Labour Views

By Jack Bourassa  There’s nothing quite like a freshly brewed cup of joe on a frosty winter morning. It’s how I like to start everyday but especially those during our darker and very much colder winter months. And it’s during those initial months when we all begin preparations for the holiday season.

By Jack Bourassa    After weeks, months and years of continuous job searching they still can’t find a job that helps them pay their bills. They can’t pay rent and might soon face eviction and are at risk of becoming homeless. Single parents have to choose between, putting food on the table or paying for their rent. Their kids haven’t had nutritious food in months. They’re lucky if the school runs a lunch program.

By Jack Bourassa    The secret to enjoying happy holidays this season is to live in the moment. It’s a simple concept: don’t get caught up thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Let’s get ready for the holidays with this mindset. I also want to suggest some actions that will consciously contribute to making our holidays happier.  

By Jack Bourassa    We don’t inherit this planet; we borrow it from our children and grandchildren. Our mistakes are their future. Is it climate change, crisis or emergency? Climate change affects our lives— and in a serious pattern. This is not only about the weather getting warmer, an idea that climate change deniers love to dwell on. Climate change means extreme weather events and natural disasters such as wildfires, floods and droughts putting people’s lives at imminent risk.

By Jack Bourassa   Buying groceries, going to the drugstore or running errands around town sounds like everyday activities that many of us do without thinking twice. Whatever we do, there is at least one activity that we all share: shopping. We all have "purchase power" and we use it every day. I wrote in the past about buying local, buying Canadian products and supporting our economy. I want to add to the list: buy from a store where employees are treated fairly.

Jack Bourassa Regional Executive Vice President, PSAC North   Since 1918, November 11, 11 A.M has been a distinguished time – it’s not only a time to remember, but also to reflect and learn. Many of us might have attended a ceremony or observed a moment of silence. The date and the time mark the end of hostilities during World War I (WWI), that took the lives of more than 60,000 Canadians. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. This made it, internationally, a day to commemorate.