Budget to include billions for military, environment

Last Updated Wed, 23 Feb 2005 08:55:35 EST
CBC News

OTTAWA - The Liberal government is expected to present a balanced budget Wednesday that includes billions of new dollars for the military and the Kyoto Accord while offering tax breaks to some Canadians.

Finance Minister Ralph Goodale will present an eighth consecutive Liberal budget that balances the nation's books – and is designed to placate the opposition parties who have the power to defeat the minority government.

Goodale is expected to announce around $13 billion for Canada's cash-strapped military. About one-third of the funding, which will be spread over five years, will be directed towards capital projects and infrastructure for the military, The Canadian Press reported.

The environment will also be a key focus of the budget, with about $5 billion earmarked for compliance with the Kyoto Accord, half of it new money. About $1 billion of that will go to a new fund for incentives to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Goodale will use the budget to showcase how his government plans to save money by becoming more environmentally friendly.

The plan will include a new Office of Green Procurement at the Department of Public Works that will look for energy-efficient ways to trim 10 per cent of the department's contracting costs.

Money for social programs will include $5 billion over five years for a new child care program, with a $1 billion initial commitment to be made Wednesday.

To appease the Conservatives, tax cuts will come through a boost to the basic personal exemption amount.

The Canadian Press reports the plan will include an increase totalling almost $2,000 over the next four years in the basic personal amount that one can earn before income tax kicks in.

That will ultimately bump about 800,000 low-income earners off the federal tax rolls.

Immigration will also get a boost of $400 million over five years including funding to help foreign doctors get their credentials recognized in Canada.

The budget is also expected to include more money for foreign aid and an increase to seniors benefits.

Martin will reject missile defence: report

Last Updated Wed, 23 Feb 2005 08:45:33 EST
CBC News

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin will reject Canadian participation in the U.S. missile defence program.

Martin plans to announce in the House of Commons as early as Thursday that the country will not partake fully in the controversial program.

The news comes hours after Canada's next ambassador to the United States, Frank McKenna, set off a storm by saying Canada is already taking part in the program because it has agreed Norad can monitor the skies for incoming missiles.


Martin's planned announcement will mark an abrupt change from his position 16 months ago during the Liberal leadership race, when he signaled that Canada should partake in missile defence. Since then, Martin has insisted that he hasn't reached a decision on whether Canada should be a full partner.

...(after pressure from GWB) But federal officials, who wished to remain anonymous, told the CBC's Radio-Canada that domestic considerations may have outweighed pressure from Washington.

....Federal officials told the Canadian Press later on Tuesday that the United States was informed of Canada's decision at the NATO summit in Brussels.

"[The Americans] were told we will not participate," a federal official, who asked to remain anonymous, told the agency.

"It is a firm 'no.' I am not sure it is an indefinite 'no.''"

....Earlier Tuesday, McKenna, a former New Brunswick premier, delivered an opposite message outside a meeting of the foreign affairs committee, which is examining his appointment as the next ambassador to the United States.

...."I believe that we've given in large measure what the Americans want, which is the ability to use Norad and their intercept information in order to be able to target weaponry," he said.

Canada agreed last August to allow Norad, the joint Canada-U.S. air defence command, to share information it gathers with the people running the U.S. missile defence program.

...Conservative Leader Stephen Harper wasn't buying the distinction.

...."How could this prime minister secretly make this decision, so clearly breaking every commitment he's made to this house and to Canadians?" he asked during Question Period.

....U.S. has 'great deal' of what it needs: McKenna

McKenna told reporters he believes the U.S. now has much of what it needs to operate a "modest ballistic missile defence program."

World in 'gravest possible danger' from flu pandemic: WHO

Last Updated Wed, 23 Feb 2005 10:08:03 EST
CBC News

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - The world is teetering on the edge of a deadly pandemic spurred by avian flu and governments must make emergency plans immediately, a top official from the World Health Organization says.

"We at WHO believe that the world is now in the gravest possible danger of a pandemic," Dr. Shigeru Omi, who heads the UN health agency's Western Pacific office, warned a conference on Wednesday.

"If the virus becomes highly contagious among humans, the health impact in terms of deaths and sickness will be enormous and certainly much greater than SARS."

The scientific conference in Ho Chi Minh City is aimed at co-ordinating attempts to eradicate the H5N1 avian flu virus, which has decimated the region's poultry industry and killed 45 people in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.

Experts have reportedly warned that the virus could mutate into a form that can spread between people and be as deadly as the viruses that killed millions during the world's three influenza pandemics last century.

"This is why we are urging all governments to work now on a pandemic preparedness plan – so that even in an emergency such as this, they will be able to provide basic public services such as transport, sanitation and power," Omi said.

Animal health officials said there's still time to prevent a pandemic by stopping it at its source.

But Dr. Samuel Jutzi of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that many countries affected by the virus don't have the tools and surveillance systems they need to curb the spread.

Appology for wierd spacing...can't seem to fix it...just scroll down a bit more between title of artcle and picture. M

 

Ok this article shows sseveral things....the first and largest one being that Bush has no idean how Canadian politics actually works. What i heard (and i'm pretty sure was in then ews) was that Bush wasnot supposed to discuss Missle Defense with our PM (or others...although that is less clear) at all.

Just because its a Conservative Party does not mean that we will get into the Ballistic program (it might increase the odds but it might not----Diefenbaker was the Canadian Conservative PM who refused to take nukes on Canada's soil like the US wanted to in the early 60's).

 

Second the guy has obviously painfully no i dea how a minority government works. Basically you are extreemly careful about what you do and picking your fights....because quite litterally there could be an election any time. There doesn't have to be one.....but if the government (Liberal Party) can't pass legislation there will be one ( a piece here and there isn't a big deal, unless its a confidence type bill---like budgets, which is later this wekk).

 

So nobody is going to take an unpopular positiong. It appears Martin was almost about the sign up for the program....when he realized he'd have to call and election and changed his mind.....so why would Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party do different?

 

Also i'm amazed at how rude the guy is....he was supposed to leave the topic alone at least with Martin...a bald lie it seems. Makes me glad i had come to Ottawa and was out protesting the day he came (see  aprx Nov 30 entries on topic).

 

There is a good chance there shold be more articles and maybe an editoral soon...i'm going to keep my eyes open (CP is similar to AP)

 

Oh and here is the news article that started me on this discussion.

 

 

Linda McQuaig says polls consistently show we want social reinvestment

LINDA MCQUAIG

When it comes to meeting our Kyoto targets, Paul Martin's resolve has all the firmness of ice cream left too long in the sun. Yet Martin's resolve couldn't be firmer when it comes to meeting his government's debt-reduction target.

One could conclude that debt reduction is simply more important — although nothing could be farther from the truth. Meeting our Kyoto targets has far-reaching consequences for life on Earth, while meeting our debt-reduction target is, well, of virtually no consequence. Some economists think we'd be better off if we didn't meet it.

In the past seven years, Ottawa has taken a staggering $61 billion from federal budget surpluses and put the money towards debt reduction.

We're told this is responsible, that it will reduce interest costs for future generations. But it's about as responsible as parents paying down the mortgage on the family home — even though that means there's no money now to pay for their kids' education, and one or two of them may have to go without food or even live on the street. Martin vows to reduce our debt to 25 per cent of our GDP. Why 25 per cent? Why not 19 per cent, 38 per cent or 41 per cent, where it currently stands? It's an arbitrary number, says Dalhousie University's Lars Osberg, former president of the Canadian Economics Association. A conference of economists meeting in Montreal in 2003 couldn't even decide on what an ideal "debt-to-GDP ratio" might be, Osberg notes.

Yet this intense focus on a largely meaningless debt-reduction target — plus $100 billion in tax cuts announced in 2000 — has left little money for what polls consistently show Canadians want: social re-investment.

We've been encouraged to see social spending as an indulgence we can't afford if we want to be competitive in the global economy.

The Scandinavian countries expose the silliness of this argument. Finland, Sweden and Denmark all have extremely generous social programs, yet they rank among the top five countries in the world in global competitiveness, as measured by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. Finland's currently number one.

This suggests that, far from being a drain on society's resources, social programs actually increase a country's competitiveness. This isn't surprising. Wouldn't we expect children to do better in school — and later become more productive workers — if they don't go to school hungry and overwhelmed by poverty?

Social programs level the playing field, giving ordinary people opportunities otherwise available only to the rich. So it's not surprising that ordinary people generally favour social spending, while the financial elite tends to prefer tax cuts and debt reduction.

Martin has traditionally sided with members of the elite, from whose ranks he comes. As finance minister in the 1990s, he thrilled them with his deep social spending cuts.

But last spring, finding himself staring atlooming electoral defeat, Martin suddenly grasped the importance of social programs, promising lots of money to rebuild them.

This week's budget will clarify whether Martin's deathbed conversion to social re-investment has held, or whether the ever-active financial elite has managed to reclaim him.

------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -----
Linda McQuaig is a Toronto-based author and commentator. lmcquaig@sympatico.ca.

Ineffectiveness of baits for Bed bugs:

The widespread use of baits rather than insecticide sprays for ant and cockroach control is a factor that has been implicated in their return. Bed bugs are blood feeders that do not feed on ant and cockroach baits.

Lifespan and Spread

Bed bugs can live for 4 to 12 months without feeding. The bugs will survive longer without a meal at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures.



l/4 inch in length (aprx 6.5 mm)

One female will produce about 345 eggs during her life span. (in three life spans more than 41,000,000 eggs...my calculation based on three generations a year)



Bed bugs are capable of producing up to four generations per year, although one or two generations is the usual number



The adult's lifespan may encompass 12-18 months. Three or more generations can occur each year.



Development time depends on temperature and food supply, and breeding can occur throughout the year in warmer regions or in colder regions where rooms are kept uniformly heated during winter. Egg laying activity is suspended during winter if rooms are allowed to cool, but adults or nymphs can still overwinter under these conditions. Since some bed bug nymphs may feed more successfully than others, development time may vary greatly even among nymphs from the same generation. For this reason, both adults and nymphs will usually be present throughout the year.



Newly hatched bugs feed at the first opportunity. They molt five times before reaching maturity and require at least one blood meal between each molt. Immature stages can survive approximately two months without feeding; however, most nymphs usually develop into adults within 2 to 6 weeks. Bed bug adults often survive up to 2 months without food, but under certain circumstances can live a year or more without feeding.



The adult female human bed bug lays one to five eggs per day. She may lay a total of 200 eggs when well fed and temperatures are higher than 70° F. The eggs are sticky when freshly laid so they adhere to the object on which they are placed. Eggs hatch in six to 17 days.



Newly hatched bugs feed immediately when food is available. They molt five times (i.e., they shed their outer skin or exoskeleton in order to grow) before reaching maturity, feeding between each molt. There may be three or more generations per year. All ages are found in a reproducing population.



Each female bed bug lays 50 to 200 eggs at the rate of 3 or 4 eggs per day. At temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, egg hatch occurs in 6 to 17 days. Hatching may take up to 28 days at lower temperatures. Development to the adult stage may occur in as little as one or two months, but usually takes longer.



Bed bugs feed rapidly, becoming engorged in less than ten minutes. The act of biting is usually not felt, but later there is an allergic reaction to the protein found in the bed bug’s saliva. A colorless wheal or lump develops at the bite location; in contrast, flea bites have reddish centers. Discomfort from bed bug bites may last a week or more. Occasional bites indicate a beginning light infestation of adults; many bites result from a heavy, long standing population of nymphs and adults.



They may be accidentally moved with clothes, suitcases, furniture, and other personal items. Human bed bugs may also be transported in second-hand or rental furniture.



The young bugs may live for several weeks without feeding during warm weather and for several months during cool weather. A single bug will live for 10 months when it can obtain food. Under some conditions, it may live a year or longer without food.



When unfed, the common bed bug adult is 1/4 to 3/8 inch in length and brownish in color. After feeding, the body elongates and widens and the color changes to dull red. This apparent change is quite striking and may cause the observer to believe that two different species of insects are present. Bed bug nymphs resemble the adults but are smaller and have a pale yellow coloration after molting. The nymphs undergo five molts, becoming successively larger after each molt.

Difficulities caused by bed bugs

This is accompanied by severe itching that lasts for several hours to days



Rows of three or so welts on exposed skin are characteristic signs of bed bugs. Welts do not have a red spot in the center such as is characteristic of flea bites.



Some individuals respond to bed bug infestations with anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease.



Bed bugs have never been proven to carry any diseases of man or animals, but they may have a role in the transmission of hepatitis.



The bite is usually not felt at first but later may itch, swell, burn, become inflamed, or form a welt. Effects of a bite vary with the individual but may persist for a week or more in susceptible persons.



There is no evidence that bed bugs transmit any diseases, at least within the United States.



Bed bugs feed rapidly, becoming engorged in less than ten minutes. The act of biting is usually not felt, but later there is an allergic reaction to the protein found in the bed bug’s saliva. A colorless wheal or lump develops at the bite location; in contrast, flea bites have reddish centers. Discomfort from bed bug bites may last a week or more. Occasional bites indicate a beginning light infestation of adults; many bites result from a heavy, long standing population of nymphs and adult

Inspection for Bedbugs

A thorough inspection of the premises to locate bed bugs and their harborage sites is necessary so that cleaning efforts and insecticide treatments can be focused. Inspection efforts should concentrate on the mattress, box springs, and bed frame, as well as crack and crevices that the bed bugs may hide in during the day or when digesting a blood meal. The latter sites include window and door frames, floor cracks, carpet tack boards, baseboards, electrical boxes, furniture, pictures, wall hangings, drapery pleats, loosened wallpaper, cracks in plaster, and ceiling moldings. Determine whether birds or rodents are nesting on or near the house.



In hotels, apartments, and other multiple-type dwellings, it is advisable to also inspect adjoining units since bed bugs can travel long distances.



Bed bug eggs are elongate, about 1/32 inch long (large enough to be easily seen), white in color, and have a distinct cap at one end. The eggs are laid singly or in clusters and are cemented to wood, fabrics, or other surfaces in places where the bugs hide.



Infestations in hotels, apartments, condominiums, or other multiple dwellings, as well as heavy infestations in private homes, are often best left to a professional pest exterminator. Because of the bed bug's ability to migrate, all units in a multiple dwelling must be inspected, treated where necessary, and periodically checked for reinfestations until all of the bugs are eliminated. Reinfestations in these situations may also occur when new occupants or residents bring in bed bug-infested belongings or furniture. The choices of insecticides for use in hotels, motels, and tourist courts are more limited than those for use in domestic dwellings, but there are still dozens of products available.



The common bed bug hides in cracks, crevices and seams during the day. They prefer narrow crevices, with a rough surface, where their legs and backs touch the opposing surfaces. Wood and paper surfaces are preferred to either stone, metal or plaster, although in the absence of preferred sites or during high population numbers the later will also be utilized. The aforementioned cracks and crevices should be filled with appropriate fillers such as caulking.

Control

In private homes, find all the areas that bed bugs hide in during the day time. These must be treated with chemicals. In hotels, apartments, and other multiple-type dwelling places, bed bugs may spread from one unit to another. All units should be inspected. Remove bird nests.



The common bed bug hides in cracks, crevices and seams during the day. They prefer narrow crevices, with a rough surface, where their legs and backs touch the opposing surfaces. Wood and paper surfaces are preferred to either stone, metal or plaster, although in the absence of preferred sites or during high population numbers the later will also be utilized. The aforementioned cracks and crevices should be filled with appropriate fillers such as caulking.



Bed bug control in the home begins with location of the hiding places used by the insects. A thorough inspection should be made during the day and all hiding places that are located should be treated with a suitable chemical.



If the occupants of a home or apartment infested with bed bugs move out, the bugs may migrate to other nearby dwellings



They may also migrate between homes via wires, plumbing or rain gutters.



In severe infestations the bugs will also be found behind baseboards, window and door casings, picture moldings, loosened wallpaper, cracked plaster, or in furniture.



Seal cracks and crevices where bed bugs may hide. Repair or remove loose wallpaper. Remove pictures, posters, or other objects that may act as hiding places.



Wash infested sheets and bedding in hot water. Infested furniture can be set outside during cold weather to kill all stages of bed bugs. At 0° F, two days is sufficient to kill bed bugs while four to five days is required when the temperature is about 20° F. (aprx -18 C and -7C)

Removal

Discarding the mattress is another option, although a new mattress can quickly become infested if bed bugs are still on the premises.



Repair cracks in plaster and glue down loosened wallpaper to eliminate bed bug harborage sites. Remove and destroy wild animal roosts and nests when possible.



Caulk: and paint the bed and the immediate surroundings so that cracks and crevices are sealed or eliminated. This will prevent bed bug movement and habitation. We also offer caulking as part of our non-chemical pest control services in Alaska.

Insecticides

Residual insecticides (usually pyrethroids) are applied as spot treatments to cracks and crevices where bed bugs are hiding. Increased penetration of the insecticide into cracks and crevices can be achieved if accumulated dirt and debris are first removed using a vacuum cleaner. Avoid using highly repellent formulations, which cause bed bugs to scatter to many places. Dust formulations may be used to treat wall voids and attics. Repeat insecticide applications if bed bugs are present two weeks after the initial treatment since it is difficult to find all hiding places and hidden eggs may have hatched.



Do not use any insecticide on a mattress unless the product label specifically mentions such use. Note that very few insecticides are labeled for use on mattresses. If using an appropriately labeled insecticide on a mattress, take measures to minimize pesticide exposure to occupants. Apply the insecticide as a light mist to the entire mattress, opening seams, tufts, and folds to allow the chemical to penetrate into these hiding areas. Allow the treated surface to completely dry before use. Do not sleep directly on a treated mattress; be sure bed linens are in place. Do not treat mattresses of infants or ill people. Alternatives to using an insecticide on a mattress are discussed in the 'Sanitation' and 'Trapping' sections.



Choose one of the following insecticides: chlorpyrifos, permethrin, propoxur (e.g. Baygon) [may be listed as o isopropoxyphenyl methylcarbamate], cyfluthrin, fenvalerate [may be listed as cyano (3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl 4-chloro alpha-(1-methyl-ethyl) benzeneacetate, tetramethrin, resmethrin [may be listed as (5-benzyl-3-furyl) methyl 2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylp ropenyl) cyclopropanecarboxylate], or d-trans allethrin. These insecticides are purchased in ready-to-use aerosol or liquid forms from hardware stores, retail variety stores and similar places.



No insecticides are labeled for use on bedding or linens. These items should be dry cleaned or laundered.



The majority of insecticides currently labeled for bed bug control in indoor domestic dwelling situations contain either pyrethrins or synthetic pyrethroids. These include formulations containing allethrin, deltamethrin, D-phenothrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, pyrethrins, resmethrin, and tetramethrin. Among products for homeowners this is especially the case, although a few other types of insecticides are available. Non-pyrethrin-derivative ingredients include benzylcarbinyl propionate plus eugenol, carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), diatomaceous earth, silica gel, and S-methoprene, some of which are available only in formulations intended for commerical applicators.



Fumigants (intended only for use by commercial applicators in vacated structures) include methyl bromide, and sulfuryl fluoride (Vikane). All of these fumigants are Restricted-Use-Pesticides and are inherently dangerous. Special training and equipment is required to legally purchase and use these fumigants.



Ideally, an insecticide spray should be applied to to the slats, springs, and frame of the bed. Do not treat mattresses or bedding directly unless the product you use is specifically labeled for this purpose! Such items should be sprayed lightly, but not to the point of wetness. Allow mattresses or other bedding to dry thoroughly before using.



Brush or spray applications of insecticides should be made to baseboards, wall cracks, and other hiding areas that may harbor bed bugs. Because they degrade rapidly, applications of insecticides containing pyrethrins should be repeated several times at weekly intervals. Other pyrethroids have varying degrees of residual action and can probably be applied less often (consult the label of the specific product).

Pesticides can be applied to cracks and crevices of dressers, wooden bed frames and headboards, door and window trim, baseboards and similar sites. Three classes of insecticides are reviewed: (1) Botanical insecticides containing natural pyrethrins will repel insects and can 'knock down' bed bugs for a period of time, but natural pyrethrins quickly deteriorate and do not provide the necessary residual action of some other materials. Finishes on furniture and other wood items may be damaged from the petroleum carriers contained in aerosol pyrethrins. (2) Inorganic materials such as silica gel, boric acid and diatomaceous earth will provide long-term control provided they are used in an environment with low humidity. These inorganic materials have very low repellency, have a long residual life, and can provide good control if thoroughly applied to cracks and crevices. However, they are typically white in color and may leave the surface of items with an undesirable film unless they are carefully applied. (3) Synthetic pyrethroids such as deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin and others can provide good control if they are carefully and thoroughly applied to suspected bed bug harborages. They are relatively long-lived residuals and will not damage materials that are not harmed by water. Consideration should be given to the fact that people typically spend in excess of 8 hours per day in the bedroom. If the insecticides are properly applied, there should be little risk of exposure.

Sources used:

Eric Day,(contact) Bed Bugs Manager, Insect Identification Laboratory2003,RevisedSep tember2003; August 1996

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomolog y/factsheets/bedbugs.html" title="http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomolog y/factsheets/bedbugs.html" target="_blank"http://www.ext.vt.edu/departm...

Jeffrey D. Hahn and Mark E. Ascerno,Bed Bugs Revised 1992;Copyright © 2005 Regents of the University of Minnesota.

Susan C. Jones, Ph.D.,Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet Bed Bugs HYG-2105-04

Assistant Professor of Entomology

Extension Specialist, Household & Structural Pests

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105.html" title="http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105.html" target="_blank"http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-f...

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences -Cooperative Extentension---Cooperativ e Extension,Entomological NotesDepartment of Entomology
;April 2003,RevisedSeptember2003

http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/ bed_bugs.htm" title="http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/ bed_bugs.htm" target="_blank"http://www.ento.psu.edu/exten...

Michael F. Potter, BED BUGSExtension Entomologist University of Kentucky College of Agriculture ,

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomolog y/entfacts/struct/ef636.htm" title="http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomolog y/entfacts/struct/ef636.htm" target="_blank"http://www.uky.edu/Agricultur...

Alan H. Roe,Bed Bugs Fact Sheet No. 93;Revised April 2000

Insect Diagnostician

http://extension.usu.edu/insect/fs/bedbugs.htm" title="http://extension.usu.edu/insect/fs/bedbugs.htm" target="_blank"http://extension.usu.edu/inse...

Wal-Mart to appeal union decision in Saint-Hyacinthe

Last Updated Mon, 14 Feb 2005 15:21:17 EST
CBC News
SAINT-HYACINTHE, QUE. - Wal-Mart Canada says it will appeal a provincial decision to unionize its store in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., CBC News has learned.



Sunday's announcement follows the retailer's decision to shelve its unionized store in Jonquière, Que., this May. Wal-Mart said the store was losing money and the union refused to make the necessary concessions to keep it open.




Six months ago the Jonquière store became the only Wal-Mart store in North America to be unionized.



...The United Food and Commercial Workers Union accuses Wal-Mart of not respecting Quebec's labour laws, but the retailer claims the union hasn't played by the rules.



"Any time you have a workplace that ends up being unionized, without the employees in that workplace voting for a union, in our view we have a questionable situation," said Andrew Pelletier, Wal-Mart Canada's public affairs director.



....The retailer also faces legal troubles south of the border. It has agreed to pay a fine of $135,000 US for breaking child labour laws.


Wal-Mart denies the allegations, but decided to pay the fine just the same.

Web Posted | Jan 20 2005 08:55 AM EST

CBC News

Second Quebec Wal-Mart gets union certification
ST-HYACINTHE, QUE. - A union certification drive at a second Quebec Wal-Mart store has succeeded, according to the United Food And Commercial Workers (UFCW) union.



'Wal-Mart workers now realize that if they want a union in their store, Wal-Mart can't stop them'



The union said Wednesday that workers at a Wal-Mart in St-Hyacinthe, Que. have been certified as a bargaining unit after a majority of its 200 workers signed UFCW membership cards



"We'll be sending a letter to Wal-Mart tomorrow to set dates to begin bargaining," said UFCW Canada local president Yvon Bellemare in a release.



"We expect to deliver our contract proposal to Wal-Mart some time in the next two to three weeks," he said....



The St-Hyacinthe location and the Wal-Mart in Jonquière, Que. are now the only unionized Wal-Marts—not just in Quebec but in all of North America.

...Wal-Mart, which the UFCW calls "staunchly anti-union", is also facing certification applications at about a dozen other locations in Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, including applications representing workers at seven Wal-Mart Tire & Lube Express departments in B.C.



"The momentum is picking up," said UFCW Canada's national director, Michael Fraser.



"Wal-Mart workers now realize that if they want a union in their store, Wal-Mart can't stop them."



Wal-Mart has 235 stores in Canada, employing more than 60,000 people.

Web Posted | Oct 14 2004 10:22 AM EDT

CBC News



Union accuses Wal-Mart of fearmongering



...Approximately 150 staff members at the Wal-Mart store in the Saguenay were certified as a bargaining unit on Aug. 2, 2004.



...Union skeptical



Workers were surprised to hear Wal-Mart say the store isn't economically viable, according to Louis Bolduc, who speaks for the UFCW.



"I guess the only thing that is not viable for Wal-Mart is to live with a union," Bolduc says.[emphasis mine]



...The 180 workers at a third store, in Brossard, Que., filed for certification on July 22, 2004.

Wal-Mart contests Manitoba union vote process
Last Updated Fri, 27 Jun 2003 23:37:07 EDT

CBC News



...The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) claims it has the support of more than 50 per cent of the 130 eligible workers at the store in Thompson.



But Wal-Mart says it contests the conduct of the voting process, including coverage by the media. Wal-Mart claims a CBC cameraman was too close to voters while taping footage from the store's parking lot, and could have influenced the voters' decisions.



In a statement, the company says: "Wal-Mart is concerned that the integrity of the voting process in Thompson is protected. Under Manitoba law, there is no electioneering permitted at a workplace or polling station on the day of a vote."



...However, the UFCW says CBC's presence was not influencing anyone and called the entire process fair.



Colin Trigwell, organizing director with the union, denounced the move. "It's terrible. To me, it's another stall tactic in delaying the democratic process," he said.



The Manitoba Labour Relations Board did not return phone calls to the CBC, but a board representative said Thursday there is no law restricting the media from covering any labour vote in the province.



The union vows this delay will not slow down its drive to unionize all Wal-Marts in the province.

Manitoba Wal-Mart workers say no to union
Last Updated Fri, 06 Aug 2004 18:11:24 EDT

CBC News


...Workers at the Thompson store voted June 4. Results of the vote were released Friday by the Manitoba Labour Board.



It's the second time the Manitoba employees have voted on the issue. Last August, they voted 61 to 54 against representation by the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW).



Wal-Mart and the UFCW have engaged in a heated battle over the years. Union officials have accused the company of convincing employees to vote against the union.



The company issued a statement after the Manitoba board released the results: "Wal-Mart was extremely limited in its communication to its own associations about the issue of unionization throughout the union's lengthy and aggressive organizing."



After a handful of meatpackers in Texas joined the UFCW, they were laid off when the company switched to pre-packaged meat. [emphasis mine] Wal-Mart is also fighting a union certification order in Saskatchewan. It wants the right to give employees information during a union drive.

Union wins Wal-Mart fight


Last Updated May 12 2003 09:59 AM PDT

CBC News

VANCOUVER – B.C.'s Labour Relations Board has ruled Wal-Mart violated the rights of workers at its Quesnel store by interfering with efforts to unionize the store.



United Food and Commercial Workers union spokesperson Tom Fawkes says he's pleased the LRB has upheld the workers' right to decide – without intimidation or coercion – whether they want to join the union.



"It pointed out that Wal-Mart did violate the code, and it did interfere in its employees' right to exercise freedom to choose whether they want to, or don't want to, belong to a union."



The LRB has ordered managers at the Wal-Mart store to read its decision aloud to all its employees.

Union's Wal-Mart campaign heating up(this is the full article

Union moves into third Quebec Wal-Mart
Last Updated Jul 29 2002 08:49 AM PDT

CBC News

Vancouver – The United Food and Commercial Workers union has filed charges of unfair labour practice charges against Wal-Mart.



The union says the charges are the result of the company's reaction to an organizing campaign underway at it's store in Quesnel.



Union local president Brooke Sundin says the company is showing no respect for the rights of workers to join a union.



He wants the Labour Relations Board to intervene, and stop what he calls intimidation by Wal-Mart managers.

VANCOUVER - The B.C. Ministry of Health is correcting a government website that describes homosexuality as a mental disorder, next to bestiality and pedophilia.

Until Thursday, the description was there on the Medical Services Plan website in a section that provides diagnostic codes for doctors to use when filing for reimbursement from the provincial government. The site is accessible to the general public as well as doctors.

He wants an explanation as to how the listing made it to the website in the first place...

..."It saddens me to think that the government has allowed this kind of statement or rationale or process to still continue," he said. "Obviously something needs to be done from either an administrative level or a political level."

Maynard said there was a time when psychiatrists universally believed that homosexuality was a mental disorder. But the American Psychiatric Association struck that characterization from its diagnostic manuals in 1973....

Health Ministry spokesperson Michelle Stewart said the diagnostic codes have been listed for doctors since the 1980s.

Stewart said the province was just made aware of the problem on Wednesday, and she promised to have it taken off the website immediately.

Hi...these are a couple more stories on the closing of the Jonquier Wal Mart...six months after it unizioned. Its too bad for the people working there that there is a Liberal government provincially at the moment..a Partie Quebecois (PQ) government would be more likely to act (in Quebec the Liberal party is federalist but fairly conservative [but not near to Republican] wherease the PQ has both Conservative and Liberals...mind you their final goal is to make Quebec a seperate country...which is controversial as is some of their French language promotion laws (generally they don't get on my nerves as much as some Canadians...partly because they have a left wing...the only party in Quebec that gets seats provincially that has them..). I folowed the Ontario case mentioned...it was very messy  from what i remember...i'm not sure and i might  be remembering wrong (or it might have been gossip) but i think they threatened to close...? I don't know if they ever succesffuly negotated a contract. And if you notice that group was unioned because of intimidation (which was the part i followed). From what i remember that involved firing people who were trying to unionize but where it looked like they hadn't broken the law (ie were working within labour law in how they were trying to unionize...but its been a while since i read up on it...likely aout 3 years)...M

 

 

 

 

 

How Canada stunned Bush

Iraq stand hard to believe for U.S.

Retiring envoy makes revelation

TIM HARPER
WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON—Canada's outgoing ambassador to Washington revealed for the first time yesterday the shock and disbelief in the Bush administration when prime minister Jean Chrétien kept Canadian troops out of Iraq.

Michael Kergin said in an interview yesterday that administration insiders had all but ignored the diplomatic signals from Ottawa in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.

Despite all the signs and statements from Ottawa about the need for United Nations backing, the decision somehow still caught official Washington off guard, he said.

"Sometimes in these things, the wish gives father to the thought," said Kergin, who retires at the end of this month.

Canada had flagged its intentions, Kergin said, but in the National Security Council, then the domain of national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, and in Donald Rumsfeld's Pentagon — "in spite of themselves, they still thought ... somehow we would find a way.

"It's like you can't quite believe it when you're told it and you really believe in the end it would happen. And in this case, it didn't."

Kergin said before a final message could be conveyed, Chrétien's statement to the House of Commons was broadcast live on CNN.

The U.S. State Department and National Security Councils both used the term "disappointment," as did U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci, Kergin said, but the tone of the reaction he received indicated anger and irritation, even if those words were never used.

"What I kept hearing from up on (Capitol) Hill, was `You were with us in World War II, you were always with us, how could you let us down now?'" Kergin recalled.

"I'd hear `You were with us in Korea, how could you not be with us,' ignoring entirely the sort of unilateral approach to Iraq. That just doesn't figure in their thinking, particularly."

Republicans upbraided him for ignoring the threat to the North America continent because Saddam Hussein was believed to have weapons of mass destruction — a claim now refuted.

 

 

 

 

Well i managed to watch quite a few movies this month...i certainly got my money's worth out of the movie channel. I usually wouldn't consider watching a lot of movies to be a big achievement but i've been doing lousy during the month...i didn't have the concentration to read really and it was something to do. And i guess i do feel some achievement...it meant i was able to concentrate long enough to watch the stuff. I'm doing somewhat better but i'm still increasing one of my meds (likely we'll be fidling with them for a while) which is making me tired. As soon as i get used to it, it goes up again (they need to go up slow). In the long run i should be more functional...or at least that is the hope. However in the short run it means i'm...well watching a lot of movies. And quitting smoking...so i guess i'm getting some good stuff done.

 

And while the Hollywood stuff is nice there is a fair amount of Foreign, Canadian and Independent and that is really nice to be able to watch again. I used to go to the theatre in the city that did that stuff quite frequently back when i had some money and i really missed it. I don't like the fact that the channel is choosing the stuff for me...but the world isn't perfect. And a couple i knew and wanted to see showed up...Canadian one's:

 

The Babarian Invasions which is by Denis Arcand (its loosely a follow up to Decline of the American Empire---which was great and i believe won the Cannes although he's done other good stuff since then from what i'm told...however i haven't seen it, my video machine died the time i rented Jesus de Montreal...so i saw half and by the time his next movie came out i wasn't renting or going anymore).

 

The other was Seducing Dr. Lewis (in french the title was just La Grande Seduction which is slightly different---the great or large seduction---somewhat more appropriate i think). It was a sleeper hit, done in French. Its about a small fishing community where there is no longer any fish. But there is a chance of getting a factory. There is one problem...they need to have a doctor to get the factory and they don't have one. They manage to get one to visit for a month (in a very amusing way) and go about trying to make sure he stays...from faking playing cricket when he arrives (because they know he likes Cricket...but Cricket is not a big thing in Canada...especially in French Canada) to tapping his phone and making the food he wants to eat. Oh and watching cricket in the local pub---even though they all want to watch Hockey. Its hilarious and worth watching. They were both subtitles and in fact i don't know if i'd watch if it was dubbed. I speak french well enough that i can make do with only using the subtitles as a guide when i'm having a problem...and doing most of it in French. For that matter i can watch Hollywood movies dubbed into French (slightly easier actually french is spoken faster than English...so there is more space in a Hollywood movie in a way...but they need to get it in fast). I won't get every single word...but i can still enjoy it. I don't like dubbed stuff...even if its in Spanish or something i don't speak. And for the French...well there is a somewhat different content and sometimes the dubbing is better than other times. And hey i learned the Quebecois term for come (as in orgasm) from Decline of the American Empire...i vaguely learned the term for blow job from the Barbarian Invasions (i don't have it on tape, but i'd likely recognize it again...its quite different and relates to firemen and firehososes from what i could tell...quite amusing...there was a small section on that and it would make sense in subtitles but i think it would be totally lost in dubbing). That is not the type of stuff they teach you in school. So the list of what i watched this month: