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Union representing immigration workers urges members to vote against PSAC tentative agreement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

By: Kaitlyn Smith, Local Journalism Initiative ReporterOne of Public Service Alliance of Canada’s (PSAC) largest unions is recommending its members vote against a tentative agreement that was reached with the Treasury Board on Monday, May 1. “This tentative agreement does not go far enough to support the most at risk, marginalized employees,” the Canada Employment Immigration Union (CEIU) said in an online statement this week. “Our members were adamant that we would not accept 9% over a three-year term.” On Monday, PSAC released a detailed statement on the tentative agreement with the Treasury Board that ended the union’s nearly two-week-long strike. The employer has offered to increase wages by 12.6 per cent over four years, including a pensionable lump-sum of $2,500, and to implement a grievance process to protect the right to work from home. CEIU says extending the wage increase over four years works out to “either a little less or a little more” than a three per c...

Analysis: Basic income could help create a more just and sustainable food system

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

By: Kristen Lowitt, Queen’s University, Ontario and Charles Z. Levkoe, Lakehead UniversityCanada’s food system is experiencing ongoing stresses from supply chain disruptions, price inflation and extreme weather events. Canadians are feeling the effects of these stresses: in 2021, nearly 16 per cent of provincial households experienced some degree of food insecurity.Federal programs such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the recent grocery store rebate point to the impact direct government income interventions can have on ensuring equity in times of emergency, including access to food.Some have discussed the new grocery store rebate, which is to be delivered through the GST/HST tax credit system, as closely aligned with proposals for a basic income guarantee. But a basic income guarantee would involve regular payments, not just a one-time rebate.A basic income guarantee could play a key role in reducing individual and household food insecurity among society’s most vu...

Poland to call for sanctions on Russian farm products

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Poland will call for the EU to sanction Russian agricultural products entering the bloc, Warsaw’s envoy to Brussels said in remarks published on Saturday.“We believe that sanctions on Russian agricultural products should be imposed immediately,” said Andrzej Sadoś, the Polish permanent representative to the EU, according to the Polish Press Agency. The EU has imposed 10 rounds of sanctions against Moscow for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but hasn’t touched farm products because of the threat to food security, particularly in Africa. EU diplomats are slated to discuss an 11th round of sanctions against Russia next week.The call by Sadoś for unprecedented sanctions on food products comes just after Warsaw broke with Kyiv to call for limits on Ukrainian grain coming into Poland and other EU countries. With Polish farmers suffering from sagging prices, the European Commission in late April struck an agreement in principle with Polan...

Utility boxes removed from three Red Line stations following passenger injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

The MBTA said Friday that they have removed all utility boxes from three Red Line stations after one of the boxes fell on a passenger at the Harvard stop Monday.Overnight crews removed all remaining boxes from Harvard, Porter and Davis Red Line stops.The boxes were installed as part of a program run by the Department of Homeland Security to detect biological weapons, which ended in 2013.https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1654591397834498050?s=20The initial incident happened Monday afternoon when the approximately 200 pound piece of equipment fell on the station’s Red Line inbound platform, Cambridge Fire Chief Thomas Cahill said. The equipment had been suspended from a pole within the station and hit a woman in her late 20s as it came down, Cahill said. â€œWhile this removal work is complete, we’ll continue developing plans to address the corrosion’s source & better support the safety of our stations,” the MBTA twe...

Alaska National Park Service worker killed after triggering avalanche

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

 (CNN) — A National Park Service employee was killed Thursday after setting off an avalanche while backcountry skiing, according to the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.Denali National Park and Preserve staff member Eric Walter was backcountry skiing on a north-facing slope, the park and preserve in Interior Alaska said in a statement.“Our thoughts are with Eric’s family in this challenging time,” Denali National Park and Preserve Superintendent Brooke Merrell said.Park staff received a report of a skier triggering an avalanche about 1 p.m. local time Thursday on an unnamed slope south of Jenny Creek and East of Savage River, the statement said.Denali rangers dispatched to the area used a spotting scope to look for survivors.“Two skis, one vertical, one lying flat on the surface, as well as an orange bag were observed in a debris field in the avalanche area,” the statement said.Mountaineering rangers reached the scene in a hel...

Man charged in Harvard bomb threats freed; suspects sought

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a New Hampshire man accused of phoning in bomb threats to Harvard University and demanding a large amount of Bitcoin was not acting alone.The comments came Friday during the first court appearance for William Giordani, who was released on conditions, court records say. He’s due in court again later this month.Giordani was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting extortionate threats.“We don’t believe that Mr. Giordani acted alone,” WCVB.com reported federal prosecutor John McNeil said in court on Friday. “We will be looking for other individuals.”On April 13 the Harvard University police department received six calls regarding bombs and demand for payment. The caller gave a location and a description of a device, which police found and destroyed. The area was evacuated, but no other devices were found.Police allege Giordani was seen on camera picking up some of the items at a home goods store an...

Bill Madden: Dream on, Brian Cashman. Yankees will pay for not fixing this flawed roster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

So Brian Cashman has asked us not to give up on his $279 million Yankee juggernaut. Once the team gets healthy again, the Yankee GM assured this week, things are going to turn around, adding: “This is still a championship-caliber operation.”We’re willing to concede Cashman has a point about some $150 million of the expensive team he put together, headed up by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Rodon, presently sitting it out on the injured list. And especially in the second half the schedule will get much easier. At the same time the runaway Rays, who played the entire month of April, mostly at home against teams with losing records, are playing nothing but division leaders and teams with winning records for the foreseeable future, with the exception of three games against the A’s in mid-June.But what Cashman is unable to justify — and which Hal Steinbrenner has so far chosen to ignore — is how there can there be so much dead wood on a...

San Diego grant program to give some families, seniors $4K; find out if you qualify

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Has your family experienced major financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, you may qualify for a new San Diego County grant program.On Friday, the county communications office announced a couple thousand low-income families and seniors could receive $4,000 in cash to help them recover.These one-time allocations are intended for San Diegans who live in one of the 39 zip codes that were hit the hardest by the pandemic, the county explained. Officials say this financial help is particularly garnered towards families and seniors who may be at risk of becoming homeless. Target locations in San Diego offer item return service from your car This grant program, which is called the Recovery Action Fund for Tomorrow (RAFT), was created by the Jewish Family Service. Officials say it's funded by the county through the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.In order to be eligible for this grant program, the county says people and families must earn less than 200% ...

Charmaine Crooks elected Canada Soccer president

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Charmaine Crooks has been elected president of Canada Soccer.The former Olympian beat out former Canada Soccer vice-president Rob Newman for the top elected job at the governing body’s annual meeting in New Brunswick.Crooks was elevated to interim president from vice-president in late February after Nick Bontis resigned, acknowledging change was needed to achieve labour peace with the Canadian men’s and women’s national teams.Canada Soccer’s annual meeting of the members runs through Sunday in Saint John.Crooks, a five-time Olympian who earned silver in the 4×400 track relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, has been on the Canada Soccer board since 2012-13 and served as vice-president since January 2021.Newman served on Canada Soccer’s board for 10 years (2002-03 to 2011-12), including four years as vice-president (2008-09 to 2011-12). A former president of Saskatchewan Soccer, he is currently president and CEO of B.C. Sport.There were 85 votes up fo...

Jazz Fest’s Saturday opening delayed by weather

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A line of strong thunderstorms, with wind gusts of up to 60 mph (about 97 kph), prompted organizers of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to delay Saturday’s opening at the Fair Grounds by at least two hours.In an announcement on Twitter, the festival told festgoers to “stay tuned” for more information and “See you this afternoon!”The festival is in its final weekend for its 2023 two-week run. Saturday’s scheduled performers include rock band Dead and Company, R&B singer/musician H.E.R, alternative folk band The Lumineers, jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard, featuring The E Collective and Turtle Island Quartet, blues singer Keb’ Mo and gospel artist Anthony Brown and group therAPy.The festival’s final day is Sunday.The Associated Press