Perry Work Report for the week of May 24, 2012

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May 24, 2012

 

Harry Arthurs Reports On the WSIB

“In the spirit of transparency, accountability and long term financial sustainability, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) requested that the government appoint an independent third party to undertake a year-long Funding Review of its financial circumstances. The goal of this independent review was to consult broadly with workers, employers, stakeholders and knowledgeable experts in a series of meetings including public hearings across Ontario. Stakeholder views were sought on a number of specific policy issues relating to the WSIB’s financial future. This website contains research, helpful resources, submissions and comments from interested parties. Following in-depth research and analysis, and extensive consultation with stakeholders and knowledgeable experts, Prof. Harry Arthurs has completed his final report Funding Fairness A Report on Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance System”. 

The Funding Review was asked to consider six specific issues:
• the WSIB’s unfunded liability (UFL);
• premium rate setting;
• rate groups;
• employer incentives;
• occupational diseases; and
• indexation of benefits for partially disabled workers.

WSIB Funding Review, May, 2012: Funding Fairness: A Report On Ontario’s Workplace Safety And Insurance System Fairness, by Harry Arthurs. (PDF, 188 pages)

The Toronto Star, May 12, 2012: “Deaths on the job rise in Ontario; Extra government emphasis on safety helps to reduce accidents but loss of lives continues”, by Tony Van Alphen 

Truck News, May 10, 2012: “WSIB report on workers' compensation points to challenges, questions: OTA”

The Toronto Star, May 5, 2012 : “Small hike for some WSIB benefits; But not clear how $14B liability will be reduced”, by Rob Ferguson 

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Video: How To Improve Your Union Event Registration Numbers

BC Federation of Labour:  Online Campaigning.  This video demonstrates how to market, promote and obtain registrations for a union conference or other event. (Video, 8:55 minutes)

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New CCPA Report Disputes Federal Public Service Job Loss Estimates

“This report analyzes data from the government's 2012-13 Reports on Plans and Priorities (RPP), as well as the 2012 federal budget in order to assess the impact of several rounds of spending cuts on federal employment. The report's analysis finds that the total number of federal core public service job losses over the next three years will be 29,600—far more than the 19,200 estimate that is now commonly cited. It also notes that a significant number of positions at Crown corporations, non-profit agencies, and private sector firms who do business with the government outside of the core public service will also be lost.”

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, May 17, 2012: “Clearing Away the Fog: Government Estimates of Job Losses”, by David Macdonald (Full report, PDF, 5 pages)

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Overtime Class Action Against CIBC Suit Blocked

A “recent ruling from the Ontario Superior Court appears to suggest that overtime lawsuits are facing more scrutiny in Canada. In his ruling late last month, Mr. Justice George Strathy denied a proposed overtime class-action suit against CIBC “certification,” or the green light a class action needs to proceed. However, observers say the real ground rules for this kind of case will be laid down in a series of three decisions expected soon from the Ontario Court of Appeal. The province’s top court is weighing the future of another, separate overtime case against CIBC and cases against Bank of Nova Scotia and CN.”

The Globe and Mail, May 15, 2012:  “Overtime lawsuits hit a snag”, by Jeff Gray

Financial Post, May 2, 2012: “Overtime class cases still maturing”, by Drew Hasselback

Brown v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, 2012 ONSC 2377 (CanLII)

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Facebook Fallout & Firings

Gene Morphis has more than 100 friends on Facebook, about 400 connections on LinkedIn and nearly 600 profile views on his personal Blogger site. But Morphis was fired this week from his position as chief financial officer at Francesca's, an apparel and accessories retailer, after the company found "that he improperly communicated Company information through social media." 

And in Canada recently, an arbitrator has dismissed the grievance of a Canada Post worker in Edmonton was also fired for 30 Facebook postings which “contained derogatory, mocking statements about her supervisors and Canada Post. In several comments the woman suggested she had a voodoo doll of one supervisor and if she hadn’t been drinking, ‘she would take her out on the driveway and run her over.’”

LA Times, May 14, 2012: “When social media gets you fired: Francesca's CFO is out”, by Tiffany Hsu

Wall Street Journal, May 14, 2012 : “Facebook and Twitter Postings Cost CFO His Job”, By Rachel Emma Silverman

Francesca's Holdings, May 10, 2012 : “Francesca's Holdings Terminates Employment of CFO Gene Morphis Following Board Investigation of His Use of Social Media” (press release)

Moneyville.ca, May 10, 2012: “Canada Post clerk fired for nasty Facebook posts”, by Sheryl Smolkin

Workwise: Current Employment and Labour and Law Issues, March 29, 2012: “Another Brick in the Wall: Arbitrator Upholds Discharge For Offensive Facebook Postings”, by Kevin Feth, and Terri Susan Zurbrigg

TribeHR, September 01, 2011: How can social software get you fired? [infographic]

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Migration Gains – Movin’ On Up, to Toronto

Using Toronto as a benchmark, this report finds there are two potentially distinct patterns to gains in earnings associated with migration to large, dynamic metropolitan labour markets. “The first is a step upwards in which workers realize immediate gains in earnings subsequent to migration. The second is accelerated gains in earnings subsequent to migration. Immediate gains are associated with obtaining a position in a more productive firm and/or a better match between worker skills and abilities and job tasks. […] Evaluated here is the expectation that the economies of large metropolitan areas provide workers with an initial productive advantage stemming from a one-time improvement in worker productivity and/or a dynamic that accelerates gains in earnings over time through the potentially entwined processes of learning and matching.”

Statistics Canada, May 3, 2012: “Cities and Growth: Moving to Toronto - Income Gains Associated with Large Metropolitan Labour Markets”, by W. Mark Brown and K. Bruce Newbold. (PDF version, 32 pages)

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Youths Facing Challenges Worldwide

“In 2011, 13%, or 904,000, of the 6.8 million Canadians aged 15 to 29 were neither in school nor did they have a job. This proportion, which has changed little during the past decade, has been among the lowest of all G7 nations. People in this age group who are neither enrolled in school nor employed are referred to by the acronym 'NEET.' The NEET concept emerged in the 1990s when jobless, out-of-school youth in several European countries were considered at risk of becoming discouraged and disengaged. This indicator is now regularly produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.”

Statistics Canada, May 23, 2012: “The Many Challenges Facing Youths”, By Katherine Marshall. (PDF version, 15 pages)

A new ILO study examines the continuing job crisis affecting young people in many parts of the world. It provides updated statistics on global and regional youth unemployment rates and presents ILO policy recommendations to curb the current trends.

The Toronto Star, May 23, 2012: “Nearly one million young Canadians not at school or work, StatsCan says” by Dana Flavelle

International Labour Organization (ILO), May 22, 2012: Global Employment Trends for Youth 2012
 (Full Report, PDF, 57 pages)

The Globe and Mail, May 22, 2012:  “Youth unemployment to stay at ‘crisis peak’ for years: ILO”, by Tavia Grant

The Toronto Star, May 22, 2012: “Youth jobless rates remain high globally, report says”, by Dana Flavelle

This year's college graduation season comes against a backdrop of rising concern over the costs of higher education, the burdens of student debt and the challenges graduates face in a difficult job market. The issue of costs and rising student debt have touched off a national debate about the cost and value of a college education. Surveys by the Pew Research Center present a portrait of the views of the general public and college graduates.

Pew Research Center, May 17, 2012: College Graduation: Weighing the Cost ... and the Payoff

A new Heldrich Center survey of college graduates from 2006 to 2011 finds:

  • Recent college graduates are struggling to find full-time jobs. In fact, just over half of recent college graduates are working full time.
  • More than half of the nation's recent college graduates are struggling to pay off their student loans and many are borrowing to obtain additional education.
  • While the majority of college graduates are satisfied with their college education, if given the opportunity to start college over again, most would have either chosen a different major, taken different courses, or participated in more internship and work experiences.
  • Only about one-fifth of recent college graduates believe that their generation will have more success than the one before them, and more than twice as many think their generation will be less successful than the one that preceded them.

Heldrich Center, May 2012: “Chasing the American Dream: Recent College Graduates and the Great Recession”, by Charley Stone, M.P.P., Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., and Cliff Zukin, Ph.D. (PDF, 66 pages)

U.S. Congressional Research Service, May 11, 2012: “Vulnerable Youth: Employment and Job Training Programs”, Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Specialist in Social Policy (PDF, 46 pages]Link provided by IWS Documented News Service.

U.S. Congressional Research Service, May 10, 2012: “Youth and the Labor Force: Background and Trends”, by Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara (PDF, 35 pages) Link provided by IWS Documented News Service.

Gallup Economy, May 9, 2012: “One in Three Young U.S. Workers Are Underemployed. Young adults more than twice as likely as older adults to be underemployed”, by Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist

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Income Inequality Gaps – Lessons to be Learned from Mexico

Mexico is the only country in the North American Free Trade Agreement where the middle class is benefiting from economic growth, a new report shows. Mexico's middle class has benefited from urbanization, greater female employment, improved education and better social programs, the report for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives notes. "Although similar trends in Canada and the U.S. maintained growth in middle-class incomes until the 1970s, they have since run out of steam," says author Lars Osberg. "Globalization, technological advances, a drop in unionized work, and a deregulated labour market have contributed to stagnant real incomes for most in Canada and the U.S. since the 1980s," said Osberg, an economics professor at Dalhousie University, in Halifax.

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, October 30, 2011: Instability Implications of Increasing Inequality: What can be learned from North America?”, Lars Osberg, McCulloch Professor of Economics, Dalhousie University (PDF, 38 pages)

The Toronto Star, May 22, 2012:  “Does path to stability lie in taxing the rich?: Report says Canada, U.S. could learn from Mexico in seeking to close income gap”, by Dana Flavelle

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Immigrant Experiences in the U.S. and Europe

“The United States today has approximately 39.9 million immigrants—the largest number in its history This report aims to provide psychological researchers, practitioners, educators and graduate students with an understanding of the psychological process of immigration and the demographic transformation underway in American society. It also dispels common myths about immigrants and emphasizes the need to value the unique attributes and contributions of immigrant populations, particularly with regard to culture and language. The goals of the report are to: raise awareness about the increasing immigrant population in the United States; derive evidence-informed recommendations for the provision of mental health services to immigrants; and make recommendations to improve education, research, practice and policy affecting immigrants of all ages and backgrounds.”

American Psychological Association, May 3, 2012. Crossroads: The Psychology of Immigration in the 21st Century. (Executive Summary, PDF, 20 pages) (Prepublication Report, PDF, 175 pages)

“The two sides of the debate on immigration and integration in Europe share an underlying assumption that the problem is cultural, while disagreeing on whether it is the result of too much or too little respect for cultural differences. Both get the issue wrong, this report contends, calling attention to the inability of policies to ensure immigrants acquire and retain work. Employment, not culture, must be the basis for immigration policy in Europe.”

Migration Policy Institute, 2012: The Centrality of Employment in Immigrant Integration in Europe, by Randall Hansen. (PDF, 17 pages)

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World of Work Report 2012

“The World of Work Report 2012 provides a comprehensive analysis of recent labour market and social trends, assesses risks of social unrest and presents employment projections for the next five years. The report emphasizes that while employment has begun to recover slowly, job quality is deteriorating and there is a growing sense of unfairness. Moreover, given the pressure on governments to rein in expenditure, policy efforts have focused on structural reforms to boost employment creation. However, if policy instruments are not carefully designed, they could exacerbate the employment situation and aggravate further equity concerns, with potentially long-lasting adverse consequences for both the economy and society.”

ILO (International Labour Organization), 2012: The World of Work Report 2012 'Better Jobs for a Better Economy'. (Full report, PDF, 109 pages)

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Cell Tower Deaths

“The smartphone revolution comes with a hidden cost. A joint investigation by FRONTLINE and ProPublica explores the hazardous work of independent contractors who are building and servicing America’s expanding cellular infrastructure. While some tower climbers say they are under pressure to cut corners, layers of subcontracting make it difficult for safety inspectors to determine fault when a tower worker is killed or injured.” (Video, 34 minutes).

On the same webpage, find links to the following articles:

  • Jordan Barab: Why OSHA Can’t Cite Cell Carriers for Worker Safety Violations
  • AT&T’s Statement to FRONTLINE
  • In Race For Better Cell Service, Men Who Climb Towers Pay With Their Lives
  • How Subcontracting Affects Worker Safety
  • Methodology: How We Calculated the Tower Industry Death Rate

PBS, Frontline, May 22, 2012: Cell Tower Deaths

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Toilet Troubles

“Douglas Eki and Xerxes "Jason" Doctolero did mechanical work at Portland International Airport and urinated in a bucket or worse yet -- soiled their clothing -- because they couldn't get to a toilet fast enough. After months of frustration and three accidents, Eki complained to the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division in June 2010. An OSHA inspector visited Menzies Aviation the following month. Both men cooperated with the inspector, and on Aug. 6, 2010, OSHA cited the company for failing to provide restroom facilities. The men were fired later that month.”

The Oregonian, May 21, 2012: “Jury awards $332,000 to two men fired after they complained about lack of on-the-job toilet”, by Aimee Green

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Book of the Week

The Great Divergence: America's Growing Inequality Crisis and What We Can Do About It, by Timothy Noah. New York, NY : Bloomsbury, 2012. 264 p. ISBN 9781608196333

For the past three decades, America has steadily become a nation of haves and have-nots. Our incomes are increasingly drastically unequal: the top 1% of Americans collect almost 20% of the nation’s income—more than double their share in 1973. We have less equality of income than Venezuela, Kenya, or Yemen.

The income gap has been blamed on everything from computers to immigration, but its causes and consequences call for a patient, non-partisan exploration. In The Great Divergence, Timothy Noah delivers this urgently needed inquiry, ignoring political rhetoric and drawing on the best work of contemporary researchers to peer beyond conventional wisdom. Noah explains not only how the Great Divergence has come about, but why it threatens American democracy—and most important, how we can begin to reverse it.

About the Author

Timothy Noah was recently named "TRB," the lead columnist at The New Republic. He wrote for Slate for a dozen years, and previously served at the Wall Street Journal, the New Republic, and the Washington Monthly. He edited two collections of the writings of his late wife, Marjorie Williams, including the New York Times bestseller The Woman at the Washington Zoo. Noah received the 2011 Hillman Prize, the highest award for public service magazine journalism, for the series in Slate that forms the basis of The Great Divergence.

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Editor: Claire Wollen
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Copyright © 2012 Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, University of Toronto. All rights reserved.

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