Graham Cox

Universal and Public: A union's role is to fight for expanded public services, not to replace them.

With the neo-liberal program still in full swing after nearly fourty years, some on the political left fall victim to cynicism. Some even start to question labour's ability to win victories or even hold ground. They advocate for unions to take-up services dropped by the state such as unemployment support. Unfortunately, the promotion of this analysis is ahistorical, leads to short-sighted insular politics and undermines the longer-term project for working-class power.

Blaming Students for the Supposed Lack of Skilled Tradespeople Is Nonsense | Citizens' Press

The neo-liberal promise of a future with high demand for knowledge economy workers (that never came) moved many away from skilled-trades and toward university degrees. For the Tories to now blame students for getting BAs instead of going to trades college and becoming a welder shows both a cynical disregard of history and this government's own incompetence when it comes to economic planning. Workers and students must show that the alternative to the Tory economic program is the only way forward that will work for Canada.

In Opposition to Raising the Retirement Age: We do not all live that healthy, that long.

Contrary to recent pronouncements in the press, not all of us have a great life expectancy or equally benefit from the rise in average age at death. The right-wing's natural impulse to start talking about increasing costs of retirement or suggestions of raising the retirement age should be challenged.

Jack Monroe: the face of modern poverty | Guardian UK

'…infuriated by the media's vicious attacks on 'benefit scroungers' and the inability of politicians and policymakers to comprehend the slender margins of breadline life. 'I'm not going to stop championing causes, campaigning and stamping my feet about things that are wrong, just because I may not be in that position any more. Until people realise benefits doesn't mean scrounger, and austerity isn't a fun middle-class way to grow your own vegetables, there's still a lot of work to do.'

Bill C-525 is an attack on workers' rights to have a union | Citizens' Press

The private members bill put forward by Blaine Calkins is nothing but an attack on workers' rights to have a union.

CUPE Local 3903 declares solidarity with the demonstrators throughout the Republic of Turkey

'The Executive Committee of CUPE 3903 stands in admiration of the pluralistic composition of the demonstrations throughout Turkey, and is hopeful that such expressions will be an example to follow in our own country. We are struck by the fact that a population of a democratic country is choosing and able to draw attention to a diverse range of political wishes outside of a routinized electoral cycle which, in practice, is often the only available venue for political expression in democratic countries.'

Government officials comment on Harper's Bill C-377

MPs and senators weigh-in on Bill C-377 including Conservatives who think that the legislation is too broad, too heavy-handed and will have negative consequences on individual rights and privacy.

Fraser Inst. Confuses US's Energy Security for Canada's in New Report

I almost hesitate to pass along Fraser Inst. report because people are busy and there is not a lot gained from reading nonsense or regurgitated Conservative Party talking points. But, I figured there is enough room to complain on the Internet today.

EU Develop 'New Deal' to Tackle Youth Unemployment

Federal Court ruling on robocalls and electoral fraud | Kady O'Malley

The judge's ruling on the robo calls should allow the Council of Canadians and allies to announce victory. This is especially the case when looking at the awards of costs for the case where the judge goes as far as they can to award costs to the Council's side. Also, the comments on trench warfare ascribed to the Conservatives is not exactly a positive remark from a judge.