• New Minimum Wage Condemns Workers to Poverty

    February 3, 2014

    The Ontario government is both increasing the minimum wage and condemning low-wage workers to a life of poverty. Premier Kathleen Wynne announced her government will up the lowest legal wage an employer can pay a worker to $11 per hour as of June 1, 2014. However, workers’ rights advocates point out that at $11 per ...

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  • New report discusses future of nuclear in Canada

    February 3, 2014

    A new report by the Public Policy Forum on the future of nuclear in Canada was published last month. Co-sponsored by The Society, the report charts a course for the Canadian nuclear industry in light of recent sub-national, national and international trends. Public Policy Forum concluded that the industry needs to work closely together to improve ...

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  • In Memoriam: Diane Zavitz

    February 3, 2014

    The Executive of the Pensioners’ Chapter is sad to inform members of the passing of Diane Zavitz.  Diane was a Director with the Pensioners’ Chapter until her illness in November 2013.  She helped the Chapter keep on top of health and dental matters, and assisted a number of pensioners with their benefit issues.  She passed away ...

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  • Workers’ Rights campaign set to launch

    February 3, 2014

    The Society is launching a major Workers’ Rights campaign to engage every member in the fight against the anti-worker policies that jeopardize our pensions, wages and communities. “Municipal, provincial and federal elections are just around the corner,” said EVP Policy Michelle Johnston. “It’s important that members, their families and friends all understand the damage that right-wing ...

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  • Society negotiates with RFP bidders

    February 3, 2014

    The Society is in negotiations with companies seeking to bid on a request for proposals with Hydro One to provide the services currently delivered by Inergi and Vertex, both employers of Society members. The Society successfully negotiated with Hydro One to require any successful bidder to voluntarily recognize the work under this RFP as that of ...

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  • National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada

    December 6, 2013

    A message from President Scott Travers December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. Today we remember the 14 women killed by a gunman at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal on December 6, 1989; killed only because they were women. This incident of gender-based violence moved Canadians to demand that ...

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  • Watch Pandora’s Promise, November 7

    November 6, 2013

    “I had not altered my position on nuclear power until last week, when I watched Robert Stone’s new documentary, ‘Pandora’s Promise.’” – Michael Spector, The New Yorker Pandora’s Promise (official web site) is the documentary that is reshaping public opinion on nuclear power and it’s coming to CNN tomorrow, November 7, at 9PM (please check local ...

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  • In the news: Coal and gas are far more harmful than nuclear power

    October 29, 2013

    By Pushker Kharecha and James Hansen, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Human-caused climate change and air pollution remain major global-scale problems and are both due mostly to fossil fuel burning. Mitigation efforts for both of these problems should be undertaken concurrently in order to maximize effectiveness. Such efforts can be accomplished largely with currently available low-carbon and ...

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  • Demonized to Organized book talk for H1 Youth Committee

    October 27, 2013

    Hydro One’s Young Professionals Committee hosted more than 50 members at a lunch-time book talk by Demonized to Organized author Nora Loreto. In looking at the challenges organized labour has faced in Canada over the past 30 years, Loreto’s book charts a new course for unions. The former student movement leader who has worked on progressive ...

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  • The Society Advocates evidence-based, long-term planning for the energy sector

    October 1, 2013

    The Society made a robust submission to the Ministry of Energy’s Long-term Energy Plan (LTEP) consultation on September 16.With policy development led by the Technical Advisory Committee and its chair David Brown, the cornerstone of The Society’s LTEP submission was the belief that the energy sector works best for Ontarians when decisions are made through ...

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  • Legal Aid Lawyers Get Big Boost in Bid to Join The Society

    September 25, 2013

    Lawyers at Legal Aid Ontario received a big boost from Ontario’s Attorney General as they continue their fight to have their employer recognize these lawyers’ collective bargaining rights.On the heels of events on September 23 and 24 to pressure Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) and the provincial government, which oversees LAO, to recognize LAO lawyers’ collective ...

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  • BBQs Sizzled

    September 16, 2013

    More than 200 Hydro One members came out to the Hydro One Society Young Professionals Committee’s (SYPC) barbeque on September 15. The event raised money for Covenant House, a local shelter for homeless youth. President Scott Travers attended to thank the Hydro One SYPC for their initiative and encourage more young members to get involved in ...

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  • The Society Rocked Labour Day

    September 4, 2013

    Society members streamed into Labour Day parades across Ontario on September 3 to celebrate the labour movement’s successes and commit to fighting the Stephen Harper and Tim Hudak right-to-work agenda that jeopardizes The Society’s members’ – and all workers’ – pensions and wages. The Society was represented at parades in Durham, Hamilton, Sudbury, Port Elgin and ...

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  • Deals Struck

    August 31, 2013

    Several locals have bargained a new collective agreement or had a new collective agreement imposed through arbitration since the last edition of The Society’s E-News. Over the spring and summer, members at IESO, Hydro One, OPG, NWMO and NSS have all entered into new collective agreements with their respective employers. Given the recessionary bargaining climate that ...

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