'You get what you believe:' Jully Black champions Black talent at the Legacy Awards

The Canadian Press
Sun, September 24, 2023 



TORONTO — R&B singer Jully Black spoke through tears as she saluted those who supported her with an impassioned speech at the Legacy Awards on Sunday, where an ebullient crowd celebrated Black heroes including Tonya Williams, Director X and the late Oscar Peterson.

The platinum-selling Juno Award-winning Black received the Icon Award for her global influence.

“In the words of Alicia Keys, you don’t get what you ask for, but you get what you believe.... There was a time I believed I was washed up, done and irrelevant,” Black said to a captivated crowd at Toronto’s History venue where the second annual bash was held.

“But in the words of Faith Jenkins, I’d start over as often as necessary because I’m not starting from scratch, I’m starting from experience.”

Black was among several stars honoured at the annual Legacy Awards with singer Keshia Chanté hosting the celebration, broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem.

Actors and brothers Shamier Anderson and Stephan James founded the event to spotlight exceptional Black Canadians.

Soap star-turned-activist Williams, who gained fame on “The Young and the Restless” and went on to found the Reelworld Screen Institute and the Reelworld Foundation, was this year's winner of the Visionary Award for her philanthropic work.

In her speech, Williams underscored the crucial role Black storytellers play in shaping narratives that authentically reflect the Black experience. She stressed why it matters who tells them.

"I have heard primarily white male producers, writers and directors who appropriate our stories say it shouldn't matter who tells the story," Williams said to an audience of rapt onlookers.

"Stories about the trauma of Black people, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian people of colour are the stories that win awards, and whoever tells those stories are more likely to win those awards.... You know what happens to those who win those awards? Doors open for them."

Williams founded Reelworld in 2000 to draw attention to underrepresentation of racially diverse and Indigenous talent in mainstream media, both in front of and behind the camera.

Meanwhile, Julien Christian Lutz, professionally known as Director X, received the Trailblazer Award for his influential contributions to music videos and visual esthetics.

Lutz built a deep catalogue of music video credits, including Drake's "Hotline Bling," Rihanna's "Work" and Usher's "U Got It Bad," that dovetailed into feature films and television, including the upcoming Global drama, "Robyn Hood."

Lutz took the opportunity to underscore Canadianachievements, urging the enthusiastic audience not to take it all for granted.

"It wasn't long ago we were fighting for our rights as human beings, so stand up, Black Canada, hold your head high," he said.

Congolese-Canadian singer Lu Kala was honoured with the Emerging Artist Award and Hamilton-native WNBA star Kia Nurse was presented with the Legacy Athlete Award.

Kala, whose music leans into genres of dance, R&B, rock and soul, spent 15 weeks in the top 15 of Top 40 radio in Canada with her single “Pretty Girl Era.”

"As a Black woman in pop music, I’ve often been the only one in the room, so being surrounded by my community tonight means so much to me,” Kala said with a wine glass raised in one hand and her award in the other. “I hope to inspire Black kids to break down the barriers and build their own legacy.”

Nurse accepted her award from her sister Tamika, making sure to express her gratitude to her family.

“At the heart of my village lies the people who deserve the most," said Nurse, who thanked her husband and sister who stood next to her on stage.

"Thank you for sticking with me Tamika, without you, there is no me. I picked up a basketball when I was four years old because (she) was Michael Jordan, this is who I wanted to be,” she said, gesturing towards Tamika.

Nurse represented Canada in the Olympic Games, clinched gold medals in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup in 2017 and 2015, and was a WNBA all-star starter in 2019. Off the court, Nurse provides basketball analysis on TSN and founded the basketball academy Kia Nurse Elite to offer opportunities to young women.

Quebec comedian and TikTok creator Tiawon the Digital Creator Fan Choice award.

The awards broadcast featured rousing live performances honouring late pianist and composer Peterson and closed with young rappers Taaylee G, Tamir, YSN Fab and Zach Zoy delivering their take on the 1998 rap anthem "Northern Touch," originally performed by Rascalz, Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023.

Noel Ransome, The Canadian Press

Ford workers in Canada ratify agreement, set precedent for other automakers

The Canadian Press
Sun, September 24, 2023 



TORONTO — The union that represents 5,600 workers at Ford Motor Co. of Canada confirmed Sunday its members had ratified a three-year contract with the automaker, setting the pattern for upcoming talks with General Motors and Stellantis.

Unifor and Ford reached a tentative agreement Tuesday after extending a strike deadline by 24 hours. At the time, the union said the three-year deal addressed all issues raised by members for this round of bargaining.

On Sunday, the union said the wage increases amounted to the highest ever negotiated in bargaining with an automaker in Canada. In all, 54 per cent of union members who voted endorsed the proposed collective agreement, which includes a general wage increase of 15 per cent over three years.

Lana Payne, national president of Unifor, issued a statement saying the deal will mean tremendous gains for autoworkers.

"Your bargaining team pushed Ford of Canada on every front to deliver a contract that fundamentally transforms pension plans, provides protections during the (electric vehicle) transition and includes the highest wage increases in the history of Canadian auto bargaining," Payne said.

"We know this is a challenging time for all workers and this agreement tackles the affordability issues so many face today."

The contract calls for a wage increase of 10 per cent in the first year, two per cent in the second year and three per cent in the final year.

Meanwhile, the base rate for hourly wages will increase by 25 per cent for those with a skilled trade, the union said. The deal also includes a reactivated cost-of-living allowance, a $10,000 bonus, two new paid holidays and pension improvements.

That means a Ford worker with one year seniority will see their wages increase from $25.75 to $46.13 by the end of the three-year deal, which includes the cost-of-living allowance, the union said.

Jim Stanford, a labour economist and director of the Centre for Future Work, said the wage increases are the most generous gains in the history of the Canadian union.

"To have a 10 per cent increase in the base is unprecedented, and there are other wage provisions that have to be considered," he said in an interview Sunday, adding that another provision will ensure new hires start at more than $30 an hour.

There are also provisions for more investment in the Ford engine plant in Essex, Ont., and "special (electric vehicle) transition measures" for Unifor members who could lose their jobs as changes are made to the assembly plant in Oakville, Ont.

On the pension front, Stanford highlighted Ford's decision to transfer Unifor members currently enrolled in the defined-contribution plan into a more stable defined-benefit plan.

"We could see that precedent picked up by other industries," he said, adding that most private-sector companies have spent the past 30 years trying to get out of defined-benefit plans. Stanford said higher interest rates have made these plans more affordable.

"This could be the beginning of a trend. where more private-sector employers start to look at DB plans again."

Stanford said the union's success reflects the fact that the big automakers remain highly profitable at a time when automation and the high productivity of their workers has helped reduce labour costs to only five per cent of total operating costs.

With the Ford deal ratified, Unifor can now try to replicate that agreement at the other big automakers, General Motors and Stellantis, which includes Chrysler and Dodge among its brands. The union has yet to announce which automaker it will select for bargaining.

In the U.S., workers at General Motors and Stellantis plants have been participating in limited strikes, and on Friday expanded the work action to 38 locations in 20 states.

The new Ford contract in Canada will help the United Auto Workers union in the U.S., Stanford said.

"These are two separate countries and two separate unions with separate histories," he said. "Now that Ford has an agreement with Unifor (in Canada) ... I think that will help the UAW reach a very good settlement south of the boarder as well."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023.

— By Michael MacDonald in Halifax.

The Canadian Press

CANADA

Jewish group demands apology after MPs honoured man who fought for Nazis

KYK/UCC UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS 

SUPPORT UKR NAZI'S

The Canadian Press
Sun, September 24, 2023 


OTTAWA — Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.

During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Ottawa on Friday, MPs in the House of Commons honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.

Hunka was invited by Speaker Anthony Rota, who introduced him.

"I am very proud to say that he is from North Bay and from my riding of Nipissing—Timiskaming," the Ontario MP said.

"He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service."

MPs cheered and Zelenskyy raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations.

The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday saying the division "was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable."

"An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation," the statement said.

Rota released a statement late Sunday afternoon saying he recognized an individual in the gallery on Friday, and that he has "subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so."

"I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them," he wrote.

"I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world."

The statement does not make clear what Rota is apologizing for, and it does not name Hunka or give any details about what information Rota learned about him since Friday.

B'nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said it is beyond outrageous that Parliament honoured a former member of a Nazi unit, saying Ukrainian "ultra-nationalist ideologues" who volunteered for the Galicia Division "dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing."

"We understand an apology is forthcoming. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes an apology to all Canadians for this outrage, and a detailed explanation as to how this could possibly have taken place at the centre of Canadian democracy," Mostyn said.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which represents Jewish federations across the country, said it is deeply troubled by the incident.

"Canada's Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. But we can't stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed," the group said in a statement published Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the federal Conservatives said the party was not aware of his history at the time.

In a second written statement released late Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre laid the blame at the feet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"No parliamentarians (other than Justin Trudeau) had the opportunity to vet this individual’s past before he was introduced and honoured on the floor of the House of Commons. Without warning or context, it was impossible for any parliamentarian in the room (other than Mr. Trudeau) to know of this dark past," Poilievre said.

The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, however, refrained from blaming anyone for the incident on Sunday, and called it a "collective error."

"Let us think first of the people of the Jewish community and of all the communities who were victims of Germany in the Second World War. These are the people we need to think about. For the rest, it’s a mistake," he said.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office repeated Rota's assertion that he alone invited Hunka.

"Parliament and the Speaker’s office is independent from the prime minister and the Prime Minister’s Office," Mohammad Hussain said in a written statement Sunday.

"The Speaker had his own allotment of guest seating at Friday’s address, which were determined by the Speaker and his office alone."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement Sunday evening he also shares concens about "the individual honoured with a standing ovation," adding, without naming Hunka, that he was not a guest of the party and the NDPs were not aware of his "association with the Nazi regime."

"This event has caused harm to the Jewish community and for that, I am sorry," Singh said.

"We must all stand together against the rising tide of antisemitism."

Monuments to honour the First Ukrainian Division have caused controversy in recent years.

In 2021, a statue of Ukrainian military leader Roman Shukhevych and a monument to the fighters of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division in Edmonton were vandalized by someone who spray painted them with the words "Actual Nazi."

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said at the time that it had been advocating for their removal for decades.

In 2020, a monument to the Waffen-SS Galicia Division in Oakville, Ont., was vandalized in a similar way.

The decision to admit Ukrainian immigrants who had served in the SS Waffen Division in the post-war period was contentious, with Jewish groups arguing they should be barred from the country.

The International Military Tribunal in Nuremburg declared the SS to be a criminal organization, including the SS Waffen in that declaration.

The Waffen-SS Galicia Division surrendered to the British army in 1945, and just over 8,000 men were moved to the United Kingdom in 1947.

In 1950, the federal cabinet decided to allow Ukrainians living in the U.K. to come to Canada "notwithstanding their service in the German army provided they are otherwise admissible. These Ukrainians should be subject to special security screening, but should not be rejected on the grounds of their service in the German army."

In 1985, then-prime minister Brian Mulroney called for a royal commission to examine whether Canada had become a haven for war criminals.

The Deschênes Commission found there were about 600 former members of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division living in Canada at the time. But Justice Jules Deschênes said membership in the division did not itself constitute a war crime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for HOLODOMOR 

On Canada Project 

Opinion:    

'What is Canada doing to protect LGBTQ+ people living in Canada?'

Last month, Canada issued a safety warning for Queer folks traveling to U.S., but stuff is scary for Trans & Queer folk in Canada too

On Canada Project
Wed, September 20, 2023 


It’s scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

On Canada Project is a social advocacy group made up of neighbourhood nerds who are here to dismantle the status quo and champion change in our lives.

—

Last month, the Canadian federal government issued a safety warning for Queer folks traveling to certain parts of the USA.

Look we get why the Feds would issue an advisory- just look at this map of America.

Look we get why the Feds would issue an advisory- just look at this map of America.

Reminder, The Liberals hold a minority government in Canada. In our opinion, Liberals allyship with the Queer and Trans community isn’t as progressive as what this moment requires, but it is still more than what we could expect from Conservatives and Right-Wing politicians in Canada.

But here’s the thing - things are scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too.

It’s scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

The Saskatchewan government prioritized "parental rights" over the human rights of students in new legislation this year.

It's scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

This new parental inclusion policy effectively requires schools to out kids under 16 to their parents before changing the students' pronouns at school.

It’s scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

Let’s get on the same page - “Parental Rights” is a dog whistle for anti-human rights.On Canada Project

"Dog whistles" in politics refer to coded language. Politicians use dog whistles to communicate messages that appeal to particular constituents without alienating others. By using coded language, they can signal positions on controversial topics without making overt statements that might draw public scrutiny or backlash.

Some of the reasons why politicians use dog whistle politics include plausible deniability, testing the waters, divide and conquer techniques, and mobilizing their base.

The complexity lies in the term's ability to be all things to all people, thereby enabling the politician to broaden their appeal while also activating a base that may have more exclusionary beliefs.

It's scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

So it’s great that we’re issuing a travel advisory to protect Canadians traveling to the USA, but what is Canada doing to protect people living in Canada?

Canada has a next-level PR game, and our leaders use it to deflect criticism on the world stage all the time - just think about our country’s ‘multicultural, diverse’ branding vs the actual lived experiences of migrants and BIPOC in Canada.

And using “parental rights” to soften the blow of policies and beliefs that are decidedly anti-queer and anti-trans is no different than how U.S. states are saying the quiet part out loud with ‘Dont Say Gay’ bills and barring gender-affirming healthcare.

It's scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

The far-right in Canada is using the language of “parental rights” intentionally, to covertly cover up their crimes against basic human rights.

It's scary for Queer & Trans folks in Canada right now too

—

Check out our Instagram for more.

Italy criticises Germany for funding migrant charity groups

Reuters
Updated Sun, September 24, 2023 


ROME (Reuters) - A German plan to finance charities helping migrants in the Mediterranean causes difficulties for Italy, defence minister Guido Crosetto said on Sunday, as Rome tries to enforce tougher measures to stem the flow of sea arrivals.

Following reports in Italian media, a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said on Friday that Berlin was implementing a parliamentary financial support programme for both civilian sea rescue and projects on land.

"We have received several applications for funding. The review of the applications has already been completed in two cases," the spokesperson told Reuters, saying the funding amounted to between 400,000 and 800,000 euros ($426,000-$852,160) for each project.

Italy's Crosetto told daily La Stampa that Rome regarded the German move as "very serious", adding his government was instead committed to fighting the human smugglers he said should be treated as "international criminals."

"Berlin pretends not to realise that, in doing so, it causes difficulties to a country that in theory should be a friend," said Crosetto, a senior member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party.

Germany's foreign ministry said rescuing people at sea is a "legal, humanitarian and moral duty".

Latest interior ministry data shows over 132,000 migrants have reached Italy by boat so far this year against around 69,000 in the same period of 2022.

On Saturday, charity SOS Humanity said in a statement it would receive around 790,000 euros from the German government.

Italy, which takes a hard-line against illegal immigration, said this week it would increase the number of detention centres to hold migrants ahead of their possible repatriation and lengthen the time they could be detained.

The government also ruled they will have to pay to avoid detention while their request for protection is being processed, drawing strong criticism from human rights groups.

($1 = 0.9388 euros)

(Reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Friederike Heine in Berlin; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarsie)

UK

Oxford asylum seeker charity boss reacts after Home Secretary's latest comments

Oxford Mail reporter
Sun, 24 September 2023

Mark Goldring of Asylum Welcome (left) and Home Secretary Suella Braverman Pictures: PA Media (Image: PA Media)

The head of an Oxford-based charity set up to welcome refugees to the country said there was ‘nothing new’ as the Home Secretary suggested a shake-up of international rules to address the migrant crisis.

Suella Braverman questioned whether legal frameworks created more than 50 years ago were still ‘fit for purpose in an age of jet travel and smartphones’.

She has previously said she personally wants the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, signed in 1950, claiming it had hampered the government’s efforts to introduce tougher policies – including sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

“Illegal migration and the unprecedented mass movement of people across the globe is placing unsustainable pressures on America, the UK, and Europe,” Ms Braverman said.

The Home Secretary was speaking ahead of a speech in Washington later this week setting out her assessment of the challenges of global migration.

READ MORE: Real life dating app swindler met victim in Oxford

Mark Goldring, director of Oxford-based Asylum Welcome, told the Oxford Mail that there was ‘nothing new’ in Ms Braverman's latest comments.

“It’s a continuation of the hostile environment where, really, the only policy is if we sound nasty we’ll put people off coming and our problems will be resolved,” he said.

Asked what impact Ms Braverman’s words and the headlines had on asylum seekers supported by the charity, Mr Goldring said: “People are very confused because it’s hard to work out what’s rhetoric and what is reality.”

One asylum seeker currently housed in a hotel at the Kassam Stadium complex had been due to speak at Asylum Welcome’s annual general meeting earlier this week, he said.

But shortly before the event, the man received a notification he would be transferred to Dorset-moored mega barge Bibby Stockholm when people could be moved onto the floating accommodation.

Mr Goldring said of the devastated man: “He was in no fit state to talk to anybody and had to withdraw from the event. The emotional pressure is significant.”

On Sunday, chairman of campaign group Migration Watch UK, Alp Mehmet said Ms Braverman was right to ‘call out the conventions’ and suggested the UK should withdraw from the ECHR and the United Nations Refugee Convention if reforms were not made.

“We have long been saying that both the Refugee Convention and ECHR are outdated and ill-suited to modern challenges,” Mr Mehmet said.

However, Refugee Council chief Enver Solomon said: “What we need is a fair process for people who come here in search of safety and protection.”

The government should be addressing the ‘real issues’ in the asylum system, such as the backlog in processing asylum claims.

Hollywood writers reach 'tentative' deal to end strike over AI and compensation

Sky News
Updated Sun, 24 September 2023 


A "tentative" deal has been reached to end a long-running strike by writers in Hollywood.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the group which represents studios, streaming services and producers in negotiations.

A statement from the WGA said: "We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language.


"We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional - with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership."

The three-year contract agreement - settled on after five days of renewed talks by negotiators from the WGA and the AMPTP - must be approved by the guild's board and members before the strike officially ends.

Read more on Hollywood strikes: How much of a threat is AI?

The terms of the deal were not immediately announced.

The statement added: "To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorised to by the Guild.

"We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing. Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week."

The agreement comes just five days before the strike would have become the longest in the guild's history, and the longest Hollywood strike in decades.

About 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America walked off the job on 2 May over issues of pay, the size of writing staffs on shows and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creation of scripts.

In July, the SAG-AFTRA actors' union started its own walkout which is yet to be resolved.

It said in a statement: "SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines.

"While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP's tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members.

"We remain on strike in our TV/Theatrical contract and continue to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand."

Social media is a double-edged sword for the public image of Canadian labour unions


Vincent Pasquier, Professeur en GRH et relations professionnelles, HEC Montréal, 

Christian Lévesque, Professeur de Relations du Travail, HEC Montréal,

 Marc-Antonin Hennebert, Professor of Human Resources Management, HEC Montréal
Sun, September 24, 2023 

THE CONVERSATION

There is hope that social media can breathe new life into the labour movement. (Shutterstock)

Union membership in Canada has been declining over the past four decades. In 2022, the percentage of employees who are union members fell to 29 per cent from 38 per cent in 1981. This decline has been partly attributed to the stagnant or outdated image of unions, which makes it difficult for some workers to relate to these organizations.

There is hope that social media can breathe new life into the labour movement. Social media platforms offer unions the opportunity to communicate with their members, advocate for their causes, address grievances and rally public support swiftly and efficiently.

However, social media is not a panacea for the challenges facing unions. Our recent research reveals that rather than revitalize the public image of unions, social media can sometimes have the opposite effect, underscoring a serious concern: the potential for unions to become invisible online.
Widening the divide

Our research has identified four ways in which social media can distort the image of unions. First, it can increase the “us versus them” divide between unions and entities like companies, employers or governments. This growing divide can be partly attributed to the normalization of vehement or abrasive disagreements online.

This effect is reminiscent of the heightened political polarization we are witnessing today with the widening chasm between left- and right-leaning groups. Social media has played a role in exacerbating this type of polarization.

According to the union communication managers we spoke to, there is a higher tolerance for aggressive communication online. This phenomenon is fuelled by the fierce competition among organizations vying for the fleeting attention of social media users.

An argumentative online culture and the fleeting attention of social media users have led some unions to adopt briefer, less nuanced and more assertive communication styles. (Shutterstock)

The combination of these two factors — an inherently argumentative online culture and the pursuit of attention — has led some unions to adopt briefer, less nuanced and more assertive communication styles. The fervour generated by such polarizing content can rally supporters and drive conversations that amplify the union’s message.

Importantly, not all unions experience this effect to the same degree. Our findings indicate that unions with an activist background are more likely to be polarized online.
Self-centeredness

The second way social media can distort the online image of unions is by fostering self-centred behaviour. Social media has been shown to encourage narcissistic behaviour in its users and our research suggests this also applies to organizations like unions.

Unions can unintentionally distort their online image by portraying their members in an overly positive way. Our research found that content praising union members tended to generate more engagement, such as likes, comments or shares. As a result, some communication managers gravitated towards this type of content to increase online engagement.

This tendency was most pronounced in unions with a homogeneous membership and strong professional identity, where fostering a sense of professional pride is easier.
Becoming a caricature of themselves

The third way social media can distort the online image of unions is through caricaturing, a process that exaggerates the characteristics of a union to the point of appearing absurd or grotesque.

This type of distortion likely stems from the pressure to maintain an active online presence by posting frequently. All the unions in our study posted between five to seven messages weekly on their Facebook pages.

However, not all the unions had fresh or engaging content to share regularly. As a result, their communications often became overly repetitive and focused on routine activities, such as union meetings, assemblies and the signing of collective agreements. This led to an exaggerated, caricatured online representation of the unions.

Unions most susceptible to self-caricaturing online were those with a more bureaucratic mindset, as they were less likely to have new and interesting content to share consistently.

Disappearing behind the news

The final way social media can distort the online image of unions is through what we call the “fading effect.” This occurs when communication managers over share news articles from external media outlets, rather than sharing news directly related to the union itself.

This can result in a decline in an organization’s visibility and relevance online — to the point where the identity of the union almost disappears. This effect becomes more pronounced when there is no accompanying text or references connecting the shared news articles to the union or its members.

Unions most susceptible to the fading effect are those with social media managers who lack expertise or those that have a servicing model of unionism as opposed to the organizing model.

Unions that only share news articles, instead of news about themselves and their members, risk fading into the background too much. (Shutterstock)

Invisibility on social media

Social media can be a double-edged sword for labour unions. While certain distortion effects may yield positive outcomes, others have negative effects. Polarizing and self-centredness, for example, can be beneficial because they increase online engagement, but caricaturing and fading effects can decrease online engagement.

A lack of engaging online content poses a significant risk to unions, potentially rendering them algorithmically invisible. Studies have shown that caricaturing and fading effects are prevalent among unions, increasing the risk of the labour movement being marginalized in the digital public sphere.

Since communication plays a key role in bolstering the power of unions, there is a legitimate concern that social media could weaken their ability to defend workers’ rights, instead of strengthening it.

Our research underscores the need for unions to think about how they can transform their images online with more effective social media communication. As the labour movement adapts to the digital age, the balance between engagement and algorithmic visibility is vital for the future of workers’ advocacy.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. 

It was written by: Vincent Pasquier, HEC Montréal; Christian Lévesque, HEC Montréal, and Marc-Antonin Hennebert, HEC Montréal.

Read more:

Can ❤️s change minds? How social media influences public opinion and news circulation

Striking a balance: How the law regulates picket lines

Christian Lévesque receives funding from Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture.

All work and low pay — Europe’s migrant workforce

Despite Europe's extensive labour shortage, it seems incapable of improving the poor working conditions that migrant workers find themselves in

WORK AND DIGITALISATION 18.09.2023 | Ankita Anand

Pexels/Mark Stebnicki

These oppressive structures exist not only in traditional factories and on farms but also in the online world of platforms and the ‘gig’ economy.


According to the World Migration Report 2022, Europe hosts some 87 million international migrants. Almost 10 million workers in Europe are ‘non-EU citizens’, of whom a number would fall into the ‘essential’ category.

Majority-world workers might have been compelled to migrate in search of employment. But there is also a demand for their labour in European markets. Yet, as with most employer-employee equations, this is not exactly a symbiotic relationship.

Migrant workers in Spain have lived in places with ‘far worse conditions than a refugee camp, without running water, electricity, or sanitation’.

In Europe and Central Asia combined, there are 4.1 million forced labourers. In Serbia, Indian workers have been driven to organise public protests in pursuit of unpaid wages. (Of course, workers from the Balkans are also discriminated against when they go to work in Western Europe.) In Italy, farm workers are dying by suicide. Migrant workers in Spain have lived in places with ‘far worse conditions than a refugee camp, without running water, electricity, or sanitation’. Women who went to work as domestic workers in diplomats’ houses in Switzerland have had to file coercion and trafficking cases against high-profile bosses.

This oppressive structure exists not only in traditional factories and on farms but also in the online world of platforms and the ‘gig’ economy. In Germany, a company offering cleaning services can undercut all others while still profiting from the informal workers it recruits. The workers, on the other hand, operate in isolation from one another with little or no bargaining power.
Forced into flight

So why do workers from the Global South still migrate to Europe? For many, it is not a happy choice — driven by climate disasters, political strife, persecution of minorities and unemployment in their places of origin. The unemployment rate in India, for example, was at a 45-year high even before the pandemic.

Corrupt governments do play a part in a country’s poor economic condition, but the colonial shadow of the loot of natural riches, plus contemporary extractivism towards the same resources by already privileged nations, cannot be ignored. And there are ample cases of political instability in the majority world (take the continuing chaos in postwar Iraq) driven by the interests of the Global North.

Those in the Global South who could survive on a domestic income but choose to cross borders are drawn by the old dream of ‘a better life’: decent wages, dignified working and living conditions, equal rights. Some migrant women from India I spoke to admitted that life abroad was not easy. But, they said, their families grudgingly respected them as breadwinners and did not see them only as liabilities to be married off.

Men also talked of enjoying a higher status in their countries of origin if family members were working abroad. For those battling class, caste and religious discrimination, such social acceptance by their communities makes a world of difference. Ultimately, as the poet Nissim Ezekiel puts it, ‘Home is where we have to gather grace.’
A system in need of an update

Labour shortages in Europe make a business case for the region to forge a new contract with its migrant workers. Yet, not only economics but humane principles – of liberty, equality and dignity – should drive the change.

The convoluted visa processes of employing states cry out for overhaul. An abstruse system ostensibly inviting workers makes them the victims of illicit agents (in home and host countries) who facilitate their migration while charging a tidy sum in ‘fees’ workers can ill afford. Aspiring migrants are then driven into debt bondage, which can later be compounded by wage theft.

Strict registration rules for companies have to be in place, with regular checks to ensure compliance.

Not knowing the host country's language makes workers especially vulnerable to exploitative middlemen and prevents them from seeking assistance from legitimate sources. Workers may also stay in the shadows, fearing they lack the complete documentation to work in Europe — they can freely report wrongdoings only when they know their migrant status will not lead to sanctions. This anxiety can even keep them from seeking essential medical help.

To ensure proper integration of migrants with members of host communities, there should be more initiatives at the state and local levels, as commended in 2022 by the Council of Europe, including language courses and programmes to create awareness among workers of their rights. In the ‘common basic principles’ agreed upon back in 2004, the European Union recognised integration as a ‘two-way process’, rather than putting all the onus on migrant workers to find their way.
Dehumanising workers

Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Modern Times’ – ‘The Billows Feeding Machine will eliminate the lunch hour, increase your production and decrease your overhead’ – reminds us of the importance of state intervention, so that company (or land) owners preoccupied with ‘decreasing overheads’ do not dehumanise workers, perceived as mere mechanical hands.

Strict registration rules for companies have to be in place, with regular checks to ensure compliance. When it comes to the ‘gig’ and informal workers supporting the digital economy, regulations have to be implemented with urgency — already some platforms have been lobbying hard against such legislation.

Many migrants, however, work in an atmosphere of fear. They are not likely to name their abusers, so interviewing them does not reveal all. In examining their living and working conditions, more frequent, unannounced inspections can help. Inspectors must present themselves as figures one can turn to for redress, not as people to run away from. Unions can act as a bridge between workers and public officials.


Some workers daring to raise their voices have thus been left baffled trying to identify the competent authority to address their grievances.

For the migrant worker, moreover, the immediate contact is often a recruitment agent or contractor. When incidents of abuse are exposed, the primary hirer must not be able to plead ignorance and must be brought to account.

Companies operating in one country may, however, be registered in another. There is already a lot of push and pull around what the employing country’s responsibilities are and when the home country should come in to protect workers’ interests. A corporation based in one region, headquartered in another and with affiliations with several other companies further adds to the confusion.

Some workers daring to raise their voices have thus been left baffled trying to identify the competent authority to address their grievances. Workers attempting to earn their daily wages cannot confront these legalities alone: they require free or low-cost legal assistance.

Warsan Shire’s poem ‘Home’ begins:

no one leaves home unless

home is the mouth of a shark

Majority-world workers leaving their ancestral abodes, due to a raft of challenges, have filled Europe’s labour vacancies. But the paucity of labourers across the continent could keep growing — if workers travelling to it fail to find a workplace where promises of fair and timely pay, safety, health and rights are not only made, but kept.

This is a joint publication by Social Europe and IPS-Journal

The masters of greenwashing

The UN’s SDGs are not the answer to the global crises. In fact, with their techno-optimistic, finance-focused approach, they make things worse

ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY 22.09.2023 | Albert Denk | IPS

elkhiki (CC BY 2.0)

In the current global economic order, value chains based on exploiting other people and their natural resources only remain the best ‘business plan’ if your aim is to generate profit.

Disillusionment pervaded the UN summit in New York. On 18 and 19 September, member states met to discuss progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Half way towards the 2030 deadline, just 15 per cent of them are on track to be met, and up to 30 per cent have even seen a regression.

This elicited broadly similar reactions across the board, namely that it was vital to ensure the goals are still achieved after all. To that end, the international community is pinning its hopes on the twin pillars of digitalisation and finance. Via a large dose of techno-optimism plus injections of new funds (Germany, for instance, is giving the World Bank around €300 million from the budget of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development), it is thus aiming to achieve a very different outcome over the remaining seven years, while in fact pursuing an essentially unchanged approach. It’s hardly surprising then that the summit’s speakers seemed to be stuck in the rhetorical no-man’s land of hopes, dreams and wishes. That they were forced to resort to such vague exhortations to keep the faith is down to the fact that participants face enormous practical constraints, and are also hamstrung by the contradictions of the 2030 Agenda itself.

Right at the start of the summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the member states not to focus on the reasons for this failure and on mutual finger-pointing, but to instead redouble efforts to achieve the SDGs. It’s an approach that calls to mind Kurt Tucholsky’s maxim that those who point out muck are much more dangerous than those who create it. The question of whether the international community should admit that the SDGs themselves are a problem was thus rendered taboo by those at the very top. There is, it would seem, no exit strategy from the current plan.
The UN’s grand delusions

Sustainable development is the best business plan of all, Guterres stated earlier at the SDG Action Weekend. What he chose to ignore was that, in the current global economic order, value chains based on exploiting other people and their natural resources only remain the best ‘business plan’ if your aim is to generate profit. Sustainability and economic growth are almost always contradictory, despite the masterclasses in cognitive dissonance and greenwashing offered by summit participants.

SDG 8’s goal of sustained economic growth is emblematic of a grand delusion perpetuated by the UN. The constant quest for more is at best partly responsible for and at worst instrumental in many of today’s global problems. After all, some of the very biggest international corporations are those behind the exploitative fossil fuel use that has caused a global climate crisis and led to structural inequality between different regions of the world.


Mostly, the end result of a constant quest for more is more problems – improvements for the worse, as it were.

At this mid-way point, summit participants expressed disappointment that, despite the agreed goals, not enough has been done to tackle global warming. Six out of nine planetary boundaries have already been breached. These sentiments, however, stand in contrast to the dropping of fossil fuel reduction as a goal, which happened before negotiations on the SDGs even began. Any discussion of such a goal would have resulted in oil-producing countries refusing to come to the negotiating table at all.

The SDG summit saw the adoption of another new declaration, after facilitation by Ireland and Qatar. There is, however, still no mention of reducing fossil fuel use in this 10-page document, something both countries, given their current situations, benefit from. According to ecological footprint assessments, the average per capita CO2 emissions are currently more than three times too high in Ireland, and more than nine times too high in Qatar. For the declaration to talk of countries’ vulnerability to climate change while remaining silent on fossil fuel use is frankly absurd.

Another grand delusion within the UN is that member states intend to meet the development goals despite crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the SDGs foster a way of life that positively facilitates global crises. SDG 9, for instance, talks about building infrastructure, the consequences of which include an increase in impervious surfaces, deforestation and the destruction of wildlife habitats. One result of this is an ever-increasing animal-to-human transmission of pathogens, as people around the globe experienced in the recent pandemic. Likewise, famine, an issue repeatedly emphasised during the summit, is connected not to the quantity of infrastructure, but to a massively unequal distribution and blockades on supplies. Mostly, the end result of a constant quest for more is more problems — improvements for the worse, as it were.

Ultimately, the UN development goals seek to preserve an unsustainable way of life.

A third grand delusion becomes apparent if we look at the issue of global social inequalities. SDG 10 includes, among other things, a division into sustainable and non-sustainable countries in relation to their migration policies, where countries with high refugee populations are classified as non-sustainable. This seeks to create border regimes aimed at controlling and separating people. The declaration adopted at the SDG summit goes even further, with its emphasis on ‘taking into account national circumstances’ representing an extreme watering down of commitments. Here, sustainable development, in effect, means that people’s movement should be restricted or entirely curtailed. True social justice would mean the exact opposite, given that those who migrate are the people most likely to experience upward social mobility. At present, we are seeing crises of control at Europe’s external borders and those of the United States, places that have become mass graves for tens of thousands of people. In terms of social justice, sustainability would mean open migration routes, i.e. fewer individual state borders. By focusing on the consolidation of border regimes and thus preventing global mobility for individuals, the SDGs, on the other hand, promote a deepening of social inequalities. Indeed, there could hardly be a more potent symbol of the failure of the United Nations in general than its underlying principle of discrete states that seek to keep people apart.

At this mid-point in the 2030 Agenda, one thing should by now be apparent: the elephant in the room is that, if participants are serious about meeting the challenges of today’s polycrises, then the SDGs are not the answer. Ultimately, the UN development goals seek to preserve an unsustainable way of life. It seems baffling to wish to uphold prevailing notions of prosperity while completely ignoring the frequent crises they cause. Sustainability means ensuring the world is, at the very least, no less liveable for future generations than it is today. As we saw from the SDG summit, member states are set to allow even this most basic goal to be missed, while their techno-optimistic, finance-focused approach risks making global crises worse.