Briarpatch articles from November 2007

Briarpatch archives from November 2007

Briarpatch wins a fishy award.(The Business End of the patch)
November 1, 2007... Briarpatch was recently honoured with a "Not Sponsored by Cameco" award from Saskatoon's Friends of Community Culture. The prestigious "Fishies" were handed out at a tongue-in-cheek gala put on by Saskatoon's Friends of Community Culture. The...

A thank-you ...(The Business End of the patch)
November 1, 2007... We're happy to report that thanks to your generous donations, our Fall 2007 donor appeal has raised over $6,000 as of October 1. Thank you to those who have already given! The names of all recent donors will appear in our December/January 2008...

... and an apology.(The Business End of the patch)
November 1, 2007... We owe an apology to those Sustaining Subscribers who, through a technical oversight, unintentionally received our fall donor appeal in the mail. We've resolved the problem, and appreciate the understanding of our supporters.

Mall, shmall.(The Business End of the patch)
November 1, 2007... Be sure to check out our holiday gift offer insert card in this issue--we think we've made you an offer you can't refuse: not only can you get your holiday gift giving out of the way without setting foot in a mall, but you'll be sharing a...

This issue was made possible by ...(The Business End of the patch)
November 1, 2007... Thank you to all of the organizations that helped make this special labour issue of' Briarpatch possible, both through their advertising and donations. Donations from the following organizations helped cover the cost of producing this magazine:...

Reward our attention-seeking behaviour with a letter.(The Business End of the patch)
November 1, 2007... No space for a letters page this issue, but never fear--Briarpatch's irascible reader-commentators will be back in full effect next issue with their quips, quibbles, and queries, loin the fray--write a letter! Send it by mail, email...

When the proletariat meets the precariat: precarity and the labour movement.(Letter from the Editor)
November 1, 2007... The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life. JANE ADDAMS SOMETIMES A TERM COMES ALONG that enables us to name--to make visible--our situation, to...

Building 'the world's most flexible workforce': the Harper government's 'double-doubling' of the Foreign Worker Program.
November 1, 2007... Since coming to power, the Harper Conservatives have moved aggressively to expand Canada's Foreign Worker Program, making it increasingly easy for employers to import workers from abroad. In this first segment of our special report on Canada's...

Voices from the front lines: three sites of struggle against precarious labour in Canada.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As part of an ongoing project, Making the Links Radio is conducting interviews and producing radio shows focused on immigrant communities in Canada. From these conversations, we bring you glimpses of three important...

Free trade's refugees: Mexico's migrant workers at home and abroad.
November 1, 2007... Former farmers driven north in search of work have found that the rules governing the free flow of capital don't apply to them--indeed, that crossing borders has never been more die, cult IN A VILLAGE CALLED ANAGUA, in the state of...

Bikes without borders: Canadian activists join forces to make the roads safe for migrant cyclists.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT CONNECTS singer/songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, a rape crisis centre in Brantford, Ontario, and an anti-poverty group in nearby Port Dover? They've all come together to help ensure the safety of migrant farm...

Out of their labours: portraits of migrant farm workers.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "These photos were taken on farms in southern Ontario, as well as in Mexico, in the home villages of the workers. The portraits provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of people who are the backbone of Canada's...

'Each day of our lives is dedicated to surviving': the realities of life on welfare in Quebec.
November 1, 2007... THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC is in the midst of a major swing to the right, as the results of the March 2007 provincial election indicate. The centre-right Liberals of Jean Charest managed to hold on to power with a minority government, and the...

Enough to live on: the case for guaranteed income and the end of the growth economy.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PRECARIOUS WORK IS ON THE RISE in Canada. Although the quantity of jobs has increased, often dramatically, during recent years of economic boom, there has also been a strong tendency for full-time, relatively...

Working for a ban: the numbered days of Canada's asbestos industry: over 40 countries have banned the use of asbestos--a known and dangerous carcinogen. So why does Canada continue to oppose a ban? And where does the labour movement stand on the question?
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ASBESTOS, THE HEAT-RESISTANT MINERAL commonly used in construction materials up until the 1980s, is now recognized as the largest occupational health hazard in the history of public occupational health policy. It...

Workplaces That Work: A Guide to Conflict Management in Union and Non-Union Work Environments.
November 1, 2007... Workplaces That Work A Guide to Conflict Management in Union and Non-Union Work Environments By Blaine Donais Canada Law Books, 2006 DON'T LET THE BUSINESS SUIT in the author's photo fool you: Saskatchewan-born Blaine Donais' roots are...

The Deserter's Tale: The story of an ordinary soldier who walked away from the war in Iraq.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Deserter's Tale The story of an ordinary soldier who walked away from the war in Iraq By Joshua Key as told to Lawrence Hill Anansi, 2007 AMERICAN CLAIMS TO A JUST and benevolent intervention in Iraq have...

Seizing the advantage: making the Supreme Court collective bargaining ruling work for working people.(Parting Shots)
November 1, 2007... IN A LANDMARK RULING on June 8 of this year, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms constitutionally protects collective bargaining as part of its guarantee of freedom of association. There is nothing...