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Union Bug Blog

• May 16, 2014 - When it comes to public pensions, the sky isn't falling
  

  A recent Winnipeg Free Press editorial, Pension Emergency Looming, brings to mind the folk tale of Chicken Little who repeatedly claimed “the sky is falling.” It is becoming clear that the distraction of the public pension falling acorn is really just concealing the fox in the cave: retirement insecurity.

• Apr 24, 2014 - The domino effect of underfunded public services
  

  Our decaying public infrastructure is a symptom that highlights a major problem: many public services are underfunded and when they fail it has consequences on other services.

• Mar 12, 2014 - Canada's Retirement Income System Isn't Good Enough
  

  For the first time in more than a generation, questions about the adequacy of Canada’s retirement income system (and how to address it) have managed to move to the forefront of the national policy debate.

• Jan 15, 2014 - Reducing ER Wait Times
  

  Two recent fatalities have once again thrust the issue of emergency room wait times into the spotlight. Both men who tragically passed away were on their way home after being discharged from hospital. News reports have speculated that hospitals have been discharging patients to reduce backlogs in ER’s.

• Jan 10, 2014 - Public Services Don't Stop for Bad Weather
  

  The recent cold spell has made it difficult for everyone to do whatever they have to do outside, whether it be to drive, walk or exercise. When it wasn’t extremely cold – even for this climate – huge snowfalls made it even more challenging to engage in any activity outdoors.

• Dec 23, 2013 - A Fairness Test to Address Income Inequality
  

  The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is asking affiliates and opinion leaders to draft letters to their provincial governments in support of the idea of a “fairness test” to assess the impact of tax and spending policies in provincial budgets on income inequality.

• Dec 03, 2013 - Dec. 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
  

  More than 4.4 million people in Canada live with disabilities – over 14 per cent of the population. But even those who have jobs are twice as likely to be living in poverty as people who do not have disabilities.

• Nov 15, 2013 - Short-Staffing is Jeopardizing Patient Care
  

  A couple of weeks ago I spoke at a rally at the Manitoba Legislature to bring attention to the issue of short-staffing in our health care facilities and personal care homes.

• Oct 30, 2013 - CETA: Canadians Will Bear the Brunt of Costs
  

  Imagine a union leader, who was being investigated for misuse of union funds, suddenly announcing that he had reached the best collective agreement ever. But when his members asked what exactly was in this historically wonderful collective agreement – timed so conveniently while the official was embroiled in a spending scandal – the union leader said he couldn't tell anybody what was in the deal! In fact he didn't even have a piece of paper confirming that the deal was reached.

• Oct 17, 2013 - One-Size-Fits-All View of MDC Absurd
  

  Recent editions of the Free Press have carried pieces by Will Braun and others regarding the Manitoba Developmental Centre at Portage la Prairie. Braun's piece is most provocative because it is superficial and smacks of zealotry.