NDP must counter Poilievre’s skill harnessing anger of people who feel left behind, say labour experts
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s union endorsements in the province’s June election were more a media coup than a real shift in the labour landscape, say labour experts and NDP strategists, but they reinforced a wider perception that conservative parties are becoming a home for working-class voters who are angry about being left behind by larger […]
Union win at Mexican auto plant brings new hope for labour rights
Supporters of labour rights in Mexico won a big victory on May 26 when workers at General Motors’ biggest auto plant, located in the city of Silao, ratified a first collective agreement negotiated by their new, independently elected union SINTTIA. The Silao truck plant, built in 1996 on the heels of the North American Free […]
Five House harassment complaints filed against MPs in 2021-22
The number of harassment complaints filed with the House of Commons quadrupled between 2020-21 and 2021-22, from two to eight—a jump reps with the House’s human resources directorate say has much to do with increased awareness and fewer people working from home as a result of COVID-19. Five of the eight complaints involved an MP […]
Losing our competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive world
Every day university researchers across Canada and around the world are conducting extraordinary research, but Canada still isn’t making the most of these discoveries by turning them into innovative products to sell globally. Innovation requires momentum. It requires not only concerted effort by researchers pursuing bold and risky ideas, but also deep connections with those […]
Canadians are concerned about the mental health of health workers; they should be
If the health workforce was a patient, it would be in critical condition. The public seems to get it. New results of a nation-wide survey by the University of Ottawa, conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum from March 4-8, 2022, paint a troubling picture of how we feel about health workers. Overall, nine […]
Unionizing the military might address some culture issues but it comes at a potential cost: experts
As the Canadian Armed Forces grapples with ways to improve its culture, some experts say unionization could be a potential benefit, particularly in solving long-standing issues with grievance processes, but others say it could create more problems. Asked if Canada’s military should be unionized, Michel Drapeau, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa […]
Conflict prevention, grassroots peacebuilding best way to help Afghan people
Mohammad Zaid has been working in peacebuilding in Afghanistan for nine years. The current situation weighs heavy on him and his work. “It feels,” says Zaid, whose name we are not using for safety and security reasons, “like we’ve gone from driving to reverse. As a peacebuilder, I’ve always been positive, but there’s a limit […]
Sajjan’s mandate offers welcome focus on education in Canada’s international development policy
With its December release of new minister mandate letters, the Trudeau government built on the directions and goals previously stated in the November Speech from the Throne by detailing specific directives to each minister on the priorities of their individual portfolios. As expected, as Canada’s newest international development minister, Harjit Sajjan’s priority is to support […]
Polytechnics can help fill Canada’s talent gaps
When I ask business leaders what keeps them up at night, it is not only about supply chains, inflation, or rising commodity prices. The No. 1 concern is about talent. How do I fill critical staff vacancies in a tight labour market? Where can I find workers who are digitally literate? How can my employees […]
Approach to skills must be reinvented in post-pandemic Canada
The transition from education to workplace and beyond used to be relatively straightforward: high school, post-secondary, job market, promotions, management, retirement. In today’s environment, with new complexities related to technology, shifting global markets, a desire for work-life balance and the speed of change, skills require constant reinvention. Now more than ever before, the business community […]
