Tim Heffernan is retired Ontario Teacher and OSSTF activist. Wednesday, December 4, saw the first provincial strike of teachers since 1997. 60,000 High School teachers and education workers walked off the job for the day and picketed outside schools, Board offices and the offices of Tory MPPs. For 2 weeks prior to this, the union, […]
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In early April, hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and education workers protested against Doug Ford’s attacks on education. At the end of April, 8,000 health care workers and their allies rallied at Queen’s Park, the seat of the Ontario legislature, in Toronto. This was hosted by the Ontario Health Coalition, an umbrella group representing […]
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On April 4, 100,000 to 200,000 school students walked out of 700 schools in protest against the Ford government’s plan to increase class size increases and other attacks on their education. The mood was energetic and enthusiastic. The students knew why they were protesting – to protect their education. Laughingly, Ford’s petulant comment even before […]
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The political scandal of the year is unravelling. At the forefront of media coverage are the high profile politicians: PM Justin Trudeau, ex Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Trudeau’s top political advisor, Gerald Butts. What seems to whet the media’s appetite is speculation surrounding the “scandal” – who pressured whom, who’s telling the truth, who’s […]
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So after a lot of fanfare, seemingly hard bargaining down to the wire, the media consensus is that Trudeau got the best possible deal for “Canada.” The point about any trade deal is that it is mainly about reconciling the interests of competing capitalist classes, not what is best for the working people of the […]
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One of Toronto’s great annual traditions over the last two weeks of August, “the Ex”, promises to be a much more interesting experience than usual for its 1 million+ visitors. The lock out of the workers who erect stages and move equipment started in late July and is building to a crescendo for the opening […]
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The hopes of the NDP pulling off a surprise victory didn’t materialize and Ontario workers are now faced with the prospect of the most right-wing government since the days of Mike Harris in the 1990s. Does this victory of a right-wing populist signify that Ontario (and, by implication, Canada as a whole – given Ontario’s […]
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Ontario’s June 7 election has heated up, not only because of the participation of Doug Ford, the so-called Canadian Donald Trump and apparent front runner, but because the outcome of the election itself is by no means certain. Since the New Year, Ontario politics have been anything but dull. At the start of 2018, it […]
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Tim Hortons’ attack on low paid workers has ignited protests across Canada. On Friday, January 19, over 50 rallies took place from coast to coast. There is a powerful public backlash against actions of some Timmies franchise holders who have cut paid break times and made their employees pay more for their benefits as they […]
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Finally Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has a new leader. Jagmeet Singh won 54% of the votes of party members on the first round. His 35,266 votes were almost three times more than those received by second placed Charlie Angus. He is presented as young, 38, and fashionable. Does this amount to a great new […]
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