 • Get up-to-date information about city issues and CUPE's contracts www.torontotogether.ca
• CUPE's TV ads about the work they do. • Wednesday February 1st, 7:30 pm - Labour Council telephone town hall: Labour's Response to the attack on City Workers. • Latest issue of Labour Action - Winter 2012 |
COUNTDOWN PROVOCATION
The Ford regime is rolling out its plan to either lock out its employees or drive them out with provocative treatment in the coming weeks. Thursday January 19th, the City got its no-board report for CUPE 416. This will set the clock running on possible lock-out or change of work conditions as early as February 5th.
The CUPE local unions and their members are not looking for a conflict with the city. They want to go to work, delivering important public services to every neighbourhood. CUPE recognizes the financial pressures facing municipalities like Toronto, and is prepared to work together to find solutions without cutting services. They are also determined to protect both
their jobs and the services that we all rely on. In the face of a belligerent anti-worker agenda centred in the Mayor's office, they deserve our whole-hearted support. Download the Labour Council flyer "It's All Our Fight."
*****************************************************************
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Months of dedication and hard work paid off this month as City Council voted 23-21 to turn down Rob Ford’s slash-and-burn budget. He suffered a major political defeat as a majority of Council united against his agenda, and reversed just under $20 million of his proposed service cuts.
Those include the closure of three homeless shelters, lowering service standards on dozens of TTC routes this year, a $2.3-million reduction in community grants, cutbacks to library service, and the elimination of free youth programs at priority centres. But while residents celebrated the saving of those programs, city employees are still on the chopping block, with over 1000 positions being cut in this budget. A real disappointment was the loss of a motion to defer contracting out of cleaners by a vote of 20-24.
Those Councillors who had the courage to stand up to the Mayor’s cuts deserve to be congratulated. Now let’s see if the sell-off of TCHC homes and Toronto Hydro can be turned around as well.
*****************************************************************
MASSIVE RALLY AGAINST CORPORATE GREED
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in London's Victoria Park on January 21st in a show of solidarity with 465 CAW Local 27 members who have been locked-out by U.S. multi-national Caterpillar. Labour and community leaders (including students and representatives of Occupy London) as well as interim federal NDP leader Nycole Turmel and London Mayor Joe Fontana addressed the massive crowd. CAW President Ken Lewenza blasted the greed of corporate executives who have taken advantage of increasingly weaker government rules and regulations under the Harper government and around the globe. Lewenza told the crowd that Caterpillar, which has made billions in profits and its top executives tens of millions in bonuses, should be a rallying point for all workers to pull together to demand equality and good jobs.
OFL President Sid Ryan said the rally demonstrates that Canadians are tired of corporate greed and are seeking a new economic model that distributes wealth fairly. The Harper government has yet to comment on the lock-out directly, even though the Prime Minister visited the plant in 2008 to tout a $5-million package of tax breaks. Special thanks to all the activists that travelled from greater Toronto to show solidarity in this outrageous situation.
**************************************************************
TORONTO LABOUR GEARS UP
At a special meeting of the heads of all Toronto unions, the labour movement agreed to move into high gear around the Solidarity Plan for Fair City Contracts. The plan was adopted formally in December, and various unions are determining how to implement it in their sectors. A key element of the plan will be a series of solidarity visits by CUPE members to other workplaces to explain what is at stake in the negotiations. Those will be either “lunch-and-learn” sessions on site or joint leafleting/rallying before work.
There was unanimous agreement to the suggestion that an emergency mass Stewards Assembly be called immediately if the Ford administration locks out its employees. It was clear that if labour loses this fight, employers in every sector will be emboldened to demand concessions. If you want to arrange for a workplace solidarity visit, please contact Andria Babbington at 416 418-0867or municipal@labourcouncil.ca
*****************************************************************
TIME FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT IN YORK REGION
Special Update - Miller Transt workers reject forced offer - On January 6th, ATU 1587 members said 84% no to a final offer vote demanded by the employer through the Ministry of Labour. Perhaps now the companies will start to bargain for a fair settlement.
Labour Council is calling on York Region Council to scrap the contracts with private transit operators and replace them with a public transit system that works for riders, workers and the public. The labour dispute with the private contractors continues into week eight, and it is clear that the private operators have no incentive to settle the strike. In a letter to Regional Councillors, Labour Council is urging them to cancel the private deals and set up a truly public transit system instead.
Over many decades, York Region and each of its municipalities have successfully bargained collective agreements with their own employees without a single strike. So why is this so hard to settle? There is one simple reason – the presence of private operators that are huge multinational companies answerable to CEO’s outside of Canada. Their profit margin comes first – far ahead of the interests of the people of York Region. It is time to remove these middlemen that have no concern for the public, and create a system that is accountable to the public, and run in the interests solely of the public.
To download the flyer click here.
*****************************************************************
JOIN THE STUDENTS DAY OF ACTION!
Labour Council is endorsing the February 1st day of action called by the Canadian Federation of Students. From coast to coast, students are mobilizing to hit the streets on February 1, 2012 to demand their right to a post-secondary education system that is free of financial barriers, equitable and of high quality. Over the years, poor policy decision-making from all levels of government has created a system that is increasingly exclusive, leaving behind those who cannot afford the high upfront cost of their education or burdening students with record debt levels. Ontario students currently pay the highest tuition fees in the country and receive less government investment in their education than students in all other provinces.
Come out and show your support for the next generation! For more info go to www.cfsontario.ca | PDF poster
*****************************************************************
SOLIDARITY FOR FAIR CITY CONTRACTS
Labour Council has developed an ambitious plan to build solidarity for city workers in their contract negotiations with the Ford regime. This plan was taken to a special meeting of over three hundred Toronto area delegates from all unions at the OFL convention, and unanimously adopted there as well at the December Labour Council delegates meeting.
It is clear that Mayor Ford and his supporters want to gut the city collective agreements, particularly the contracting out language. It doesn’t matter where you work, protection from contracting out is a vital fight for all unions. If Ford prevails, it will mean the loss of thousand more decent jobs. That will be bad for our city, our communities, and the labour movement as a whole. How do we create a climate of solidarity in 2012? We start with a series of exchanges between city workers and members of every other union – both public and private sector. The goal is to deliver a strong message through various affiliates to their own employers that it will not be “business as usual” in Toronto if Ford declares all out war on unions
To read the entire plan, click here.
*****************************************************************
The Ford regime is rolling out its plan to either lock out its employees or drive them out with provocative treatment in the coming weeks. Thursday January 19th, the City got its no-board report for CUPE 416. This will set the clock running on possible lock-out or change of work conditions as early as February 5th.
The CUPE local unions and their members are not looking for a conflict with the city. They want to go to work, delivering important public services to every neighbourhood. CUPE recognizes the financial pressures facing municipalities like Toronto, and is prepared to work together to find solutions without cutting services. They are also determined to protect both
their jobs and the services that we all rely on. In the face of a belligerent anti-worker agenda centred in the Mayor's office, they deserve our whole-hearted support. Download the Labour Council flyer "It's All Our Fight."
*****************************************************************
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Months of dedication and hard work paid off this month as City Council voted 23-21 to turn down Rob Ford’s slash-and-burn budget. He suffered a major political defeat as a majority of Council united against his agenda, and reversed just under $20 million of his proposed service cuts.
Those include the closure of three homeless shelters, lowering service standards on dozens of TTC routes this year, a $2.3-million reduction in community grants, cutbacks to library service, and the elimination of free youth programs at priority centres. But while residents celebrated the saving of those programs, city employees are still on the chopping block, with over 1000 positions being cut in this budget. A real disappointment was the loss of a motion to defer contracting out of cleaners by a vote of 20-24.
Those Councillors who had the courage to stand up to the Mayor’s cuts deserve to be congratulated. Now let’s see if the sell-off of TCHC homes and Toronto Hydro can be turned around as well.
*****************************************************************
MASSIVE RALLY AGAINST CORPORATE GREED
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in London's Victoria Park on January 21st in a show of solidarity with 465 CAW Local 27 members who have been locked-out by U.S. multi-national Caterpillar. Labour and community leaders (including students and representatives of Occupy London) as well as interim federal NDP leader Nycole Turmel and London Mayor Joe Fontana addressed the massive crowd. CAW President Ken Lewenza blasted the greed of corporate executives who have taken advantage of increasingly weaker government rules and regulations under the Harper government and around the globe. Lewenza told the crowd that Caterpillar, which has made billions in profits and its top executives tens of millions in bonuses, should be a rallying point for all workers to pull together to demand equality and good jobs.
OFL President Sid Ryan said the rally demonstrates that Canadians are tired of corporate greed and are seeking a new economic model that distributes wealth fairly. The Harper government has yet to comment on the lock-out directly, even though the Prime Minister visited the plant in 2008 to tout a $5-million package of tax breaks. Special thanks to all the activists that travelled from greater Toronto to show solidarity in this outrageous situation.
**************************************************************
TORONTO LABOUR GEARS UP
At a special meeting of the heads of all Toronto unions, the labour movement agreed to move into high gear around the Solidarity Plan for Fair City Contracts. The plan was adopted formally in December, and various unions are determining how to implement it in their sectors. A key element of the plan will be a series of solidarity visits by CUPE members to other workplaces to explain what is at stake in the negotiations. Those will be either “lunch-and-learn” sessions on site or joint leafleting/rallying before work.
There was unanimous agreement to the suggestion that an emergency mass Stewards Assembly be called immediately if the Ford administration locks out its employees. It was clear that if labour loses this fight, employers in every sector will be emboldened to demand concessions. If you want to arrange for a workplace solidarity visit, please contact Andria Babbington at 416 418-0867or municipal@labourcouncil.ca
*****************************************************************
TIME FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT IN YORK REGION
Special Update - Miller Transt workers reject forced offer - On January 6th, ATU 1587 members said 84% no to a final offer vote demanded by the employer through the Ministry of Labour. Perhaps now the companies will start to bargain for a fair settlement.
Labour Council is calling on York Region Council to scrap the contracts with private transit operators and replace them with a public transit system that works for riders, workers and the public. The labour dispute with the private contractors continues into week eight, and it is clear that the private operators have no incentive to settle the strike. In a letter to Regional Councillors, Labour Council is urging them to cancel the private deals and set up a truly public transit system instead.
Over many decades, York Region and each of its municipalities have successfully bargained collective agreements with their own employees without a single strike. So why is this so hard to settle? There is one simple reason – the presence of private operators that are huge multinational companies answerable to CEO’s outside of Canada. Their profit margin comes first – far ahead of the interests of the people of York Region. It is time to remove these middlemen that have no concern for the public, and create a system that is accountable to the public, and run in the interests solely of the public.
To download the flyer click here.
*****************************************************************
JOIN THE STUDENTS DAY OF ACTION!
Labour Council is endorsing the February 1st day of action called by the Canadian Federation of Students. From coast to coast, students are mobilizing to hit the streets on February 1, 2012 to demand their right to a post-secondary education system that is free of financial barriers, equitable and of high quality. Over the years, poor policy decision-making from all levels of government has created a system that is increasingly exclusive, leaving behind those who cannot afford the high upfront cost of their education or burdening students with record debt levels. Ontario students currently pay the highest tuition fees in the country and receive less government investment in their education than students in all other provinces.
Come out and show your support for the next generation! For more info go to www.cfsontario.ca | PDF poster
*****************************************************************
SOLIDARITY FOR FAIR CITY CONTRACTS
Labour Council has developed an ambitious plan to build solidarity for city workers in their contract negotiations with the Ford regime. This plan was taken to a special meeting of over three hundred Toronto area delegates from all unions at the OFL convention, and unanimously adopted there as well at the December Labour Council delegates meeting.
It is clear that Mayor Ford and his supporters want to gut the city collective agreements, particularly the contracting out language. It doesn’t matter where you work, protection from contracting out is a vital fight for all unions. If Ford prevails, it will mean the loss of thousand more decent jobs. That will be bad for our city, our communities, and the labour movement as a whole. How do we create a climate of solidarity in 2012? We start with a series of exchanges between city workers and members of every other union – both public and private sector. The goal is to deliver a strong message through various affiliates to their own employers that it will not be “business as usual” in Toronto if Ford declares all out war on unions
To read the entire plan, click here.
*****************************************************************
SCARBOROUGH SPEAKS OUT
Over 200 Scarborough residents packed the meeting hall at the Don Montgomery Community Centre on Saturday to hear about the cuts to services and jobs that are coming with the City’s 2012 budget. Sheila Block of the Wellesley Institute walked through the budget and its impact for various neighbourhoods, including reduced transit service, closing homeless shelters, fewer library hours and less childcare. Labour Council President John Cartwright focused on the loss of good jobs, and the lack of decent jobs for the next generation, while Anita Khanna of Commitment to Community talked about the importance of social services to a healthy city. People then broke into workshop tables, first looking at key issues and then meeting their neighbours in each ward to talk about how to pressure their local councilors to oppose the cuts. **************************************************************** |     Thanks to all the organizers and facilitators who gave up their Saturday to make this event a great success.
|
| No Wonder the 1%
Don't Like Unions - One graph tells the story of union strength vs. income inequality in England. From the Guardian Newspaper. |
*****************************************************************
FORD SELL OFFS START The Ford regime continues with its agenda drawn from the neo-con playbook – On November 1st the City Executive voted to sell off Enwave, the public district heating and cooling entity that developed the much-heralded deep lake water cooling system for commercial buildings in the downtown core. The recommendation to sell off 10% of Toronto Hydro was hotly debated – with Labour Council, CUPE Local 1 and Toronto Environmental Alliance making deputations demanding that Hydro be protected as a public utility.
Last June, City Council voted overwhelmingly (30-6) for a motion to oppose selling all or any part of Toronto Hydro – and Rob Ford was part of that majority. The main reason is that Hydro brings continuous revenue back to the city, to the tune of $33 million in 2010 alone. But Ford and company have changed their minds, and have scheduled a debate to sell 10% early in 2012. Tell your Councillor NO SELL-OFF OF HYDRO!
*****************************************************************
JUSTICE AND DIGNITY FOR CLEANERS The Good Jobs for All coalition is launching a major campaign to defend the jobs of cleaners in the city. The Ford regime wants to contract out jobs of all cleaners at police stations, and now Toronto Community Housing has given notice of ending custodial jobs. If the drive to privatize continues, hundreds of jobs that pay a decent salary will be turned over to low-wage contractors. www.goodjobsforall.ca.
To really understand what is involved in the world of contract cleaning, check out Ken Loach's great movie “Bread and Roses.” Even the trailer is worth watching - www.metacafe.com/watch/4200435 people, which is the same as Vancouver and near to that of Halifax. To find out how go to www.ourpubliclibrary.to
************************************************************
THE TRIUMPH OF BIG, DIRTY OIL
Most Canadians feel ashamed to see our country being the first nation in the world to withdraw from the Kyoto Treaty. Canada’s performance at the climate talks in Durban and the decision to pull out of Kyoto has drawn criticism from people worldwide--and rightly so. That our government would be willing to sacrifice human lives and our future for the sake of short-term profits from a polluting and non-renewable resource is simply outrageous. To make things worse, the oil boom in Alberta is artificially pushing up the Canadian dollar and destroying manufacturing jobs in Ontario.
Climate change and its disastrous effects--droughts, heat waves, flooding, and spread of disease--are already killing 300,000 people a year and driving many more into poverty. Hundreds of thousands are becoming refugees as such impacts make their homelands uninhabitable. Experts believe that up to a billion people could become refugees in coming years if the trend continues. Find out what you can do at www.davidsuzuki.org
FORD SELL OFFS START The Ford regime continues with its agenda drawn from the neo-con playbook – On November 1st the City Executive voted to sell off Enwave, the public district heating and cooling entity that developed the much-heralded deep lake water cooling system for commercial buildings in the downtown core. The recommendation to sell off 10% of Toronto Hydro was hotly debated – with Labour Council, CUPE Local 1 and Toronto Environmental Alliance making deputations demanding that Hydro be protected as a public utility.
Last June, City Council voted overwhelmingly (30-6) for a motion to oppose selling all or any part of Toronto Hydro – and Rob Ford was part of that majority. The main reason is that Hydro brings continuous revenue back to the city, to the tune of $33 million in 2010 alone. But Ford and company have changed their minds, and have scheduled a debate to sell 10% early in 2012. Tell your Councillor NO SELL-OFF OF HYDRO!
*****************************************************************
JUSTICE AND DIGNITY FOR CLEANERS The Good Jobs for All coalition is launching a major campaign to defend the jobs of cleaners in the city. The Ford regime wants to contract out jobs of all cleaners at police stations, and now Toronto Community Housing has given notice of ending custodial jobs. If the drive to privatize continues, hundreds of jobs that pay a decent salary will be turned over to low-wage contractors. www.goodjobsforall.ca.
To really understand what is involved in the world of contract cleaning, check out Ken Loach's great movie “Bread and Roses.” Even the trailer is worth watching - www.metacafe.com/watch/4200435 people, which is the same as Vancouver and near to that of Halifax. To find out how go to www.ourpubliclibrary.to
************************************************************
THE TRIUMPH OF BIG, DIRTY OIL
Most Canadians feel ashamed to see our country being the first nation in the world to withdraw from the Kyoto Treaty. Canada’s performance at the climate talks in Durban and the decision to pull out of Kyoto has drawn criticism from people worldwide--and rightly so. That our government would be willing to sacrifice human lives and our future for the sake of short-term profits from a polluting and non-renewable resource is simply outrageous. To make things worse, the oil boom in Alberta is artificially pushing up the Canadian dollar and destroying manufacturing jobs in Ontario.
Climate change and its disastrous effects--droughts, heat waves, flooding, and spread of disease--are already killing 300,000 people a year and driving many more into poverty. Hundreds of thousands are becoming refugees as such impacts make their homelands uninhabitable. Experts believe that up to a billion people could become refugees in coming years if the trend continues. Find out what you can do at www.davidsuzuki.org
