workers

Saturday September 5, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 5, 2020

‘Why don’t they pitch in?’: Ontario premier unleashes war of words with education union leader

August 27, 2020

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is ratcheting up his war of words with the head of one of Ontario’s largest teacher unions, telling reporters that he would rather listen to doctors and epidemiologists than someone “with a degree in English literature who thinks he is a doctor.”

Ford has been engaged in a prolonged dispute with the leaders of Ontario’s four teacher unions over his government’s back-to-school plans.

The unions have said that the plans fail to institute specific standards “around physical distancing, cohorting, ventilation, and transportation” and have vowed to file formal appeals with the labour relations board over what they say is a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

February 4, 2020

Ford, meanwhile, has accused the unions of being unreasonable and has said that his “patience is running thin” with their rhetoric.

Speaking with reporters during his daily COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, Ford took his criticism one step further, singling out Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation President Harvey Bischof.

“I will listen to the docs and the health and science all day long as opposed to some head of the teachers’ union that has his degree in English literature as Harvey does,” Ford said. “I think the parents would rather us listen to the doctors as opposed to some guy with a degree in English literature who thinks he is a doctor.”

January 18, 2020

Bischof, who has an English literature degree from Trent University as well as a Masters of Arts and Bachelor of Education degree from Queen’s University, has been outspoken about the government’s return to school plans in the past and last week took to Twitter to accuse Ford of “belittling educators.”

He has also stressed that teachers only want the same safeguards as other frontline workers, such as a minimum of two metres of physical distancing in the classroom. (CTV) 

 

Friday June 12, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday June 12, 2020

Migrant workers in Canada face unsafe working, living conditions: report

Migrant workers in Canada are facing unsafe living and working conditions amid a series of COVID-19 outbreaks on Ontario farms, according to an advocacy group.

May 7, 2020

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) on Monday released a report summarizing complaints made to its tip line between March 15 and May 15 by workers from Mexico and the Caribbean about racism, threats, surveillance, poor access to food, and dirty cramped bunkhouses, with 40 people in a dorm reportedly sharing one shower in one case.

“We are in the midst of a human rights catastrophe,” MWAC executive director Syed Hussan said on Monday.

The report comes after a series of recent outbreaks on Ontario farms that have seen hundreds of migrant workers reportedly test positive for COVID-19. Two migrant workers, identified as Bonifacio Eugenio Romero and Rogelio Muñoz Santos, both from Mexico, have died from the virus. At least two other migrant workers are in intensive care, MWAC said.

May 9, 2019

“The employer was not interested in our well-being, only in the work we do for him,” a farm worker from Mexico, identified as Edgar, said through a translator at an MWAC video news conference on Tuesday.

Employment and Workforce Development Minister Carla Qualtrough’s office on Monday said in a statement that there is “more to do” to protect migrant workers in Canada.

“The reported cases of inappropriate behaviours and unsafe working conditions are completely unacceptable,” the statement said, noting the government has already pledged $50 million to farmers to help with the costs of housing and paying workers for 30 hours a week during the mandatory two-week quarantine upon their arrival in the country.

But MWAC said it has received complaints from workers who reported not receiving their full quarantine pay. Others reported not receiving enough food during that two-week period.

“Sixteen workers reported receiving only one loaf of bread and a carton of eggs to feed them all for two days,” MWAC said. “One group of nine workers called us about being placed in a house where dogs had been living, that smelled of dog urine and had not been cleaned prior to the workers’ arrival. (Financial Post) 



 

Thursday March 15, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 15, 2018

PM Trudeau talks steel and doughnuts in Hamilton

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to do more to fight foreign steel dumping on a whirlwind Hamilton tour aimed at reassuring industry leaders and local workers worried about threatened U.S. Tariffs.

The Liberal PM managed to sandwich a steel industry roundtable and a visit to infamously vandalized Donut Monster on Locke Street in between tours of both Stelco and ArcelorMittal Dofasco Tuesday.

 

Canada dodged an economic bullet last week after U.S. President Donald Trump exempted its northern neighbour — at least for now — from a threatened 25-per-cent tariff on steel. Business leaders had estimated such a tariff could affect up to 40,000 local jobs in the industry.

September 18, 2014

But Trump has also insisted on stronger measures to stop countries trying to sneak cheap steel into the U.S. by shipping through Canada.

“That is a concern we share with the Americans,” said Trudeau following a tour of ArcelorMittal Dofasco, later vowing to “keep ensuring that Canadian steel is Canadian steel.”

He said Canada has already taken steps to crack down on steel dumping from countries like China — including adding customs inspectors — but emphasized the government is willing to do more. “We have a whole suite of tariff and countervailing duties that are at our disposal to move forward and ensure that we are not accepting unfairly produced or sold steel,” he said.

August 24, 2016

The PM also fielded questions from steelworkers on a tour of Stelco early Tuesday morning — even if he didn’t necessarily answer with the level of detail they sought.

United Steelworkers local union leader Gary Howe said his members asked if the Liberals will overhaul the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), the legislative rules through which U.S. Steel Canada entered into bankruptcy protection and was ultimately sold and reborn as Stelco.

Frustrated local steelworkers have called the CCAA “legalized theft” and lobbied to enshrine more rights for workers during bankruptcy protection. “We want to know if the law will be changed,” Howe said.

Howe said Trudeau did not commit to specific changes, but agreed “there needs to be a conversation.” (Continued: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

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Thursday January 15, 2015

Thursday January 15, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 15, 2015

Two city workers fired over pot-brownies

The city has fired two employees fingered for bringing pot brownies to a public works yard and sharing them with an unknowing co-worker.

The city initially suspended two male workers suspecting of bringing the banned baked goods to the Stoney Creek yard Dec. 22.

The brownies prompted an “adverse reaction” in a 20-year-old worker who was rushed to hospital, but has since recovered and returned to work.

Hamilton police investigated but determined there wasn’t enough evidence to lay charges. But Wednesday, city officials announced they’ve wrapped up an internal probe and fired the unidentified public works employee.

An update to council from public works had Gerry Davis said the pair were fired because of “possession an/or use of illegal drugs on city property.”

Generally, it takes longer to get high from eating cannabis-infused foods compared to smoking marijuana, but the effects can last longer. Symptoms of overdose in either case can include anxiety and panic attacks, disorientation or delusions.

“We are taking this matter very seriously,” Davis said previously, and contacted all city councillors to assure them an “internal investigation” was underway after The Spectator asked about the incident.

The banned baked goods were not reported to the provincial Ministry of Labour, but Hamilton police investigated and decided there was “insufficient evidence” to lay charges, said spokesperson Const. Claus Wagner. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Monday April 30, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday April 30, 2012

Lower city councillors back federal prostitution-reform backlash

Three lower-city councillors are backing a federal push against legalizing brothels.

Councillors Sam Merulla, Chad Collins and Bernie Morelli say they’re concerned about a recent provincial court decision that struck down the ban on bawdy houses.

Now, Merulla says he’s formally asking his council colleagues to back a federal government appeal announced Wednesday of the reformed prostitution laws.

“If the Ontario Court of Appeal decision is left unchallenged, it could see the introduction of brothels within Hamilton and other communities in Ontario,” they said in a statement.

The trio — who represent the central and eastern areas of the lower city — say legalizing brothels would condone prostitution and hurt their neighbourhoods.

“I think we speak for the vast majority of Hamiltonians, Ontarians and Canadians,” Merulla said Thursday.

But Merulla’s motion is already stirring up some discomfort — for sex workers, and for one of his colleagues.

Angel, who lives in Morelli’s ward, has been a sex worker for 36 years. She’s unsure why her councillor would concern himself with what happens within the privacy of her apartment.

“I think it’s ridiculous. I think he has other things that are more important to worry about in the neighbourhood, like the drug trade and crack houses,” she said.

“I think he should just leave people alone who are just trying to live honestly and not hurt anyone.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)