Boilermakers' union endorses Poilievre for PM

This week the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Canada and the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada both endorsed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for prime minister.

“Pierre gets it”: Boilermakers union endorses Poilievre | The Counter Signal | TCS Wire: 

March 26, 2025 - "In a show of support, a labour union has endorsed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers ... have never backed the federal Conservatives but they broke precedent on Tuesday with a public statement. 

“'It is in the interest of moving forward that the Office of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Canada is proud to announce today our endorsement for Pierre Poilievre and all the conservative candidates across Canada in this federal election,' said the union’s vice president, Arnie Stadnick, in an open letter to Canadians. 

Pierre gets it. He knows and understands that the surest and most sustainable route to providing a cleaner environment is through technology, not dismantling our energy sectors, raising taxes, importing energy from other nations, and shipping Canadian jobs abroad.

"The Boilermakers represent about 12,000 skilled trades workers across Canada in industries such as energy production, construction, shipbuilding and manufacturing. 

"Additionally, the union endorsed Poilievre’s 'Boots not Suits' policy, which aims to expand training halls and increase grants and funding to accelerate entry into the licensed trades. 'This plan is designed to strengthen the workforce and reduce reliance on foreign labour, adding 350,000 Canadian workers to job sites over five years,' wrote the Boilermakers union. 

"The Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada also endorsed the Conservative leader with a statement last week, saying that it 'strongly supports the election of Pierre Poilievre as the next Prime Minister of Canada.'

"''Canadian business has been undermined for 10 years by the post-national, anti-business Liberal agenda, and the ability of our members to create well-paying jobs has been seriously impaired,” said the coalition’s president Catherine Swift in a statement published Friday. 

"'Mark Carney, who has been a key advisor to the Trudeau Liberals for years, will continue this destructive approach.'

"Citing data compiled by the International Monetary Fund, Swift said that a fourth Liberal term would perpetuate economic policies that have led to the worst growth per capita for Canada among other developed nations. Calling it 'Canada’s lost decade,' Swift said that she’s yet to see any 'concern' for small and medium-sized businesses from Liberal Leader Mark Carney.

“His globalist policies only involve large crony capitalists and top-down regulatory overload to the detriment of (small and medium-sized businesses),” she said."

Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/pierre-gets-it-boilermakers-union-endorses-poilievre/ 

Federal civil servants fight 3-days-in-office policy

The Canadian government's new policy to have federal civil servants work three days a week in the office takes effect Monday. But government unions vow to keep resisting the policy change. 

Ottawa hoping to convince reluctant civil servants of the benefits of working from the office | CBC News | Daniel Leblanc: 

August 26, 2024 - "The federal government is preparing to welcome a frustrated workforce back to its offices on Sept. 9. Under a new policy announced in May, federal civil servants will have to spend at least three days per week in the office, while executives will have to spend at least four. Currently, civil servants are required to be in their offices only two days per week.

"Federal employees' unions say most civil servants oppose the planned reduction in telework and report struggles with transportation and work-family balance. Many also say they're more productive when they work from home....

"Christiane Fox, deputy clerk of the Privy Council Office, told Radio-Canada the new policy will improve the overall performance of the federal public service and help individual civil servants advance their careers.... The government may also be hoping that bringing civil servants back to their offices can improve the public service's reputation — which has been damaged by a perception in some quarters that employees are taking it easy when they work from home. 'Of course, we can't ignore the perceptions and the comments that are made about the public service,' said Fox, adding that is not the rationale for the decision....

"Many bureaucrats are reluctant to ​​spend more time at the office and accuse the federal government of failing to properly explain its decision. Some argue the policy is meant to revitalize the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., where businesses and restaurants are still caught in the post-pandemic doldrums.

"Civil servant Audrey Groleau said she mostly works online with colleagues elsewhere in the country, whether she is at home or in the office. Going to the office limits her ability to manage her family life effectively, she said.... Laurence Dufour, another civil servant who works in Gatineau, said she does not see any major benefits to working three days a week in the office — but anticipates the return of many inconveniences. 'It's going to cost us more in parking, in food, in transportation,' she said.

"Access to remote work exploded during the pandemic and quickly became popular among public servants....

"[F]ederal unions have vowed to keep up the resistance and are promising ongoing protests in the lead-up to Sept. 9. Civil servants failed to mobilize in large numbers against the new policy over the summer, but unions are promising a long-term fight.

"'We've filed unfair labour practice complaints, we've filed grievances, so that's going to continue. And if this isn't solved and if we don't see a willingness to modernize and adapt on the part of this employer, this is going to be an issue in our next round of bargaining, which we're now preparing for in 2025,' said Alex Silas, national vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

"A senior Liberal official has said that civil servants should avoid making waves about the new office policy because it could give a political edge to the Conservative Party in the next election. Silas quickly rejected that argument. 'The Liberal government should have a higher standard than just saying, "Well, at least we're not as terrible as the Conservatives." Do better, Liberals," said Silas.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/public-service-telework-pandemic-1.7303267

Canadian public servants fight back-to-office order | CBC News: The National | September 2, 2024:

Canadian gov't unions vow 'summer of discontent'

Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward is warning the federal government to prepare for a "summer of discontent" over its plans to require government employees to work in the office three days a week. 

Canadians Have Little Appetite for Another Public Service Union Strike | Epoch Times | Cory Morgan: 

May 17, 2024 - "In April 2023, members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) went on strike. Government services came to a near standstill as over 100,000 federal employees hit the picket lines. The strike ended with a generous settlement, with pay increases imposed retroactively to 2022 and cumulatively totalling 14.5 percent in 2024. The labour peace with Canada’s federal workers was short-lived, however. PSAC president Chris Aylward recently promised a 'summer of discontent,' saying 'the Trudeau Liberal government better prepare itself.'

"What happened to cause such rage among one of Canada’s largest unions? What terrible demand has been made of federal workers to bring about a potential summer of strife and labour action? The government is asking federal workers to come in to the office to work for three days a week.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, both the public and private sectors created work-from-home models for employees so work could continue while under restrictions. Although most private sector companies have returned to business as usual, many public employees are only coming into the office two days a week. Some companies have kept their remote-work programs for employees, but only when it could be demonstrated that productivity can be maintained. The problem with the case being made by PSAC against having workers return to their offices is there is little indication that employees have been working productively or efficiently at all....

"The size of Canada’s federal public service has grown by over 40 percent in the last 10 years. That’s orders of magnitude above and beyond the nation’s population growth. Despite the addition of so many employees, measurable outcomes from federal services don’t show any signs of better efficiency or productivity.

"The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is one of the largest branches of the federal bureaucracy, employing nearly 60,000 people. With online tax filing tools and modern databases, one would think efficiency would improve in dealing with the CRA. Instead, waiting for hours on hold to make a simple phone inquiry is standard practice. An audit from 2017 found that once a person got through to a CRA agent, they had a 30 percent chance of getting bad advice.... If a person tries to email or write to the CRA rather than phoning, they had better be patient. The average time for a response is 53 days!...

"The CRA has roughly one employee for every 678 Canadians. By comparison, the American Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has one employee for every 4,300 Americans. While there are doubtless many inefficiencies within the IRS, how is it that it manages to function with a fraction of the equivalent employees of the CRA?

"Government services in other departments don’t fare much better than the CRA. A report from Canada’s Auditor General in March 2023 on the immigration department was scathing. Applications for permanent residency are hopelessly backed up, with sponsored refugees waiting 30 months on average for a decision on their applications, leaving tens of thousands of them in residency limbo. The same report also found that delivery of government OAS, EI, and CPP could be at risk because of outdated technology. Her report said only 38 percent of the government’s roughly 7,500 information technology systems were “healthy.” Even simple passport renewals can take months.

"Canada’s standard of living has been in decline for years as the GDP per capita continues to fall. While employment in the public sector continues to grow, private-sector employment has been stagnant. The Bank of Canada has warned that the country’s decline in productivity is an economic emergency.  As the public sector continues to grow, the private sector struggles further to fund it, leading to an economic imbalance and lowered national productivity. It’s a downward spiral....

"Rather than threatening a summer of disruptive labour action over having to go to the office three days a week, public service unions would be better served to seek efficiencies and prove to taxpayers that workers are indeed doing a good job and are worth retaining in any capacity, much less working from home.  Citizens are tired and struggling in today’s economy. They have little appetite for being put over the barrel by public service unions while taxes continue to rise. Service disruptions purposely caused by public service employees could backfire if they push Canadians too far."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/cory-morgan-canadians-have-little-appetite-for-another-public-service-union-strike-5652024?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=top-news-opinion-0

Public sector unions warn of "summer of discontent" over govt's new in-office mandate | cpac| May 8, 2024:

Violence at May 1 anti-capitalist Montreal protest

The annual May Day march in Montreal turned violent, with demonstrators smashing the windows of businesses, setting off smoke bombs, and fighting with police. 

Mayor, MPs Condemn Violent May Day Demonstration in Montreal | Epoch Times | Chandra Philip:

May 2, 2024 - "Local and federal politicians are condemning the actions of protestors after the annual May Day march in Montreal turned violent, with demonstrators smashing windows of businesses and setting off smoke bombs. Thousands of people turned out to the International Workers Day or May Day march at Francois-Perrault Park near the Saint-Michel metro station on May 1, according to reports. The event was organized by a coalition of unions and community organizations under the umbrella group May 1 Montreal Coalition. 

"Videos circulating on social media show protestors in black masks and hoods smashing windows and throwing parking cones and other items. Montreal police said officers had to step in to disperse the crowd. 'Due to several offenses committed during [demonstrations], we are carrying out a dispersal operation in the Sherbrooke/Robert-Bourassa sector. People must leave the premises immediately,' police said in a post on X. 

"Smoke bombs, parking cones, trash cans, and signs were thrown about by demonstrators, according to a TVA reporter, who also said officers were attacked and pepper spray was used.

"The Epoch Times contacted the May 1 Montreal Coalition and Montreal police for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

"Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante condemned the protesters’ behaviour in a post on social media. 'These actions are absolutely unacceptable,' she said in a May 2 post on social media. 'I denounce the mayhem suffered by downtown merchants last night during the anti-capitalist demonstration'.... 

"This year’s theme for the protest event was ‘united to make our voices heard,’ according to a press release from the coalition. The release said there were concerns that needed to be handled collectively, including climate change, working conditions of temporary foreign workers, 'antidemocratic abuses' by Quebec Premier François Legault, and an out-of-touch government."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/mayor-mps-condemn-violent-may-day-riots-in-montreal-5642391

Montreal annual may day protest 2024 | Montreal’s interesthings | May 4, 2024:

CUPE under fire for pro-Hamas statements

Canadian Union of Public Employees criticized for pro-Hamas statements after last weekend's terrorist attack on Israel.

CUPE official 'sickened' by Ontario president's posts after attack on Israel | Toronto Sun | Joe Warmington:

October 10, 2023 - "Most people thought it was just a rogue Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local that didn’t speak for the whole 700,000-member union. Wrong.... Just moments after Israeli children had been slaughtered, people were stunned by CUPE, Local 3906’s public support for those behind the genocide. 'Palestine is rising, long live the resistance,' they callously posted on X.... 

"It was followed by CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn liking that post and later going to social media with a 'From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free' meme. He also tweeted about being 'thankful' for 'resistance.' Tweeted Hahn: 'As we all think about reasons to be thankful this #thanksgiving2023, I know I’m thankful for the power of workers, the power of resistance around the globe. Because #Resistance is fruitful and no matter what some might say, #Resistance brings progress, and for that, I’m thankful'....

"Jewish groups say any support for these actions is support for Hamas. Premier Doug Ford also expressed his outrage. 'The comments by the president of CUPE Ontario glorifying and celebrating the rape, abduction and murder of innocent Israeli people are disturbing, and I denounce them wholeheartedly,' said Ford Tuesday.... Hahn has also upset many CUPE members. 'I have never been so sickened as I am today by the comments of fellow union officers,” said CUPE 416 Paramedic Services Unit chair Mike Merriman.' He is calling for Hahn to resign.... 

"While the Local 3906 pulled its tweet and Hamilton’s McMaster University, where the union represents 3,000 workers, distanced itself from the sentiment, Hahn and CUPE National have doubled down. Instead of calling out the terrorists and their evil carnage, the union that represents health care, emergency services, education, early learning and child care, municipalities, social services, libraries, utilities, transportation and airlines across Canada are pushing [a] neutrality approach, but also admitting they actually back the Palestinian side....

"'CUPE grieves the loss of life brought by the recent escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine,' said a release sent to the Toronto Sun in response to a request for comment from CUPE National President Mark Hancock. 'We are horrified by the Hamas attack on Israel and the retribution by the state of Israel on the people of Palestine and condemn all acts of violence against innocent civilians'....

"CUPE blames Israel. 'CUPE has long recognized the need for the Israeli government to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories and abide by UN resolutions and international law,' said the release. 'The full siege that has now been declared on Gaza by Israel will worsen conditions for residents who are already struggling and deny the population of food, water, electricity and other necessities for life. It will not hasten a peaceful resolve.'

"CUPE wants Trudeau to push back on Israel’s defence plans. 'We urge the government of Canada to call for a ceasefire, for the enforcement of international law and to work toward a peaceful resolution that upholds the rights to life and freedom of Palestinians and Israelis'....

"Merriman said Hahn and Local 3906’s comments 'have no place in the Canadian labour movement' and are not representative of the 'decent, hardworking and humanitarian CUPE members.' But they are the views of some within the union brass."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-cupe-official-sickened-by-ontario-presidents-posts-after-attack-on-israel

Ontario unions organize to disrupt parents' march

Ontario unions are organizing to take urgent action against the planned parental rights protest March on September 20.   

Unions plan disruption, counter-protests against Wednesday parents march | Western Standard | Lee Harding:

September 15, 2023 - "The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is strategizing on how to counteract the million-person march Wednesday. On September 11, OFL President Patty Coates sent an email to the OFL executive board, executive council, union heads, committees, coalitions, and community partners. Its notice read, 'Urgent Action Required: Rapid Response to September 20th Canada-Wide (anti-sexual minority) Protests.' 

"The email warned, 'the ultra-conservative right have planned nationwide events to protest teaching (sexual minority) content in schools under the guise of protecting children.' Although the rallying cry is entitled, 'A day to unite all religions in the defence of children against (sexual minority) indoctrination in Canadian schools,' Coates took a different view. 'We know that far from protecting students this will hurt them in so many ways,' she wrote. 'In this time of unprecedented hate and emboldened anger against so many people, it is time now, more than ever, for labour to show up as allies to protect targets of hate and bigotry wherever they may be.'

"The email said the one million person march protests were planned for Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener, Niagara Falls, London, Windsor, Orangeville, Barrie, Sudbury, Whitby, Ottawa and 'the list keeps on growing.'

"'We must make our voices louder and the message heard that there is no place for hate in our province,' Coates wrote. 'The OFL encourages all leaders/heads of unions to join with labour councils and community groups to organize workers and communities to form rapid response teams who can show up on the 20th at the locations listed and counter this rhetoric and these lies'.... Coates invited recipients to join her at a strategy meeting on the morning of Friday September 15 to 'draft a system to ensure that no city in Ontario where an event is planned is left unchallenged. Let’s work to broadcast the message that no groups will be left alone'....

"The million person march is the initiative of Muslim activist Kamel El-Cheikh. Hundreds of Muslim parents gathered in Ottawa June 9 and 13 to protest sexual minority education in schools. In September, Prime Minister Trudeau told an audience at a mosque in Calgary that 'people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right wing' were stirring up such protests."
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/unions-plan-disruption-counter-protests-against-wednesday-parents-march/article_e7bc4f94-532f-11ee-90a3-a37360a254ec.html

Unions declare war on parental rights protest | True North | September 18, 2023:

Hamilton union leader says members will follow parental rights protestors | Western Standard | Jonathan Bradley 

September 18, 2023 - "Hamilton and District Labour Council (HDLC) President Anthony Marco said when protestors gather in a parking lot to participate in the One Million March for Children, it 'has got a couple seasoned activists who are willing to go over and take some pictures of licence plates'.... He said these HDLC members will be showing parental rights protestors they 'know they are being watched, that they are not doing this in secret, that people are noticing what they’re up to'.... As a person, he said it is not an action he plans on doing or has ever done....

"The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) blasted the One Million March on Friday for wanting to stop sexual minority topics from being discussed in schools. The CAHN said these protests are supported by far-right and conspiratorial groups, including Christian nationalists, COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, sovereigntists and anti-public education activists. It said there are at least two brands involved in the One Million March. Hands Off Our Kids and Family Loves Freedom are organizing under #1MillionMarch4Children. 
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/updated-hamilton-union-leader-says-members-will-follow-parental-rights-protestors/article_8e9c3d92-5641-11ee-badb-8fc07ec92968.html

More labor unrest in store for Canada

As PSAC strike drags on, experts say Canadians should prep for more labour unrest | CBC News - Pete Evans:

April 26, 2023 - "As a strike by Canada's largest public sector union drags on, experts say Canadians should expect more and more labour unrest this year as workers use the sudden leverage to claw back the inflationary hit they took in the pandemic. 

"Last week, more than 150,000 civil servants represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) walked off the job, slowing government services ranging from immigration, citizenship, passport, licensing and tax services to a glacial pace.... [T]he two sides remain far apart on the major issue that tends to bog down most labour disputes: compensation. The federal government has offered a nine per cent raise spread out over three years, a move that negotiators say would add $6,250 to the pocket of the average worker.

"The union, meanwhile, says the majority of its members make less than $70,000 a year, and is requesting a 13.5 per cent raise over the same time period. PSAC workers have been working without a contract since 2021, and the union says the cost of living in that time frame has risen by more than the pay bumps they're asking for....

"After plummeting in the early days of the pandemic due to reduced demand for goods and services, inflation came roaring back starting in 2021, peaking at more than eight per cent last summer. Policy makers at the Bank of Canada quickly hiked interest rates to slay the inflationary dragon, and with the rate having fallen by almost half from its peak, that strategy appears to be working.

"As recently as last week, however, central bank governor Tiff Macklem was warning that the battle isn't over, and urging restraint on demands for wage gains that threaten to bake-in inflation to come. But that request isn't resonating with workers.... Across the country and in various industries, more and more labour disputes are looming with compensation disputes at their heart. From Vancouver Symphony Orchestra stagehands to nurses in Ontario, and from WestJet pilots to flight attendants at that airline and others, it's a sentiment echoed by workers across the country right now.

"Flight attendants represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees staged demonstrations across Canada on Tuesday, with union members across the country telling CBC News they want an end to what they call rampant abuse of unpaid work in the airline industry.

"Larry Savage, a professor of labour studies at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., says the current era of high inflation has emboldened workers to seek solutions for problems that predated the sea change to working life that COVID-19 brought about.... Union confidence in pushing for job actions typically come at a time when the job market is tight, Savage notes, and that's certainly an apt description of the situation right now, as Canada's official jobless rate currently sits at five per cent, barely above the all-time low of 4.9 per cent set last summer.

"Instead of trying to shed excess workers, in the aggregate there's a war for talent right now, with many employers reporting they can't find enough staff to meet their demand. That's an ideal scenario for workers to fight for concessions, and unions are doing exactly that, Savage says — and not only for their own benefit. 'If these workers are able to win their bargaining demands, I think we'll see similar demands from public servants at the provincial and the municipal level and in the private sector as well,' he said. 'Whenever a union has a win at the bargaining table, that's contagious.'

"Doug Porter, an economist with Bank of Montreal, says all eyes are on the PSAC dispute right now, because the outcome is likely to impact a slew of other negotiations down the line. 'The very public wage negotiations come at an incredibly delicate time for the inflation backdrop, potentially setting the tone for a vast array of settlements elsewhere,' he said in a note to clients last week. 'A wave of wage settlements in the zone of four per cent or higher across the economy ... could put a hard floor under inflation and make the Bank of Canada's job of getting back to target that much more difficult.' 

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/psac-strike-labour-1.6821590

"Canada Federal Workers on Strike," Immigration and Migration, April 21, 2023: 

Gov't workers close Burlington Canal Lift Bridge

Striking Canadian federal government workers shut down the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge, stopping bridge traffic and ships trying to enter or leave Hamilton Harbour.  

Eric Marshall, Burlington Canak Lift Bridge, 2011. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Strikers close Burlington Canal Lift Bridge delaying ship access to Hamilton Harbour | The Hammer -Karen Longwell:

April 27, 2023 - "The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) strike, one of Canada’s largest labour disruptions, is now on its ninth day.... And strike action is reportedly ramping up. A tweet from a Global News reporter claimed organizers are 'escalating' actions including blocking access to passport offices, closing waterways and reducing access at borders.

"The Burlington Canal Lift Bridge is one of the waterway access points named and a PSAC spokesperson confirmed strikers were blocking access today (April 27) and yesterday. 'This morning our striking members picketed the Canal, as they did yesterday as well. Shutting it down and delaying ships,' Lino Vieira, a PSAC Ontario Political communications officer said in an email to intheHammer. 

"The vertical lift bridge ... allows vessels to enter and exit from Hamilton Harbour into Lake Ontario.

"It appears there is no end in sight for the strike. The Liberal government is showing no hints it will end the strike by legislating 155,000 federal civil servants back to work. The NDP say they will not support back-to-work legislation, while the Conservatives have not weighed in on the matter.

"The government is warning the strike is causing backlogs for immigration and passport applications, as well as massive Canada Revenue Agency slowdowns at the height of tax season."

Read more: https://www.insauga.com/strikers-close-burlington-canal-lift-bridge-delaying-ship-access-to-hamilton-harbour

Striking gov't workers shut down 3 Canadian ports

[Updated April 27, 2023]

Striking public servants block access to government buildings and key infrastructure | CP24 - Cindy Tran & Laura Osman, Canadian Press:

April 25, 2023 - "Federal ministers said Tuesday they are monitoring for blockades of critical roads and infrastructure as striking federal workers ... ramp[ed] up their picket efforts by disrupting traffic and limiting access to office buildings in downtown Ottawa. More than 150,000 federal public servants with the Public Service Alliance of Canada were on strike for the seventh straight day as their union representatives continued to negotiate with the government for a bigger wage increase and more flexibility to work remotely.

"Around the National Capital Region, hundreds of striking workers made their presence felt and heard, circling buildings, chanting through megaphones and blasting music throughout the morning. Hundreds of public servants marched across the Portage Bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., where some of the biggest federal buildings are located, holding up traffic for a short period Tuesday morning. Outside the Prime Minister's Office building and the Treasury Board headquarters a few blocks away, strikers limited entry to just one person every five minutes.

"The escalation in the strike activity comes after a promise by union president Chris Aylward that picket lines would move to more 'strategic locations,' including ports of entry where the strike would have a greater economic impact. PSAC said on Monday they 'shut down' the ports in Montreal, Vancouver and St. John's. 

"Federal ministers meeting in Ottawa for the "weekly cabinet meeting said they were keeping an eye out for blockades at critical infrastructure.... Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said he has been in contact with ports and airports to make sure they have contingency plans in place....

"Federal and provincial governments are more aware than ever about how vulnerable and critical major roadways and ports of entry are after last year's 'Freedom Convoy,' said Ambarish Chandra, an associate professor of economics at the University of Toronto. Demonstrators took over major roads in downtown Ottawa for three weeks and blockaded several border crossings for days in February 2022 to protest vaccine mandates and the federal government. The protest precipitated the first use of the federal Emergencies Act.... [F]ederal workers' decision to target points of critical infrastructure could inspire copycat events, said Chandra.."

Read more: https://www.cp24.com/news/striking-public-servants-block-access-to-government-buildings-and-key-infrastructure-1.6370885

The Andrew Lawton Show | Public servants are blocking infrastructure, and Trudeau doesn’t seem to mind | Andrew Lawton Show, True North:

April 25, 2023 - "The Public Service Alliance of Canada’s strike continues, and has escalated into blocks of government buildings and other infrastructure. Union president Chris Aylward even said striking public servants may go to ports of entry to maximize the economic impact.... In spite of this, no one in the federal government is talking about [using] the Emergencies Act, True North’s Andrew Lawton points out. Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano joins to talk about the latest strike news."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/04/25/alshow-public-servants-strike/

Right-to-work law repealed in Michigan

Michigan Repeals Right-To-Work Law | Reason - Stephen Delie:

March 24, 2023 - "Michigan on Friday became the first state to repeal a right-to-work law in over 60 years. That's unfortunate not just for the workers who have lost their choice about whether to associate with a union, but also for the state economy. Michigan will be a less prosperous state without right-to-work, and its workers will be less free....

"At its core, right-to-work is about choice. For private sector workers, the National Labor Relations Act establishes rules for what happens when union membership is mandatory. Once a union is recognized, it speaks for all employees within the bargaining unit. An employer must bargain with that union, and only with that union, to set the terms and conditions that will govern the workplace. Employees who do not wish to associate with the union have no choice but to accept its representation and terms of the contract it negotiates. They cannot negotiate for themselves.

"Right-to-work restores some voice to dissenting workers by allowing them to keep their jobs without being forced to pay a union 'agency fees.' Agency fees are a portion of dues, which workers must pay to a union.... Typically, these fees are 70 percent to 80 percent of the dues payment. In states without right-to-work protections, workers who do not want the union to speak for them can be forced to pay these fees. Right-to-work gives these workers a voice by allowing them to at least not have to pay for their legally mandated silence when it comes to their compensation and working conditions....

"The economic impacts of right-to-works have been positive both in Michigan and across the country.... A 2002 study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (where I am director of labor policy) found gross state product, statewide employment, manufacturing employment, construction employment, and per-capita disposable income all grew faster in right-to-work states from 1970–2002, compared to states without right-to-work. That same study showed lower average annual unemployment, poverty rates, income inequality, and labor costs in right-to-work states. A 2007 Mackinac Center study reached similar findings, as did a later review. These findings have remained more or less consistent in the years since.

"Right-to-work states also are more likely to create job opportunities. From 2020 to 2021, 867,104 people moved to a right-to-work state away from a state that wasn't. One reason for this might be that job opportunities are more prevalent in right-to-work states. Companies looking for new locations often consider right-to-work as one key factor.... In October 2022, the unemployment rate in right-to-work states was 3.4 percent, compared to 3.9 percent in states without the law. Since the pandemic, right-to-work states have added 1.6 million jobs, while other states have lost 809,000 jobs....

"A 2021 Harvard study found that the share of manufacturing employment in the economy was 28 percent higher in right-to-work states, compared to neighboring states without right-to-work. The study also showed that average wages and labor compensation weren't negatively affected by the passage of the law. A similar study conducted by the Mackinac Center in 2022 shows similar results.

"Michigan's economic conditions in the 10 years before right-to-work and the 10 years that followed offer an excellent case study on the positive impact of right-to-work. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the 10 years before right-to-work, Michigan's unemployment rate averaged 8.5 percent. In the following decade, it was 6 percent. Michigan's labor force lost 350,657 people from 2002–12, but it gained 90,648 people from 2012–2020. Inflation-adjusted income growth went from 0.06 percent to 21.9 percent. In nearly every measurable way, Michigan has been better off....

"The 60,000 private sector workers in Michigan who have opted out of union membership are not the only ones who will be hurt by the repeal of right-to-work. Union members are also likely to find they are worse off.... In a right-to-work state, a union's financial stability requires it to please its members. If the union fails to deliver services that justify the price of dues, workers may opt out, denying the union revenue. This incentive is gone once right-to-work is repealed. A union is guaranteed that nonmembers will pay agency fees that are the vast majority of union dues. 

"Repealing right-to-work gives unions a guaranteed income stream, which removes the incentive for them to provide the best services possible to the employees they represent. Repealing right-to-work, then, harms both those who would voluntarily pay the union and those who would not."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/03/24/michigan-repeals-right-to-work-law/

Canadian gov't unions fight Covid-vax mandate

Three public sector unions challenge 'punitive' federal vaccine mandate for bureaucrats | National Post - Christopher Nardi:

May 19, 2022  "The three biggest federal public sector unions are challenging the Liberals’ vaccine mandate for bureaucrats in court, arguing suspending unvaccinated workers without pay instead of letting them return to work[ing] from home is 'punitive' and 'unjustified.'

“'We continue to support vaccination. But given … the loosening of the COVID restrictions and the shifting landscape, we’re of the opinion that employer’s policy right now is unreasonable. These members can work from home,' Jennifer Carr, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), said in an interview. 'Effectively, we think it is punitive and an abuse of management authority'....

"PIPSC and the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), which represent nearly 60,000 and 21,000 public servants respectively, have filed policy grievances against the federal government’s vaccine mandate for bureaucrats. Their challenges are in addition to the first grievances filed in late March by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the biggest federal government union. 

"At issue: the Trudeau government’s federal COVID-19 vaccine policy put in place on Oct. 6, 2021, which forced all bureaucrats to either get vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or be suspended without pay (except those who obtained exemptions to the policy). The unions say that working from home has become readily available for so many public servants that it’s time to let the unvaccinated employees who can work outside the office effectively do so.

""As of March 29, 1,828 employees were on unpaid leave due to the vaccination policy, according to numbers shared by Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) with unions in April.

"'As the pandemic has evolved and the science has developed, we believe continuing to put unvaccinated employees on leave without pay is a harsh administrative measure that can be considered disciplinary and without just cause,' PSAC said when it announced its grievances. They’re also frustrated that the government has yet to complete a review of the policy once since it was implemented, despite its own requirements.

"A copy of TBS’ vaccine policy online says the government’s chief human resources officer is responsible for reviewing both the need of the policy and its contents 'at a minimum every 6 months” and reporting those results to the minister. Since the policy kicked in on Oct. 6, 2021, that means the first review was due by April 6. But union heads say that date came and went without a peep from TBS, and the latest update meeting between them and government officials on Tuesday didn’t provide any new insight into when the review will be made public.... TBS spokesperson Alain Belle-Isle said in a statement that the review is currently underway “in line with the requirement” and the results will be presented 'in due course.' 'There is no obligation to update the policy every 6 months,” he said.... 

"But now, the unions are asking the federal labour relations tribunal via their policy grievances to force the government to allow unvaccinated employees currently suspended without pay to be accommodated by allowing them to work from home. They’re also asking that the government be compelled to reimburse all the bureaucrats still affected by the vaccine mandate for lost wages since April 6 (the date they say the policy needed to be reviewed)."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/three-biggest-federal-public-sector-unions-challenge-liberal-governments-punitive-vaccine-mandate-for-bureaucrats

Canadian employment lawyer Lior Samfiru on vaccine mandates, Aug.t 25, 2021. Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Amash introduces bill to end qualified immunity

Rep. Justin Amash Wants To End Qualified Immunity. Where Are the Republicans? | Reason - Billy Binton:

June 6, 2020 - "Rep. Justin Amash (L–Mich.) wants to end qualified immunity. The insidious legal doctrine allows police officers to violate your civil rights with absolute impunity if those rights have not been spelled out with near-identical precision in preexisting case law. Theoretically, it protects public officials from bogus civil suits, but practically it often allows egregious misconduct.

"George Floyd's death at the hands of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin forced new life into the debate, shining light on a doctrine that many people say has contributed to an environment of police abuse. Amash announced late Sunday that he would introduce the End Qualified Immunity Act, with Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D–Mass.) signing on as a cosponsor Thursday.

"'It is the sense of the Congress that we must correct the erroneous interpretation of section 1983 which provides for qualified immunity,' the bill reads, 'and reiterate the standard found on the face of the statute, which does not limit liability on the basis of the defendant's good faith beliefs or on the basis that the right was not "clearly established" at the time of the violation.'

"That 'clearly established' bit is what's most important, as the standard has become increasingly impossible to meet. Two cops in Fresno, California, were afforded qualified immunity after allegedly stealing $225,000 while executing a search warrant because it had not been 'clearly established' in case law that stealing is wrong. An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was given qualified immunity after shooting, without warning, an unarmed 15-year-old boy who was on his way to school, because the boy's friend was holding a plastic airsoft gun replica. A sheriff's deputy in Coffee County, Georgia, received qualified immunity after shooting a 10-year-old boy while aiming at a nonthreatening dog.... The courts' decisions in those cases mean that each appellant had no legal recourse to seek compensation for lost assets or medical bills.

"As of Friday, 16 additional legislators had signed on to Amash's proposal. Not a single one of them is a Republican. The dissonance is mind-boggling.... Republicans rightly criticize public sector monopolies that inevitably hurt the people the government is supposed to serve. Take teachers unions, for instance, which the GOP has historically railed against for propping up teachers at the expense of students. They're not wrong: Unions wield enormous political power that can be weaponized to skirt responsibility and accountability.

"But why, then, are they so slow to apply that very same logic to the institutions emboldening the police? 'In case after case, police unions have defended deadly misdeeds committed by law enforcement," writes Reason's Peter Suderman. Consider the case of Eric Garner, who died in 2014 after New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold for selling loose cigarettes. 'I can't breathe' were his last words, captured on video.

"Pantaleo was fired after a police administrative judge ruled that he had violated official NYPD protocol. Although the officer broke those rules with fatal consequences, the union ... chose to continue defending him. As Suderman notes, 'Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, Pantaleo's union, criticized the city for giving in to "anti-police extremists" and warned that such decisions threatened the ability of city police to do their jobs'.... That police unions have taken that road shouldn't be surprising. But it also reminds us why it's time for them to go, since they enable behavior that threatens the very people they are supposedly protecting and serving.

"So, too, is the story with qualified immunity — a doctrine that has allowed a collection of rogue cops to throw civil rights to the wind without any fear of comeuppance. Shielding the police from accountability at all costs does not advance freedom."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/06/06/justin-amash-ayanna-pressley-end-police-qualified-immunity-where-are-the-republicans/

SCOTUS strikes down compulsory union fees for government employees

The Case of Janus v. AFSCME - Rich Peters, MPG editor, Placer Sentinel:

June 27, 2018 - "This week the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of Janus v. AFSCME that government workers can no longer be forced to contribute to labor unions that represent them in collective bargaining, dealing a heavy financial blow to public sector unions.

"This revokes a 41-year-old decision that required employees to pay union fees to the state unions that represented them whether or not the workers chose to join.

"Mark Janus ... a child-support specialist for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services ... challenged the $45 per month that is deducted from his paycheck [and] goes to the local branch of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

"Janus argued that any form of required payment to cover the cost of collective bargaining violates the First Amendment because it finances speech by the union intended to influence the government.

"The unions argued that their alleged fair share fees pay for collective bargaining and other work the union does on behalf of all employees, not just its members. More than half the states already have right-to-work laws in place that ban mandatory fees, but most members of public-employee unions heavily populate the states that do not, including New York, California and Illinois.

"The court’s final ruling states: 'Neither an agency fee nor any other payment to the union may be deducted from a nonmember’s wages, nor may any other attempt be made to collect such a payment, unless the employee affirmatively consents to pay.' (p. 48)

The unions believe that the outcome could affect more than five million government workers across roughly two dozen states and the District of Columbia.... A 2015 national report showed that the average union president makes $170,000 annually in states with compulsory dues but only $132,000 in states with voluntary dues – a $38,000 difference."

Read more: http://www.placersentinel.com/articles/2018/0627-Mark-Janus-v-AFSCME-Unions-Case-US-Supreme-Court/index.php?ID=4982
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SCOTUS OK's arbitration opt-out from NLRA

Neil Gorsuch and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Clash Over Federal Labor Law and the 'Specter' of Lochner v. New York - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Damon Root:

May 21, 2018 - "'Should employees and employers be allowed to agree that any disputes between them will resolve through one-on-one arbitration? Or should employees always be permitted to bring their claims in class or collective actions, no matter what they agreed with their employers?'

"That's how Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch summarized the dispute at the heart of today's 5-4 ruling in Epic Systems Corporation v. Lewis. Writing for a sharply divided Court, Gorsuch held that employees and employers have the legal right to make employment contracts that include one-on-one arbitration ... joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito....

"Under the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925 (FAA), arbitration agreements made between employers and employees 'shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable' by the courts. Under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA), employees have the right to form and join labor unions and 'to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.' In other words, if a labor contract that includes an individual arbitration agreement is valid under the FAA, does it become invalid when the NLRA is factored in?

"Justice Gorsuch thought not. 'In the Federal Arbitration Act, Congress has instructed federal courts to enforce arbitration agreements according to their terms — including terms providing for individualized proceedings,' he wrote. 'Nor can we agree with the employees' suggestion that the [NLRB] offers a conflicting command. It is this Court's duty to interpret Congress's statutes as a harmonious whole rather than at war with one another.'

"Writing in dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, offered a very different view. 'Enacted later in time, the NLRA should qualify as "an implied repeal" of the FAA, to the extent of any genuine conflict'....

"Ginsburg then accused Gorsuch of seeking to resurrect the Supreme Court's pre-New Deal 'Lochner-era contractual "liberty" decisions.' Lochner refers to Lochner v. New York, the 1905 Supreme Court ruling which invalidated a state economic regulation on the grounds that it served no legitimate public health or safety purpose.....

"In his majority opinion, Gorsuch responded directly to this critique. According to Ginsburg's dissent, he observed, 'today's decision ushers us back to the Lochner era when this Court regularly overrode legislative judgments.' Yet as Gorsuch retorted, 'instead of overriding Congress's policy judgments, today's decision seeks to honor them. This much the dissent surely knows.'"

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/05/21/neil-gorsuch-and-ruth-bader-ginsburg-cla
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Unions worry as SCOTUS hears dues suit

John Stossel: Unions think you should be forced to pay for their ‘benefits’ – will Supreme Court agree? | Fox News:

February 21, 2018 - "If your workplace is a union shop, are you forced to pay union dues? Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about that.

"When I worked at CBS and ABC, I was ordered to join the American Federation of Radio and TV Artists. That union had won a vote that gave them the right to speak for all reporters. I said, 'I'm no 'artist.' I'm a reporter! I won't join!' But my bosses said they couldn't pay me unless I did.

"In right-to-work states, unions can't force people to join. But only 28 states are right to work. Aging socialist bureaucracies like New York state are not among them. But now the Supreme Court may say that no government worker, in any state, can be forced to pay a union.

"'If we lose this case, the entire public sector will be right to work,' warns Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, the big government employees union.

That outcome would thrill Rebecca Friedrichs. She's the teacher who filed the right-to-work lawsuit that went to the Supreme Court two years ago.... But shortly before the justices voted, Antonin Scalia died.... Without Scalia's vote, the Court deadlocked 4 to 4.

"Now a new suit has been filed by government worker Mark Janus. With Neil Gorsuch now the ninth justice, unions are worried.

"In fact, they are so worried that AFSCME representative Steven Kreisberg agreed to do one of my YouTube interviews.

"'Our members ... want their union to have power,' he said. 'It's (Janus') right to dissent and not be a member of our union. He only has to pay the fees that are used to represent him.... I'm not sure if he doesn't agree with it, or just simply doesn't want to pay because he'd like to get those services for free'....

"Janus's lawsuit points out that Thomas Jefferson wrote, 'To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.'

"Kreisberg had a quick answer to that: 'Thomas Jefferson had no sense of 21st-century labor relations.'"

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/02/21/john-stossel-unions-think-should-be-forced-to-pay-for-their-benefits-will-supreme-court-agree.html
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Scab Santa booted from NS school by union

Santa Claus Kicked Out Of School For Failing To Follow Labor Union Regulations - Ted Goodman, Libertarian Republic:

December 23, 2016 - "'Santa Claus' ran into trouble with a local Canadian labor union after attempting to bring some Christmas treats to a Nova Scotia elementary school this week.

"Three firefighters, including one dressed as Santa, showed up to a local elementary school in New Waterford, Novia Scotia, when a union representative forced the cheerful trio to leave the premises.

"'The principal came out and just informed us she had been contacted by a representative from the union. Someone had called the union I guess and … she was told we were in violation of the work to rule and we had to leave,' Raymond Eksal, fire chief of the Scotchtown Volunteer Fire Department in eastern Nova Scotia ... told the Toronto Star....

"Teachers in the province, represented by the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, are in the third week of a 'work-to-rule' campaign, which includes the cancellation of all extracurricular activities, field trips, concerts and sports. Teachers are only supposed to focus on teaching, which means no guests in the classroom, including the big jolly red man himself.

"'We knew that the [local Christmas concert] was cancelled due to the work-to-rule, which we could understand … but I guess there was something lost in the translation,' Eksal said. 'We didn’t realize it was also cancelling Santa Claus,' he explained.

"'During work-to-rule, teachers are only focused on teaching. This means guest speakers are not permitted in the classroom,' Liette Doucet, a representative of the union, said....

"'That being said, at the discretion of the school board, there is nothing preventing Santa from visiting the students during their lunch hour,' Doucet assured the public and concerned parents."

Read more: http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/santa-claus-school-labor-union/
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Why "Right to Work" laws are not libertarian

No, Scott, “Right to Work” Isn’t Libertarian » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names - Thomas L. Knapp:

March 13, 2015 - "On March 9, governor (and likely presidential candidate) Scott Walker signed legislation making Wisconsin America’s 25th 'right to work' state. Anti-union conservatives rejoiced. They were joined by some self-described libertarians.

"But 'right to work' isn’t libertarian. In fact, it’s the exact opposite of libertarian. It abridges freedom of association and right to contract for both unions and employers.

"The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (the 'Wagner Act') was the first major government intrusion into American labor relations. It provided for elections in which workers could choose unions to represent them and negotiate contracts with employers.

"Because Wagner was crafted by employers and big union bosses, its provisions were designed to empower employers and big union bosses, not workers....

"But then came 'Taft-Hartley,' the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947. Taft-Hartley leaves the Wagner framework in place, but allows states to adopt 'right to work' laws which forbid 'closed shops' (even if unions and employers both want exclusivity), while simultaneously requiring employers and unions to treat non-union workers as if they are union workers.

"Under 'right to work,' an employer can’t require an employee to join a union as a condition of employment … but if the employer has a contract with a union, he has to give that non-union worker the same pay, benefits and disciplinary protections as the contract specifies for union members.

"Under 'right to work,' a union can’t collect dues from non-members in workplaces it represents … but it’s required to represent those non-members in contract negotiations, disciplinary proceedings, etc. exactly as if they were dues-paying members....

"If legislation was subject to truth in advertising laws, 'right to work' would be labeled 'right to freeload on employers and unions'."

Read more: http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/03/13/no-scott-right-to-work-isnt-libertarian/
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Union local helping Libertarian in Illinois

Liberal Union Backs Libertarian Candidate in Illinois Governor Race | Washington Free Beacon - Brent Scher:

October 16, 2014 - "A large liberal union that has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to reelect Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is now throwing its financial weight behind the Libertarian candidate in an apparent effort to pull votes away from Republican Bruce Rauner.

"It was recently revealed that Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) will be conducting a large scale direct mail and robocall campaign to inform voters that Libertarian Chad Grimm is a more conservative candidate than Rauner.

"Recent polls show that Grimm is pulling in around 7 percent of voters in a race that is becoming increasingly close between Rauner and Democratic incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn....

"Last week, IOUE Local 150 contributed $30,000 to Grimm....

"The union claims that its support for Grimm is not an attempt to pull voters from Rauner, but a way to represent the various political values of its membership.

"'Local 150 is an organization with a diverse membership, and we make great efforts to encourage our members to be politically active and to vote in every election,' said communications director Ed Maher in a statement given to the Washington Free Beacon. 'While a majority of our Illinois membership has indicated its support for Governor Pat Quinn, we are committed to offering a viable choice for members who do not support Democrats.

"'Chad Grimm, the Libertarian candidate for governor, recognizes the value that unions add to Illinois’ economy and agrees that we accomplish more as a state when we focus on job creation instead of attacking unions,' he said. 'Grimm’s political values match those of a segment of our membership, and we therefore offered our support.'"

Read more: http://freebeacon.com/politics/liberal-union-backs-libertarian-candidate-in-illinois-governor-race/
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