“Workers in Nova Scotia are worse off economically than they were a quarter century ago. For the most part, this deterioration in wages happened at the same time that the economy of the province vigorously increased the wealth it generated.” Now, Nova Scotia has the second-lowest average weekly earnings of…
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According to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada report, the number of migrant labourers in Canada increased from 177,781 to 432,682 between 2000 and 2010. Immigrant Settlement Integration Services says the number of foreign workers entering Nova Scotia has almost doubled in the last five years, from 1,495 to 2,795 and…
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The holy commotion orchestrated by Nova Scotia employers over Bill 102 on First Collective Agreement Arbitration is not really about this very modest piece of legislation. At best, it will affect few employers. As the premier has said, most Canadian provinces have such legislation and it is seldom used. So…
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The recent debate in Nova Scotia surrounding proposed first contract arbitration (FCA) legislation offers revealing truths about the contemporary relationship between labour and capital in Atlantic Canada. Arguments recently presented by the business community to the Law Amendments Committee against FCA can be summarized as follows: – FCA could hurt…
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Today, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia releases its 2011 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Nova Scotia written by CCPA-NS Research Associate, Lesley Frank. It evaluates Nova Scotia’s progress toward Canada’s 1989 goal of eradicating child poverty by 2000. According to the After-Tax Low Income Cut-Off,…
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A friend recently said she supported the Occupy movement but felt their activities were inconveniencing others. I thought of this while watching police clearing Occupy Nova Scotia from Victoria Park in Halifax. Drenched protestors wrestled to the ground, handcuffed, and dragged through mud into waiting paddy wagons was hardly an…
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In case you missed them, the recent food bank usage numbers are staggering. Compiling data from March 2011, Food Banks Canada’s Hunger Count found that Food Banks across the country served 851, 014 people, or about 2.5% of the total population. The Hunger Count is an important tool in gauging the…
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