1Dime Radio Can the NDP Be Saved? (Ft. Rob Ashton)
Jan 28, 2026
Rob Ashton, longshore worker and ILWU Canada president now running for NDP leadership, talks labour-first strategies. He covers restoring easy unionization and stronger labor laws. He discusses rebuilding domestic industry, job guarantees and using procurement for Canadian jobs. He outlines worker ownership, workplace democracy, and a worker-centered climate and energy transition.
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Longshore Roots And Rank‑And‑File Leadership
- Rob Ashton spent 32 years as a longshoreman and leads ILWU Canada as national president for ten years.
- He frames his campaign as the voice of rank-and-file members and a working-class father and grandfather.
Make Unionization Simple And Protected
- Make union certification one-step and crack down on union-busting like shutdowns and closures.
- Repeal Section 107 to protect the right to strike and prevent ministerial intervention ending labour actions.
Inflation Is A Corporate Problem
- Ashton rejects the wage–inflation blame and locates inflationary power with corporate pricing.
- He proposes a Bank of Canada mandate that balances inflation control with full employment.