Articles by author: Brock University

• Online event to dive into impact of inflation on working families

  Thursday, May 26, 2022 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 26 May 2022 – R0058

  Inflation, the impact of rising costs on families and the possible responses of workers, unions and progressive governments will be at the centre of a free public webinar next week.

  “Prices, Profits, Power: A People’s Guide to Inflation,” hosted by Brock University’s Department of Labour Studies and the Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies (CAWLS), will take place virtually Monday, May 30 from noon to 1 p.m.

  “There are differing opinions about the causes of current inflation and how governments should respond, but the populist right and Bay Street economists have tended to dominate the narrative,” says Brock Associate Professor Simon Black, who will moderate the panel discussion. “To bring some balance to public discourse, this webinar will allow students, workers and union members to hear from some of the leading progressive political economists in Canada today.”

  The discussion will include the following expert panelists:

  • Adam King, Senior Researcher in Social and Economic Policy at the Canadian Labour Congress and author of Passage Magazine’s weekly labour newsletter, Class Struggle.
  • Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist at CUPE National and Policy Fellow at the Broadbent Institute, who writes a quarterly publication for CUPE members, Economy at Work.
  • Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work and previously an Economist and Director of Policy at Unifor, whose publications include the Economics for Everyone: A Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism and a regular column in the Toronto Star.

  Everyone is welcome to attend but advance registration is required to access the online event.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock prof says CFL will struggle to tackle potential strike

  Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 25 May 2022 – R0057

  As the Canadian Football League (CFL) grapples with ongoing unrest amongst its players, a Brock University Professor says all sides could lose in a potential strike.

  In response to the action of CFL players to reject a labour agreement between the league and the Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA), which could jeopardize the start of the season, Assistant Professor of Sport Management Michael Naraine says resolving the various concerns that have brought the league to this point remains an uphill battle.

  “There seems to be some disagreement internally on the players’ side,” he says. “That might stem from years of being glanced over by the owners and league when it comes to bargaining, and now wanting a bigger cut of the financial pie.”

  While the league’s traditional revenue streams remain the same, Naraine says the current action from the players is likely in response to new sources of income that have not yet materialized.

  “The CFL’s financial situation is locked up mostly in broadcast rights from Bell, advertising from corporate partners and then gate revenues,” he says. “But there is greater potential with sports betting and data analytics, specifically the new relationships with Genius Sports, as well as the potential to collaborate with the XFL. The players are seeing those moves and thinking there’s more revenue out there that should be shared. But many of those revenues haven’t come to bear quite yet.”

  Should a strike drag on, Naraine says the financial stability of individual teams will vary based on how dependent they are on gate revenues. It would also have a trickle-down effect on team personnel.

  “The Winnipeg Blue Bombers laid off several staff members and cut salaries of retained employees, including the president, general manager and head coach during the COVID-19 affected seasons,” he says. “A lockout could see something similar where employees, not just players, also receive a pro-rated salary for the next few months.”

  With the strike looming and much still to be resolved, Naraine says all sides will seek to gain approval for their case from the public, which might actually benefit the league.

  “Taking negotiations public is par for the course, but the challenge for the CFL is that in major Canadian media markets like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, the league isn’t the biggest draw in town,” he says. “Getting big cities to care about this is a problem for the CFL, so public negotiations would actually help to get more attention to the issues and make the story more prominent.”

  Brock University Assistant Professor of Sport Management Michael Naraine is available for media interviews on the topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Doug Hunt, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Brock University dhunt2@brocku.ca or 905-941-6209

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  Categories: Media releases