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Defeats of Andrew Puzder and Michael Flynn reveal power of grassroots movements

Photo: ResistFromDay1/flickr

"When the people lead, the leaders will follow" are the oft-quoted words attributed to Gandhi. This week, massive grassroots organizing helped defeat the nomination of Andrew Puzder, a multimillionaire fast-food CEO, as Donald Trump's secretary of labour. He was widely accused of running companies rife with wage theft and sexual harassment. His personal life was marred by accusations of hiring an undocumented immigrant, tax evasion and domestic violence. The push for his defeat was led by some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society, and serves as a lesson in the importance and power of movements.

Tags:
national security labour rights islamophobia trump administration General Michael Flynn Andrew Puzder secretary of labour

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Bishop Fred Henry
Fred Henry, departing Catholic bishop, held strong pro-labour stance in addition to controversial social conservative views
By
David J. Climenhaga
| January 5, 2017

It seems odd to refer to Frederick Bernard Henry as "retiring" -- the outspoken Roman Catholic Bishop of Calgary was never very retiring, even though it was announced yesterday that he is.

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Photo: Bob Jagendorf/flickr
When temporary becomes permanent: Reforming Canada's system of seasonal agricultural labour
By
Lynne Fernandez Nicole Smith
| August 3, 2016

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Each year up to 400 mostly Mexican workers come to Manitoba under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) to work on local farms. They perform physically strenuous work on vegetable farms and in greenhouses for up to eight months, year after year. Workers regularly toil 12 hours per day, six to seven days a week, and they live socially isolated from Canadian society.

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Photo: M Richter/flickr
Halifax Mooseheads owners eliminate labour protections for junior hockey players
By
Stephen Kimber
| July 13, 2016

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Bobby Smith, majority owner of the Halifax Mooseheads, wasn't available to talk to reporters last week about government changes to labour laws exempting his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team from paying its teenaged hockey players minimum wage, or vacation pay, or limiting the hours they work.

No matter.

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Columnists

France erupts in defiance of employer-friendly labour reforms

Photo: Nicolas Vigier/flickr

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France is continuously rocked by debates around the meaning of the Enlightenment ideals of liberty, equality and solidarity that predate the French Revolution.

Some important notions are widely shared. Most French citizens expect governments to meet the basic needs of all and promote individual expansion of talents and abilities.

Tags:
enlightenment labour rights social movements french socialism François Hollande Nuit debout

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We welcome your comments! rabble.ca embraces a pro-human rights, pro-feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, anti-imperialist and pro-labour stance, and encourages discussions which develop progressive thought. Our full comment policy can be found here. Learn more about Disqus on rabble.ca and your privacy here. Please keep in mind:

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Tell Bangladesh to live up to its safety and worker rights promises

More than 1,100 workers died in Rana Plaza. Three years later, the government of Bangladesh has not made sufficient progress to ensure that nothing like this horrific tragedy happens again.  

According to a report by international labour organizations, "Far too much remains to be done by the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and the garment industry, not only to ensure fire and building safety but to simply guarantee basic respect for the law -- including both national and international labour standards."

Some of the findings of the report are:

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Tags:
unions labour rights Bangladesh UFCW Rana Plaza Sustainability Compact
Photo: IIP Photo Archive/flickr
Strengthen the ranks: Labour movements in Canada and Nigeria
By
Evangel Ekine
| December 2, 2015

rabble is expanding our Parliamentary Bureau and we need your help! Support us on Patreon today!

Keep Karl on Parl

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Columnists

Election 2015: Welcoming the last days of a tyrant

Photo: pmwebphotos/flickr

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The way things work in a subordinate capitalist society came to light in Hamilton last week. In an effort to bully its unionized workers, U.S. Steel revealed it was about to shift production from Canada to the United States, 75 cent Canadian dollar or not.

Tags:
Stephen Harper federal politics coalition government Harper government public interest labour rights corporate agenda USW U.S. Steel 2015 federal election canadian democracy

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We welcome your comments! rabble.ca embraces a pro-human rights, pro-feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, anti-imperialist and pro-labour stance, and encourages discussions which develop progressive thought. Our full comment policy can be found here. Learn more about Disqus on rabble.ca and your privacy here. Please keep in mind:

Do

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Photo: Jeff M for Short/flickr
#BoycottTims? It's about time.
By
Jonathan Chapnick
| June 10, 2015

Twitter was raging against Tim Hortons last Thursday. According to the Ottawa Sun, for much of the day the hottest trending topic in Canada was #BoycottTims.

It's about time, I thought to myself, these allegations have been in the news for at least a couple of years.

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Asia Pacific Currents
Asia Pacific Currents

Fire at Kentex footware factory kills more than 70 workers

June 8, 2015
| Interview with Myles Quero from the KMU about the fire at the Kentex footwear factory where 72 workers were murdered.
Length: 29:58 minutes (27.44 MB)
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