Canada's Growing Income Gap - CCPA

What it takes to be number one - The Real News

"What it takes to be number one

The strike against Vale-Inco in Sudbury heats up as company threatens to use non-union labor

The nickel miner strike in Sudbury, Canada is about to enter its seventh week, and there is no sign that the company, Vale, is willing to compromise on its demands for concessions. This despite the fact that the demand for nickel has surged causing the price to rise and Vale to default on at least one contract. Worker's argue that the mine is hugely profitable, sighting $4B in profit made in Sudbury alone over the past two years, but as Industry Analyst Marin Kotusa explains, being profitable is just not enough. "You have to be number one in all sectors," he says, referring to the requirements for victory in the global mining game, in which the winners are the ones who integrate all facets of the supply chain, not just mining, into their business. This requires extracting as much profit as possible in order to finance the necessary expansion into other sectors, lest be gobbled up by one's competitors. The union however, believes that the federal government of Canada ought to protect its people against such threats, and that work can be done to unify unions around the world to even the playing field." - For more information visit The Real News Network.

Universal Health Care Message to Americans From Canadian Doctors & Health Care Experts

"Making the Links and Wolf Sun productions have teamed up to put together this video message to Americans. While Americans have heard many ominous accounts of Canadian health care, this video provides important information on health care in Canada. It features Roy Romanow, former Saskatchewan premier and commissioner of an investigation into the future of health care in Canada, Danielle Martin, President of Doctors for Medicare, Linda Silas, President of Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) President, and Stephen Lewis, a prominent leader in Canadian Health policy."

They're lying about Canada

American corporations are spreading lies about Canadian health care to kill Obama's health plan -- and with it his whole movement for change.

Sign a message to Americans about how Canada's system really works - and how much we value it. Let's set the record straight!

The fight for a new union law - Leo Gerard, USW

"Leo Gerard: Obama presidency will partly be judged by his ability to pass the Employee Free Choice Act." (for more detail see here: The Real News Network)

The food lobby goes to school: Corporate pigs at the trough

For more detail see: The Real Food Channel

Why isn't the Sask Party government enforcing labour laws?

Can someone please explain to me why an employer can be prosecuted and fined for being in violation of the Saskatchewan Labour Standards Act by bouncing a couple of wage cheques as was the case with Tri-Star Security Innovative Security Services Inc. (see: Ministry of Labour website at: Enforcement, Accountability and Performance Measures).

And yet a different employer (Poverino's Pasta Grill) can be found in violation of the same Labour Standards Act for ripping off over $62,000.00 from 135 young workers and nothing happens? (see: Wage Theft in Saskatchewan).

Why isn't the Brad Wall government enforcing labour laws when it would benefit young workers? Why doesn't Labour Minister Rob Norris instruct the Ministries of Labour and Justice to prosecute Poverino's?

Wall Government's Budgetary Meltdown the Result of Fiscal Incompetence: says NDP

Reproduced below is a letter to the editor which has gone out to the mainstream media regarding the dismal and incompetent budget of the Sask. Party Government.

The letter was prepared by NDP Finance Critic, Trent Wotherspoon and was forwarded to me on his behalf.

Wall Government's Budgetary Meltdown the Result of Fiscal Incompetence

Dear Editor:

The Wall government has created a financial mess, but their friends in the corporate news media are busily trying to cover for them. Editorial pages and columnists suggest the government 'had no way of knowing' that its budget forecasts were so faulty, while others argue the situation 'still isn't too bad'. It's time for both the government and its cheerleaders in the corporate media to face reality.

The facts are these. The Wall government forecast $1.9 Billion in potash taxes and royalties this year to balance its budget; a few months later that number is off by 67% or $1.3 Billion! The government based its budget surplus on a forecast of 2.1% economic growth for this year; a few months later they've adjusted that to .6%! The result is that the government had to bleed our public utilities for $480 Million in dividends, and our so-called 'rainy day fund' for another $399 Million, just to maintain the façade of a balanced budget.

These problems are of the Wall government's own making. When its budget was introduced last March, the NDP pointed out the potash revenue projections and economic growth forecasts were out of whack with reality, and private sector forecasts. We urged the government to get its runaway spending under control. Government spending today is 32% higher than in the last NDP budget in 2007.

We urged the government to reconsider its fantasyland budget plan. It scoffed at our warnings and blindly pushed on. Today, Saskatchewan people are being asked to pay the price for the Wall government's fiscal incompetence.

It is worth noting the government created this mess during a time of unprecedented resource wealth for our province. They inherited a booming economy and record resource revenues from the NDP, but during this period they have drained our so-called 'rainy day' fund from more than $2 Billion to only $800 Million. A competent government would have grown the 'rainy day' fund during the boom times, but this crew has blown more than half of our cash reserves at the height of the boom!

Now the Children's Hospital has been delayed another year or more, and school repair projects have been put on hold so the Wall government can continue to pretend that it knows how to balance the budget. Shame on them and shame on the corporate news media for defending this kind of fiscal incompetence!

Trent Wotherspoon, MLA
Finance Critic
New Democrat Official Opposition

You deserve better - Join a Union!

Olbermann: Legislators for Sale

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

CFIB supports Child Labour

There's an excellent posting over on the "Owls and Roosters" blog entitled: "Sask. Party gov’t sets ‘absolute’ minimum age of employment at 14, CFIB complains it’s not lower; labour shortage main reason for change".

Citizen blogger, Joe Kuchta pulls the covers off the real reason why Labour Minister Rob Norris and his team are lowering the miminum working age in Saskatchewan - it's because the CFIB told them to.

Read all about it here.

The Climate Battles presents "Showdown In Regina"

Click the image for larger view

Click the image for larger view

Noam Chomsky - Crisis and Hope, Theirs and Ours - Democracy Now!

There is a video embedded in this posting, if you are unable to view it click here:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/3/noam_chomsky_on_crisis_and_hope

Attention Businesses: Come to Saskatchewan, kill a worker, get off scot-free

According to the CBC Web-site today, the Brad Wall government has decided to set up a "working group" to study (investigate) why workers are getting killed in Saskatchewan.

Give me a break already!

We don't need a "study" - we need enforcement of the existing law. We need workers to be confident that they will be supported when they report a "bad employer". We need some bosses to go to jail for killing their workers through negligence.

We NEED a government that cares about workers, instead of pandering to the bosses, the Chambers of Commerce, and the CFIB, etc.

Brad Wall, Rob Norris, et al, can claim responsibility for the rash of workplace deaths in Saskatchewan since they signalled to the crappy employers that their government will look the other way.

My next question: Who's on the so-called "working group"?

Think the Sask. Party government will protect you against an employer who rips you off? Think again!

Graphic by CALM

Attention employers: Don't worry about Saskatchewan's labour laws, Brad Wall won't enforce them anyway. In fact, he's just as likely to change them so you can get away with ripping off workers even easier.

Attention workers: Want your rights protected, want to get paid for the hours you work? Don't count on Premier Brad Wall, or Labour Minister Rob Norris, or the Sask. Party government to help. Get a Union!

The saga of Poverino's rip-off of 135+ workers and the theft of over $62,000 in wages continues. Today's Regina Leader-Post ran these two articles:

Left in the dark: How Poverino's walked away without paying 137 young people owed wages

Fighting Poverino's is personal for SFL's Hubich

Bill Moyers Journal: Insurance Industry vs Michael Moore

"Bill Moyers interviews former health insurance industry executive Wendell Potter, who left the field after almost 20 years to become a health reform advocate."

He's Barack Obama - Jib Jab

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Brad Wall government sanctions corporate theft

There's a great article in Saturday's (July 11, 2009) Saskatoon StarPhoenix by reporter Lori Coolican entitled: Workers stiffed after restaurant closes.

Check it out!

Just another cog in the machine

Child Labour: Hammerchild - ITUC