Thursday, April 08, 2010

Food for Thought

More than 300 homeless women give birth in Toronto each year, in the
shelters or on the streets. Just wondering if they would qualify for the
'severe cases' extra diet supplement! Ah, the futility of reform.
- On the economic front, (if 'front' sounds like a war, it's because it
is) good news continues to be tempered with bad. As General Motors,
Oshawa, announced the future recall of 500 to 600 workers, Magna, a giant
auto parts maker whose president takes home a salary counted in the tens
of millions, announced the slashing of its Canadian workforce by 2,700
which means its total workforce has shrunk 35% since 2005.
- In Sudbury, Ontario, the workers of Vale Inco steelworks are into their
eighth month of a strike against the new Brazilian owners who bought the
company in 2006 for $19.4 billion and who insist they are losing money
there, and workers will have to be more 'flexible', i.e. accept wage and
benefit cuts. The workers, who have filed 4 900 grievances since 2006,
rejected the latest offer by 88%. to 12%. John Ayers

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