---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 16:30:39 -0400
From: Bruce Campbell <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: New from the CCPA

September 28, 2000

NEW FROM THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES.

Dear Members and Friends.

We have released two important studies this month which may interest
you. They are as follows:

FLYING WITHOUT A NET: ECONOMIC FREEDOM FOR WORKING CANADANS IN 2000. By
Amanda Brown and Jim Stanford
September 28

 According to this study,  although the economic well-being of Canadian
workers has improved notably in the past two years, it remains
significantly poorer than before the last recession, mainly because of a
sharp decline in social programs and income security measures.

The study which is a counterpoint to the Fraser Institute’s economic
freedom for business measure, develops a quantitative index of the
well-being of Canadian workers. Called the Economic Freedom (For the
Rest of Us) Index (EFRU). The overall EFRU Index gained more than two
full points in 1998 and 1999, making up about half the ground lost
earlier in the decade. But the Index remains more than two full points
below the level that prevailed in1990, before the onset of the last
recessionÐsolely because of the drop in
social protections.

 The erosion of the network of social security measures  warn the authors
means that Canadian workers are more dependent on private labour
market outcomes than at any other point in Canad’s recent history. When
labour markets turn down againÐas they surely must, sooner or laterÐCanadian
workers will be left largely unprotected. They are, in short, now flying
without a net.

 ‘Flying Without a Net" can be downloaded from our web site:
www.policyalternatives.ca > Hard copy version is available for $10.00
(Discounts for Bulk orders)


GATS: HOW THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION’S "SERVICES’ NEGOTIATIONS
THREATEN DEMOCRACY, by Scott Sinclair
September 13

Despite the dramatic breakdown of global trade talks in Seattle in December
1999, sweeping negotiations are now quietly underway in Geneva to
subject an
ever-greater degree of democratic decision-making to oversight by the World
Trade Organization (WTO).

This book exposes the WTO services negotiation to critical public scrutiny
for the first time.  It describes how the GATS ultimate purpose is to
commercialize every service sector in every WTO member country – including
essential public services such as education, water and health care.

CCPA Senior Researcher Scott Sinclair has written a very important book
which is already getting world-wide attention.

The summary of this book can be downloaded from our web site:
www.policyalternatives.ca > Hard copy version is available for $19.95
(Discounts for Bulk orders)


Watch for major studies on health care, education and pensions in the
coming weeks.



--
Bruce Campbell
Executive Director
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Suite 410, 75 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7
Tel: 613-563-1341 Fax: 613-233-1458
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.policyalternatives.ca