Workers' Forum Online Archives 2020

The Workers' Movement in 2020
• It Is Up to Us!

Opposition to Anti-Social Offensive in Ontario
• Challenges Facing the Movement for the Right to Education in Ontario
• All Out to Support Education Workers' Ongoing Strike and Work-to-Rule Actions!
• Aims of Ford Government's e-Learning Initiatives Exposed
• Legal Challenges to Anti-Worker Legislation

Quebec Government Steps Up Anti-Social Offensive
• All Out to Support the Fight of Public Sector Workers for Their Rights and for Public Services the People Need
• Nurses Speak Out and Take Action Against Untenable Conditions
• Interview, Nathalie Savard, President, Union of Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Respiratory Therapists of Northeastern Quebec (SIISNEQ)

January 22, 2020 - No. 2

Vigorous Defence of Education in Ontario
• More Teachers and Education Workers Engage in Strike Action - Laura Chesnik

Public Sector Workers in Quebec Present Their Concerns and Demands
• Support the Nurses for Speaking Out About Deteriorating
Conditions - Pierre Chénier
• Interview, Jeff Begley, President, Federation Of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN)

Workers' Struggles Across the Country
• Lockout of Co-op Refinery Workers in Regina
• Strike Continues at Ledcor Technical Services Against Precarious
Work - Brian Sproule
• Montreal Airport Refuelers on Strike Against Substandard Conditions

January 29, 2020 - No. 3

Opposition to Criminalization of Regina Co-op Workers' Struggle
• Broad Support for the Just Stand of Federated Co-operative Workers
in Defence of Their Pensions

The Fight of Public Sector Workers in Alberta
• A Resounding No! to Demands for Massive Rollbacks and Wage Freeze for
Alberta Nurses
• Alberta Public Sector Workers Continue to Build Resistance to Kenney's Wrecking Ball - Peggy Morton
• Ongoing Fight for Adequate Staffing and Safe Work Places - Peggy Askin
• Hold Governments Responsible for Deaths of Women Care Workers!
Not One More Death!

FEBRUARY 2020

February 4, 2020 - No. 4

First Anniversary of Deaths of Three Rail Workers in Field, BC Derailment
• Growing Demand for Independent Investigation

Demands from Quebec Public Sector Workers in Health and Social Services
• Interview, Jennifer Genest, Spokesperson for the Sectoral Table for the SQEES-FTQ
• Interview, Benoît Taillefer, President, Workers' Union, Health and Social Services Centre, Bordeaux-Cartierville-Saint-Laurent (FSSS-CSN)

Forestry Workers' Struggles Across the Country
• Forestry Workers' Struggles Across the Country
• Closures of Fortress Pulp Mill and Lauzon Sawmill in Thurso,
Quebec - Pierre Soublière

February 12, 20120 - No. 5

Growing Opposition to Anti-Social Offensive in Ontario
• Oppose Attempt to Blame Teachers for Problems of Education System
• February 21 Province-wide Strike Unite in Action with Elementary and Secondary Educators
• Toronto Parents Speak for Themselves in Defence of Public Education
• "They Can't Run the Schools Without Us" Child and Youth Workers
Speak - Education Is a Right Podcast
• "Relentless Rally" Organized by Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum
• Mobilize for the February 22 PC Policy Convention in Niagara!

Quebec Public Sector Workers Fight for Their Rights and the Rights of All
• Government Disinformation to Justify Refusal to Negotiate with Workers
• Interview, Sylvain Mallette, President, Autonomous Teachers' Federation (FAE)

Lockout at Co-op Refinery in Regina
• Denounce the Criminalization of Co-op Refinery Workers

February 19, 2020 - No. 6

All Out to Support Ontario Province-Wide Strike of Education Workers
• Make Your Mark on the Province-Wide Strike of Education Workers! Wear Red on Friday! - Laura Chesnik
• The Fight of Educators for Their Working Conditions Has Established a New Standard - Enver Villamizar
• The Challenges Ahead - Mira Katz
• Ontario Day of Action in Solidarity with Striking Teachers - Students Say No
• Windsor Community Forum on E-Learning

For Your Information
• Ontario Education Unions Speak Out at Pre-Budget Consultations

February 25, 2020 - No. 7

Broad Opposition and Mass Actions Against the Anti-Social Offensive
New Brunswick
• People Force Government to Back Down from Attacks on Health Care
• People's Actions Force New Brunswick Premier to Retreat

Alberta
• United Nurses of Alberta Holds Actions Across Alberta - Peggy Askin
• Legalized Theft of Pension Funds Must Not Stand! - Peggy Morton
• Coming Event: March for What Matters

February 27, 2020 - No. 8

Ontario Working People Reject Ford Government's Agenda
• Educators Stand as One to Say No! to Anti-Social Attacks on Education in
Ontario - Laura Chesnik
• Mass Demonstration at Niagara Policy Convention of Progressive Conservatives
• What the Situation of Personal Support Workers Is Telling Us - Rolf Gerstenberger, Cochair, Hamilton Health Coalition and former President of United Steelworkers Local 1005

Six Months Closure of Department of Obstetrics in Shawville, Quebec
• No! to the Closing of Fundamental Health Services - Louis Lang

MARCH 2020

March 3, 2020 - No. 9

Quebec Industrial Workers Speak Up
• Crane Operators and Their Allies Persist in the Fight Against the Wrecking of Training Programs
• The Concerns of ABI Workers as the Aluminum smelter Restarts - Interview,
Éric Drolet, President, United Steelworkers, Local 9700

March 5, 2020 - No. 10

Alberta Working Class Affirms the Rights of All
• March for What Matters a Great Success

Quebec Government Imposes Anti-Social Restructuring in Education
• Increased Concentration of Powers in the Hands of the Minister - Geneviève Royer
• Government Seeks to Eliminate Teachers' Role in Decision-Making
• Constitutional Argument to Oppose Bill 40
• Teachers Oppose Bill 40 En Masse

Lockout at FCL Refinery in Regina
• FCL Workers Continue Their Determined Struggle for a New Contract
Without Concessions

March 12, 2020 - No. 11

Resistance to Anti-Social Reforms to Education in Ontario
• Disingenuous Public Relations Campaign to Hide Degradation and Privatization of Public Education
• Oppose Attempts to Eliminate Our Voice - Enver Villamizar
• Let Educators Continue to Speak and Act in Their Own Name - Laura Chesnik
• Annual Meetings of Education Unions: Challenges Facing Teachers and
Education Workers
• Forum on E-Learning in Windsor

Quebec Crane Operators Voice Safety Concerns
• Campaign to Restore Mandatory Crane Operator Vocational
Training - Pierre Chénier

March 18, 2020 - No. 12

Workers Nationwide Organize to Uphold the Rights of All
• All Out to Activate All Working People to Make Sure the COVID 19 Crisis Is Resolved in Their Favour
• Time for Workers to Act

For Your Information
• Strict Comprehensive Measures Urgently Recommended to Contain COVID-19 and Protect the Population

Mobilizing the Human Factor/Social Consciousness in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic -- Workers Speak Up
• New Brunswick Public Sector Workers
• Vancouver and District Labour Council Outlines Emergency Action Needed for Working People and Families
• Ontario Health Care Workers Demand Protective Gear
• Public Transit Workers in Toronto and Mississauga Demand Protective Gear
• Todd Parsons, President, Union of Northern Workers, Northwest Territories
• Simon Lévesque, Head of Health and Safety, FTQ- Construction, Quebec

Opinion on a Matter of Serious Concern
• National Emergency Announced in Quebec Brings to Light What Is
Missing - Pierre Soublière

March 25, 2020 - No. 13

Serious Concerns of Frontline Workers in Ontario
The Danger of Suspending Health Workers' Contracts
• Nurses Demand Collaboration on Redeployment During COVID-19
• Seventy Per Cent of Hospital Staff Dissatisfied with Government's Protective Measures - Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE

Proposals Which Deserve Consideration
• Transform Provincially-Owned Casinos into Reserves for Health
Care - Enver Villamizar
• City of Niagara Falls Mayor Calls for Support for Health Care Workers

March 26, 2020 - No. 14

Workers Inform About Their Fight to Contain COVID-19 by Defending Their Rights
Postal Workers on the Front Lines Serving Canadians
• Insist that Canada Post Ensure Its Workers Are Protected - Louis Lang
• "We do this so that we can continue to provide the service" - Alain Robitaille

Quebec Construction Workers Achieve Initial Successes
• Stepping Up the Fight for Safe and Healthy Working Conditions

March 27, 2020 - No. 15

Workers Report from the Provinces
Alberta
• The Reversal of All Privatization Schemes Is in Order - Peggy Morton

New Brunswick
• Workers Locked Out Despite Emergency
• Unacceptable Anti-Worker Actions of Ruling Elites - Pierre Chénier

Nova Scotia
• Situation Underscores the Necessity for the Leadership and Voice of the Working People at All Times - K.C. Adams
• Dealing with Issues Facing Public and Private Sector Workers - Jason MacLean

APRIL 2020

April 1, 2020 - No. 16

Transportation Workers Defend Their Rights and the Rights of All
Trucking Industry
• Trucker Safety and Well-Being Must Be Ensured - Normand Chouinard

Airline Workers
• Air Canada Flight Attendants Demand Safety Be Prioritized - Garnet Colly

Public Transit Workers
• Toronto Workers Fight to Improve Health and Safety Protections for All
• Transit Windsor Workers Reject Mayor's Decision to Suspend Bus Service
- Amalgamated Transit Union Local 616

April 2, 2020 - No. 17

Opposition to Use of Pandemic to Step Up Anti-Social Offensive
• Alberta Government Uses COVID-19 Pandemic as Pretext to Cut Education
Funding - Kevan Hunter
• Unions Demand Government Reverse Decision to Lay Off Education Workers

Public Sector Workers Continue to Defend Their Rights and the Rights of All
• Alberta Health Care Workers Reach Agreement on Safe and Effective Use of Personal Protective Equipment - Peggy Morton
• Measures Taken in British Columbia to Protect Seniors and Workers at Long-Term Care Facilities - Barbara Biley
• Postal Workers on the Frontlines in Halifax

April 4, 2020 - No. 18

Concerns of People with Disabilities During COVID- 19
• Immediate Need for Government Action to Support People with Disabilities and People Receiving Home Care - Barbara Biley
• Interview, Paul Gauthier, Executive Director, BC's Individualized Funding Resource Centre Society
• BC Government Emergency Financial Aid Still Leaves People on Income and Disability Assistance Below Poverty Line - Yi Nicholls

April 7, 2020 - No. 19

Defending the Working Conditions of Essential Workers
• Quebec Public Sector Workers Oppose Ministerial Use of Emergency Powers to Arbitrarily Set Working Conditions
• Interview, Jeff Begley, President, Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN)
• Montreal Postal Workers Organize Procession in Support of Frontline Hospital Workers - Interview, Guillaume Brodeur, Montreal Local, Canadian Union
of Postal Workers

April 14, 2020 - No. 20

How the Right to Health Care Poses Itself During the Pandemic
Temporary Closure of Olymel's Agri-Food Yamachiche Plant in Quebec
• Workers Must Have the Final Say in Decisions That Affect Their
Health - Normand Chouinard

What Healthcare Professionals Have to Say
• Nurses Working Both Sides of the Border Speak for Themselves - Enver Villamizar
• Nova Scotia Health Care Workers Demand Assurances on Safety Equipment
• BC Health Care Workers Demand Broader Support

#EdforMed
• Education Workers Support Health Care Workers

April 16, 2020 - No. 21

Workers Continue to Speak Out
Partial Reopening of Residential Construction Sites in Quebec
• Workers Step Up the Fight for Proper Working Conditions - Pierre Chénier
• Interview, François Patry, President, National Brotherhood of Carpenters, FTQ-Construction Local 9

Transportation Workers
• The Need to Compel Canadian Airlines to Fully Protect Workers and Passengers
• Frontline Public Transit Workers Demand Action to Protect Transit Workers

April 17, 2020 - No. 22

The Right to Education During the Pandemic
• Teachers and Education Workers Sorting Out What Is What - Laura Chesnik
• What Criteria Should Determine Whether Schools Reopen or
Not? - Geneviève Royer
• Education Is a Right Podcast Episodes on Education and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Right to Housing During the Pandemic
• Decent and Affordable Housing Is Required to Ensure the Health and Safety of All
• Housing Rights Organizations Speak Out
• Call for Immediate Action to House All Unhoused BC Residents
• Housing, Front Line Defence Against COVID-19, Says United Nations Special Rapporteur

April 21, 2020 - No. 23

May Day in Conditions of the Pandemic

April 23, 2020 - No. 24

Workers Take Responsibility for Working Conditions During Pandemic
• Upcoming Day of Mourning and COVID -19 - Peter Page, Hamilton District
Injured Workers Group
• Monopolies and Governments Are Responsible for Devastating COVID-19 Outbreak at Cargill and Other Meat-Packing Plants - Peggy Morton
• Interview on the Keystone XL Pipeline - Pipeline Worker André Vachon
• Quebec Miners Demand Public Health Guidelines Are Respected as Mining Resumes - Interview, André Racicot, President, USW Local 9291, Abitibi

April 24, 2020 - No. 25

Health Care Workers Step Up Their Fight to Protect Themselves and the Public
• A Most Pressing Concern

Nova Scotia
• Immediate Action Required to Protect Seniors and Workers at Northwood
Manor - Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union
• Workers Call on Public to Demand Government Provide Personal Protective Equipment

Quebec
• Nursing Graduates Address Letter to Premier

Ontario
• Long-Term Care Nurses Protest Untenable Working Conditions

Saskatchewan
• Workers Report Initial Gains in Protecting Long-Term Care Residents

British Columbia
• Conditions of Health Care Workers and Seniors - Interview, Rhonda Bruce,
Hospital Employees' Union

April 27, 2020 - No. 26

Mourning for the Dead and Fighting for the Living on the Day of Mourning
Workers’ Health and Safety Depends on the Workers Defending Their Rights and the Rights of All
• "Leaving the Private Sector to Regulate Itself Is Like Asking the Fox to Protect the Hen House" - Letter from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 to Premier Kenney (Excerpts)
• Front-Line Workers Falling Through the Cracks in Re-Open Saskatchewan
Plan - CUPE Saskatchewan
• Concern over Workplace Safety Inspections and Workers' Right to Refuse Unsafe Work - United Steelworkers' Letter to Ontario Ministry of Labour
• Update on Conditions at Northwood Manor - Nova Scotia Government and
General Employees Union

April 28, 2020 - No. 27

April 28, Day of Mourning
• Mourn for the Dead — Fight for the Living!

April 29, 2020 - No. 28

Workers Speak Up in Defence of the Working Conditions They Require
• Marc Robitaille, USW Local 9291 Prevention Representative, Westwood Mine
in Abitibi
• Simon Lévesque, Head of Health and Safety, FTQ- Construction
• Gary Howe, President, United Steelworkers Local 1005, Stelco in Hamilton
• Nathalie Savard, President, Union of Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Respiratory Therapists of Northeastern Quebec (SIISNEQ)
• Geneviève Royer, High School Remedial Teacher

April 30, 2020 - No. 29

Defend the Rights of Workers -- Defend the Rights of All!
• Ontario Council of Hospital Unions Calls for Government Action to Save
Lives - Steve Rutchinski
• Unacceptable Conditions Put Workers and Society at Risk at Poultry
Plants - Brian Sproule
• Railway Workers Demand That All Workers' Rights Be Strengthened During the Pandemic
• Support the Foodster United Courier Workers!

Food Workers in United States
• Union Demands Presidential Order to Keep Meatpacking Plants Open Must Strengthen Safety Measures for Workers

MAY 2020

May 1, 2020 - No. 30

Our Security Lies in the Fight for the Rights of All!
• May Day Virtual Workers' Forums
• Another Defining Moment
• Two Worlds in Combat - Hardial Bains

May 5, 2020 - No. 31

Hold Governments to Account for COVID-19 Outbreaks Amongst Asylum Seekers and Migrant Workers
• The Need to Defend Asylum Seekers in Quebec - Interview, Frantz André, Quebec-Haiti Solidarity Committee

Justice for Migrant Workers
• Defence Organization Justicia for Migrant Workers Demands Protection for All Ontario Farm Workers
• Greenhill Produce Migrant Workers' Plea for Help
• Fighting for Migrant Workers and Their Rights During COVID-19 - Interview,
Maria Sol Pajadura, Chairperson, Migrante Canada

May 7, 2020 - No. 32

Workers at Cargill Defend Their Rights
• Opening of Cargill's High River Plant
• Alberta Labour Relations Board Refuses to Act to Uphold the Rights of Workers - Peggy Morton

British Columbia
• Workers Taking a Stand Against Transit Cuts - Brian Sproule and Barbara Biley

May 12, 2020 - No. 33

Defend Food Workers' Rights to Safe Working Conditions
• Cargill to Shut Down Meat-Processing Plant in Chambly, Quebec
• Help Protect Food Processing Workers! ACT NOW! - United Food and
Commercial Workers

United States
• The Coronavirus Pandemic in U.S. Meatpacking Plants
• Conditions in the U.S. Meatpacking Industry
• Keeping America's Food Supply Strong Starts with Worker Safety - Marc Perrone, President, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

Mexico
• Workers Strike Against COVID Deaths in Border Factories

May 14, 2020 - No. 34

Ontario Health Care Workers Defend Their Right to Safe Working Conditions
• Nurses Speak Out
• Adequate Protective Equipment Urgently Required
• Call for Public Inquiry and Criminal Investigations into Deaths in Long-Term Care

Defending the Rights of Unemployed Workers
• Valiant Struggle of Unemployed Workers' Defence Organizations Must Be Supported By All!
• Interview, Line Sirois, Coordinator, Action Chômage Côte-Nord

In Defence of the Dignity and Rights of Transport workers
• U.S. Truckers in Action to Demand Immediate Haulage Rate Increases
• Canadian and Quebec Truckers Are One with U.S. Truckers - Normand Chouinard

May 19, 2020 - No. 35

Health Care Workers Continue to Speak Out
• Ontario-Wide Protest by Health Care Workers for Protective Equipment and Pandemic Pay for All Frontline Workers
• Quebec Nurses Defend Their Right to Speak Out on Issues Vital to Fighting the Pandemic
• Consequences of Ministerial Orders for Quebec Health Workers - Pierre Soublière
• Union Locals Defend the Right of Health and Social Services' Workers to Vacations and Leaves

Serious Concerns of Workers as Construction Sites Reopen in Quebec
• Interview with Simon Lévesque, Head of Health and Safety, FTQ-Construction

Locked-Out Workers Continue to Stand Strong
• Unjust Lockout of Regina Co-op Refinery Workers Enters Sixth Month
• Landfill Workers in Allardville, New Brunswick Continue to Demand Acceptable Collective Agreement

May 26, 2020 - No. 36

All Out to Uphold the Rights of Temporary Foreign Workers and Asylum Seekers!
• Oppose Unconscionable Government Attempts to Criminalize Asylum Seekers and Justify Immoral Crimes Against Them - Diane Johnston
• Quebec Government Quashes Motion Recognizing Invaluable Contribution of Asylum Seekers and Calling on Canadian Government to Regularize Their Status
• Call to Regularize Status of Essential Workers - Guillaume ClicheRivard, President, Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association
• Ontario Migrant Farm Workers Hit by COVID-19 - Steve Rutchinski
• Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Demands Health Coverage Be Extended to Uninsured Residents

The Need to Make Transit Workers Safe
• Workers Call for Mandatory Face Masks on Public Transit

United States
• Sanitation Workers in New Orleans on Strike to Demand Better Conditions and Pay - Peoples Dispatch

May 28, 2020 - No. 37

37th Ontario Injured Workers Day June 1
• Injured Workers Fighting for Their Dignity and Rights

Solution to Crisis of Health Care System Lies in the Fight for the Rights of All
• Crisis in BC Long-Term Care Homes Highlights the Need to Increase Investments in Social Programs Including Care for Seniors - Barbara Biley

Interviews
• Jean Gagnon, Representative of Pre-Hospital Sector of Health and Social Services' Federation, Confederation of National Trade Unions
• Benoît Taillefer, Vice-President, Occupational Health and Safety, Workers' Union of the Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre, Montreal North

Workers' Right to Safety at Work
• Opposition in Saskatchewan to Spurious Claims by Deputy Labour Minister Regarding Workers' Rights and Workplace Safety

JUNE 2020

June 2, 2020 - No. 38

Rights and Full Status for All Workers
• Militant Action Demands Permanent Residency for Migrants and Asylum Seekers
• Demands for Special Program to Regularize the Status of Asylum Seekers Working to Fight COVID-19
• House of Commons Rejects Motions Calling for Regularization of Status for Frontline Essential Workers
• Unity in Action Gives Rise to Partial About-Face on Immigration Policy

June 9, 2020 - No. 39

Spirited Programs Mark Ontario Injured Workers' Day 2020
• Fighting for Justice for All Injured Workers - Janice Murray
• Women of Inspiration Hold 15th Annual Vigil

"Reopening" of the Economy and Workers' Right to Safety at Work
• Serious Concerns in Ontario - Steve Rutchinski

Unacceptable Attacks on Workers' Rights
• Alberta Government Passes Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure Defence
Act - Peggy Morton
• Unacceptable Attacks on Workers' Rights - Letter to the Editor from
Abitibi Metalworker
• Militant Protests in Quebec Against Abusive Ministerial Orders - Pierre Chénier

Concrete Measures Required to Defend the Rights of the Most Vulnerable
• The Need for Adequate Funding for Services for Vulnerable Women - Interview, Jennie-Laure Sully
• Social Assistance Recipients' Right to a Decent Income - Serge Lachapelle

June 11, 2020 - No. 40

Rights for Migrant Workers NOW!
• Stand Up for Dignity Mobile Rally in Montreal
• Migrant Worker Defence Organizations Call for Permanent Resident Status in the Face of Mounting Abuse - Diane Johnston
• Unacceptable Deaths of Migrant Farm Workers in Southwestern Ontario
• Conditions Faced by Migrant Farm Workers and Others Working in the Sector in Southwestern Ontario - Margaret Villamizar
• Demand for Safe Working and Living Conditions and Status for Migrant Farm Workers - Steve Rutschinski
• Windsor Law Students Call for Concrete, Practical Steps to Ensure the Safety, Health and Rights of Migrant Workers
• "Canadian-Owned" Greenhouse Operation Hotbed of COVID-19 in New York State

June 16, 2020 - No. 41

• Profit Motive and Unaccountability -- Culprits for Deficiencies in Long-Term
Care - Diane Johnston
• National Union Calls on Public Service Pension Investment Board to Pull Out of the Business of Long-Term Care
• Alberta Government's Subsidies to Private Seniors' Care Operators - Peggy Morton
• Alberta Federation of Labour Statement
• Ontario Registered Nurses Association Sets Minimum Standards for Long-Term Care
• Rally to Support Extendicare Guildwood Residents in Scarborough, Ontario
• Quebec Government's Callous Disregard for Life, Health and
Dignity - Pierre Soublière

June 18, 2020 - No. 42

Canada-Wide Campaign Demands Status for All!
• Migrant Rights Network Launches Campaign
• Mexican Government Stops Sending Temporary Foreign Workers to Canada
• National Farmers Union-Ontario Issues Statement
• Coronavirus Spreads to Temporary Foreign Agricultural Workers in Quebec

Situation of Frontline Workers During Pandemic
• Ontario Paramedics' Urgent Need for Adequate Protective Equipment - Interview, Jason Fraser, Chair, Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario
Ambulance Committee
• Quebec Health Care Unions Demand Preparations to Face Possible Second Wave

June 23, 2020 - No. 43

Postal Workers Step Up the Fight for Their Rights
• Federal Arbitrator Refuses to Address Necessary Demands - Louis Lang

Dominion Diamond Mines in Northwest Territories Goes Under Bankruptcy Protection
• Workers Determined to Defend Their Rights - Interview, Todd Parsons, President, Union of Northern Workers, Northwest Territories

Workers Continue to Speak Out About Safety Concerns
• The Need to Break the Silence on Lack of Safety on Construction Sites - Interview, Evans Dupuis, Director, Union of Quebec Crane Operators (FTQConstuction)
• Steelworkers Cannot Accept any Loosening of Health and Safety Standards for Mine Workers - Interview, André Racicot, President, United Steelworkers Local 9291 in Abitibi, Quebec
• Postal Workers' Safety Concerns During Pandemic - Toni MacAfee, Atlantic Region Education and Organization Officer, Canadian Union of Postal Workers

June 25, 2020 - No. 44

Lockout Ends at Regina Co-Op Refinery
• Vigorous Defence of Co-op Workers' Dignity and Unity

The Right to Housing During the Pandemic
• End the Criminalization of Vancouver's Homeless! - Brian Sproule and Barbara Biley
• Union of BC Indian Chiefs' Statement on Police Raid of Namegan/CRAB Park
Tent City

Just Demands of Hospitality Workers for Job Protection
• Hospitality Workers Must Be at the Centre of Any Sectoral Relief Package
• Vancouver Hotel Workers Demand Protection of Their Jobs - Joseph Theriault

Defending the Rights of Unemployed Workers
• Demand for Improved Access to Employment Insurance

June 30, 2020 - No. 45

Stepped Up Neo-Liberal Assaults on Education
• Alberta Minister of Education Extends Government Dictate Over Local School Boards - Kevan Hunter
• Dismantling Alberta's Post-Secondary Education System With Help from McKinsey & Company - Dougal MacDonald
• Performance-Based Indicators: Another Zombie Idea - George Allen
• Challenges in Ontario's Post-Secondary Education - Steve Rutchinski

• Situation in Higher Education in Ontario - Interview, Colleen Burke

JULY 2020

July 2, 2020 - No. 46

Justice for Migrant Workers!
• Ontario Government's Dehumanizing Plan for Migrant Agricultural Workers
• Something Rotten in Ontario's Greenhouse Operations -- and it Isn't the
Tomatoes - Margaret Villamizar
• Spirited Actions in Leamington Demand Justice for Migrant Workers
• Advocating for Seasonal Agricultural Workers in British Columbia - Interview,
Perla G. VillegasDiaz
• Playing with the Lives of Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec: It Must Not
Pass! - Diane Johnston

July 7, 2020 - No. 47

Quebec Government's Bill 61
• Workers' Opposition to Use of Pandemic and Restart of Economy to Strengthen Arbitrary Powers of the State - Pierre Chénier
• Regressive Features of Bill 61

Increase in Construction Accidents Involving Cranes
• Reinstate Compulsory Vocational Training for Crane Operators Now!

Historic Truckers' Occupation in Washington
• What Next for Truckers and the Trucking Industry? - Normand Chouinard

July 9, 2020 - No. 48

Air Canada Discontinues Service on 30 Domestic Regional Routes
• Unacceptable Closures Which Sacrifice Regional Needs in Favour of Private Interests - Garnet Colly

Alberta Retail Workers Defend Their Rights
• Safeway Workers Vote in Favour of Strike Action
• Sobeys' Anti-Worker "Project Sunrise"
• Conditions of Retail Workers in Canada

In Defence of the Rights and Dignity of Hospitality Workers
• BC Hospitality Workers Step Up Their Fight for Job Security - Brian Sproule

The Need to Fix Long-Term Care
• Workers Demand Public Inquiry into Northwood Deaths

July 16, 2020 - No. 49

In the Name of Dealing with the Pandemic
• Another Ministerial Dictate to Undermine Working Conditions of Health Care Workers in Quebec
• Interview with Jeff Begley, President, Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN)
• Quebec Government's March 21 Ministerial Order Challenged in Court

The Need to Enforce the Rights of Migrant Workers
• Call to Reverse Ontario's New Guidance Allowing Some Workers Who Test Positive for COVID-19 to Keep Working

July 23, 2020 - No. 50

Use of Pandemic as Excuse to Trample Workers' Rights
• All Out to Stand Up for the Rights of All!
• Say NO!to Ontario Bill 195 - Steve Rutchinski

Workers Speak Out
• Union Press Conference Demands Withdrawal of Ontario Bill 195
• Quebec's Ministerial Orders Are Unacceptable - Interview, Benoît Taillefer

July 30, 2020 - No. 51

Strengthening the Arbitrary Powers of the State to Attack Workers' Rights
• The Anti-Social, Anti-Worker and Anti- National Direction of the Alberta Government
• Condemn the Alberta Government's Anti-Worker Bill 32! - Peggy Morton
• When Democracy Is Self-Serving It Is No Longer Worthy of the Name - George Allen

Unions Speak Out Against Bill 32
• Alberta Federation of Labour
• United Nurses of Alberta
• Alberta Union of Public Employees
• Health Sciences Association of Alberta

For Your Information
• Changes to the Alberta Labour Relations Code

AUGUST 2020

August 4, 2020 - No. 52

Discussion on a New Direction for the Economy
• The Demand for a New Pro-Social Direction for the Economy and Country Begins to Take Hold
• Recovery Plan Released by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

August 6, 2020 - No. 53

Developments on the Health Care Front
Health Care Unions' Actions to Ensure Workers Are Protected
• Quebec Health Care Unions Demand Government Enforce Increased Protective Measures
• Frontline Health Care Unions in Ontario Launch "Care Not Profit" Campaign
• Public Health Ontario Data Reveals Devastating Pandemic Effects for Health Care Workers - Unifor
• Ontario Nurses Step Up Actions Against Bills 195 and 124
• Nova Scotia Union Refuses to Participate in the Provincial Government's Secretive Northwood Review

New Brunswick Landfill Workers
• Workers' Persistence in Defence of Rights Prevails! Congratulations!

August 13, 2020 - No. 54

The Need to Enforce Rights
• Accountability Is a Serious Concern for Workers - Pierre Chénier

Nova Scotia
• Demand for Public Inquiry into Northwood Tragedy - Interview, Jason MacLean

Quebec
• Longshore Workers at Port of Montreal Launch General Strike
• Speaking Out on the Death of a Montreal Health Worker - Pierre Soublière

British Columbia
• Defend the Rights of Seasonal Agricultural Workers! - Brian Sproule and
Barbara Biley
• Take Immediate Action to Stop the Forced Isolation of Foreign Farm
Workers - Radical Action with Migrants in Agriculture
• Hospitality Workers Continue to Demand that Their Jobs Be Protected

Britain
• Mass Rallies Put Forward Demands of Health Care Workers

August 20, 2020 - No. 55

Alberta Government Intensifies Attacks on Workers' Rights
• Join Mobilizations Which Defend the Rights of All!
• Review of Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
• Occupational Health and Safety: The Experience of Cargill Workers
• Fraudulent Review of Workers' Compensation
• Workers' Compensation Legislative Review 2020

Defend the Rights of All
• Montreal Demonstration for Regularization of Status of All Essential Workers
• Cross Country August 23 Day of Action Demands Status for All

August 27, 2020 - No. 56

The Fight for Safe Reopening of Schools in Ontario
• Education Unions Say Reopening Plan Fails to Meet Legal Health and Safety Requirements
• Education Workers United Hold Forum to Discuss Safe Return to Schools
• Toronto School Board Objects to Administering an Unsafe Plan
• Halton School Board Decries Province's Contradictory Directives
• Trustees and Principals Speak Out
• Medical and Scientific Professionals Weigh In
• Windsor-Essex Virtual Open Forum Discusses Reopening of Schools
• Petition to Reduce Class Sizes to Keep Communities Safe

SEPTEMBER 2020

September 1, 2020 - No. 57

Discussion in Alberta on What Constitutes Safe Schools and the Right to Education
• Widescale Opposition to Alberta Government's Plan for Business as
Usual - Kevan Hunter
• New Curriculum Must Serve the People of Alberta - Dougal MacDonald

Concerns in Quebec About a Safe Back-to-School Environment
• A Proactive Approach Is Required - Pierre Soublière

British Students Take a Stand for Their Right to Education
• Government Forced to Back Down from Anti-Human Algorithm to Assign
Final Grades
• Callous and Dangerous Stand of the British Government on School Reopenings Is Unacceptable and Indefensible - Workers' Weekly

September 3, 2020 - No. 58

On the Eve of Labour Day 2020
• Use of Ministerial Powers to Silence Workers' Voices and Pro-Social
Solutions - Pierre Chénier

Multiple Resignations of Nurses in Quebec
• Nurses' Rights Must Be Upheld!

Actions in Defence of Hotel Jobs and for the Rights of All
• BC Hotel Workers Persist in Upholding Rights of Laid-Off Workers - Brian Sproule

Education Is a Right
• Students Speak for Themselves About the Reopening of Schools - Education Is a Right Podcast

Labour Day 2020
• Hamilton Cavalcade of Cars
• Calendar of Events

September 8, 2020 - No. 59

Serious Concerns During First Week of Reopening of Schools in Quebec
• The Challenge that Teachers and Education Workers Are Facing - Geneviève Royer
• Teachers Demand Accelerated COVID-19 Testing in Schools and Accurate Data on Infections
• More Maintenance Staff Needed to Ensure Hygiene
• Insufficient Measures to Ensure School Transportation Safety
• Doctors and Health Specialists Question Safety of Back- to-School Plan

Interview
• Concerns for Preparedness for Second Wave of COVID-19 - Jeff Begley

September 10, 2020 - No. 60

Reflections on the Statistics Canada Report
• Labour Market Dynamics Since the 2008/2009 Recession - Workers' Centre
of CPC(M-L)

September 15, 2020 - No. 61

Serious Challenges in Health Care and Social Services
• All Out to Support Workers' Rights and Voices
• Suroît Hospital: Nurses' Actions Highlight the Seriousness of the Situation
• Lakeshore General Hospital in Montreal: Emergency Department at Breaking Point
• Rallies Across Ontario Against Government's Use of Ministerial Powers to Trample Workers' Rights - Interview, Michael Hurley, President, Ontario Council
of Hospital Unions

Letters to the Editor
• Letter from a Person Living in a Private Seniors' Residence in Montérégie, Quebec
• The Yellow Brick Jail - Poem by a Temporary Caregiver in a Montreal Residential and LongTerm Care Centre

September 17, 2020 - No. 62

September 20 National Day of Action
• Demand Permanent Status for All - Steve Rutchinski
• Open Letter to Federal Government from Migrant Rights Network

Justice for Injured Workers!
• Celebrating Three Years of the Workers' Comp Is a Right! Campaign

Opposition to Privatization of Public Services
• Stop and Reverse the Privatization of Calgary Transit Service Lane
Workers - Peggy Askin
• Calgary Transit Union Call to Action to Defend the Rights of Workers and the
Public Interest

Actions Against Deregulation of Trucking Industry
• BC Truckers Rally to Protect Their Livelihoods - Normand Chouinard

September 22, 2020 - No. 63

Developments on the Health Front in Quebec
• Health Care Workers Massively Reject Government Offer
• Health Professionals' Union Affirms"We Are the Solution" - Pierre Soublière
• The Need for Immediate Improvements in Working Conditions - Interview, Denis Cloutier

World Health Organization and UNICEF
• Up-to-Date Guidelines on School-Related Public Health Measures

September 24, 2020 - No. 64

Militant Canada-Wide Actions in Defence of Migrant Rights
• Permanent Status for All Now!
• Statement of Migrant Rights Network
• Review of Actions in Brief

In Action to Defend Their Rights
• BC Hospitality Workers Continue to Fight for Job Security
• Striking Ledcor Workers' "Drive for Dignity"
• Ten Thousand Quebec Home Daycare Workers on Strike

September 29, 2020 - No. 65

Reopening of Schools
• Action of Nova Scotia Teachers Union for Safe Reopening
• Irresponsible Stands of the Quebec Government - Geneviève Royer
• Alberta Schools Resume Under Difficult Circumstances - Kevan Hunter

OCTOBER 2020

October 1, 2020 - No. 66

October 8 Day of Action on Long-Term Care in Ontario
• Support the Demands for Immediate Improvement of Conditions
• The Issue Before Us - Steve Rutchinski
• Ontario Nurses' Association Communiqué
• Registered Nurses Demand Minimum Nursing Home Basic Care Standards

Health Care Workers Uphold Their Rights
• Alberta Nurses Demand Restoration of Special Leave Provisions - Peggy Morton

Postal Workers Continue to Fight for the Rights of All
• Serious Concerns About Health and Safety - Interview, Alain Robitaille

October 6, 2020 - No. 67

Ontario October 8 Day of Action on Long-Term Care
• All Out to Uphold the Rights of Seniors and Their Caregivers - Steve Rutchinski
• Ontario Hospitals Lay Off Staff

Quebec Government's New Rules and Laws Said to Control COVID-19
• A Stand Bound to Aggravate the Crisis - Pierre Chénier
• Citizen-Participation in the Fight Against the Pandemic - Normand Chouinard
• Important Demands of Frontline Workers to Face Second Wave - Interview, Marjolaine Aubé

For Your Information
• New Order-in-Council and Use of Police Forces in Quebec

October 8, 2020 - No. 68

Auto Workers Approve New Collective Agreement with Ford
• Another Pay-the-Rich Scheme to Restructure the Auto Industry - Louis Lang
• New Collective Agreement

Concerns of Rail Workers for Their Safety and Their Right to Privacy
• Interview with Lyndon Isaak

October 13, 2020 - No. 69

Ontario Government Dereliction of Duty Continues in Long-Term Care Homes
• Communities Across Ontario Participate in Long-Term Care Day of Action

• Ontario Health Coalition Briefing on Long-Term Care Outbreaks,
Funding and Staffing

• Photos of October 8 Day of Action

Ontario Labour Relations Board Dismisses Union's Case
• Teachers' Unions Fight for Right to Participate in Deciding Appropriate COVID-19 Measures

Education Is a Right Podcast
• Educators Roundtable -- Update from Alberta and Ontario

October 15, 2020 - No. 70

Alberta Government's Mass Layoffs of Health Care Workers
• The Need to Raise the Demand to Stop Paying the Rich Becomes Increasingly Urgent
• Health Care Unions Condemn Privatization and Mass Layoffs
• Kenney and His Government Cannot Be Trusted with Our Public Health Care System - Friends of Medicare
• How the Deals are Made - Peggy Morton

October 20, 2020 - No. 71

November 1 Day of Action in Defence of Migrant Rights
• Raise the Call: Status for All!

Anti-Worker Schemes Using Pandemic as Pretext
• The Defence of Workers' Rights is Key to Stop the Propagation of COVID-19 - Pierre Chénier
• Letter to the Editor

Workers' Actions in Defence of Rights
• Solidarity Action for Striking Ledcor Workers - Roland Verrier
• Striking Dominion Workers Face Intransigence of Loblaw Monopoly - Louis Lang

October 22, 2020 - No. 72

Government Dereliction of Duty
• Reopening Schools and Restarting the Economy Need Not Be a Disaster for Society - Steve Rutchinski
• Expert Opinion on How to Protect Against COVID-19 Transmission in Schools

Health Care Workers Step Up Their Fight for Their Rights
• Quebec Workers Block Bridges to Pressure Government to Negotiate

Report on Tragedy in Herron Long-Term Care Home in Dorval, Quebec
• An Untenable Status Quo - Pierre Soublière

October 27, 2020 - No. 73

Militant Action by Alberta Health Care Workers
• Hospital Workers Walk Out Across Alberta to Defend Their Rights and Public Health Care
• Statement in Solidarity with Striking Health Care Workers - Friends of Medicare

One Year of Government Refusal to Negotiate with Public Sector Workers
• The Quebec Government's Irresponsible and Dangerous Position - Pierre Chénier
• No New Collective Agreement and No Progress in Negotiations

Workers Demand Job Security in the Midst of Pandemic
• Actions Across Canada by Hospitality Workers - Brian Sproule

October 29, 2020 - No. 74

Striking Alberta Hospital Workers Ordered Back to Work
• Abolish the Unlimited Powers of the Alberta Labour Relations
Board - Dougal MacDonald

New Outbreak at Olymel's Meat Processing Plant in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec
• Workers' Proposals Must Be at the Centre of Solutions to Curb
COVID-19 - Normand Chouinard

Ontario Government Bill on Long-Term Care
• Ford Government Protects Long-Term Care Operators from

Liability - Steve Rutchinski

NOVEMBER 2020

November 5, 2020 - No. 75

Workers Defend Their Rights and Public Health Care
• Broad Support for Alberta Hospital Workers - Peggy Morton
• Unions Speak Out in Defence of Striking Workers

Status for All Day of Action
• Fighting for the Living - - Honouring the Dead

Workers in the Heat of the Fight to Curb COVID- 19
• Protecting Quebec Workers in the Face of Increasing Workplace
Outbreaks - Interview, Ann Gingras
• Alberta Frontline Workers' Petition for Access to N95 Masks

November 10, 2020 - No. 76

Standing Up for Alberta Health Care Workers
• Militant Support for Union of Provincial Employees' Strike Action - Peggy Askin
• Post-Secondary Workers' Actions
• Union of Provincial Employees President Congratulates Members
• Discussion on Significance of Attacks on Health Care Workers

Quebec Public Sector Negotiations
• Government Negotiators Reject Workers' Proposals to Deal with Second Wave of Pandemic

November 12, 2020 - N0. 77

Workers Step Up the Fight to Curb COVID-19
• Workers' Demands Must Be Met!

Health Care
• Workers Demand Personal Protective Equipment They Deem Appropriate
• Fight for a Modern Humane Health Care System - Pierre Soublière
• The Right to Work Safely Is Essential to Keep COVID-19 Under
Control - Interview, Jason MacLean

Montreal Transit Workers
• Keeping Workers Informed and Mobilized to Ensure that Health Standards are Enforced - Interview, Gleason Frenette

November 17, 2020 - No. 78

Alberta Bill 47, Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act 2020
• Build the Resistance to Attacks on Workers' Health and Safety - Peggy Morton
• Highlights of Bill 47's New Occupational Health and Safety Act

Tragic Death of Worker on Trans Mountain Pipeline
• Workers' Control Over Matters of Health and Safety Is Essential - André Vachon

November 19, 2020 - No. 79

Workers in Action Across Canada to Contain COVID- 19
• Firm Opposition to the Untenable Status Quo
• Single-Site Order in Alberta Must Be Enforced
• Measures Put Forward by Saskatchewan Health Care Workers
• Manitoba Health Care Workers Demand Adequate Protective Equipment
• Unconscionable Situation in Manitoba Long-Term Care Homes
• Demands of Ontario Long-Term Care Home Workers
• Health Care Workers Are Entitled to the Highest Level of Protection Possible - Interview, Marjolaine Aubé

November 26, 2020 - No. 80

Full and Permanent Immigration Status For All!
• Migrant Farmworker Wins Important Case at Ontario Labour Relations Board
• Migrant Workers Alliance for Change Press Conference

Stop the Deportations of Migrant Students!
• Migrant Students in Action to Defend Their Rights

Meeting Workers' Demands Is Key to Control COVID- 19
• Condemnation of the Use of Ministerial Orders Against Saguenay--Lac-St-Jean Health Care Workers

• Demonstration of Outaouais Public Sector Workers

DECEMBER 2020

December 1, 2020 - No. 81

Alberta Bill 47, the Ensuring Safety and Red Tape Reduction Act 2020
• No to Legalizing the Denial of Workers' Rights!
• Changes to the Workers' Compensation Act
• Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Condemns Bill 47

Demand for Urgent Action in Alberta to Curb COVID- 19
• Alberta Federation of Labour Resolution

Quebec Health Workers Oppose Ministerial Decrees
• The Profound, Objective Need for New Arrangements - Pierre Soublière

December 3, 2020 - No. 82

California Proposition 22
• Imperialist Democracy on Ugly Display in California
• Corrupt Electoral Process to Ensure Government of Powerful Private Interests
• What It Means to Legally Deny Network Workers Their Status as Workers - K.C. Adams
• The Case for Voting "No" on CA Prop 22 (Excerpts) - Keith F. Eberl
• Most Ride-Hailing and Delivery Workers in San Francisco Not Eligible to Vote

December 10, 2020 - No. 83

The Crucial Fight to Curb the Pandemic
• Workers Continue to Speak Out
• Sit-in at Saint-Hyacinthe Long-Term Care Centre Decries Staff Shortage and Inadequate Personal Protective Equipment
• The Issue of Private Placement Agencies Must Be Addressed - Interview, Denis Cloutier
• "We Want Reinforcements and Recognition for Our Frontline Work for the Past Nine Months" - Interview, Julie Bouchard
• Interprofessional Health Care Federation of Quebec Delegates Endorse Tentative Agreement

December 15, 2020 - No. 84

New Brunswick Government's Attempt to Impose Wage Freeze on All Public Sector Workers
• No to Negation of Workers' Rights!
• Public Sector Workers Oppose Government Dictate - Interview, Simon Ouellette

Manitoba Government's Anti-Labour Legislation
• Bill 16 Targets Workers and Their Defence Organizations

Stop Paying the Rich! Increase Investments in Social Programs!
• Dismantling Quebec's Public Health System Cannot Be Justified - Pierre Soublière

Education is a Right Podcast
• Why Are Governments Allergic to Public Solutions to the Pandemic?

December 17, 2020 - No. 85

Migrant Farm Workers from Trinidad and Tobago Stranded in Canada
• Charge the Federal Government for Abuse in its Treatment of Migrant Workers!

Quebec and New Brunswick Actions Demand Thorough Reform of Employment Insurance
• All Out to Defend the Unemployed!
• Spokespersons of Defence Organizations of the Unemployed Speak Out

Federal Government Operation of Pacific Gateway Hotel
• Hotel Workers Demand Guaranteed Recall to Their Jobs

December 29, 2020 - No. 86

The Fight to Uphold the Dignity of Labour
• Just Demands of Amazon Workers
• Amazon's Workforce
• Injury Rates at Amazon Warehouses
• COVID-19 in Ontario Workplaces
• Report of Quebec Ombudsperson on Pandemic and Long-Term Care - Pierre Soublière
• Note to Our Readers

WORKERS' FORUM: 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022

For previous years, write to office@cpcml.ca.

INDEX 2020