Very long ago, Our Times was founded by people wanting a progressive paper that served the Italian community. It quickly changed into what it is now known – a publication directed at the experiences of working people, primarily in unionised settings. This doesn’t mean that its primary focus is the covering of strikes, nor does it act as a how-to guide to organising or dealing with a grievance. Rather, we are brought more into the lives of those dealing with the problems of collectively addressing the experience of work or places where the concerns of union activists and that of the broader society merge. This particular issue includes advice on how to encourage younger union members to become active in their local, a look at tent city and some reflections on the Seattle protests – an already mythological event in the history of dissent in the west. A page of poetry by Glen Downie provides a different perspective on life in a neo-con world. Two pieces stand out: Tania Willard’s “Red Flags Red Skin” – an illustrated story of early organising of miners in BC, including a glimpse into the life of the Wobbly organiser Frank Little, a half aboriginal/half white organiser who was murdered in 1917. Strong illustrations and a well crafted story served this little known part of labour history well. The second piece was Jim Gill’s “The Worst Job I Ever Loved,” part of the ongoing “Working for a Living” feature. His description of learning to enjoy a job accepted out of desperation struck home, being a familiar experience to many of us. This periodical is not one for pie-in-the-sky revolutionaries – it is for the majority of us who seek for ways to little by little change our lives. (BB)
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