Published February 3, 2016 in the Huffington Post.
It took only a few minutes, but with a quick motion in the House of Commons last week, the new Liberal government moved to repeal two appalling pieces of federal labour legislation brought in by the former Harper government, Bills C-377 and C-525.
Almost immediately, Conservatives in the Senate promised to do all they could to block that repeal. We can’t let that happen. For those who thought this particular struggle was over, there is still much work to be done.
Published in the Huffington Post February 10, 2016
Now that the Trans Pacific Partnership has been signed, maybe we can have the honest, open and transparent debate that Canadians were denied during the federal election – and which the new Liberal government in Ottawa has promised.
Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland signed the TPP last week, saying it was merely a formality before the deal could be put before Parliament for debate. So, let’s have that debate. There’s certainly a lot to talk about.
This was published in the Huffington Post Wednesday January 27, 2016
At a time when our consumption of the news is at an all-time high, the very institutions at the heart of our news media are in crisis -- and demanding the attention of our political leaders.
In just the past week, Postmedia combined newsrooms in Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver in a move that not only saw many talented and dedicated journalists pushed out the door, but also saw distinctive voices quieted.
While your editorial on the widespread abuse of labour standards revealed through Ministry of Labour inspections aptly describes the poor working conditions faced by many workers, the emphasis you place on the need for education for employers is misplaced.
As the COP21 climate conference comes close to a conclusion, the world can breathe a bit easier.
All-night negotiations chaired by France’s Laurent Fabius produced a near to final agreement that delivers at least some of the ambitions we have been waiting for.
A state of emergency has seized Paris this December, although sometimes it is hard to determine just which emergency is foremost. Armies of police surrounding the Le Bourget Climate Conference and smaller groups at every transit station and downtown shopping centres speak to one emergency. The massive posters and displays on the COP21 and environment and climate themes that dominate public spaces throughout Paris and its underground metro stations point to the other global emergency that brings us here.
Here on Day 3 of COP 21, Human Rights and worker rights have emerged as one of the key issues in the early negotiations. In the current draft text of "Article 2" there is a provision committing the parties to recognition of human rights and just transition for workers in implementing the COP21 agreement. However, a number of countries including Mexico, Norway, and the US are pushing to have these commitments moved to the non-binding preamble section. That is unacceptable for the labour delegates at COP who are lobbying hard to have Article 2 maintained in its present form.
Unifor's delegation to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (“COP21”) has arrived in Paris for this historic world gathering. I am in Paris with a group of senior staff and Ken Smith, President of Local 707A, who is arriving today.
For Bombardier, federal involvement at this stage would give it the stability it needs to enter the lucrative 100-plus seat commercial jet market, writes the president of Unifor
By: Jerry Dias Published on Sun Nov 08 2015 in the Toronto Star
Truly great things are rarely achieved alone – or easily.
Whether in our private lives or in business, our greatest achievements are made in coordinated effort with others. This is especially true for long-term projects, the ones that take vision and commitment beyond the latest quarterly report.
I am not a member of a political party. I recognize the importance of elections, participate in election campaigns (including canvassing and raising money for good candidates), and engage heavily in election-related debates (like the detailed critique of the Harper government’s economic record I co-authored, with Jordan Brennan, for Unifor).
