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About the author
CKirkby
- earned degrees in language / literature and law (but is not currently a lawyer or a journalist);
- worked for over a decade on Parliament Hill;
- misses writing; and
- appreciates thoughtful comments, en anglais ou en français. (Email addresses are not published.)
June 2026 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Categories
Archive
Category Archives: Employment
Happy union AGM day.
I had a private comment in response to my post on Friday about questions members could put to federal labour unions, say at an AGM today. It included counter-arguments others might have in mind, so I decided to respond publicly. … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Law, Politics
Tagged return to office policies, rhetoric v. action, solidarity, unions
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Suggested questions to put to unions re: fighting in-office policies
I’ve learned that my former union’s Annual General Meeting is being held this Sunday, 17 November 2024, including by Zoom. My emails to the union about fighting the federal government’s return-to-office policy have gone unanswered. Presumably it’s easy to ignore … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Health, Politics
Tagged covid, return to office policies, rhetoric v. action, solidarity, unions
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Dance like nobody’s getting COVID
A few things happened over the past week. Which means it’s time to get angry again about the federal government’s return-to-office mandate. I don’t know how much plainer it can be that it’s not okay for employers to unilaterally impose … Continue reading
How many ineffective roads must a union walk down…
My former union now thinks the solution to the federal government’s three-days-in-office policy is to request that Parliament study the matter. Presumably the reasoning is that the federal court process is taking too long and maybe a minority Parliament overflowing … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Employment, Health
Tagged being human, government, labour, return to office policies, solidarity
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“Win a chance at adequate infrastructure!”
The CRTC is offering employees the chance to win the temporary use of private office space in exchange for a charitable donation. Federal employers who are forcing employees out of the “private office space” of their own homes and requiring … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Commentary
Tagged labour, return to office policies, solidarity, unions
2 Comments
So, how many federal employees caught covid this week?
I’ve been pondering what to write. I’ve been following political news only enough to be confirmed in my opinions that (1) the NDP is abandoning principles and veering right and (2) Justin Trudeau’s post-retreat governance strategy remains “I’m not as … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Commentary, Law, Politics
Tagged covid, Justin Trudeau, labour, NDP, return to office policies, unions
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Doing some math on the federal government’s return-to-office policy
September approaches. September is the month when federal employees are expected to start donating their “free” time three days per week to commute to a job they’ve proven they can do from home, where there probably aren’t bats. 7.68 work … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Commentary, Health
Tagged covid, government, return to office policies, unions
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Saturday night analysis of Ministerial directives under s. 107 of the Canada Labour Code
How’s that for an engaging title. I am, I would say unsurprisingly or even predictably, interested in the ongoing railway labour dispute. Although it’s not clear from the articles I’ve read, the relevant union seems to be fighting for some … Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Law, Politics
Tagged government, labour, legislative process, unions
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Bullshit jobs
I was reading an article in The Economist from 2018, an interview with David Graeber entitled “Bullshit jobs and the yoke of managerial feudalism,” and thinking about my own professional experience. Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Employment, Politics
Tagged government, legislative process, professionalism
1 Comment
Time
And you run, and you runTo catch up with the sun, but it’s sinkingAnd racing aroundTo come up behind you againThe sun is the same in a relative wayBut you’re olderShorter of breathAnd one day closer to death — Pink … Continue reading →