David Moscrop is a writer and political commentator. He hosts the podcast Open to Debate and is the author of Too Dumb For Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones.
The Bank of Canada’s incoherent stance on inflation and interest rates underscores the class conflict at play in shaping its decisions. As with previous hikes, the bank’s new rate increase will have terrible repercussions for workers.
To amplify their impact, two Canadian left-wing publications, Passage and the Maple, have recently merged. We spoke with Alex Cosh, news editor of the Maple, about the merger, their mission, and the state of both mainstream and left-wing media.
WestJet pilots just secured a deal from the airline, averting a strike at the 11th hour. It’s a win that reinforces the truth that taking proactive labor actions delivers results — a noteworthy fact for an industry currently witnessing a labor-rights push.
Just because not all jobs can be done at home does not mean that no jobs should be done at home. Working from home won’t end exploitation, but it’s nonetheless an important front on which labor can strive to secure improved working arrangements.
The internet is increasingly a miserable place to be. As Cory Doctorow explains, Silicon Valley CEOs and grifters are working hard to keep it that way.
A new report confirms that insecure and precarious work is widespread across the economy. To respond meaningfully to the needs of workers, the labor movement must grapple with the harmful impacts of precarity.
Canada’s public servants have experienced effective pay cuts as higher prices erode their purchasing power. To fight for higher wages to cope with the affordability crisis, they are now readying to strike.
Canada has a long history of ignoring its class divide. In recent years, the divide has become a chasm and can no longer be ignored. Accepting that class division is central to the national makeup is the first step in bridging it.
Going all in on the rental market won’t solve Canada’s housing crisis. As corporate landlords gain a bigger stake in the market and small landlords drive class divide, we need public housing more than ever.
Canada’s soccer body has bullied the women’s team into dropping their proposed strike against program cuts and unequal treatment. But winning equality with male athletes will require exactly these kinds of job actions.
To stop creeping corporatization of Canada’s health care system, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals need to put robust restrictions on how provinces use the health care funding they receive from the federal government. The Liberals aren’t doing that.
“Let them eat price gouging” appears to be grocery giant Loblaws’ response to the rising number of food-insecure Canadians. The company blames supply chain issues and inflation for soaring grocery costs — yet is posting stratospheric profits.
We are rightly skeptical of apps because the tech industry has plundered the commons, but a new app for union organizing should be given the opportunity to demonstrate proof of concept. Anything that makes union organizing easier has the potential to do good.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has outsourced billions of dollars’ worth of contracts, including $100 million to McKinsey. Instead of shoveling money into the private sector, the Liberals could make the novel choice of investing in state capacity.
Many oligarchs are convinced that eternal life is a class birthright. It doesn’t matter that the elixir of life everlasting is likely a fantasy — it’s the quest itself that results in social and legal architecture that gives the rich unacceptable power.
Automated robot landlords are here to make the wealthy even wealthier, reminding us that advances in technology always benefit the rich. But it doesn’t have to be that way — with workers at the helm, technological gains could be distributed equally.
Employers took billions from the Canadian government in wage support funds, and many of them continued to pay CEOs millions and issue dividends. Yet the government is now looking for payback from workers, not bosses.
Canada’s Trudeau government touts the country as a climate champion. COP27, where Canada was the only OECD country to have fossil fuel delegates in tow, offered a more telling snapshot of the government’s priorities.
A recently released public opinion poll points to low and dropping trust in Canada across areas of concern. But trust doesn’t just disappear — low trust is the inevitable result of capitalist depredation leaving working people in a constant state of struggle.
Other than suspending student loan interest, Canada’s fall economic statement promises next to nothing for workers. Bloodless technocratic tinkering is never enough, but during times of crisis, leaving structural change off the table is indefensible.