On Sept. 11, a near-unanimous majority of workers at Massy Books and Massy Arts Society voted to join the Arts and Cultural Workers’ Union, IATSE Local B778. Twelve employees of Massy Books and Massy Arts Society voted to join the union, according to a Massy union member. The union drive took place largely in August. Two of the now-unionized workers are Indigenous, according to three members of Massy Union who spoke with The Mainlander.
Category Archive: Labour
Granville Island is a hub for Vancouver’s tourism industry. The Island’s vendors and makers, who create everything from traditionally made brooms to small batch spirits, trade in the image of authenticity. That this image is built upon the skill and toil of workers is a commonly ignored detail. With the strike at Granville Island Brewing Company (GIB) entering its sixth week, we see the rough edges of this crafty branding.
For over a decade we’ve heard breathless celebrations of local and artisanal businesses as the antidote to the runaway corporatization of daily life. Unfortunately, this upbeat narrative often breaks down when the workers in these local enterprises tell their own stories.