Debunking the Myth of the “Good Old Days”: Sexism, Racism and the Working Class in Canada After WWII, Part One

by Ryan Sparrow

Racialised and gendered work is a common feature of the development of capitalism. The need for a super-exploitable vulnerable group of workers is beneficial to the big business community as it helps bring about a much lower floor of wages and working conditions.

The historic 1945 Ford Strike in Windsor

In the post-war era, the overt racism and overt gender discrimination of workers was still around, although less prevalent.  Institutionalized racism and sexism, however, was still very widely practised.  Racialised and gendered labour therefore represented a super-exploited strata of the working class in the post-war era.

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Communists Condemn Austerity Budget in Ontario

People’s Voice

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) has condemned the Ontario Budget, delivered March 27, as a massive attack on working people and the poor that will destroy tens of thousands of jobs, drive down wages, pensions, incomes and living standards. Combined with the austerity measures in the federal budget, it could push the province into another deep economic recession.

Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) leader Elizabeth Rowley

The Executive of the CPC (Ontario) also warned that the threat of legislated wage controls is a dangerous attack on free collective bargaining and on civil and democratic rights.

“There’s not much air between the Liberals and Tories when it comes to bashing workers and the poor, and restricting their rights. They both unerringly deliver the goods to Big Business, the banks and financial sector, and transnational corporations like Vale, US Steel, Caterpillar, Rio Tinto ‑ the source of the crisis in Ontario” said CPC (Ontario) leader Elizabeth Rowley. “Everything that falls in the way of bigger and bigger corporate profits is under acute attack.”

Sample Resolutions from the XXI Congress of the Communist Party of India

Resolution on Agriculture and Farmers’ Plight  

The 21st Congress of the CPI expresses its anguish and deep concern over the anti-people measures pursued by the Government in the centre and the states as well across the country with regards to agriculture sector and farmers community.

While Indian agriculture scenario is becoming gloomy day by day and around 70% of the population engaged in this sector are facing severe economic crisis resulting in the incidents of suicides committed by more than 2.5 lakh farmers, the governments are mostly reluctant to address the genuine problem rather becoming rhetoric and mostly undertaking the measures which lead to more pauperization.

Corporate Taxes: Now Is Not the Time for Ontario to Cut Them

Toronto Star editorial

Low corporate tax rates didn’t stop Caterpillar from fleeing London, Ont. ERIC LALMAND/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Ontario has a $16-billion deficit and since economic growth is projected to be slower than we’re used to, there is no easy way back to balance. No wonder public concern is mounting over how the Liberal government intends to raise revenues and reduce costs in its upcoming budget.

It’s a lot of ammunition for any opposition party to work with. And, this week, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak firmly picked his battleground: more tax cuts for big business.