifts. As well, the union says Overwaitea wants union members to pay part of their own benefits, and the grocery giant is also seeking the right to convert any store to a PriceSmart outlet - with the matching reduction in contract language.

Calgary will need 250,000 new workers in next decade: forecast By Bill Graveland, THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY - Alberta's booming economy and a continuing shortage of skilled workers across the country will strain the existing workforce and increase the reliance on foreign workers, according to a 10-year job forecast released by Calgary Economic Development on Tuesday. The study found the areas of professional services, health care, retail and construction need the most attention. The Calgary region will require an additional 244,000 skilled workers over the next decade. Included on the list of jobs in demand are retail salespeople, nurses, financial auditors, petroleum engineers, carpenters, electricians, teachers and computer programmers.

Original Op-Ed

Oil and gas prices are astronomically high and consumption is still growing. Alberta holds the oil reserves in the Fort McMurray and Peace River areas that are driving the Canadian economy, the same reserves that the U.S. has identified as key to their energy security.

But as the owner of a small portable welding company based on Peace River, I can tell you that the Peace River area of northern Alberta, in the heart of the oil patch, is dead. Vital subcontractors, especially welders, are sitting waiting for work. Some have been for a year now. Many are going out of business, ending up bankrupt and unable to pay their bills.

You might not be hearing about it in the press, but it's happening, and has been happening for some time.

The simple question is, why?

The oil companies are quick to blame royalties. But the reality is that oil royalty changes weren't made in Alberta until recently, well after the slowdown actually started, and the changes made are hardly revolutionary--in fact, the new structure will mean a DECREASE in royalties over the next 10 years, according to the Parkland Institute.

So what's going on?

The answer is that oil companies are trying to bring rates down. Their simple and effective strategy is to starve out subcontractors, stopping or slowing work in a bid to make subcontractors drop their rates, therefore saving the big oil companies money.

The CEO Poll: Excessive executive compensation Joe Castaldo Canadian Business Online, January 10, 2008 The belief that CEOs of public companies are overpaid is certainly not a new one, but a web survey conducted by COMPAS Inc. found that many CEOs themselves think pay is excessive. The poll of 127 CEOs of small- and medium-sized businesses came in response to a recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives that found the 100 highest-paid CEOs earn $38,998 for slightly more than one day’s work. That’s about as much as the average Canadian earns in an entire year.

Jan 09, 2008 17:00 ET Canada Moves Forward on Protecting Jobs for Reservists KINGSTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 9, 2008) - The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, is visiting Kingston today following yesterday's announcement in Vancouver that the Government of Canada is moving forward with a strategy which will provide protection to Reservists when they return to civilian life. The strategy will include legislative changes which will protect the civilian jobs of reservists who work for employers in federally-regulated sectors and the public service. It will also provide support to student reservists. Minister Blackburn addressed members of the HMCS Cataraqui in Kingston as part of his national dialogue to ensure that reservists are successfully reintegrated into the Canadian work force. Canadian Reserve Force personnel play a vital role in protecting Canada's interests at home and abroad. Reservists have been called upon frequently to contribute to international peace, stability and human security throughout the world.

Feds must stop relying on temps: staffing watchdog Kathryn May, Ottawa Citizen Published: 1:32 am OTTAWA - The government has to break its reliance on temporary workers as it heads into a fiercely competitive job market where all employers will be fighting over a shrinking talent pool, says Canada's staffing watchdog. Maria Barrados, president of the Public Service Commission, said her big concern is these short-term workers don't have to meet the same standards or merit requirements as anyone applying for permanent jobs. Once hired, they get the "inside track" on jobs. The dependence on temporary workers -- from casuals and terms to temporary and contract workers -- has exploded since the Liberals' massive downsizing and hiring freeze of the 1990s. Critics argue the shift has also eroded the quality of the workforce and the image of the public service, because jobs are filled with people who may not otherwise have landed them.

Top CEOs have already earned average year's pay: report Published: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 OTTAWA - By 10:33 a.m. Wednesday, Canada's top 100 CEOs had already earned the same amount of money that will take the average full-time worker all year to make, according to a left-leaning think-tank. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) said in a report that these corporate elites made $39,998 by mid-morning Wednesday, based on an assumption of nine hours and 33-minutes worth of pay based on an average annual salary of about $8.5 million. "Most Canadians are heading back into work with a mound of Christmas bills and financial worries, but for Canada's best-paid 100 CEOs, it's like Santa Claus delivers every nine hours," CCPA research associate Hugh Mackenzie said in a statement.