The economic news we hear is almost entirely from the perspective of business. We hear about every fluctuation in the stock market. CEOs are portrayed as if they’re super heros: solely responsible for what thousands of workers under them produce.
We get very little economic news from the perspective of workers. Most of the time it’s as if workers don’t exist, unless we’re on strike. There’s lots of alarmism about government deficits on the news, but very little about household deficits, massive corporate profits, or the problems of poverty and growing inequality.
At the 2012 CUPE division conventions, National President Paul Moist and Sr. Economist Toby Sanger hosted a series of economic literacy breakfasts to talk with CUPE members about these less often discussed economic issues, and why they matter to Canadian workers.
Their presentation helps starts a new discussion on the economy - one where we talk less about what’s in the interests of banks and corporations, and more about what’s best for Canadian workers, their families, and their communities.
CUPE members need to change the channel on the economy.