Teachers look at setting strike vote
The union representing 55 thousand educational support workers in Ontario says it’s “disheartened” by
the first contract offer from the government.
The province is offering two percent more a year to those who make 40 thousand dollars a year or
less and 1.25 percent annually for the rest.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the offer won’t allow its members to cope with rising
prices for rent and food.
Its’ initial demand has been for an 11.7 percent annual pay hike.
The union plans a series of meetings across the province on Monday to discuss whether to hold a strike vote.
C-P inks two year deal with workers
The trains will keep rolling on CP Rail lines, at least for now.
The company and the union representing three-thousand engineers, conductors, and yard workers have signed a new two-year deal.
It comes from binding arbitration, which the two sides agreed to enter last spring to avoid a strike.
The contract sees wage increases of 3.5 percent each year, plus improved benefits.
The Teamsters Union will also be joining a group designed to improve workers’ pensions.
Alberta is calling
The Alberta government has launched a campaign to attract workers from Ontario and
British Columbia.
The “Alberta is calling” program is aimed at seeking skilled and educated workers to relocate to the province.
Premier Jason Kenney says his government’s economic recovery program has worked so well that
there’s now a shortage of employees.
Kenney says the high cost of living in Toronto and Vancouver is “just ridiculous,” and he expects many young people to be interested in what the province offers.
More explosions in Crimea
A Russian military base in Crimea has been hit by several major explosions, the second incident in the occupied region this week.
Russian officials say this morning’s strike hit an arms dump in northern Crimea.
On Tuesday, a Russian air base on the occupied peninsula was hit by several explosions, destroying at least seven warplanes.
Ukraine isn’t claiming responsibility for either incident.
