The Beacon, 20 September 2007 – Special Event
Is it a violation of an employee's human rights to be forced to be a "member" of a union? That's the question answered at this special AIMS' luncheon with Swedish human rights lawyer Jan Södergren.
Are MLA salaries too low?
In this article about MLA's salaries, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill notes that although salary is an important component of attracting people to run for elected office, the call to public service likely has more impact.
Failed Education Reform? Don’t Blame the Unions
AIMS' report, "Getting the fox out of the schoolhouse" has generated a lot of debate across the country, but some of the message seems to have been lost. In this opinion piece for the National Post Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, and two of the report's co-authors argue that much of the blame for the state of education rests on our heads.
Knowable Now
Knowledge is power and in terms of health care data it could be the power to save lives. Yet regardless of the mountains of information collected in Canadian health care establishments, at a cost of millions per year, little is ever used effectively. This latest background paper from the Canadian Health Care Consensus group examines what could be done.
Knowing that we know naught:
Canadian health care data being buried instead of analyzed
The Beacon, 13 September 2007
This edition of The Beacon focuses on two of the most important policy issue in Canada: education and health care. You will also find information on an upcoming AIMS event and an opinion piece requested from AIMS by the Globe & Mail.
Involve public in education policy
AIMS' paper on teachers' unions entitled, "Getting the fox out of the schoolhouse" continues to generate debate around the country. This editorial from the Times & Transcript is an example. While not agreeing with everything in the AIMS' paper, it does show the paper has people talking about the public policy issue.
Do we give unions too much credit?
In his fortnightly column in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill reflects on a recent paper about the influence of teachers' union on education policy. Here he makes it clear that the paper is talking about the unions, not the teachers.
Does teachers’ union block school reforms?
AIMS' report on teachers' unions, "Getting the fox out of the school house" has generated significant debate on the role that unions play in developing educational policy. In this piece Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, notes how we shouldn't afford unions the same goodwill we do teachers, because they represent a narrow set of interests. While teachers are concerned with the well-being of students, unions are mandated to promote only the interests of their members.
Government must set education policy
This editorial from the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal says that AIMS' report on teachers' unions has a lot to offer N.B. Education Minister Kelly Lamrock. Specifically, New Brunswick should replace teachers' right to strike with binding arbitration.