Jason Foster

New book alert! My new book is now out. It examines the insidious rise of precarious work in Canada. Ask for it at a book store near you. And if you are in Edmonton you are invited to the official book launch. Thursday June 8 at 5:30 at Irrational Brewing (10643-124 Street).

New book alert!! My new textbook with Fiona McQuarrie is officially out. Entirely updated and with new material. If you are a labour relations/labour studies prof consider assigning it in your course.

Attended the launch of a new documentary about undocumented kids being denied the right to go to school. Proud to be a part of the campaign with Alberta Workers Association for Research and Education and ⁦@MigranteAlberta⁩

Join us for the release of @ParklandInst latest research report looking at how unions improve wages, increase equality and create job security for Albertans.

Today on my CBC Radioactive beer column we talked beer advent calendars; what options are out there and how to organize your own. And we opened the first day’s beer - a couple days early - from the hand curated one from ⁦@SherbrookeLiq⁩ . ⁦@JessicaNgCBC⁩

A bit late getting to this but I was on @TheCurrentCBC last week to talk about the teachers’ strike. Worth a listen still. cbc.ca/listen/live-ra…

I was invited onto to @CANADALAND to talk teachers and govt interference in bargaining in Canada. Thanks for having me! You can listen to it here: canadaland.com/podcast/1257-s…

I had a good interview today with @politicalham about what could happen when the government passes Back-to-Work legislation on the teachers next week.

@why_knot1 @ryanjespersen If I am incorrect I am happy to be corrected but I don’t recall any in recent memory and it has never been in the collective agreement.

@ABworkprof @ryanjespersen Yes, there were!

I was on Real Talk with @ryanjespersen today to talk about the teachers’ strike. Here are some highlights.

I had a good conversation with the Tyee for their story examining the parties' strategies in the ongoing teachers' strike.

@why_knot1 @ryanjespersen There were never class size caps. And there has never been collective agreement language about class size. The ministry did keep statistics until the UCP, which ended that practice.

@ABworkprof @ryanjespersen Alberta did have class size agreements, didn't they? And wasn't it the UCP that threw them out and then stopped reporting them? If it wasn't in their collective agreements, it was in the Ministry plans!

A note to young and emerging labour scholars. Say yes to media requests. I have done 22 interviews in the last two weeks on various labour issues. Yes it gets in the way of the rest of our work but it matters. We need knowledgeable, pro-worker voices talking about labour issues.

The UCP’s announcement of a new ad campaign smearing Alberta teachers will only push them closer to strike action: “The government is less interested in figuring out a deal and more concerned about political optics,” says Parkland director Jason Foster. thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/exper…

The last time teachers went on strike in Alberta was over 20 years ago. Why are we so close to one now? “This seems to be bubbling up from the members themselves. They're angry and want to see change,” says Parkland’s director. cbc.ca/listen/live-ra…

“In the last decade, inflation’s gone up by 25% — but workers’ wages sure haven’t. What we’re seeing now is workers pushing back across industries, across the country.” Listen to this interview with Parkland’s director, Jason Foster. cbc.ca/listen/live-ra…

School library book crackdowns, anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and calls for privatization: all under the banner of “parental rights.” Find out what’s behind this political strategy trying to reshape Alberta’s schools. Join our free webinar — tomorrow! ualberta-ca.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

The UCP says it can’t afford fair wages for teachers. Parkland’s director Jason Foster points out: “Just in the last budget, the government implemented a gigantic tax cut. So they’re making choices that mean whether they have or don’t have money.” ctvnews.ca/edmonton/ctv-m…

Was just interviewed on 880 CHED about the looming teachers' lockout/strike. Government ramped up the rhetoric today trying to deflect from their unwillingness to invest appropriately in education. Listen in if you want: open.spotify.com/episode/02hAoM…

I had a great conversation with @CABalkaran on his Open Minds podcast about the growth of the TFWP. The episode is out now.

Parkland is hosting a webinar on the disaster that is the UCP’s private surgery plan. Higher costs, longer wait lists. Come hear about it.