Judy Haiven: Nova Scotia’s minimum wage raise is nothing to celebrate
Judy Haiven takes a closer look at the April 1 raise in Nova Scotia’s minimum wage. Her advise: become a university president.
Month: April 2019
Media release: Activists confront Royal Bank of Canada for financing fossil fuel projects at their Annual Shareholders Meeting in Halifax
A dozen climate justice activists gathered in front of the Halifax Convention Centre to greet Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) shareholders for their 2019 Annual general meeting for common shareholders.
Nova Scotians with disabilities want community-based living supports now
Many Nova Scotians with intellectual and physical disabilities continue to live in large institutions against their will, while others are being taken care of by ageing and senior parents. Affected people are saying enough is enough. We went to today’s press conference at Province House, and transcribed in full the powerful statements by Jeannie Whidden of People First Nova Scotia, and Jen Powley, of No More Warehousing.
Laura Shepherd: Trans people, friends and visibility – a call to arms-in-arms
Laura Shepherd, reflecting on the Transgender Day of Visibility and inspired by the wisdom of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, writes about being an older trans woman, allyship, friendship, and all the complexities that entails.
“That I and my trans peers harbour our own private doubts about the extent of the allyship we enjoy even among our closest friends underscores Miss Major’s assertion that it is time for “The people who care about us, who are involved in our lives, and who know us… to become more visible.”
Always fight back when Community Services treats you unfairly!
Earlier we wrote about a woman on income assistance who lost her special needs allowance. She fought back, she made noise, and now the allowance has been reinstated. There’s a lesson in that.
Who’s policing the police in Halifax?
I ask why it was journalists who revealed the racist bias of police street checks rather than the Board of Police Commissioners, whose job it is to oversee the Halifax police. Then I speculate on the answer. They’re worried that it will expose how powerless they really are.
Brenda Thompson: Punishing the poor in Nova Scotia, then and now
“These stories are true.” Brenda Thompson introduces five people who lived between the early 1800s and today. “Their hardships were not their fault, yet they were punished for being different or for merely being poor. When it comes to people in poverty, our minds remain shut. Our attitudes and policies are still stuck in the 1860s, Brenda writes
Brenda’s piece was produced in partnership with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, for co-publication in Connections, published three times a year by the College. We really appreciate this wonderful opportunity to promote longer pieces by Nova Scotia authors on topics so dear to our heart.
Fight for 15 and Fairness: Minimum wage increase in Nova Scotia just a bad April Fools joke
Today some 70 people gathered on the steps of the Maritime Centre in downtown Halifax for a Fight for 15 rally. Among others, Marleigh Smith, a member of the IWW, and a minimum wage earner herself, spoke at the event. She made some excellent points. This is what she said.
News release: Federation President says public services rally an important event
Union members and their friends will gather at province house for a rally to Save our Services on Wednesday April 3rd. The rally is hosted by the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour and its affiliated unions.
Kendall Worth: Our anti–clawbacks petition was tabled at Province House
Kendall and MLA Susan Leblanc have been working closely together to put an end to the 100% clawbacks of EI benefits and self-employment earnings for people on income assistance. Last week they reached a bit of a milestone when the petition was tabled at Province House.