labour

OPSEU rally brings workers together in fight for public education

More than 100 community members and education workers joined Fanshawe support staff workers on their picket line in front of the college Friday, as the union’s strike ended its first week. Fanshawe College’s over 650 full-time support staff, who are represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 109 have been on strike since Sept. 11. The local joins more than 10,000 full-time college support staff across the province in striking for job security measures, an increase to provincial funding in the sector, and to ensure benefits cover things like dental and hearing services.  On Friday, the union…

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London’s Labour Day: Historical Roots and “Call to Militant Actions and Authentic Solidarity”

On the last long weekend of every Canadian summer, workers and unions gather for Labour Day to celebrate the history and achievements of the movement. This year, as workers face increased legislative threats by the federal and provincial governments, they also gather with strength and to develop community bonds of solidarity for the upcoming fightback needed. “Labour Day is a celebration of the fights that we have won, but it is a call to militant actions and authentic solidarity for the historic challenges we face locally, provincially, nationally, and globally,” said Patti Dalton, President of the London and District Labour…

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‘End the Plantation System’: Justice for Migrant Workers at London’s Caribbean Cultural Festival

The following is the speech delivered by Chris Ramsaroop from Justice for Migrant Workers to attendees of Island Fest, a celebration of Caribbean culture in London, on July 26. He has been organizing with Justice for Migrant Workers for the past 25 years.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak regarding issues pertaining to the people who are the foundation of our food system, migrant farm workers. To begin, I would be remiss not to begin with a quote from the seminal work of Justice Irving Andre, who over 35 years ago wrote one of the first critical…

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Canadian Hearing Services workers ‘relieved’ to return to work

After 11 weeks on strike, workers at Canadian Hearing Services (CHS), represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 2073 voted overwhelmingly in favour to ratify a new collective agreement. “We are super relieved and very happy with the new collective agreement. It’s what we were working towards,” said Amanda Seavers, CUPE 2073 London picket captain for the strike. “We’re eager to get back to our clients on Monday.” The small strike line in London had only ten workers picketing daily in front of the CHS office in Cherryhill Village Mall. After news that the new collective agreement was…

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Canadian Hearing Services workers concerned about community impact as strike enters ninth week

Workers for Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) are still on strike, with their Employer refusing to come to the bargaining table or exchange demands. “The community is suffering because of it. Eight weeks is a long time for us on the line but I’m sure it feels a lot longer for our community who have been without their mental health counsellors, without their audiology services, without their sign language interpreters for their doctor’s appointments,” said Amanda Seavers, CUPE 2073 picket captain. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 2073, which represents 206 workers across the province and 10 in London, filed…

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Hands Off My Post Office Rally – London, ON

Rallies were organized across Canada on Saturday, to draw support in the Canadian Union of Postal Worker’s (CUPW) on-going struggle to keep Canada Post a public entity. This is a continuation from their 5 week strike in the fall of last year. The union has tried to work with the corporation in order to establish new, innovative ways of delivering the mail, but holds fast to maintaining adequate wages and decent benefits for all employees. The corporation has refused to move on any of the suggestions posed by CUPW’s negotiating team and is pushing the union into another strike position…

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Posters and signs at the CUPE 2073 strike line on Oxford St

“We’re falling behind”: Canadian Hearing Services workers strike for fair wages, job protections

For more than six weeks, over 200 Canadian Hearing Service (CHS) workers have been on strike across the province. Represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local (CUPE) 2073, the sign language interpreters, mental health counselors, audiologists, and other striking staff of CHS are hoping for more support from the public as they approach their sixth week on the lines. CHS is a nonprofit organization based predominantly in Ontario. The organization provides a plethora of services for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals across the country. Since Julia Dumanian became CEO of the company in 2015, service provisions in…

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Workers’ Compensation on first strike in history: wages, workload, and micromanagement primary concerns

Since May 22, over 200 workers have been on strike at the downtown London office on Fullarton Street for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Represented by the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU) Local 1750, London workers are some of the over 3,600 employed by WSIB across Ontario. These workers are responsible for administering the employer insurance program for workers who are injured on the job.  “We are wanting a fair collective agreement. We are looking for increased wages, better workload management, less micromanagement of our workloads,” said Suzanne Flannery, Unit Coordinator for the London Office and head picket…

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London Community rallies together for May Day

On Sunday, more than 70 London workers and community members gathered in Victoria Park to celebrate May Day. The celebration included music, chants, and speeches from local organizations and union chapters. May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, celebrates the labour movement and the workers behind it. The origins of May Day trace back to 1886, following a massive general strike in the United States involving workers across the nation striking to demand an eight-hour work day. In Chicago, on the third day, police officers fired into a crowd of striking workers, which incited a rally at the city’s…

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A Month on Strike: A Postal Worker’s Perspective From the Line

In the final week of the postal workers’ strike I could hardly go ten paces without someone stopping me on the street to get the latest news and to express their support for our struggle.  Everyone understands that we are living in really trying times. Inflation has exploded over the past 6 years, rents continue to rise, and our wages remain stagnant. The demands that the CUPW negotiating team went to the bargaining table with were meant to have our wages catch up with inflation, ensure any changes to the way we deliver mail will protect our jobs for the…

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