In Our Times Tally

● Chance that a Canadian worker has been bullied at least once a week for the past six months at their job: 2 in 5
● Percentage of Canadians who believe that bullying should be considered a crime, even if no violence in involved: 65
● Chance that a violent workplace incident with a female victim in Canada is ever reported to the police: 1 in 5
● Percentage of all U.S. occupational deaths caused by harmful substances, fires and explosions: 12
● Percentage caused by violence and assault: 18
● Percentage increase in workplace accidents and illnesses that happen to workers aged 15-24 compared to older workers: 33
● Chance that an American citizen is a millionaire: 1 in 100
● Chance that a U.S. Senator is: 2 in 3
● Number of labour rights violations currently being committed by the federal and provincial governments in Canada: 20
● Percentage of Canadians who believe that the Conservatives are “likely” to use false or misleading robocalls with voters: 63
● Chance that a Canadian believes that ridings subjected to robocalls should “have a by-election as soon as possible”: 1 in 2
● Percentage of total income earned by the richest 0.1% of Canadians: 5.3
● Ratio of income earned by the richest 10% of Canadians to that of the poorest 10%: 10 to 1
● Minimum number of workers in India who walked off the job in a national strike in late February: 100 million
● Strikes and lockouts as a percentage of all work time in Canada in 2010: 0.03%
● Percentage decline in strike time in Canada since the 1970s: 95
● Average hourly wage of a Wal-Mart sales associate in the United States: $8.81
● Ratio of wealth owned by the Walton Family to that of the bottom 30 percent of the entire U.S. population: 1 to 1
● Price paid for a Hermes crocodile skin 18K white gold handbag at a fashion auction in Dallas, Texas last year: $203,150
● Number of First Nations communities in Canada that the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline would flow through: 65
● Number of them which have formally declared opposition to the project: 61
● Chance that a household on a First Nations reserve in Canada require renovations due to mold or poor construction: 1 in 2
● Number of Canadians who took part in the landmark 1995 “Unity Rally” in Quebec before the referendum vote: 60,000
● Number of students in Quebec who took part in the recent two-day strike against rising tuition fees in March: 200,000
● Percentage of the world’s population that owns at computer: 12
● Percentage who have an internet connection: 8
● Official unemployment rate for workers aged 16 to 25 in Spain: 49
● Amount by which household debt increases in Canada each day: $250 million
● Annual amount that could be raised by a 2% income tax increase on those making over $250,000 in Ontario: $500 million
● Amount that each of the richest 1% of B.C. income earners have saved every year since 2001 due to income tax cuts: $41,000
● Date on which New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned food donations to homeless shelters: 03/18/2012
● Number of workers in Canada who don’t have a private pension plan: 11 million
● Percentage of American restaurant workers who don’t have paid sick days: 88
● Percentage who have admitted to cooking or serving food while sick: 63
● Number of new jobs that must be created over the next two years globally to return to “pre-crisis employment rates”: 80 million
● Percentage of countries around the world where the risk of social unrest has “increased significantly” since 2010: 40
● Average annual income of a full-time taxi driver in the province of Quebec: $17,671
● Current cost of buying a taxi driving permit in Montreal: $200,000
● Number of years since its founding in 1776 that the United States hasn’t been at war: 14
● Number of paid vacation days and public holidays each year in Canada: 19
● Number in China: 21

Our Times Tally is written by union communications and media consultant Sean Cain (www.seanc60.sg-host.com).

SOURCES: 2 in 5 – Jacqueline Power (University of Windsor School of Business); 65 – Angus Reid Poll (February 2012); 1 in 5 – National Union of Public and General Employees (2012); 12, 18 – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009); 33 – Safety Compliance Newsletter (2008); 1 in 100, 2 in 3 – U.S. Center for Responsive Politics; 20 – International Labour Organization (April 2012); 63, 1 in 2 – Angus Reid Poll (March 2012); 5.3, 10 to 1 – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2011); 100 million – Diligent Media Corporation (Mumbai, India); 0.03%, 95 – Statistics Canada (2011); $8.1 – IBIS World Research (2011); 1 to 1 – Forbes 400 List (2011); $203,150 – Christian Science Monitor (Dec 2011); 65, 61 – CBC News; 1 in 2 – Angela Sterritt (Briarpatch Magazine, Mar 2011); 60,000, 200,000 – CBC News; 12, 8 – The Miniature Earth Project; 49 – Financial Times (February 2012); $250 million – Jim Stanford (Facts from the Fringe, No. 238, 234); $500 million – Brian Evans (Ryerson University); $41,000 – Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (2011); 03/18/2012 – CBS News; 11 million – James Clancy (National Union of Public and General Employees, 2010); 88, 63 – Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (Serving While Sick, 2010); 80 million, 40 – International Labour Organization (Nov 2011); $17,671 – Statistics Canada (Job Futures, 2011); $200,000 – Commission des transports du Québec (2010); 14 – Wikipedia (Timeline of U.S. Military Operations); 19, 21 – Mercer Research Study (December 2011).
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