Fudging numbers presents distorted picture

By Lynne Fernandez In Aiming for ‘average’ could help Manitoba, Peter Holle resorts to sleight of hand to convince us that Manitoba’s public sector is responsible for the province’s budgetary shortfalls. He states that the size of province’s …

Doing Austerity in Saskatchewan and Manitoba

  By Lynne Fernandez and Simon Enoch In the Fall 2016 Monitor, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)Saskatchewan’s Simon Enoch penned Getting to Know Brad, introducing Canada’s most popular premier – Brad Wall – to the country. He …

Portage la Prairie P3 decision fails the public interest test

By Paul Moist Pursuant to new provincial and federal effluent guidelines, the City of Portage la Prairie is required to upgrade its wastewater facilities, known as the Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF). The new Public-Private Partnership (P3) project …

Time to give back to Manitoba’s north

First published in the Winnipeg Free Press Dec. 6, 2016 By Lynne Fernandez Those of us who were hoping that the Throne Speech would have details about a strategy for Manitoba’s North were disappointed. There seems to be …

Honouring Ellen Olfert, founder of SAFE Workers of Tomorrow

By Lynne Fernandez In 1995, 19 year old Stephen Nicholson was on the job site working in a paint booth. He was working on the exhaust system and had been lowered into the vent when suddenly paint residue …

U of M Labour Showdown: A New Sheriff in Town

by Lynne Fernandez On October 28th, an unusual joint statement was released by the University of Manitoba (U of M) administration and the union representing faculty, the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA). Unusual because these two entities …

Submission: Legislative Committee hearing on Bill 7

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I hold the Errol Black Chair in Labour Issues at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. On behalf of the Chair, I wish to speak in opposition to …

Provincial Budget Consultation submission from CCPA Manitoba

  This is the presentation Lynne Fernandez, Errol Black Chair in Labour Issues made in person for the Provincial Budget Consultation on October 26th, 2016.  Minister Friesen and Panel Members, thank you for inviting me to present this …

Economic security, democratic rights and the secret ballot

This Work Life first appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press on Oct. 3, 2016. By Sudhir Sandhu Democracy. The word carries a deep meaning for citizens of nations rooted in western democratic traditions. The full measure of the …

Cities and Civic Workers: The Union Role in Building Better Cities

Book Review by Jim Silver Although Carlo Fanelli’s book Megacity Malaise: Neoliberalism, Public Services and Labour in Toronto is not about Winnipeg, it offers many insights applicable to Winnipeg and to other Canadian cities. Fanelli is a former …