Planning and Workers’ Control Needed more than Ever

The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing all the more clearly the fundamental failings of the capitalist economic system that we live under. Even before the pandemic, capitalist states have allowed for growing inequality, mass poverty, environmental destruction, and oppression of poor and working-class people both at home and even more so in places subject to colonialism […]

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Québec public health services negotiation: give us the means to heal right now!

translated from Alterative Socialiste, Québec The Québec government and various unions have engaged during the last week in accelerated negotiations to renew the contracts of public and para-public sector employees. The COVID-19 health crisis gives health sector unions increased leverage, which was hard to imagine only six months ago. Let’s use this strength to make […]

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When Workers Fight They Win

1,200 hotel workers in UNITE HERE Local 40 won dignity and job security in a battle against global corporations that rule the most luxurious hotels in downtown Vancouver. The two-month strike, the longest in the city’s hotel industry, demonstrated the power of unions when they have determination to win and a fighting strategy. The workers, […]

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160,000 Ontario Teachers Out on One-day Strike

Tim Heffernan is a retired Ontario Teacher. Friday, February 21, saw the biggest show of united action by Ontario teachers since 1997. All 4 unions (elementary, secondary, Catholic and French) representing 160,000 teachers, in a one day strike closed down schools that affected 2 million students. In Toronto, an estimated 30,000 teachers, education workers, parents […]

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Ontario teacher strike

Tim Heffernan is a retired Ontario Teacher. Two months after the first one day strike by Ontario High School Teachers, the two sides are still miles apart. (This article gives background to the strike.) The High School teachers in the public boards, organized by OSSTF, were the first to take action with a series of […]

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A group of striking Ontario high school teachers

Ontario High School Teachers’ strike

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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