TO DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FROM THE DEFEND WORKERS' RIGHTS CAMPAIGN GO HERE
In this issue - Winter 2015
Ready for the New Year - the latest Labour Action features a
report card on the Conservative government (it's not all F's!) and great
articles on schools, pensions, 2104 elections, and generous giving.
Simply click here or on the photo to download Labour Action
Ready for the New Year - the latest Labour Action features a
report card on the Conservative government (it's not all F's!) and great
articles on schools, pensions, 2104 elections, and generous giving.
Simply click here or on the photo to download Labour Action
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD BOOK
The story of working class gays and lesbians in the trade union movement is as old as the early days of union organizing, when workers began to collectively demand improvements in their working conditions and fight for better pay, hours and benefits. This booklet offers a brief account of the role of workers and their unions in supporting gay and lesbian rights in Canada (mostly in Toronto and Ontario) from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
Time and resources prevent us from presenting a definitive or comprehensive history, but the stories we do present here provide a strong flavour of the struggles of workers and their unions for LGBTIQ1rights in Canada.
The story of working class gays and lesbians in the trade union movement is as old as the early days of union organizing, when workers began to collectively demand improvements in their working conditions and fight for better pay, hours and benefits. This booklet offers a brief account of the role of workers and their unions in supporting gay and lesbian rights in Canada (mostly in Toronto and Ontario) from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
Time and resources prevent us from presenting a definitive or comprehensive history, but the stories we do present here provide a strong flavour of the struggles of workers and their unions for LGBTIQ1rights in Canada.
To download "Working Women, Working Poor", click here.
This publication is the result of a participatory research project, motivated by the need to focus attention on the lives of the diverse working women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Today the GTA is becoming a low-wage economy, with extensive loss of good unionized jobs and growing poverty which is increasingly feminized, racialized and includes high numbers of newer immigrants. The objective of the research was to highlight the lives of the working — i.e. waged women in the GTA in their own voices.
The research objectives were to: i) Make visible the lived experiences of diverse women workers who have been affected by job losses; ii) Explore what is happening with women workers in unions; and iii) Explore the impact of the loss of union jobs on women workers as a result of the last recession. Forty-four women participated in the research. Twenty-seven in three focus discussion groups and 17 in key informant interviews. The focus discussion groups and interviews were conducted between May 2013 and January 2014.The women belonged to a wide range of occupations, professions, workplaces, unions and they were also unemployed.
This publication is the result of a participatory research project, motivated by the need to focus attention on the lives of the diverse working women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Today the GTA is becoming a low-wage economy, with extensive loss of good unionized jobs and growing poverty which is increasingly feminized, racialized and includes high numbers of newer immigrants. The objective of the research was to highlight the lives of the working — i.e. waged women in the GTA in their own voices.
The research objectives were to: i) Make visible the lived experiences of diverse women workers who have been affected by job losses; ii) Explore what is happening with women workers in unions; and iii) Explore the impact of the loss of union jobs on women workers as a result of the last recession. Forty-four women participated in the research. Twenty-seven in three focus discussion groups and 17 in key informant interviews. The focus discussion groups and interviews were conducted between May 2013 and January 2014.The women belonged to a wide range of occupations, professions, workplaces, unions and they were also unemployed.
UNION ADVANTAGE Toronto benefits from union wages Researchers at the Canadian Labour Congress have found that on average unionized workers in Toronto earn $4.36 an hour more than do non-union workers. That extra money in the
pockets of the city’s 573,100 unionized employees translates into an added $90 million every week paid into the local economy. At the provincial level, unionized workers in Ontario earn $6.11 an hour more on average than do non-union workers. That adds an extra $351.6 million per week to the provincial economy. To download the union advantage flyer click here
pockets of the city’s 573,100 unionized employees translates into an added $90 million every week paid into the local economy. At the provincial level, unionized workers in Ontario earn $6.11 an hour more on average than do non-union workers. That adds an extra $351.6 million per week to the provincial economy. To download the union advantage flyer click here
Breaking Barriers - Linking Struggles
The video documents the tremendous achievements of labour activists around equity and anti-racism work in Toronto over the last three decades. It’s a story of courageous individuals challenging discrimination, sweeping changes in the workforce, and tough stands taken against hate groups like the Klu Klux Klan when they tried to set up in this city. How many of us knew about the historic train ride to Ottawa of black women and men to demand fairness in immigration law? Their brief to the Minister – in 1954! - was written by the Toronto Labour Committee on human rights. Or the story behind the monument to Chinese Railway Workers that stands beside the Skydome? Or that a union activist was the chairman of Caribana for many years? Click here for the video http://vimeo.com/7953145
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THE UNION ADVANTAGE There were 555,700 union
members working in and around Toronto in 2011. That’s 22.6% of all employees. Their weekly payroll of $549 million accounted for 26% of the total payroll for the whole community. To read more click the Union Advantage |
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_THE SPIRIT OF OUR MOVEMENT
What better gift to share than the beautiful images of our labour movement in action. The Spirit of Our Movement is a 100 page volume of photographs by John Maclennan, with a moving personal essay by Winnie Ng, interspersed with brief stories from our 140 year history. You can get them from the Labour Council office for $12 each, or $10 when you order 5 or more. E-mail [email protected] or talk to Ana at 416 441-3663 x221. |
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CAMPAIGN PLANNING HANDBOOK
Campaigns are all about power. Understanding the power relationships that shape our world and learning how to better create our own power is at the heart of effective campaign planning.
Today we are facing the resurgent drive of global capital to change the rules of the post-war “social contract” between business and labour. Economic restructuring, technological change and deregulation pose serious challenges to us all. Workers who were excluded from the post-war “social contract” are being hit the hardest.
Relying on past practice will not be sufficient to protect living standards, working conditions and public services. A key part of rebuilding the power of our movement is improving our ability to plan and wage effective campaigns. Click planning book
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Today we are facing the resurgent drive of global capital to change the rules of the post-war “social contract” between business and labour. Economic restructuring, technological change and deregulation pose serious challenges to us all. Workers who were excluded from the post-war “social contract” are being hit the hardest.
Relying on past practice will not be sufficient to protect living standards, working conditions and public services. A key part of rebuilding the power of our movement is improving our ability to plan and wage effective campaigns. Click planning book
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ACHIEVING a “STATE of READINESS” in OUR UNIONS
Labour and our allies have shown time and time again that we can effectively mobilize the membership and work in coalitions to fight‐off our adversaries. The battles in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the United States are demonstrating that there are no longer any limits when it comes to the goals of anti‐labour forces, and their tactics are increasingly ruthless. A union in a state of readiness is prepared to respond effectively, on short notice, to a major attack or labour dispute. Click state of readiness to download the paper For the french version click Doter nos syndicats d’une « capacité de proaction » |
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ABOUT UNIONS
Since the First Nations peoples gave Toronto its name – a gathering place – this city has been built by immigrants and their descendants. Each new generation of immigrants discovered both opportunity and one vital lesson: that they needed to have unions in order to raise living standards for themselves, their families and their communities. That was true of the Irish who dug the roads and canals, of the Jewish garment workers who worked on Spadina Avenue, of the black railway porters, of the Italian construction workers, the West Indian and Filipino healthcare workers, and today of new Canadians from all over the world working in every part of our economy. To download the brochure about unions *************************************************** |
TORONTO LABOUR HISTORY WALKING TOURS
Mapping our work - Toronto's rich adn dramatic history of working people - the unions we organized, and the key battles we have waged and won has largely been buried in official histories of the city.
Mapping Our Work: is a way t being some of our union history into the light of day. It include three walking tours, each covering a different time period and area. To download the tour map click here map
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Mapping Our Work: is a way t being some of our union history into the light of day. It include three walking tours, each covering a different time period and area. To download the tour map click here map
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Labour Council brochure for outreach to Chinese speaking workers, explaining the benefits of joining and being active in the union movement. Click here to print front, and for the inside click inside
Download the Campaign Planning Handbook in Chinese.