Political Action

Stephane Paré, Bryan Wilson, Marc-André Farmer, Aurélie Sarrabezolles, Sonia Thériault, Marc Gallant, Éric Goudreau, Éric Rochon

(PHOTO: Stephane Paré, Bryan Wilson, Marc-André Farmer, Aurélie Sarrabezolles, Sonia Thériault, Marc Gallant, Éric Goudreau, Éric Rochon) Like previous years, the IAM had a delegation attending the Broadbent Institute’s 2017 Progress Summit taking place in Ottawa, the most important gathering of progressive leaders and thinkers in Canada. This year’s theme was Change the Game and participants were able to listen to many speakers on pressing issues, such as free trade as

Is airport privatization merely a trial balloon?

Las Vegas, Nevada – What is the Trudeau government really up to regarding airport privatization? The mere thought of it has both many airlines and members of the IAM concerned. “The government is looking at the cash they could get from the sale of Canada’s major airports,” said Rick Smith, Executive Director of the left-wing think tank, The Broadbent Institute. “This idea came out of nowhere, it wasn’t part of

Machinists among QFL delegates who lobby Quebec City

Quebec City, QC – Twenty Quebec Machinists were among 108 QFL delegates who lobbied in Quebec City on Thursday April 6th. The delegates lobbied more than 50 members of Quebec’s National Assembly on securing a $15 an hour minimum wage, modifications to the Quebec Pension Plan and the elimination of Quebec’s disparity clauses. ‘The fight for 15 is an ongoing campaign and we won’t realize it unless we continue to

Same old same old – federal by-elections change nothing

Ottawa, ON – As the saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same and that sums up the results of five federal by-elections held April 3, 2017. The ruling Liberals retained their three seats as expected and the Conservatives retained their two seats. Emmanuella Lambropoulous easily retained the Liberal seat of Saint Laurent, formerly held by Stéphane Dion who stepped down to become Ambassador to the

SIGN OUR PETITION - IAM Still Determined in Opposing Privatizing Canadian Airports

I recently came across an article about Pearson Airport’s hope for ownership change. The article reveals a hope by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) management to privatize part of the airport’s operations. Since the Emerson Report was released by the Federal Government in June 2016, the IAM has been very clear in our opposition to the privatization of Canadian airports and have provided a position paper to the Government which

The IAM fights against Contract-Flipping on Parliament Hill

The growing trend and threat of contract-flipping at Canadian airports is a pressing issue and the IAM is at the forefront to ensure that outrageous practice ends now. This practice is a major concern to the IAM and our members working at airports. Many of our members are affected by it, especially our Sisters and Brothers working at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, the largest airport in Canada. General Vice-President

“Designing an Alternative: A Response to Right-Wing Populism”

On Saturday, 18 March, 2017, Hamilton, Ontario hosted an intriguing day-long discussion on alternatives to the waves of right-wing populism sweeping the world. Organised by the Hamilton-Mountain NDP Riding Association, “Designing an Alternative: A Response to Right-Wing Populism” featured speakers and discussions with the audience. 11 IAM members and staff attended. Six guests spoke on a range of topics, including “The Problem with Liberalism”, “Bernie Would Have Won”, “Environmental Inequality”,

Machinists see implementation as the key to the budget!

Ottawa, ON – The latest federal budget, as one analyst stated, offers lots of vision but few numbers. It poses two questions: 1) what can our Canadian Machinist members expect but, more importantly, 2) is when can they expect it? The Liberals emphasized skills training, infrastructure and child care. Under social infrastructure, the Liberals have pledged $11 billion but the figure is a hollow one as it’s spread over 11

Caron Visits IAM Canadian Office

Toronto, ON – Federal New Democratic Party leadership candidate Guy Caron dropped by the IAM Canadian offices last week for a morning visit on the heels of an evening organised by the Caron campaign held in east-end Toronto. Canadian office staff asked questions and received answers from the second-term Member of Parliament for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques. IAM Canada looks forward to meeting with leadership candidates as the party works toward electing

Horgan attempts to clarify NDP policies in meeting with Machinists!

Vancouver, BC – Until John Horgan attended a recent meeting of the membership of IAM District Lodge 250, Machinist support for the NDP in the upcoming provincial election on May 9th was less than Luke warm. As far as the rank and file were concerned, there were too many unknowns about exactly where the NDP stood on issues like pipeline construction, environmental regulations, jobs, hydro-electric dam projects, and more. “We