WestJet pilots at an 'impasse' with airline over contract talks: union

CALGARY — The union representing WestJet pilots says contract negotiations with the airline have been unproductive and federal arbitration may be needed to avert a strike.

ALPA Canada, which represents approximately 1,800 pilots at WestJet and its low-cost subsidiary Swoop, says it has been negotiating with the Calgary-based company since September.

It says the two parties are at an impasse over issues like wages and scheduling.

WestJet pilots first unionized in May 2017, marking a major shift in culture at the famously non-union airline.

The pilots' first union contract, which expired at the end of 2022, was the result of an arbitrated settlement.

That settlement, reached in 2018, averted a threatened pilots' strike, as WestJet pilots had voted in favour of job action after contract talks fell apart.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.

Lower turnout in renewed protests over French pension reform

Tue, February 7, 2023 



PARIS (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of French marched in a third round of protests Tuesday against planned pension reforms, while new nationwide strikes disrupted public transport and schools, as well as power, oil and gas supplies. Turnout at the demonstrations was lower than on previous occasions.

Train passengers were expected to face more delays Wednesday, with two rail unions calling to extend their strike by 24 hours.

The protests came a day after French lawmakers began debating a pension bill that would raise the minimum retirement from 62 to 64. The bill is the flagship legislation of President Emmanuel Macron's second term.

Over 750,000 people marched in Paris, the cities of Nice, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and elsewhere, according to the Interior Ministry. That’s fewer than on the last protest, on Jan. 31. The nearly 60,000 protesters in the French capital marched from the Opera area across the city carrying placards reading “Save Your Pension” and “Tax Billionaires, Not Grandmas.” The strike disruptions were also milder than on Jan. 31.

France’s current pension system “is a democratic achievement in the sense that it is a French specialty that other countries envy,” said one protester, media worker Anissa Saudemont, 29.

“I feel that with high inflation, unemployment, the war in Ukraine and climate change, the government should focus on something else,” she added.

Much of the Paris march was peaceful, but there were flashes of unrest; police said officers detained 17 people for “throwing projectiles” and alleged vandalism.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne defended the government plan Tuesday but suggested there was room for adjustments.

“I’m convinced there are points of agreement to be found. I’m convinced that we can improve this text together. It will be through debate, confronting ideas and, of course, respect,” she said, noting graffiti that appeared on the meeting place of the National Assembly, including a door marked with “60.”

If nothing is done, Borne said, taxes and social charges will increase, along with unemployment and lower purchasing power. That would would cost retirees with modest pensions and “all those who worked all their lives, and certainly not the big bosses," she said.

“Voila, your alternative project,” Borne said.

Last week, an estimated 1.27 million people demonstrated, according to authorities, more than in the first big protest day on Jan. 19. More demonstrations, called by France's eight main unions, are planned for Saturday.

Rail operator SNCF said train services were severely disrupted Tuesday across the country, including on its high-speed network. International lines to Britain and Switzerland were affected. The Paris metro was also disrupted.

Saad Kadiui, 37, a consulting cabinet chief who had to go through a disrupted Paris train station Tuesday, said he did not support the “wearisome” strikes. “There are other ways to protest the pension reform,” he said.

Kadiui said he supported the principle of the pension reform but wanted the bill to be improved in parliament. “I think that for some jobs, 64 is too late,” he said.

Train travel in France is set to remain disrupted into Wednesday. The CGT-Cheminots and SUD-Rail unions on Tuesday evening extended their members' walkout by a day. SNCF said the action would lead to delays or cancellations in up to a third of high-speed trains.

Workers in oil refineries have said they also plan to continue their strike action into Wednesday.

Power producer EDF said the protest movement led to temporarily reduced electricity supplies Tuesday, without causing blackouts. More than half of the workforce was on strike at the TotalEnergies refineries, according to the company.

The Education Ministry said close to 13% of teachers were on strike, a decrease compared to last week's protest day. A third of French regions were on scheduled school breaks.

Macron vowed to go ahead with the changes, despite opinion polls showing growing opposition. The bill would gradually increase the minimum retirement age to 64 by 2030 and accelerate a planned measure providing that people must have worked for at least 43 years to be entitled to a full pension.

The changes are designed to keep the pension system financially afloat. France’s aging population is expected to plunge the system into deficit in the coming decade.

The parliamentary debates at the National Assembly and the Senate are expected to last several weeks.

Opposition lawmakers have proposed more than 20,000 amendments to the bill debated on Monday, mostly by the left-wing Nupes coalition.

Philippe Martinez, secretary general of the powerful CGT union, called on the government and lawmakers to “listen to the people.” Speaking on French radio network RTL, he denounced Macron’s attitude as “playing with fire.”

Macron wants to show that “he is able to pass a reform, no matter what public opinion says, what the citizens think,” Martinez asserted.

Rancor over the pension plan went beyond parliament's raucous debate. The speaker of the lower house, the National Assembly, reported that the bill had triggered anonymous voicemails, graffiti and a threatening letter to the head of the chamber's Social Affairs Committee.

“That’s enough,” Yael Braun-Pivet tweeted. “These acts are an attack on our democratic life. ... We won’t tolerate it.”

Several lawmakers from the far-right National Rally party received voicemails during Monday's debate saying that loved ones were hospitalized, in an apparent ploy to make them leave the assembly.

Party leader Marine Le Pen filed a complaint via a letter sent to the Paris prosecutor.

____

AP journalists Sylvie Corbet, Oleg Cetinic and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed.

Thomas Adamson And Jade Le Deley, The Associated Press

French unions remain defiant in face of proposed pension reform despite dip in protester numbers

RFI
Tue, February 7, 2023

REUTERS - SARAH MEYSSONNIER


Opponents of France's controversial pension reform plan sought to keep up the momentum on a third day of protests and strikes. However, the numbers taking to the streets were down on the previous week.

President Emmanuel Macron's bid to raise the retirement age has sparked immense opposition from unions, the left and the wider public, with previous protests on 19 and 31 January sparking mass demonstrations and walkouts.

But turnout was trending downwards on Tuesday with the hardline CGT union saying almost two million people protested nationwide compared with its estimate of 2.8 million last week.

It said 400,000 people were protesting in Paris compared with 500,000 on January 31 and 400,000 on January 19.

The interior ministry is due to publish its own estimates - usually sharply lower than those of the unions - later.

There were isolated clashes in some cities, including Nantes, Paris and Rennes, with police using tear gas against protesters.

Police said that 17 people were arrested in Paris, where bins were set alight, the fronts of McDonalds restaurants smashed as well as glass bottles and other projectiles thrown.

The head of the CGT union, Philippe Martinez, indicated there would be no let up in the fight, warning that more "numerous, massive and rolling" strikes were coming if the government did not drop the pensions plan.

"If the government keeps on refusing to listen then of course things will have to be ratcheted up," he said.

Macron and retirement age

Macron put raising the retirement age and encouraging the French to work more at the heart of his re-election campaign last year, but polls suggest that two-thirds of people are against the changes.

(with AFP)

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/02/third-wave-of-french-pension-protests.html

Third wave of French pension protests keeps pressure on Macron

https://plawiuk.blospot.com/2023/02/france-braces-for-new-pension-strikes.html

 

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/02/france-controversial-pension-reform.html

Controversial pension reform plan faces first parliamentary showdown

Red Cross helped more people after Fiona than any other disaster in Canada

Tue, February 7, 2023 

An SUV rests at the bottom of a road washed out by torrential rains from post-tropical storm Fiona in Cape Breton's Richmond County.

 (Communications Nova Scotia/The Canadian Press - image credit)

New numbers released by the Canadian Red Cross show the organization provided assistance to nearly 100,000 households, more than any other natural disaster in Canada.

"With Fiona, it impacted hundreds and hundreds of communities scattered throughout all of Eastern Canada," said Bill Lawlor, the Atlantic director of governance and stakeholder relations with the organization.

Fiona resulted in wide-scale impacts, including massive destruction of property and lengthy power outages.

Thanks to the generosity of Canadians who contributed to the Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal, the Canadian Red Cross was able to assist individuals and families from more than 96,000 households impacted by the powerful storm. That campaign raised more than $54 million, including matching funds provided by the federal government.

By comparison, the wildfires near Fort McMurray, Alberta in 2016 saw the Red Cross assist 88,000 households. The organization helped 7,540 households after the flooding in British Columbia that swamped entire regions of the Fraser Valley in 2021.

"Only through the generosity of those donors were we able to do some of the activities that we had done," Lawlor said. "There were different impacts in different provinces, and we were able to provide a wide variety of supports."

'Very demanding' work

More than 1,000 volunteers and staff were key to the Red Cross helping so many people in Atlantic Canada. They worked together to provide emergency lodging to more than 1,200 individuals on behalf of provincial governments.

They also provided more than 5,700 emergency items to affected individuals and communities, including hygiene kits, cots, blankets and even teddy bears for young children.

"It can be very demanding when we are in response mode, and we are so very appreciative of the 1,000 staff and volunteers who were able to support these efforts," said Lawlor. "Without them we would have had a much more limited capacity and availability to make as much outreach as we did."

Michael King

The Red Cross also provided support at 33 reception centre sites and conducted 22 mobile visits to impacted communities in partnership with local authorities.

While registration for the Canadian Red Cross financial assistance programs related to Fiona closed in December, Nova Scotians eligible for remaining Hurricane Fiona financial assistance programs have until Feb. 24 to apply.

Black '1870' pins worn by Congress members for State of the Union have deep significance

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus wore black pins with the number “1870” on them, which marks the year of the first known police killing of an unarmed and free Black person in the U.S.

Marquise Francis
·National Reporter
Tue, February 7, 2023

An "1870" pin to be worn by members of the Congressional Black Caucus and others at the State of the Union address. 

(Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos courtesy of the office of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images)

At President Biden's State of the Union speech Tuesday in which he addressed the country’s top issues before Congress, members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other Democrats made a bold statement of their own — albeit a silent one.

Many of them wore black pins with the number “1870” on them, which marks the year of the first known police killing of an unarmed and free Black person that occurred in the U.S. The pins are a call for action on reforming the institution of policing that has killed thousands of Black people in the 153 years since.

“I’m tired of moments of silence. I’m tired of periods of mourning,” New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat who came up with the idea to create the pins, told Yahoo News ahead of the speech. “I wanted to highlight that police killings of unarmed Black citizens have been in the news since 1870, and yet significant action has yet to be taken.”

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman at an event at the Capitol to demand that Congress renew an assault weapons ban, July 12, 2016. (Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for MoveOn.org)

On March 31, 1870, 26-year-old Henry Truman, a Black man, was shot and killed by Philadelphia Officer John Whiteside after being accused of shoplifting from a grocery store.

Whiteside had allegedly chased Truman into an alley when at some point Truman turned to ask what he had done wrong, and the officer fatally shot him, according to an account in the Philadelphia Inquirer the following day. At trial, Whiteside claimed he had been ambushed by a crowd while he chased Truman. Whiteside was later convicted of manslaughter. That same year the country adopted the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote.

Over a century and a half since Truman’s killing, a steady stream of Black people have been killed by law enforcement, including 1,353 since 2017, according to data from Statista, a digital insights company. In fact, Black Americans are three times as likely to be killed by police as white people are, and they account for 1 in 4 police killings despite making up just 13% of the country’s population.

Many of the parents, siblings and children of Black people killed by police over the last decade were invited to Tuesday’s address as guests of members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The guest list included the families of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old who was gunned down by Cleveland police in 2014 on a playground; Amir Locke, the 22-year-old fatally shot by Minneapolis police in a predawn, no-knock raid last year; Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old fatally beaten by Memphis police during a traffic stop early last month; and a dozen other families who have lost loved ones.

“I hope today that we can get Congress to see that we need to pass this bill because this should never happen,” Nichols’s mother, RowVaughn Wells, said Tuesday afternoon at a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus. “I don’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, speaks with reporters on Tuesday about police reform. (Cliff Owen/AP)

In contrast, several Republicans chose to honor members of law enforcement as their guests, including Rep. Mike Garcia of California, who brought Tania Owen, a retired detective and widow of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant who was shot and killed by a suspect when he answered a burglary-in-progress call in 2016. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon hosted police officers from their respective districts.

The invitations came after several other Republicans last week, during National Gun Violence Survivors Week, were photographed wearing AR-15 pins, which were passed out by Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia on the House floor. Clyde claimed the pins were “to remind people of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.”

Many police reform advocates have argued that the systemic issues tied to policing transcend even racial lines, highlighting the fact that the five main officers involved in the brutal beating of Nichols were also Black.

“Blackness doesn’t shield you from all of the forces that make police violence possible,” James Forman Jr., a Yale law school professor and expert on race and law enforcement, told the New York Times. “What are the theories of policing and styles of policing, the training that police receive? All of those dynamics that propel violence and brutality are more powerful than the race of the officer.”

Karundi Williams, CEO of Re:power, an organization that trains Black people to become political leaders, told NBC News that addressing the core issues is the only way to prevent more killings.

“When we have moments of racial injustice that is thrust in the national spotlight, there is an uptick of outrage, and people take to the streets,” Williams said. “But then the media tends to move on to other things, and that consciousness decreases. But we never really got underneath the problem.”

Protesters in Oakland, Calif., on Jan. 29 to protest the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

In 2022 alone, police killed 1,192 people, more than any year in the past decade, according to a new report released last week by the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence. Black people accounted for more than 300 of those killings. The report also claimed that many of these killings could have been avoided by changing law enforcement’s approach to such encounters, such as sending mental health providers to certain 911 calls.

But substantial police reform has continued to lag.

The 2021 George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was put forth following the murder of 46-year-old Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020, seeks to end excessive force, qualified immunity and racial bias in policing and to combat police misconduct. The bill passed the House of Representatives twice in the previous Congress, but has continued to fail in the Senate.

"With the support of families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act," Biden said in his State of the Union speech. "Let’s commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre’s mother come true, something good must come from this."

Following the recent police killing of Nichols, members of the Black Caucus are cautiously optimistic that change will soon come.

“This unfortunately reignites the fervor and the necessity and the urgency,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, a ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, recently told Yahoo News. “With 18,000 police communities, there has to be a federal law that addresses the training and the relationship between police. We have to restart.”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in the Oval Office last week. (Susan Walsh/AP)

An info card attached to the black pin given to members of the Black Caucus expresses the frustration of numerous police killings from Truman to Nichols.

“153 years later, nothing has changed,” the note reads in part. “We are tired of mourning and demand change.”

NOVA SCOTIA

Province approves green hydrogen project for Point Tupper

Tue, February 7, 2023

An aerial photograph shows black rectangles where EverWind Fuels plans to contruct portions of its industrial facility at Point Tupper, N.S. It will produce hydrogen and ammonia using methods that are considered more environmentally friendly than techniques which use natural gas. (Department of Environment - image credit)

Nova Scotia's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Tim Halman approved a proposed green hydrogen project in Point Tupper, N.S., on Tuesday

EverWind Fuels plans to use fresh water from a nearby lake to produce hydrogen in a process that's powered by renewable electricity from local wind-energy suppliers.

EverWind has said its hydrogen-making processes will create a much smaller carbon footprint than methods which use natural gas.

The system also creates nitrogen which the company plans to convert to ammonia and export for various industrial uses, including the production of agricultural fertilizer.

In a letter to the company released by the minister, Halman wrote:

"Following a review of the information provided by EverWind Fuels Company, and the information provided by the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia, and the public during consultation on the environmental assessment, I am satisfied that any adverse effects or significant environmental effects of the undertaking can be adequately mitigated through compliance with the attached terms and conditions."

The accompanying terms and conditions include 14 provisions that span the life of the project from design to decommissioning.

Among the conditions, the company:

Must "commence work" on the project within two years.


Must report yearly on "concordance" with the conditions of environmental approval.


Is forbidden from transferring or selling the project to anyone else without the minister's approval.


Must complete and file, with the province, management plans that detail operations, as well as measures to safeguard the environment, and deal with groundwater and wastewater.


Must monitor the air quality on the site.


Must create a reporting system which records all complaints received and details all corrective measures taken.


Must develop contingency plans for "worst-case scenarios" in case of an accident or malfunction.


Must submit an emergency evacuation plan to the province, local municipalities, Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office, as well as local police and fire departments for review prior to the start of operations.

EverWind

In a company news release, EverWind called the decision "a significant milestone."

Company founder and CEO Trent Vichie said "EverWind is establishing a globally competitive clean energy hub" in the province.

"The Environmental Approval announced today, will enhance the region's ability to create the first mover supply chains necessary to scale quickly in new markets," said Vichie. "It creates the foundation of a new industry in Canada and Nova Scotia that will lead the green energy transition."

The company is hoping to begin operations by 2025.

B.C's pink sea urchins are on the move to shallower waters thanks to climate change

Tue, February 7, 2023 


VANCOUVER — Pink sea urchins off the coast of Vancouver Island are expanding into shallower waters, in what researchers say is an indication of how rapidly climate change is affecting ocean life.

Researchers at Memorial University, Ocean Networks Canada and the University of Victoria found the urchins were moving into shallower water at an average rate of 3.5 metres per year as climate change and warming water reduce oxygen levels and food sources at lower depths.

The study's co-author Rylan Command says the movement of the pink urchins could, over time, lead to them replacing other species, like red sea urchin harvested in fisheries.

Researchers looked at 14 years of data including before, during and after the marine heat wave that persisted in the Pacific Ocean between 2013 to 2016 and became known as "The Blob."

Study co-author Fabio De Leo, who's with Oceans Network Canada, says warming from The Blob destroyed much of the kelp the urchins eat causing their populations to drop off dramatically.

The researchers say the warmer-than-normal surface temperatures also disrupted the ocean process known as "upwelling" when nutrient-rich water from lower depths cycles up to the surface, potentially affecting where the urchins find food.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.

The Canadian Press

CANADA

Seasonal workers should get Medicare coverage, advocacy group says

Tue, February 7, 2023 

The majority of New Brunswick's temporary foreign workers work in seafood processing, forestry and food manufacturing. (CBC - image credit)

An advocacy group is calling on New Brunswick to extend Medicare coverage to the thousands of temporary foreign workers living in the province.

Approximately 3,400 people work from six to eight months in the province's major industries — forestry, seafood processing and food manufacturing. Medicare is only available to those with a work permit that's valid for 12 months or more, which excludes seasonal workers.

Aditya Rao, founding board member of the Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre in New Brunswick, said seasonal workers are reliant on private health insurance purchased by their employer. This insurance rarely covers primary health care and lab tests, and there's no incentive for the employer to spend more than the minimum on the policies, he said.

"They're systemically excluded from access to Medicare," he said. "Their employers have to essentially play doctor and decide what level of private health-care insurance is appropriate for their workers."

Premier Blaine Higgs was in Ottawa Tuesday to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and discuss health-care transfer funds.

Rao is also calling on the federal government to attach strings to that health-care cash to make sure it all goes to health care, and that some of it goes to temporary workers.

Department of Health spokesperson Adam Bowie confirmed that only foreign workers with a work permit of 12 months or more are eligible for Medicare. He did not answer questions about why the province does not provide Medicare coverage to people with work permits valid for fewer than 12 months, or if the province has any plans to expand coverage in the future.

Rao said he's heard from a worker who had to pay $1,000 out of pocket for an ultrasound in New Brunswick. Another is currently fundraising to pay for dialysis, and another pays $30 for each doctor visit.

He said these workers don't feel comfortable speaking publicly because of fear of reprisal from employers, and therefore deportation. He said many people work for eight months, go back to their country, and hope their employer invites them back for the next season.

"If they speak out about issues that they're facing then they might not be called back," he said.

He said the expense is especially burdensome for temporary workers, who are already working low-paying jobs that are dangerous. Although workers come from all over the globe, the majority are from the Philippines and Mexico, Rao said.

International students were in the same situation, but that changed in 2017. Now, international students just have to show a valid study permit and proof of full-time registration at a New Brunswick college or university to get Medicare coverage. New Brunswick became the eighth province to cover international students.

Extended coverage in other provinces

Foreign workers are required to have work permits for 12 months or longer in order to qualify for health care in New Brunswick, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia require a six-month work permit.

In Saskatchewan, temporary foreign workers must live in the province for three months before they're eligible, just like all other new residents.

Quebec has extended coverage specifically for temporary foreign workers. Agriculture workers, and temporary foreign workers from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico or Salvador can have provincial health-care coverage immediately upon arrival to Quebec.

COVID-19 measures in Ontario have resulted in making all temporary foreign workers eligible for provincial health care, said Rao, but there's no indication how long that will last.

Dog owners tout Xolos' loyalty and sacred underworld history


Tue, February 7, 2023 



MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mezcal is not your ordinary pet. Hundreds of years ago the Latin American Indigenous group, the Nahuas, believed that a hairless dog like him, a Xoloitzcuintle, was a sacred creature who could guide its deceased master through the underworld.

Dozens gathered on a recent day at Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City for a meet-and-greet with Mezcal and three more “Xolos”, as these slender dogs are locally known. The canines were at the art and culture museum as part of an effort to raise awareness about responsible adoption of Xolo puppies and promoting the significance of the breed.

“Can I touch him?” asked a woman working security for the museum, as she nervously brought her hand closer to the dog’s head

“Absolutely! He loves to be petted,” said Mezcal’s owner, Nemiliz Gutiérrez, who leads a project with her sister, promoting the breed to the public.

By reviewing ancient codex and records written after the conquest in 1521, experts have determined the religious relevance of the dogs among Mesoamerican civilizations. That fact isn’t lost on the sisters.

“We are privileged because we have among us some precious jewels of history that are living cultural heritage,” said Gutierrez’s sister, Itzayani, who owns a playful Xolo named Pilón.

Experts found that the Nahuas believed these dogs represented the god, Xólotl, the twin brother of deity Quetzalcóatl. While the latter personified life and light, the former was an effigy of the underworld and death. The Xolo, thought to be a creature capable of moving through the darkness, was conceived as a guide for their owner’s soul after dying, wrote historian Mercedes de la Garza in an article published by the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Burial sites found by archaeologists in central Mexico show the remains of men and dogs lying side by side, which suggests that Xolos may have been sacrificed during their masters’ funeral rites. It was thought to be a way the living could ensure that when the soul of their loved ones reached the river of the underworld, it could reunite with its dog, mount on his back and cross together.

In the Nahuatl language, “Xolo” means “monster”, and though some dislike the physical appearance of these dogs, many find them fascinating. Mezcal’s hairless skin is dark as a shadow. When touched, it feels soft and warm. His teeth are rarely visible, as Xolos don’t bark much. On the recent day, he posed for pictures like a movie star and leaned his head toward visitors wanting to pet him.

Like his predecessors, Mezcal never loses sight of Gutiérrez, who constantly pats her loving dog.

“Xolos are loyal by nature,” said Gutiérrez. “If one is adopted by a family, it will choose a member to stick with.”

The closeness between Xoloitzcuintles and their owners was also noted by the Nahuas, according to experts. To please the gods, some Xolos were sacrificed in order to spare their masters’ lives.

The dogs were killed in those ceremonies by extracting their hearts. This fact distinguished them from any other animal offered in sacrifice, wrote De la Garza.

The dogs also are a part of modern-day culture in Mexico and beyond. At least a couple of Xoloitzcuintles can be seen in Frida Kahlo’s paintings. A few more appear in portraits where the artist posed with her husband, Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Their love for these pets was shared by friend and art collector Dolores Olmedo, whose home in Mexico City became a museum and until recently took care of a few Xolos that visitors could approach.

In 2016, the capital’s mayor gave the Xoloitzcuintle a cultural heritage designation, and a year later, a charming Xolo named Dante reached world fame after his appearance in animated film “Coco”, which portrayed the adventures of a Mexican boy through the underworld.

Back in San Ildefonso, the Gutiérrez sisters hope more people will come to appreciate the breed’s significance and help it thrive. Once thought by experts to be headed toward extinction, Xolos can be spotted in upper class Mexico City neighborhoods. Nemiliz Gutiérrez adopted Mezcal, but said some breeders sell the dogs for upwards of $3,500.

Not every Xolo is in demand though, especially the variety with fur.

“Almost nobody wants them,” said Gutiérrez, who works with her sister to find caring homes for all Xolos regardless of their coats. Through that process, they enjoy sharing about the breed’s historic significance – when Xolos embodied an endless love believed to transcend death.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

María Teresa Hernández, The Associated Press

UK
Stronger protections needed for responsible renters who own pets, say charities

Vicky Shaw, PA Personal Finance Correspondent
Tue, 7 February 2023 



Better protections are needed for responsible renters who own pets, according to animal welfare charities.

Dogs Trust said it has been receiving a record number of inquiries from people forced to rehome their pets, as they struggle with rising living costs.

Around one in 10 of those owners contacting the charity cite issues with housing as the reason for needing to rehome their dog.

Dogs Trust said this group includes some people being forced to move or downsize as rental prices increase, but who are unable to find suitable, affordable pet-friendly properties.

Meanwhile, Cats Protection said that last year it took in around 1,300 cats – the equivalent of around three each day – due to landlords not allowing them in their properties.

The Government has outlined plans to introduce stronger protection for tenants as part of its Renters’ Reform Bill.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesman said: “We know how much people love their pets, which is why we are making it easier for renters to have them in their home.

“We will bring forward legislation (which will apply in England) to, for the first time, give all tenants the legal right to request a pet in their house which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

“This is all part of our wider measures to transform the rental market and provide a new deal for tenants.”

Paula Boyden, veterinary director of Dogs Trust, said: “2022 was the busiest year in our history for relinquishment inquiries.

“Sadly, one of the most common reasons we see dogs handed in to our rehoming centres is due to a change in the owner’s living circumstances and a lack of available pet-friendly accommodation.

“For most dog owners, being separated from their dog is no different from being separated from a family member, so the introduction of new protection for renters will help ensure that fewer owners are forced to make the heart-breaking decision to give up their beloved pets.

“We are pleased to see that the Government has plans to include pet-friendly policies in its Renters’ Reform Bill, and hope to see these rights enshrined into law soon so that the benefits of pet ownership are no longer exclusive to homeowners, but open to renters as well.”

Madison Rogers, head of advocacy and government relations for Cats Protection, said: “Pet ownership should not be a privilege in modern society and Cats Protection is urging the Government to move forward with planned legislation to end blanket ‘no pets’ policies and give renters with pets better protections.

“In the meantime, there are a few things renters looking for a pet-friendly property can do: start looking for pet-friendly housing early, proactively ask letting agents or landlords if they allow pets even if it says ‘no pets’ on the advert, and create a ‘pet CV’ outlining the measures you will take to be a responsible pet owner, such as providing veterinary records and details of your pet’s behaviours.”

Dogs Trust said it has been providing advice and resources to pet owners, landlords and letting agencies through its Lets With Pets scheme.

Cats Protection also operates its Purrfect Landlords programme, which provides advice to tenants, landlords and social housing providers on how to conduct discussions aimed at keeping cats in rented properties, with further information available at cats.org.uk/purrfectlandlords.

Chris Norris, policy director for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said: “We recognise the importance of pets for many tenants and, specifically, the strong sense of companionship they provide to their owners.

“Our biggest concern has always been that the law, as it currently stands, prevents landlords from making it a requirement that tenants take out insurance to cover the risk that their pets will cause damage to the rental property. Given this, we welcome the Government’s plans, which will enable landlords to ask pet owners to have the required insurance to cover such damage.

“As ministers continue to work on the Renters’ Reform Bill, it is vital that the law takes a common-sense approach to pets in private rented accommodation.

“It needs to reflect the fact that some properties, such as flats without gardens, may not be suitable for certain types of pets. Likewise, in shared homes, the rights of those wanting a pet need to be balanced with the rights of fellow tenants who might have concerns, especially those with certain allergies.”

McDonald’s pledges to protect UK staff from sexual harassment after complaints

Anna Wise, PA Business Reporter
Tue, 7 February 2023 



McDonald’s has signed a legal agreement with the equality watchdog amid concerns over how it has handled sexual harassment complaints made by UK staff.

The move comes after allegations by workers at the fast-food chain’s US restaurants of sexual harassment in the workplace over several years and the company’s failure to deal with the issue.

It is not known how many current complaints have been made in the UK but the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) claimed in 2019 that more than 1,000 UK cases have been reported.


The legally binding agreement, with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), commits the group to a number of measures to better protect workers in the UK.

It does not include chains in Ireland or overseas, such as in the US.

Such measures include communicating a “zero tolerance” approach to sexual harassment, to provide anti-harassment training for its employees, and to improve policies to better respond to complaints.

Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald’s in UK and Ireland, said the company already has a “strong track record” in this area but wants to further improve it.

“As one of the UK’s leading employers, the safety and wellbeing of our people is our absolute priority,” he said.

“It is hugely important to me that everyone in our organisation feels safe, respected and included at all times – this is core to the values of our business.

“We already have a strong track record in this area and I now welcome the opportunity to work with the EHRC to further strengthen this.”

Mr Macrow stressed that harassment and abuse “have no place in our society or at McDonald’s”.

In 2021, McDonald’s said it would require workers around the world to undergo anti-harassment training after it emerged that at least 50 employees globally had filed charges against the chain over the previous five years.

The charges alleged physical and verbal harassment and, in some cases, retaliation when they complained.

Workers in several US cities staged a strike in 2018 to protest against the fast-food giant’s alleged failure to prevent sexual harassment at work.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the BFAWU has previously raised the alarm over a “toxic culture” in restaurants and stated that at least 1,000 women have been harassed by managers and supervisors.

Ian Hodson, national president of the BFAWU, said: “It’s shameful that one of the richest corporations on the planet doesn’t take sexual harassment seriously until we raise it.

“I pay tribute to all our members who have spoken out on this issue and encourage McDonald’s to work with us in ending sexual harassment.”

The EHRC says it is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act 2010, which makes employers legally responsible if an employee is sexually harassed at work by a colleague, and the employer has not taken all steps they could to prevent it from happening.

The group has been behind similar agreements with the likes of Sainsbury’s, which it started working with in 2019 after a member of staff won an employment tribunal claim for sexual harassment.

The supermarket chose to work with the regulator as an alternative to being investigated, the EHRC said.

EHRC chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner said: “There should be zero tolerance of sexual harassment in every organisation. It can devastate people’s lives and create a toxic working environment for all.

“We are determined to crack down on workplace cultures of sexual harassment, whether in restaurants or hotels, sports clubs or offices.

“We are pleased that McDonald’s has signed this agreement to signal their intent to make their restaurants safe places to work.

“The improvements they put in place can set an example for others to follow, whether in the hospitality industry or elsewhere.”