Wednesday, September 28, 2005
[IWS] CANADA: Weekly Work Report, 26 September 2005
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto).
Weekly Work Report for the Week of September 26, 2005
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.
The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.
----------
STELCO CREDITOR PROTECTION EXTENDED, STEELWORKERS VOTE LAST ON RESTRUCTURING PLAN: Late on September 23, Stelco concluded an agreement with Tricap Management for $450 million in new financing, and reached tentative collective agreements with United Steelworkers Local 5220 in Edmonton and Local 8782 at the Lake Erie plant . With these arrangements in place, Stelco will qualify for a $100 million loan from the government of Ontario, and can move ahead to a vote by creditors on its restructuring plan. Company bondholders oppose the restructuring plan, which proposes to make a $400 million payment on the companys $1.3 billion pension deficit.
The president of USW Local 8782 has stated that the agreements involve no concessions, but the union will not conduct formal ratification votes until all other parties have voted on the restructuring plan. The Court has extended Stelcos creditor protection for the tenth time, until October 4.
LINKS:
Archive of court documents re Stelco restructuring at the website of McCarthy Tetrault at < http://www.mccarthy.ca/en/ccaa/ccaa_detailed.asp?company_id=1>
Archive of Stelco documents at the United Steelworkers website at < http://www.steelworkers-metallos.ca/program/content/overview_sub.php?modules_ID=491&modules2_ID=283 >
Stelco faces more hurdles as it presses ahead with its restructuring plan at < http://www.canada.com/businesscentre/story.html?id=5ab0c5ed-44bc-4ffd-b033-74d6bd7a27e4&rfp=dta >
----------
B.C. TEACHERS BEGIN JOB ACTION: Teachers in British Columbias schools will begin the first phase of job action on September 28, following decision by the BC Labour Relations Board on September 23 which allows them to refuse supervision, meetings and paperwork. A second phase of rotating strikes around the province is planned for October 11 to 20, with a full-scale withdrawal of all services in the province starting October 24 if progress has not been made in negotiations. On September 15, Rick Connolly, the Associate Deputy Minister of Labour was appointed as a fact-finder in the dispute, with a deadline of September 30th to report to the Minister.
The B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) states that its top bargaining goals are to improve learning conditions, restore bargaining rights, and achieve a fair salary increase. It seeks annual wage increases of 4, 5 and 6 % over three years (including 2% COLA each year), arguing that B.C. wages are inferior to those of teachers in Ontario and Alberta. The British Columbia Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA), whose CEO calls the dispute intractable, maintains that they are limited by the net zero compensation mandate established by the provincial government.
In 2002, Bill 27, the Education Services Collective Agreement Act and Bill 28, The Public Education Flexibility and Choice Act, imposed a collective agreement allowing only a 2.5% wage increase per year for 3 years and amended the School Act to remove class size and composition as a permissible subject of bargaining.
LINKS:
Why are B.C. teachers taking a strike vote? at the BC Teachers Federation website at < http://www.bctf.bc.ca/Bargain/negotiations2004/TeachersTakeAStand/WhyStrikeVote.html >
BCPSEA news archive at < http://www.bcpsea.bc.ca/public/aboutus/news.html>
BC Teachers poised to strike in the Globe and Mail (Sept. 19) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050924/BCTEACHERS24/TPEducation/ >
BCLRB decision B255/2005 re essential services (4 pages, PDF) at < http://www.lrb.bc.ca/decisions/B255$2005.pdf>
----------
FIRST CONTRACT RECOMMENDED FOR ALBERTAS LAKESIDE PACKERS: On September 19, the government of Alberta made public the report of the Disputes Inquiry Board into the negotiations at Lakeside Packers, the largest meat packing facility in western Canada. Led by John Moreau, the Board wrote a report that details a fair and reasonable proposal for a first collective agreement, effective until March 2009.
The recommended terms were accepted by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 on September 26 but must also be accepted by Lakeside, owned by U.S.-based multinational Tyson Foods, by September 29. Failing acceptance by both parties, they will have the right to strike or lockout.
LINKS:
Report of the Disputes Inquiry Board (23 pages, PDF) at < http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/pdf/DIB_report.pdf>
Lakeside workers vote to accept DIB conciliators report at < http://www.prdirect.ca/en/view_release.aspx?TrafficID=4202>
UFCW Local 401 website at < http://www.gounion.ca/lakesidebargain.cfm>
----------
ALBERTA WAGE SURVEY RELEASED: The 2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey was released on September 26, providing detailed wage and salary information for approximately 480 occupations and 8 economic regions, including Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray. Results show an overall average wage increase of 8.67 % from 2003 to 2005 (from $19.68 per hour to $21.39 per hour). 56% of employers reported difficulties in finding workers (compared to a 2003 rate of 52 %). The Alberta Wage and Salary Survey is conducted every two to three years. In 2005, Alberta Human Resources and Employment led the survey, in partnership with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Economic Development and Advanced Education. Over 6,700 Alberta employers participated.
LINKS:
Press release and summary at < http://www2.gov.ab.ca/acn/200509/18809823611C6-E630-4D3F-9FBA223469A6E5EF.html >
2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey (searchable database) at < http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/wageinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?format=html&aspAction=GetWageHomePage&Page=Home >
----------
WHO WORKS FOR MINIMUM WAGE? YOUNGER WORKERS AND WOMEN: The Fact Sheet on Minimum Wage published by Statistics Canada shows the distribution of minimum wage workers by province, age, sex, industry, education level, firm size, union membership, job tenure, and part-time/full-time status. Women accounted for almost two-thirds of minimum wage workers; two-thirds of minimum wage workers were under age 25. Only 1% of union members worked for minimum wage, compared to 6% of non-union members. The report was calculated from data from the monthly Labour Force Survey.
LINK:
"Fact sheet on Minimum wages" (4 pages, PDF) from online Perspectives on Labour and Income (Sept. 2005) at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/studies/75-001/comm/2005_09.pdf>
----------
FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR NEW SECTOR COUNCILS IN POLICE, FOOD, PRINTING, AND NON-PROFIT SECTORS: On September 26, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development announced funding of approximately $2 million through the Sector Council Program to create four new sector councils: Police Sector Council, the Canadian Food Industry Council, the Canadian Printing Industries Association and the HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector. Sector councils bring together business, labour and educational stakeholders in key industries to identify and address common human resources and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the sector. The sector council network now covers approximately 47 % of the labour market.
LINKS:
Government of Canada press release at < http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=171439 &>
Canadian Food Industry Council at < http://www.canadianfoodindustrycouncil.com/en/index.asp>
Canadian Printing Industries Association at < http://www.cpia-aci.ca/>http://www.cpia-aci.ca/
HR Council for the Voluntary/Non Profit sector at < http://www.hrcouncil.ca/council/index_e.cfm>
Police Sector council at < http://www.policecouncil.ca/pages/home.html>
The Alliance of Sector Councils website at < http://www.councils.org/tasc/nav.cfm?s=1main&p=index&l=e>
----------
CANADIAN LABOUR AND BUSINESS CENTRE TAKES ON NEW ROLE TO LEAD RESEARCH IN WORK AND LEARNING: The Canadian Council on Learning, a national non-profit organization funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, announced in mid-September that it has selected the Canadian Labour and Business Centre as the lead organization for the new Work and Learning Knowledge Centre. The Work and Learning Knowledge Centre is one of five such centres being created by the CCL ; the others are Adult Learning, Early Childhood Learning, Aboriginal Learning, and Health and Learning. Each knowledge centre is responsible for advising CCL on research priorities, monitoring outcomes and knowledge exchange within its topic area. In September, the CCL commissioned a review of best practices and knowledge gaps in e-learning, diversity, and literacy in the workplace. Principal investigator is Lynn Johnston, Executive Director of the Canadian Society for Training and Development.
LINKS:
Work and Learning Knowledge Centre at < http://www.ccl-cca.ca/english/know/work.asp>
Canadian Council on Learning at < http://www.ccl-cca.ca/english/home/default.asp>
Press release at the Canadian Labour and Business Centre at < http://www.clbc.ca/home.asp>
----------
CSTD ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR TRAINING EXCELLENCE : The Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD) announced four winners of its Canadian Awards for Training Excellence on September 19. The winners were: Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA), Alias and Knightsbridge GSW , Hydro One Networks and Provinent, and Mental Health Works for Working It Out: A Manager's Guide to Mental Health and Accommodation in the Workplace. These awards are part of the inaugural CSTD Learn@Work Week, running from September 19 to 23.
LINKS:
Press release at the Canadian Society of Training and Development website at < http://www.bettermail.ca/m/72/5229/>
Fall 2005 issue of the online Canadian Learning Journal (40 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cstd.ca/filedrop/CLJFall05.pdf> .
----------
YOUNGER RETIREES GO BACK TO WORK FOR MANY REASONS, MAINLY FINANCIAL: An article in the September 2005 issue of online Perspectives on Labour and Income shows that 22% of people who retired at the age of 50 or older went back to some form of paid work, and another 4% said they looked for a job, but hadn't been able to find one. For 38% or respondents their reason for returning to work was for financial concerns; 22% returned because they didnt like retirement; 19% returned for the intrinsic rewards, such as challenge and social contacts, and 14% felt they were needed or wanted to help out. Many people had multiple reasons. The study was based on the 2002 General Social Survey and measured behaviour between 1992 and 2002.
LINKS:
Summary of "Post-retirement employment" by Grant Schellenberg, Martin Turcotte and Bali Ram from The Daily (Sept. 23) at < http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050923/d050923b.htm> . To read the full article, the September edition of online Perspectives on Labour and Income (Cat. #75-001-XIE) can be downloaded for $6 Cdn. from < http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/pickup.cgi?issue=1090575-001-XIE.pdf >
----------
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX RISES 2.6% IN AUGUST: Statistics Canada released the Consumer Price Index report for August 2005 on September 23, reflecting some of the recent increases in gasoline prices. The 12-month increase for the All-items CPI was 2.6% in August, compared to 2.0% in July. With energy costs excluded, the All-items 12 month change would have been only 1.6% in August. Gasoline prices increased by 6.6 % between July and August, bringing the year-to-year gain for that item to 20.1 %.
LINKS:
Latest release from the Consumer Price Index at the Statistics Canada website at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/Subjects/Cpi/cpi-en.htm>
----------
WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK: The World Bank released its annual flagship document, the World Development Report in Washington on September 20. World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development calls for removal of trade barriers in rich countries, flexibility to allow greater in-migration of lower-skilled people from developing countries, and increasedand more effective development assistance.
A press release from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions states that the ICFTU considers this year's report to be among the most balanced assessment of labour issues that the World Bank has recently produced . Like many Bank publications, the 2006 WDR includes some stereotyped and negative references to trade union actions that simply arent realistic But the fact that the report recognizes the positive social and economic role of trade unions, and advocates defending workers rights, is an improvement.
LINKS:
World Development Report 2006 website, including the full report, background papers at < http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2006/0,,menuPK:477658~pagePK:64167702~piPK:64167676~theSitePK:477642,00.html >
Overview and archive of all World Development Reports at the World Bank website at < http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/0,,contentMDK:20227703~pagePK:478093~piPK:477627~theSitePK:477624,00.html >
ICFTU press release at < http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991222829&Language=EN >
----------
Book of the Week: Strategic Unionism and Partnership: Boxing or Dancing ?
edited by Tony Huzzard, Denis Gregory and Regan Scott.
Houndmills. <?xml:namespace prefix = u1 />U.K. : Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. 362 p.
ISBN 1-4039-1756-6
How can trade unions make sense of social partnership? What are the implications of partnership for union renewal? This book takes an international perspective to explore these issues based on an ongoing dialogue between researchers and union practitioners in eight countries. The book develops the metaphors "boxing" and "dancing" to denote contrasting strategic choices to the employment relationship, yet argues that neither approach alone can offer an exclusive trajectory for union development. The contributors conclude by identifying lessons for union renewal.
About the Editors:
Tony Huzzard is Research Fellow, National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm, Sweden.
Denis Gregory teaches Labor Relations and Labor Economics at Ruskin College, Oxford.
Regan Scott is a freelance writer on Industrial Relations.
----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 < http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir>
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky *
Director, IWS News Bureau *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor *
New York, NY 10016 *
*
Telephone: (607) 255-2703 *
Fax: (607) 255-9641 *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu *
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto).
Weekly Work Report for the Week of September 26, 2005
These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only. Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions. This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.
The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission. For inquiries or comments, please contact the Editor, elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.
----------
STELCO CREDITOR PROTECTION EXTENDED, STEELWORKERS VOTE LAST ON RESTRUCTURING PLAN: Late on September 23, Stelco concluded an agreement with Tricap Management for $450 million in new financing, and reached tentative collective agreements with United Steelworkers Local 5220 in Edmonton and Local 8782 at the Lake Erie plant . With these arrangements in place, Stelco will qualify for a $100 million loan from the government of Ontario, and can move ahead to a vote by creditors on its restructuring plan. Company bondholders oppose the restructuring plan, which proposes to make a $400 million payment on the companys $1.3 billion pension deficit.
The president of USW Local 8782 has stated that the agreements involve no concessions, but the union will not conduct formal ratification votes until all other parties have voted on the restructuring plan. The Court has extended Stelcos creditor protection for the tenth time, until October 4.
LINKS:
Archive of court documents re Stelco restructuring at the website of McCarthy Tetrault at < http://www.mccarthy.ca/en/ccaa/ccaa_detailed.asp?company_id=1>
Archive of Stelco documents at the United Steelworkers website at < http://www.steelworkers-metallos.ca/program/content/overview_sub.php?modules_ID=491&modules2_ID=283 >
Stelco faces more hurdles as it presses ahead with its restructuring plan at < http://www.canada.com/businesscentre/story.html?id=5ab0c5ed-44bc-4ffd-b033-74d6bd7a27e4&rfp=dta >
----------
B.C. TEACHERS BEGIN JOB ACTION: Teachers in British Columbias schools will begin the first phase of job action on September 28, following decision by the BC Labour Relations Board on September 23 which allows them to refuse supervision, meetings and paperwork. A second phase of rotating strikes around the province is planned for October 11 to 20, with a full-scale withdrawal of all services in the province starting October 24 if progress has not been made in negotiations. On September 15, Rick Connolly, the Associate Deputy Minister of Labour was appointed as a fact-finder in the dispute, with a deadline of September 30th to report to the Minister.
The B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) states that its top bargaining goals are to improve learning conditions, restore bargaining rights, and achieve a fair salary increase. It seeks annual wage increases of 4, 5 and 6 % over three years (including 2% COLA each year), arguing that B.C. wages are inferior to those of teachers in Ontario and Alberta. The British Columbia Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA), whose CEO calls the dispute intractable, maintains that they are limited by the net zero compensation mandate established by the provincial government.
In 2002, Bill 27, the Education Services Collective Agreement Act and Bill 28, The Public Education Flexibility and Choice Act, imposed a collective agreement allowing only a 2.5% wage increase per year for 3 years and amended the School Act to remove class size and composition as a permissible subject of bargaining.
LINKS:
Why are B.C. teachers taking a strike vote? at the BC Teachers Federation website at < http://www.bctf.bc.ca/Bargain/negotiations2004/TeachersTakeAStand/WhyStrikeVote.html >
BCPSEA news archive at < http://www.bcpsea.bc.ca/public/aboutus/news.html>
BC Teachers poised to strike in the Globe and Mail (Sept. 19) at < http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050924/BCTEACHERS24/TPEducation/ >
BCLRB decision B255/2005 re essential services (4 pages, PDF) at < http://www.lrb.bc.ca/decisions/B255$2005.pdf>
----------
FIRST CONTRACT RECOMMENDED FOR ALBERTAS LAKESIDE PACKERS: On September 19, the government of Alberta made public the report of the Disputes Inquiry Board into the negotiations at Lakeside Packers, the largest meat packing facility in western Canada. Led by John Moreau, the Board wrote a report that details a fair and reasonable proposal for a first collective agreement, effective until March 2009.
The recommended terms were accepted by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 on September 26 but must also be accepted by Lakeside, owned by U.S.-based multinational Tyson Foods, by September 29. Failing acceptance by both parties, they will have the right to strike or lockout.
LINKS:
Report of the Disputes Inquiry Board (23 pages, PDF) at < http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/pdf/DIB_report.pdf>
Lakeside workers vote to accept DIB conciliators report at < http://www.prdirect.ca/en/view_release.aspx?TrafficID=4202>
UFCW Local 401 website at < http://www.gounion.ca/lakesidebargain.cfm>
----------
ALBERTA WAGE SURVEY RELEASED: The 2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey was released on September 26, providing detailed wage and salary information for approximately 480 occupations and 8 economic regions, including Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray. Results show an overall average wage increase of 8.67 % from 2003 to 2005 (from $19.68 per hour to $21.39 per hour). 56% of employers reported difficulties in finding workers (compared to a 2003 rate of 52 %). The Alberta Wage and Salary Survey is conducted every two to three years. In 2005, Alberta Human Resources and Employment led the survey, in partnership with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Economic Development and Advanced Education. Over 6,700 Alberta employers participated.
LINKS:
Press release and summary at < http://www2.gov.ab.ca/acn/200509/18809823611C6-E630-4D3F-9FBA223469A6E5EF.html >
2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey (searchable database) at < http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/wageinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?format=html&aspAction=GetWageHomePage&Page=Home >
----------
WHO WORKS FOR MINIMUM WAGE? YOUNGER WORKERS AND WOMEN: The Fact Sheet on Minimum Wage published by Statistics Canada shows the distribution of minimum wage workers by province, age, sex, industry, education level, firm size, union membership, job tenure, and part-time/full-time status. Women accounted for almost two-thirds of minimum wage workers; two-thirds of minimum wage workers were under age 25. Only 1% of union members worked for minimum wage, compared to 6% of non-union members. The report was calculated from data from the monthly Labour Force Survey.
LINK:
"Fact sheet on Minimum wages" (4 pages, PDF) from online Perspectives on Labour and Income (Sept. 2005) at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/studies/75-001/comm/2005_09.pdf>
----------
FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR NEW SECTOR COUNCILS IN POLICE, FOOD, PRINTING, AND NON-PROFIT SECTORS: On September 26, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development announced funding of approximately $2 million through the Sector Council Program to create four new sector councils: Police Sector Council, the Canadian Food Industry Council, the Canadian Printing Industries Association and the HR Council for the Voluntary/Non-profit Sector. Sector councils bring together business, labour and educational stakeholders in key industries to identify and address common human resources and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the sector. The sector council network now covers approximately 47 % of the labour market.
LINKS:
Government of Canada press release at < http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=171439 &>
Canadian Food Industry Council at < http://www.canadianfoodindustrycouncil.com/en/index.asp>
Canadian Printing Industries Association at < http://www.cpia-aci.ca/>http://www.cpia-aci.ca/
HR Council for the Voluntary/Non Profit sector at < http://www.hrcouncil.ca/council/index_e.cfm>
Police Sector council at < http://www.policecouncil.ca/pages/home.html>
The Alliance of Sector Councils website at < http://www.councils.org/tasc/nav.cfm?s=1main&p=index&l=e>
----------
CANADIAN LABOUR AND BUSINESS CENTRE TAKES ON NEW ROLE TO LEAD RESEARCH IN WORK AND LEARNING: The Canadian Council on Learning, a national non-profit organization funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, announced in mid-September that it has selected the Canadian Labour and Business Centre as the lead organization for the new Work and Learning Knowledge Centre. The Work and Learning Knowledge Centre is one of five such centres being created by the CCL ; the others are Adult Learning, Early Childhood Learning, Aboriginal Learning, and Health and Learning. Each knowledge centre is responsible for advising CCL on research priorities, monitoring outcomes and knowledge exchange within its topic area. In September, the CCL commissioned a review of best practices and knowledge gaps in e-learning, diversity, and literacy in the workplace. Principal investigator is Lynn Johnston, Executive Director of the Canadian Society for Training and Development.
LINKS:
Work and Learning Knowledge Centre at < http://www.ccl-cca.ca/english/know/work.asp>
Canadian Council on Learning at < http://www.ccl-cca.ca/english/home/default.asp>
Press release at the Canadian Labour and Business Centre at < http://www.clbc.ca/home.asp>
----------
CSTD ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR TRAINING EXCELLENCE : The Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD) announced four winners of its Canadian Awards for Training Excellence on September 19. The winners were: Ontario Service Safety Alliance (OSSA), Alias and Knightsbridge GSW , Hydro One Networks and Provinent, and Mental Health Works for Working It Out: A Manager's Guide to Mental Health and Accommodation in the Workplace. These awards are part of the inaugural CSTD Learn@Work Week, running from September 19 to 23.
LINKS:
Press release at the Canadian Society of Training and Development website at < http://www.bettermail.ca/m/72/5229/>
Fall 2005 issue of the online Canadian Learning Journal (40 pages, PDF) at < http://www.cstd.ca/filedrop/CLJFall05.pdf> .
----------
YOUNGER RETIREES GO BACK TO WORK FOR MANY REASONS, MAINLY FINANCIAL: An article in the September 2005 issue of online Perspectives on Labour and Income shows that 22% of people who retired at the age of 50 or older went back to some form of paid work, and another 4% said they looked for a job, but hadn't been able to find one. For 38% or respondents their reason for returning to work was for financial concerns; 22% returned because they didnt like retirement; 19% returned for the intrinsic rewards, such as challenge and social contacts, and 14% felt they were needed or wanted to help out. Many people had multiple reasons. The study was based on the 2002 General Social Survey and measured behaviour between 1992 and 2002.
LINKS:
Summary of "Post-retirement employment" by Grant Schellenberg, Martin Turcotte and Bali Ram from The Daily (Sept. 23) at < http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050923/d050923b.htm> . To read the full article, the September edition of online Perspectives on Labour and Income (Cat. #75-001-XIE) can be downloaded for $6 Cdn. from < http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/pickup.cgi?issue=1090575-001-XIE.pdf >
----------
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX RISES 2.6% IN AUGUST: Statistics Canada released the Consumer Price Index report for August 2005 on September 23, reflecting some of the recent increases in gasoline prices. The 12-month increase for the All-items CPI was 2.6% in August, compared to 2.0% in July. With energy costs excluded, the All-items 12 month change would have been only 1.6% in August. Gasoline prices increased by 6.6 % between July and August, bringing the year-to-year gain for that item to 20.1 %.
LINKS:
Latest release from the Consumer Price Index at the Statistics Canada website at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/Subjects/Cpi/cpi-en.htm>
----------
WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT FROM THE WORLD BANK: The World Bank released its annual flagship document, the World Development Report in Washington on September 20. World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development calls for removal of trade barriers in rich countries, flexibility to allow greater in-migration of lower-skilled people from developing countries, and increasedand more effective development assistance.
A press release from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions states that the ICFTU considers this year's report to be among the most balanced assessment of labour issues that the World Bank has recently produced . Like many Bank publications, the 2006 WDR includes some stereotyped and negative references to trade union actions that simply arent realistic But the fact that the report recognizes the positive social and economic role of trade unions, and advocates defending workers rights, is an improvement.
LINKS:
World Development Report 2006 website, including the full report, background papers at < http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2006/0,,menuPK:477658~pagePK:64167702~piPK:64167676~theSitePK:477642,00.html >
Overview and archive of all World Development Reports at the World Bank website at < http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/0,,contentMDK:20227703~pagePK:478093~piPK:477627~theSitePK:477624,00.html >
ICFTU press release at < http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991222829&Language=EN >
----------
Book of the Week: Strategic Unionism and Partnership: Boxing or Dancing ?
edited by Tony Huzzard, Denis Gregory and Regan Scott.
Houndmills. <?xml:namespace prefix = u1 />U.K. : Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. 362 p.
ISBN 1-4039-1756-6
How can trade unions make sense of social partnership? What are the implications of partnership for union renewal? This book takes an international perspective to explore these issues based on an ongoing dialogue between researchers and union practitioners in eight countries. The book develops the metaphors "boxing" and "dancing" to denote contrasting strategic choices to the employment relationship, yet argues that neither approach alone can offer an exclusive trajectory for union development. The contributors conclude by identifying lessons for union renewal.
About the Editors:
Tony Huzzard is Research Fellow, National Institute for Working Life, Stockholm, Sweden.
Denis Gregory teaches Labor Relations and Labor Economics at Ruskin College, Oxford.
Regan Scott is a freelance writer on Industrial Relations.
----------
121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada M5S 2E8 < http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir>
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
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