In conversation at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School last month, Nancy Pelosi laid out her priorities should the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives and should Pelosi reclaim the top job as Speaker.
HR1, she said, meaning House Resolution Number 1, would be campaign finance reform, followed by lowering the cost of health care, “building the infrastructure of America” (mass transit, schools, housing), protecting the Dreamers and passing the Equality Act amendment to the Civil Rights Act, thereby enshrining protections for the LGBTQ community.
Now that Democrats are back in control of the House, it isn’t certain, but it is a reasonable bet, that Pelosi will re-emerge as Speaker. When she last took up that gavel in January of 2007 she delivered, within 100 days, on her promised legislative agenda, which included rescinding billions of dollars of tax breaks to oil and gas companies and raising the federal minimum wage, which the Democrats will fight for again, she vows.
What Pelosi has not put on her Top 10 list is passage of the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
This shouldn’t come as a post-election surprise.
Those who lived through the first NAFTA recall the free trade expansion negotiated by the Republicans under George H. W. Bush in 1992, the opposition from the Democrats, and the 11th-hour conversion of Bill Clinton, who, as president, signed the trade deal into law late in 1993, but not before the ignored issues of the environment and labour were addressed.
By “addressed” I do not mean to suggest they were addressed effectively. Kept out of the main text, environment and labour were written in as side agreement addenda. The language was woefully lax. On labour, as I have written before, the signatories to the deal said they were “committed to promote” a few “guiding principles” governing “broad areas of concern.” The word flaccid does not do the deal justice.
The warnings raised by Democratic opponents were realized.
The labour rights of the Mexican worker would be ignored. There would be no enforcement of the right to collective bargaining. The suppression of wages for Mexican workers would see American jobs flood south of the border, as North American business exploited cheap labour.
The NAFTA accord marks its quarter century this January.
And where are we? In the new USMCA there is a direct labour chapter, with an annex specifically addressing worker representation in collective bargaining in Mexico.
Again, 25 years have passed and here we are. An excerpt: Mexico is to “provide in its labor laws the right of workers to engage in concerted activities for collective bargaining or protection and to organize, form, and join the union of their choice.” Employer “domination or interference in union activities” is to be prohibited. Discrimination against workers for union activity is to be banned.
There’s a seven-point directive as to what the new legislation is to cover.
We must wonder: how is it this was not enshrined decades ago? “It is the expectation of the Parties,” the annex concludes, “that Mexico shall adopt legislation described above before January, 2019. It is further understood that entry into force of the agreement may be delayed until such legislation becomes effective.” (Those italics are mine.)
On this issue of enforcement, we find such mewling language as “encouraging the establishment of worker-management committees” and “providing or encouraging mediation” and implementing undefined sanctions.
Little wonder there’s a growing expectation that the Democrats could seize the moment to call for changes to the labour chapter and, while they’re at it, push for new environmental standards, a back-to-the-future discussion, if you will.
None of this interferes with the timeline Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and U.S. President Donald Trump continue to follow, that is, the formal signing of USMCA by month’s end. But that formality is just setting the stage for the tumult ahead.
Perhaps, as some have suggested, Trump will threaten to pull out of NAFTA altogether if the deal doesn’t advance through Congress after it convenes in January.
There will be the inevitable complaints about political opportunism on the part of the Democrats should they hold firm.
This ignores the failure of NAFTA in its first round: that it failed to enshrine labour rights as it advanced “freer, fairer” markets. The new deal promises the “protection and enforcement of labour rights, the improvement of working conditions, the strengthening of co-operation and the Parties’ capacity on labor issues.”
That isn’t much of a promise at all. And Nancy Pelosi knows it.
Jennifer Wells is a business columnist based in Toronto. Reach her on email: jenwells@thestar.ca
Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline.
Starburst Visuals and Symbols
The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors.
Starburst XXXTreme Features
Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.
The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity.
What We Think About The Game
The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement.
That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level.
Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet.
In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.
Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.
With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.
Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”
“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.
The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.
When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.
“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”
MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.
MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.
The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.
The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.
Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.
STUDIO SHORTAGE
The film industry is cramped in Montreal.
According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.
With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.
Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »
« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.
She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.
« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.
There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.
« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.
Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.
For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.