Recently I had a chance to hear from workers trying to unionize at Novotel Hotels. Their stories of working long hours, basically full time, and still being unable to pay the bills is depressing. At the same time the city of Toronto is contemplating contracting out hundreds of cleaning jobs to non-union companies, and in the words of a respected U of T professor:  “increasing the alarming growth of the working poor.” It’s pretty sad when 100 academics feel forced to write and ask those at city hall to use their hearts and brains (my words) to stop increasing poverty in Canada’s largest city. On the good news front, because of this kind of opposition, the city has been forced to temporarily defer these cuts.This is why you have to speak up when you see things going wrong, it does make a difference.