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Weekend Newsstand: September 19, 2015
Today, some meaty political issues: Ontario elementary teachers are heading into a new phase of work-to-rule job action, the seven tightest electoral races in Toronto, and Muslim Canadian voters.
After talks earlier this month failed to produce a new contract for Ontario’s elementary school teachers, CTV reported yesterday that the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will move to “phase three” of its work-to-rule campaign on Monday. Work-to-rule is a tactic employed either before or in lieu of a general strike, and sees employees doing reduced work in an effort to provide some of the basic necessities of their job (in this case,teaching children) while still impressing upon their employers their value and the importance of negotiating with them in good faith. As of Monday, according to CTV, elementary teachers will not: fill in by teaching in other classrooms or allowing other kids from other classes into their classrooms if a substitute teacher hasn’t been brought in; answer emails, messages, or phone calls from administrators unless it’s about someone’s safety; participate in in-school professional learning on PA days; do interviews with parents about their children’s progress, unless the teacher has identified an issue.
CBC has compiled a list of the seven closest electoral races in Toronto for the Oct. 19 federal election. The ridings are: Etobicoke Centre, Scarborough-Guildwood, Don Valley West, Don Valley East, Mississauga East-Cooksville, Willowdale, Scarborough Southwest, and Scarborough Centre. Check to see what’s happening in your riding and what that means for you (it means you should vote).
Just 30 per cent of eligible Muslim Canadians voted in the 2011 election, and there are a number of groups trying to both understand why that was and increase that number this time around. “Their issues are not being dealt with, so that steers them away from the whole idea of voting,” said first-year Ryerson student Abrahim Khan, who is himself politically active. Last night the Aga Khan Museum hosted a debate on Muslim issues and the Twitter hashtag used for the debate (#muslimyouthdb8) trended Canada-wide, according to the debate’s host.