What's Left 2016-10-16 Volume 77
Global textile: a supply chain that weighs on workers and the environment; Opportunistic move seeks to divide workers in Newfoundland and Labrador; Privacy at Work; US Labor and the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL);
Editors (What's Left)
US Labor and the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) | What's Left
Trade Unions for Energy Democracy's latest e-Bulletin outlines the existential split in the US trade union movement along the politics of fossil fuel pipelines. Since the beginning of the movement, similar ruptures have existed between socially conscious labour unions and those focused solely on jobs, regardless of the costs to communities or the environment. However, without both sides taking some leadership to openly debate the issues based on accurate analysis, these divisions will continue to be acutely harmful to the broader movement.
Global textile: a supply chain that weighs on workers and the environment | What's Left
When a Canadian consumer buys a pair of jeans for $30 at H&M, an entire chain of production is at play. While $30 for a pair of jeans may seem like a bargain, there's more to it than a marked-down price tag. Millions of workers are involved in the international textile supply chain: in cotton fields, in the textile factories of Bangladesh, in shipping and packaging, and in retail outlets around the world.
Selling Toronto Hydro is a terrible idea | What's Left
The Toronto mayor and his ideological allies have been trying to turn people against public ownership of Toronto Hydro by pointing to specific outages and 'decaying' infrastructure. This is an act right out of the provincial Liberal's play book – pointing to the need for infrastructure investment has been the go-to response for the Wynne government while selling Hydro One.
Where does economic critique come from? | What's Left
Following the global economic crash of 2008, there has been a lot of discussion about the need for a re-think of mainstream economic thought. While this 'orthodox' economics held claim to the economic growth before 2008, it completely failed to predict the economic crash and seems unable to deal with the aftermath. Unfortunately, while the economy they supported collapsed, the theories that set the foundation for the economic crisis have not lost their dominance.
What's Left 2016-10-02 Volume 76
Where does economic critique come from?; The struggle continues for fair wages and workers' rights; Young workers, activism, and building a better world; Free trade is front and centre again; LEFT NOISE!
Indian high court enforces copyright exemption for education | What's Left
In India, the Delhi high court has ruled that a university providing photocopied textbooks for its students has not violated the copyright act, since the photocopies are being undertaken for educational purposes.
October 1 is a chance to capture hearts and minds | What's Left
The Rally for Decent Work is about raising standards for everyone no matter where you work. The festival will be Saturday, October 1, starting at Queen's Park.
Chief of Statistics Canada resigns in protest | What's Left
In 2010, former head of StatsCan Munir Sheikh quit in protest over the then Conservative government's decision to scrap the long-form census. Now, Sheikh's replacement, Wayne Smith is also resigning in protest.
Catastrophic wilderness destruction, massive bird population decline, and record low Arctic ice coverage – Everything is not alright | What's Left
The dramatic evidence of human-initiated destruction continues to pile in at the severe detriment of the planet that we depend on for survival.