The Art of Resistance

Elementary Teachers Federation of OntarioFacebook | Twitter | WebsiteOntario public school teachers have been without a contract since the end of August and contract talks with the provincial government have essentially stalled, with the last talk being held on December 19th, 2019. Key issues being disputed include class-size increases, mandatory online courses for high-school students, funding for special-education supports, a hiring regulation that gives supply teachers with more seniority an edge in getting hired for long-term teaching positions, and protection of the full-day kindergarten program and staffing.On February 21st, The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association and the Association of Franco-Ontarian Teachers, held a joint one-day strike where teachers walked off the job together and joined mass rallies across the province and here at Queen’s Park. This is the first time since 1997 that teachers and education workers from Ontario's main education unions were out of their classrooms on the same day.Today, we’re speaking with Julius, chairperson of the labour committee at the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario or ETFO.

Mining Injustice Solidarity Network Website | Facebook | TwitterFrom March 1st to 4th, Toronto will play host to the annual conference of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada- PDAC is a group representing Canada’s mining exploration and extraction industry. The convention is the largest of its kind in the world, attracting thousands of investors and 26,000 attendees from over 130 countries. It is considered the “superbowl” event of extractive industries, featuring award ceremonies, workshops, and keynote addresses by prominent mining moguls and political figures, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Toronto is considered the hub of the global mining industry.Though it promotes itself as an ethical industry upholding high environmental standards and labour practices, the Canadian mining industry is actually notorious for its ecological and human rights abuses around the world. In 2016, a report from Osgoode Hall’s Justice and Corporate Accountability Project found that between 2000-2015, 709 cases of criminal activity and 44 targeted deaths were related to Canadian mining projects in Latin America. Mining companies and the Canadian government, including under Prime Minister Trudeau, have so far failed to make any meaningful change to the violence of the extractive industry, and few Canadians are aware of these abuses. Today, we speak to Kate Klein, an organizer with the group Mining Injustice and Solidarity Network to learn more about the upcoming conference and the imperial violence of the Canadian mining industry.The Art of Resistance airs Tuesdays on CIUT89.5FM.Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Foodsters UnitedWebsite | Facebook | TwitterCouriers with Foodora aim to become the first app-based workforce in Canada to unionize, setting an important precedent for other delivery workers employed by companies like Uber, Doordash, and Grocery Gateway. On Wednesday, January 29th, the group Justice for Foodora Couriers held a Rally for Workers Rights in the Gig Economy. This rally was held immediately after the adjournment of the first section of the court case between Foodora and the couriers. Closing arguments began on January 29th, and the Ontario Labour Relations Board is expected to make a decision in the coming months on whether or not Foodora couriers can unionize. Today, we’re with Ivan, a courier with Foodora and an organizer with Justice for Foodora Couriers to discuss what the decision made by the Ontario Labour Relations Board could mean for the future of gig workers across the country.