CLC launches lobby effort for economy
The Canadian Labour Congress has a plan to stimulate the economy and to create and protect jobs, pensions, and public services. Visit the CLC’s Get Real! It’s the Economy campaign to learn what steps government can take to ensure a better economy, and how you can get involved.
http://canadianlabour.ca/en/get-real-its-economy-make-it-work-us
Regulate financial markets for real
CUPE is concerned that a federal government-appointed panel’s recommendations on regulating financial markets are the wrong solution for protecting pensioners, small investors and pension funds, and for stopping white collar crime.
The commission recommends so-called “principle-based regulation”, the very sort of regulatory framework that led a major cause of the current financial crisis: default credit swaps.
Instead, CUPE says:
• End the reliance on industry-run self-regulatory organizations to provide investor protection.
• Any new federal financial regulatory agency must be under the jurisdiction of the Auditor General and directly accountable to the federal government and Parliament.
• Enforcement of securities law needs to be much stronger and more effective.
• White collar criminals should get the same treatment as other criminals.
FCM lists 1,000 “shovel-ready” projects
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has released a list of more than 1,000 infrastructure projects that would be ready to go as early as this spring if federal funding was available.
These “shovel-ready” projects include simple rehabilitation to major new construction. If fully funded, they would create more than 150,000 jobs.
New infrastructure projects are desperately needed this year in order to counter the recession.
A statement by Paul Moist on a proposed ban on Israeli academics
This week Paul Moist outlined CUPE National’s stance on reports of a proposal to call for a ban on Israeli academics who did not condemn the “assault on Gaza”.
In the statement, Moist says:
• The proposed resolution has yet to be adopted by any CUPE chartered body.
• Moist called the proposal ‘wrong’ and said he would oppose it.
• CUPE National has called for peace in Gaza and has condemned Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s disproportionate response.
• CUPE has always taken stands on international solidarity issues.
• CUPE’s policy on the Middle East was the subject of full debate at two recent conventions.
The full statement is here:
http://cupe.ca/npo/CUPE-National-oppose
Late, but not too late for the Bargaining Women’s Equality Conference
CUPE’s final promotional video for the National Bargaining Women’s Equality Conference asks what it’s like to work as a single parent and wonders what it would be like if the tables were turned? No babies were endangered in the creation of this video.
Registration for the conference is still open:
Forced vote on York offer wastes bargaining time
CUPE 3903 negotiators thought they were getting somewhere. Five days of talks brought the two sides closer to ending the ten week old strike this week but then York negotiators left the table and asked the province to order a vote on their last offer.
“Our members agreed that the university’s offer is inadequate and does not address several key priorities set out by the membership,” said spokesperson Tyler Shipley.
The Ontario labour ministry-supervised vote takes place January 20.
Québec City outside workers settle
The 1500 members of CUPE 1638 - Québec City outside workers - have ratified a four year agreement that commits the employer to creating 70 new jobs.
The four year agreement also provides 2% wage increases in three of the years.
CUPE 1638 President Jean Lachance said the agreement was a winning one for both sides after an acrimonious round of negotiations.
“We’re turning the page on this round and looking to the future,” he concluded.
:te/cope 491