Hungry for a Fight

Workers across the province are facing an uncertain future. Many of us were temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and under the current Employment Standards Act those layoffs will become permanent and accrued benefits lost unless we are among those “lucky” enough to be called back before 6 months has elapsed. Although some […]

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Opioid Pandemic

We are currently living through a pandemic, but it is pivotal to recognize that COVID-19 is not the only health crisis in Canada. According to the federal government, 12 people die from an opioid overdose every day in the country. Simply put, opioids include an umbrella of medications used to relieve pain. Why are opioids […]

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The Whole System is Rotten

As COVID-19 engulfed the Earth, most governments failed to protect society. A rare few acted quickly and decisively to test, trace, isolate and provide personal protective equipment (PPE), managing without lockdowns and widespread closures to contain the virus. Many, such as Canada, acted too little and too late. Others, such as the US, Brazil, India, […]

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Public Ownership of Banks

During the month of March, the whole world was scrambling to wrap their heads around the scale and impact of the COVID-19 crisis. As the coronavirus was scything its way through Asia and Europe, each successive government seemed to be competing to see who was going to bungle its pandemic response more. Meanwhile a different […]

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Big Pharma, Big Price, Big Profits

The German playwright, Bertolt Brecht wrote in the 1930s that it is easier to rob by setting up a bank than by holding up one. If Brecht were alive today, he might want to revise the statement by substituting pharmaceutical company for bank. Using a measure called Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), research shows that […]

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COVID Kills Farm Workers

Karl Marx once said, “The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.” While this may be a critique of liberal democracy, it can also apply to the state of temporary foreign workers in Canada who hope to live under better […]

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