Insurrection!

Labour protests and demands for more money are the new bouncy castles:

Canada could face a summer of strikes and other labour disruptions as workers demand cost-of-living increases and better conditions than those seen throughout the past two years of the pandemic, say union officials and other observers.

Hundreds of thousands of health and education workers are among those whose unions and employers will be at the bargaining table over the coming months, alongside others in transport, trades, food retail and other sectors.

With inflation suddenly at 7.7 per cent, unions and labour experts say workers won't settle for the typical annual pay raise of 1-1.5 per cent they would have accepted one or two years ago.

"We're in for a summer of labour unrest. There's no question about it," said Larry Savage, professor of labour studies at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont.

"Their cost of living is much higher, utilities are higher, rent is higher, food is higher, and their wages have not been able to keep pace. I think there's a lot of anger and a lot of resentment."

Many have already taken to the picket lines, including CN Rail signal and communications workers, croupiers at the Montreal Casino, and 330 workers at a Toronto e-commerce warehouse owned by a subsidiary of Hudson's Bay.

 

Let them fight.