Support Postal Workers!

 Posted on July 8, 2016
Jul 082016
 

The Communist Party of Canada today called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene with Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra to restart negotiations and stop the clock on the 72 hour countdown to a lockout initiated by the corporation July 3rd to take effect at 12:01 am Monday.

“Canada Post’s Deepak Chopra’s “my way or the highway” approach to bargaining won’t lead to a collective agreement and will suspend public postal services across Canada, while lining the pockets of Fed-Ex, Purolator, UPS, and other private, for-profit multi-national corporations.  These companies are licking their lips at the prospects of a long work stoppage delivered by Pitney Bowes’s ex-boss Deepak Chopra, which begs the question:  Whose interests is Chopra working for anyway?” said CPC leader Elizabeth Rowley.

“Canada Post’s demands for massive concessions on the defined benefit pension plan, including the introduction of an inferior defined contribution plan for new hires that will eliminate any kind of pension security for the youngest workers, is a declaration of war.   It will lead to the elimination of defined benefit pensions for all postal workers, likely sooner than later, as workers in the private sector have found out after hard struggles with employers to stop the theft of their DB pensions. Continue reading »

2016 Federal Budget: New Car – Not Much Gas

 Posted on April 2, 2016
Apr 022016
 

The 2016 federal budget proposes to make good on the slew of Liberal election promises that resulted in a Liberal majority last fall.   Fed up with the Tories, Canadians chose the Liberals as the preferred vehicle to drive the Tories out and move the country away from a decade of austerity, war and corruption, to the ‘sunny ways’ agenda of promised jobs, prosperity, democracy, and action on climate change. Continue reading »

Disons au Parlement de Rejeter le PTP!

 Posted on March 15, 2016
Mar 152016
 

Le Partenariat Trans-Pacifique (PTP) a été signé au début de février par 12 pays, dont le Canada. Négocié derrière des portes closes, cet accord garantit les «droits» des investisseurs, au détriment des travailleuses et des travailleurs. Les politicien-e-s et les grands médias affirment que les accords commerciaux « crée des emplois» et stimule les recettes fiscales. Mais sous le capitalisme, les compagnies (canadiennes et étrangères) augmentent les profits en réduisant les emplois, en évitant la surveillance environnementale et en exigeant des baisses d’impôt. Le PTP doit être ratifié par les législatures de tous les pays signataires. Mobilisons-nous maintenant pour dire au Parlement de rejeter le PTP! Continue reading »

Tell Parliament to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership

 Posted on March 15, 2016
Mar 152016
 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was signed in early February by 12 countries, including Canada. Negotiated behind closed doors, this deal will guarantee the “right” of investors, at the expense of working people. Politicians and the corporate media claim that trade deals “create jobs” and boost tax revenues. But under capitalism, corporations (both Canadian-based and foreign-owned) boost profits by slashing employment, avoiding environmental oversight, and demanding lower taxes. The TPP requires ratification by the legislatures of all the signing countries. Mobilize now: tell Parliament to reject the TPP! Continue reading »

Block the CETA deal!

 Posted on September 24, 2014
Sep 242014
 

Every government and advocates of “Free Trade Agreements” have dangled the illusion of jobs and prosperity. These have never materialized. Indeed the opposite is true. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have vanished through NAFTA, and experts predict at least another 50,000 jobs will be lost through CETA, the latest and most dangerous of these agreements.

Shrouded in secrecy, the Harper Conservative government, the European Union, and major trans‑national corporations recently concluded the final round of negotiations for the largest free‑trade agreement in Canada’s history since NAFTA. Although there have been setbacks in the German Parliament over the dispute mechanism, the Harper government are still pushing for a signing, at least in principle, in September 2014. CETA would take effect after it has been ratified by the EU member states, and also by the federal and provincial governments of Canada. This makes the fightback agenda very urgent; just as the MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investments) was defeated, blocking CETA is still possible, through a strategy of mass mobilizations and by making this sellout a key issue in next year’s federal election. Continue reading »

Communist Party Condemns Attack on Canada Post

 Posted on January 7, 2014
Jan 072014
 

The Communist Party of Canada joins with the labour movement and its community allies in condemning the federal government’s unilateral decision to eliminate home delivery, raise postal rates, and cut thousands of jobs. While the “restructuring” announcement was made by Canada Post Corporation, these measures are orchestrated by the Harper Tories, as part of their overall agenda to privatize public services and to attack the rights and interests of organized workers.

If implemented, these changes would make Canada the first country in the world to completely replace door‑to‑door delivery of urban mail with the “community mail boxes” which were imposed despite major opposition in rural areas across the country. Those negatively affected will include huge numbers of pensioners and people with disabilities who will find it much more difficult to get their mail on a regular basis. The reduction of service levels and staggering price increases to begin next March will also devastate thousands of small businesses and charities which rely heavily on lettermail to maintain contact with customers and pay their bills. The bland reassurances of Canada Post and Harper government cabinet ministers that these are “minor problems” ring completely hollow. Continue reading »

Down with the Omnibus Bill C-4!

 Posted on October 27, 2013
Oct 272013
 

 

The Communist Party of Canada strongly condemns the new omnibus Bill C‑4 to implement elements of the March 2013 Conservative budget, changing many laws and containing an array of measures, including a fierce attack against the right to strike in the public service.

In particular, this bill now gives the government, as an employer, the exclusive right to determine which services, facilities or activities of the State it considers essential, depriving public employees of their right to strike. Currently, the determination of essential services is the result of negotiation between the employer and the union.

In addition, the bill provides that where the employer has said that at least 80% of positions are essential, the right to strike will be completely abolished and the dispute must be referred to arbitration. However, when the employer considers that less than 80% of services are essential, the employer will have a veto over the arbitration. The bill also provides that the arbitrator shall be required to place a preponderance of weight to employer demands. Continue reading »

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