The North Star Media

08/11/2023

The start of the 2023 school year is likely to be a bumpy ride. Bill 23, tabled last spring in the Quebec National Assembly, has been widely denounced by teachers and their unions. Minister Bernard Drainville’s reform continues the work begun by his predecessor, Jean-François Roberge, by centralizing powers at the ministry and removing autonomy from teachers and school teams. This new law seems to avoid tackling the issues that have been highlighted by the education sector.

The start of the 2023 school year is likely to be a bumpy ride. Bill 23, tabled last spring in the Quebec National Assembly, has been widely denounced by teachers and their unions. Minister Bernard…

08/08/2023

Zol's perspective on Trudeau's divorce.

08/07/2023

In April 2022, Quebec’s three main labor unions (CSN, FTQ, CSQ) announced the formation of a united front to tackle renegotiations of public-sector collective agreements which are expected to reach a new level of tension this fall. This is the eleventh in the province’s history, the first having taken place 51 years ago, in 1972. At that time, the unions joined forces to put pressure on the province’s largest employer, the government. The result: the biggest strike in Quebec’s history and massive gains for workers.

In April 2022, Quebec’s three main labor unions (CSN, FTQ, CSQ) announced the formation of a united front to tackle renegotiations of public-sector collective agreements which are expected to…

08/04/2023

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08/02/2023

The tenants fears about new management taking over the Guelph Stationview Apartements have become reality. The Apartments were sold at a closing price of $8 million dollars on March 8, 2023. As of July 2023, 50 of the 60 residential units in the 4-story downtown property have been vacated. Many former tenants have seeked shelter with the remaining tenants or in homeless encampments throughout Guelph. Management has been reportedly abusing and harassing remaining tenants to pressure them into leaving.

The tenants fears about new management taking over the Guelph Stationview Apartements have become reality. The Apartments were sold at a closing price of $8 million dollars on March 8, 2023. As of …

07/31/2023

"Repeated statements of this kind by the federal government, expressing its desire to impose a contract on workers without their consent, have revealed throughout this dispute its complicity with major employer lobby groups such as the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association."

After weeks of negotiations, strikes and pressure from Canada’s Minister of Labour, the 7,400 port workers in British Columbia who have been in dispute with the government since the beginning…

07/28/2023

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07/28/2023

On July 25, North Star posted the results of its national vox-pop on the perception of the media in Canadian society. To better understand this long march towards monopolization that began decades ago, North Star offers this historical overview.

On July 25, North Star posted the results of its national vox-pop on the perception of the media in Canadian society. To better understand this long march towards monopolization that began decades …

07/26/2023

In January of this year, Amazon workers at the BHX4 fulfillment centre in Coventry, England, launched a work stoppage, making them the first Amazon workers in UK history to ever go on strike – and they’re showing no signs of stopping. With the support of the GMB Union (a general UK trade union), they’ve gone on a total of 22 strike days with the most recent wave of strikes occurring during Amazon’s Prime Week and bringing out a record of over 1000 workers to the picket line in three days.

In January of this year, Amazon workers at the BHX4 fulfillment centre in Coventry, England, launched a work stoppage, making them the first Amazon workers in UK history to ever go on strike & #8211…

07/25/2023

2023 has held a significant shift for the media landscape in Canada, from mass layoffs of journalists, to media mergers threatening to increase corporate monopolies in Canadian media. It was in this context that North Star journalists went out across the country to interview the public on their perception of media in Canadian society.

2023 has held a significant shift for the media landscape in Canada, from mass layoffs of journalists, to media mergers threatening to increase corporate monopolies in Canadian media. It was in thi…

07/20/2023

Workers at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, represented by Local 40 of the Unite Here union, have been picketing daily since June 14 in front of the establishment owned by a Canadian oligarch family, the Laljis.​​​​​​​ Their employees, including room attendants, banquet waiters, receptionists and food service staff, are on work stoppage to oppose the hotel’s refusal to pay a decent wage.

Workers at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, represented by Local 40 of the Unite Here union, have been picketing daily since June 14 in front of the establishment owned by a Canadian oligarch …

07/19/2023

Manitoba Liquor Mart employees have been without a contract since March 2022. The expired contract was created during Bill-28, which forced a majority of public servants to take no raises. Liquor Mart employees were no different, taking 0% in 2018 and 2019, 0.75% in 2021 and 1.00% in 2022. Yet, during this time, Liquor Mart employees faced an unprecedented amount of robberies and assaults in 2019 and were deemed essential front-line workers during the pandemic.

Manitoba Liquor Mart employees have been without a contract since March 2022. The expired contract was created during Bill-28, which forced a majority of public servants to take no raises. Liquor M…

07/18/2023

After supporters of Camp Morgan re-established their blockade on one of the two entrances to the City of Winnipeg's Brady Hill Landfill, the City of Winnipeg served the Camp Morgan blockade with an injunction on Friday July 14. The injunction allows the city to use the police to both arrest and and forcibly remove people.

On Thursday July 6, supporters of Camp Morgan, including various Indigenous Warrior groups, re-established their blockade on one of the two entrances to the Winnipeg city’s Brady Hill La…

07/15/2023

On June 28, Hamilton’s National Steel Car production plant ground to a halt as 1,450 workers initiated their strike for fair compensation and higher safety standards. “Wages are definitely the biggest issue,” said Frank Crowder, President of USW Local 7135, in an interview with North Star. “Workers are upset that the company isn’t offering to match inflation.”

On June 28, Hamilton’s National Steel Car production plant ground to a halt as 1,450 workers initiated their strike for fair compensation and higher safety standards. “Wages are definit…

07/14/2023

Amazon is in turmoil: after workers in Staten Island imposed their first union on the multinational last year, now workers in the UK are resisting too. “I think what we’ve done here is we’ve taken on a giant,” Darren Westwood tells North Star reporter on the ground in Coventry. Coinciding with the Prime Week sales on Tuesday and Wednesday, approximately 1000 workers have initiated a three-day strike action from July 11th to July 13th. Along the picket line, a worker displayed a placard bearing the union’s well-known slogan: “I am not a robot.”

Amazon is in turmoil: after workers in Staten Island imposed their first union on the multinational last year, now workers in the UK are resisting too. “I think what we’ve done here is …

07/11/2023

Despite their best attempts to keep a low profile, a rising number of international controversies has revealed the broad reach and influence of the private consulting firm McKinsey & Company. From their contributing role in the opioid crisis, to their influence on COVID management policies in multiple countries, including Canada, McKinsey & Co has shown themselves to be much more than just a "consulting firm"

11/07/2023 | In the world of private consulting firms, few names come with as much prestige as that of McKinsey & Co. Known for its discretion as much as its controversies, this company shapes the economies and governments of the world year after year. It is present everywhere, changing organisation...

07/09/2023

At the end of March 2023, Quebec's Minister of Health and Social Services (MHSS) submitted Bill 15. The bill calls for the creation of the Santé Québec agency and the appointment of a CEO to head it. The agency will be responsible for managing Quebec's entire health and social services network (HSSN). Many healthcare professionals have sounded the alarm about what the reform means for the public health network....

At the end of March 2023, Quebec’s Minister of Health and Social Services (MHSS) submitted Bill 15. The bill calls for the creation of the Santé Québec agency and the appointment of a CEO to …

07/07/2023

The housing bill tabled on June 9 by Minister France-Élaine Duranceau is raising serious concerns among tenants. The bill would allow landlords to refuse a lease transfer request without serious grounds, making it difficult to protect against abusive rent increases.
According to Alexis Lafleur-Paiement, lecturer in philosophy at the Université de Montréal and a specialist in political ideas and institutions, France-Élaine Duranceau's appointment as Minister of Housing in October 2022 is indicative of the political vision of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government.

The housing bill tabled on June 9 by Minister France-Élaine Duranceau is raising serious concerns among tenants. The bill would allow landlords to refuse a lease transfer request without serious gr…