After months and months of not being noticeable on the Canadian Labour Congress's list of priorities (and me and others whining about its absence), making it easier or more accessible for people to join/form unions has made a prominent appearance. This is good.
All we want for Christmas is a better deal 👉 workerstogether.ca
December 19, 2025 at 5:49 PM
After months and months of not being noticeable on the Canadian Labour Congress's list of priorities (and me and others whining about its absence), making it easier or more accessible for people to join/form unions has made a prominent appearance. This is good.
We don't want to be "in their midst"? I know lots of people who've cut back on or stopped US travel, but none who've said it's because of not wanting to be 'amongst Americans'. Canadians are generally directing their ire at the US gov't, not at Americans. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
December 19, 2025 at 3:58 AM
We don't want to be "in their midst"? I know lots of people who've cut back on or stopped US travel, but none who've said it's because of not wanting to be 'amongst Americans'. Canadians are generally directing their ire at the US gov't, not at Americans. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Last week in a tiny bar in west-end Toronto, a band kicked into a beautiful cover of the already beautiful Thirteen from that record. Almost all of the background chatter stopped. When it was over, I heard somebody further down the bar rail say 'My god, what song was that?'.
A miracle of shuddering genius and shambling happenstance, Big Star’s ‘#1 Record’ weaves together the eight-miles-high jangle of the Byrds, the charisma of Marc Bolan and the diamond hard majesty of Memphis blues. Alex Chilton and Chris Bell are the shadow world Lennon-McCartney. Hard odds. Hold on.
December 18, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Last week in a tiny bar in west-end Toronto, a band kicked into a beautiful cover of the already beautiful Thirteen from that record. Almost all of the background chatter stopped. When it was over, I heard somebody further down the bar rail say 'My god, what song was that?'.
You've got to do some digging here to find info on why joining a union might be a way to make things better. Anybody got ideas about why the leading message from a labour federation in a country with low private sector union coverage is not 'Want a better deal? Join a union'?
That morning coffee ritual? It’s getting harder to afford.
New CPI numbers show grocery prices are up 4.7%, and roasted coffee alone jumped 38% just last month.
Inflation isn’t the bitter part. Corporate greed is. Join our campaign: workerstogether.ca
New CPI numbers show grocery prices are up 4.7%, and roasted coffee alone jumped 38% just last month.
Inflation isn’t the bitter part. Corporate greed is. Join our campaign: workerstogether.ca
December 17, 2025 at 6:57 PM
You've got to do some digging here to find info on why joining a union might be a way to make things better. Anybody got ideas about why the leading message from a labour federation in a country with low private sector union coverage is not 'Want a better deal? Join a union'?
Reposted by Brad James
The U.S. has 8X Canada's population
Employment growth since April ("Liberation Day"):
United States: +119,000*
Canada: +166,200
* The U.S. number is expected to be revised down.
United States: +119,000*
Canada: +166,200
* The U.S. number is expected to be revised down.
December 16, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The U.S. has 8X Canada's population
Some interesting pondering here on Toronto's ability/inability to enact broad-scale traffic reduction initiatives. The unconditional surrender to the Conservatives by the NDP and Liberals on this issue means, much like our traffic itself, that movement will be snail-paced.
John Tory couldn't get congestion pricing from Kathleen Wynne's government so the idea that Chow will manage it from some future government is... fanciful.
Councillor Jon Burnside asks if Chow would consider congestion pricing like other cities worldwide.
"It's not up to us," says Chow."Why go down that road because the premier and the provincial government have said many times, 'Don't even think about it!'"
"It's not up to us," says Chow."Why go down that road because the premier and the provincial government have said many times, 'Don't even think about it!'"
December 16, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Some interesting pondering here on Toronto's ability/inability to enact broad-scale traffic reduction initiatives. The unconditional surrender to the Conservatives by the NDP and Liberals on this issue means, much like our traffic itself, that movement will be snail-paced.
Just ordered this, partly on the strength of his 2020 essay "We Don’t Know What We’re Doing". It wasn't uncritical hype re: unions. It was supportive, for sure, but it was also justifiably judgemental and demanding. I liked it. So I'm looking forward to the book. forgeorganizing.org/article/we-d...
Omigodomigodomigod it’s a real book and everything.
On sale October 14th!
On sale October 14th!
December 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Just ordered this, partly on the strength of his 2020 essay "We Don’t Know What We’re Doing". It wasn't uncritical hype re: unions. It was supportive, for sure, but it was also justifiably judgemental and demanding. I liked it. So I'm looking forward to the book. forgeorganizing.org/article/we-d...
In contrast to the CLC, the Ontario Fed of Labour (OFL), our largest provincial union federation, has zero info on its homepage about how or why to unionize. The site's got a "join a union" page, but you have to dig for it via the search function. And when you do find it, the information is scant.
December 16, 2025 at 2:32 PM
In contrast to the CLC, the Ontario Fed of Labour (OFL), our largest provincial union federation, has zero info on its homepage about how or why to unionize. The site's got a "join a union" page, but you have to dig for it via the search function. And when you do find it, the information is scant.
Lovely obituary, and nice use of dairy farming lexicon like "dry cows", "herdsman", and "chores" (which isn't a generalized word for 'stuff to do', but means morning and evening milking duties). RIP Mr. Martens. share.google/W82Ad147wFa6...
Harry Martens ensured every creature (and every human) felt respected in his dairy barn
The farmer had a boundless curiosity and believed in the basics of harm-reduction before they were more commonly discussed
share.google
December 16, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Lovely obituary, and nice use of dairy farming lexicon like "dry cows", "herdsman", and "chores" (which isn't a generalized word for 'stuff to do', but means morning and evening milking duties). RIP Mr. Martens. share.google/W82Ad147wFa6...
Does anyone recall either the fairly steady decline in poverty rates in Canada starting in the early 2000s or the steeper decline from 2016 to 2021 getting much celebration or promotion or even explanation from progressive groups?
On Dec. 12, Statistics Canada released a preliminary estimate of the national poverty rate in 2024. It was 10.9%, the same as in 2023. The Canada Child Benefit introduced by Parliament in 2016 brought the rate down considerably. The pandemic and weak growth thereafter brought it back up. #cdnecon
December 16, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Does anyone recall either the fairly steady decline in poverty rates in Canada starting in the early 2000s or the steeper decline from 2016 to 2021 getting much celebration or promotion or even explanation from progressive groups?
Two labour reactions to the antisemitic terrorism in Australia, from Canada's CLC and the US's AFL-CIO. I can find no formal statements from either, just these social media postings.
December 15, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Two labour reactions to the antisemitic terrorism in Australia, from Canada's CLC and the US's AFL-CIO. I can find no formal statements from either, just these social media postings.
Reposted by Brad James
congratulations to sean o’brien www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘A very hostile climate for workers’: US labor movement struggles under Trump
National Labor Relations Board, the federal watchdog for workers’ rights, has been rendered toothless as employees grapple with corporations
www.theguardian.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM
congratulations to sean o’brien www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Maybe it's been there for a while and I just didn't notice it, but there's now a "Get Into a Union" tab on @canadianlabour.bsky.social website’s homepage. I often whine about the puny amount of organizing-related info provided by central labour bodies in Canada, so this is good news.
December 14, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Maybe it's been there for a while and I just didn't notice it, but there's now a "Get Into a Union" tab on @canadianlabour.bsky.social website’s homepage. I often whine about the puny amount of organizing-related info provided by central labour bodies in Canada, so this is good news.
"This is 17th-century prose describing something that supposedly took place 1,600 years earlier. So why does it feel like news from the front?" Caitlin Flanagan's lovely 2020 essay on Charlie Brown's Christmas.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Charlie Brown’s Inside Job
What gives the 1965 "Peanuts" special its staying power?
www.theatlantic.com
December 14, 2025 at 4:55 AM
"This is 17th-century prose describing something that supposedly took place 1,600 years earlier. So why does it feel like news from the front?" Caitlin Flanagan's lovely 2020 essay on Charlie Brown's Christmas.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
This is an elaborate hoax, right?
December 13, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This is an elaborate hoax, right?
Reposted by Brad James
All I can add is, do not forget Richard Lloyd. His first solo album, “Alchemy,” is a buried treasure if there ever was one.
December 13, 2025 at 5:12 AM
All I can add is, do not forget Richard Lloyd. His first solo album, “Alchemy,” is a buried treasure if there ever was one.
"Is there a better first side to any rock ’n’ roll album in history? From the head-caving reverse-Yardbirds riff on the existential garage classic “See No Evil” to the chiming declaration of eternal supplication “Venus.” And then there is the title track."
Happy birthday to Tom Verlaine, whose music brightened many a mysterious corner, and still leaves me breathless. Here's something I wrote about the enduring spectral-noir-majesty-jolt of 'Marquee Moon' for The Ringer a while back. Venus De Milo and darkness doubled. www.theringer.com/2022/04/13/m...
Lightning Struck Itself: Television’s ‘Marquee Moon’ in Eight Phases
Forty-five years after its release, the landmark debut of this quintessential NYC proto-punk band still sounds ahead of its time
www.theringer.com
December 13, 2025 at 4:03 AM
"Is there a better first side to any rock ’n’ roll album in history? From the head-caving reverse-Yardbirds riff on the existential garage classic “See No Evil” to the chiming declaration of eternal supplication “Venus.” And then there is the title track."
Reposted by Brad James
You can do this right now:
Think of a person who wrote a paper you love, whose work influenced or helped you, or has made your professional life better.
Search up their email address. Shoot them a quick email of thanks. It means so, so much. This is a rough time of year, share some joy.
Think of a person who wrote a paper you love, whose work influenced or helped you, or has made your professional life better.
Search up their email address. Shoot them a quick email of thanks. It means so, so much. This is a rough time of year, share some joy.
December 11, 2025 at 10:08 PM
You can do this right now:
Think of a person who wrote a paper you love, whose work influenced or helped you, or has made your professional life better.
Search up their email address. Shoot them a quick email of thanks. It means so, so much. This is a rough time of year, share some joy.
Think of a person who wrote a paper you love, whose work influenced or helped you, or has made your professional life better.
Search up their email address. Shoot them a quick email of thanks. It means so, so much. This is a rough time of year, share some joy.
I enjoyed reading this essay on friendship, political differences, and much else. It's smart and gentle. And it is the first in what the Walrus says is "an annual essay series that invites writers to explore moments of reconsideration and reversal".
Over in The Walrus I write about my late friend Gerald Owen and the Canadian Tory tradition thewalrus.ca/the-friendsh...
The Friendship That Taught Me Community Can Transcend Politics | The Walrus
Editor Gerald Owen pushed me to be fair in assessing ideas I disagreed with. He made me a better writer and a better person
thewalrus.ca
December 12, 2025 at 12:43 PM
I enjoyed reading this essay on friendship, political differences, and much else. It's smart and gentle. And it is the first in what the Walrus says is "an annual essay series that invites writers to explore moments of reconsideration and reversal".
Toronto & York Region Labour Council op-ed decries politicians who implement "tax cuts for the wealthy" but provides no examples. Wonder if the Labour Council's got a stand on the federal Liberals' recent income tax cut (which gives its biggest benefits to high and high-middle income earners).
December 12, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Toronto & York Region Labour Council op-ed decries politicians who implement "tax cuts for the wealthy" but provides no examples. Wonder if the Labour Council's got a stand on the federal Liberals' recent income tax cut (which gives its biggest benefits to high and high-middle income earners).
Reposted by Brad James
The emergence of major fissures in the ruling party is one of the most important signs that a democratic takedown is failing
BREAKING: Indiana Republicans FAILED to pass a new 9-0 congressional gerrymander after enough GOP senators sided with Dems. The GOP's 7-2 map stays in place.
Trump is trying to re-gerrymander maps nationwide. At least 11 Indiana Rs got death threats after he called for primaries—but it still failed
Trump is trying to re-gerrymander maps nationwide. At least 11 Indiana Rs got death threats after he called for primaries—but it still failed
December 11, 2025 at 9:45 PM
The emergence of major fissures in the ruling party is one of the most important signs that a democratic takedown is failing
Labour relations in Globe & Mail yesterday, and labour relations in Globe & Mail today.
December 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Labour relations in Globe & Mail yesterday, and labour relations in Globe & Mail today.
Reposted by Brad James
Very cool job opportunity, with the very cool @hscoffield.bsky.social at the newly formed Canadian Tax Observatory.
canadiantaxobservatory.ca/now-hiring-s...
canadiantaxobservatory.ca/now-hiring-s...
December 9, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Very cool job opportunity, with the very cool @hscoffield.bsky.social at the newly formed Canadian Tax Observatory.
canadiantaxobservatory.ca/now-hiring-s...
canadiantaxobservatory.ca/now-hiring-s...