PDLC News

Over 80 people attended the launch of May Day activities on Tuesday, May 1 at Confederation Park in Peterborough. Various groups and individuals engaged in poetry, sing-alongs with the Raging Grannies and political talk – mainly against the evils of the Harper government. Labour Council president Marion Burton gave a spirited presentation on the origins of May Day and the need to rally together for justice today. The day’s events included food, a social justice walk and a May Day march through the downtown.

The Day of Mourning ceremony was held outside Peterborough City Hall on Saturday, April 28 at 11 am, hosted by Labour Council president Marion Burton. In attendance were over 30 brothers and sisters from the labour movement and guests Gord Wilson, past president of the Ontario Federation of Labour (1986-1997) and Daryl Bennett, Mayor of Peterborough. Also at the gathering were Jeff Leal, MPP and long-time NDP candidate Dave Nickle.

Gord Wilson outlined the crisis facing the Workers Health and Safety Centre. The Ontario government is forcing the Centre to jump through various bureaucratic hoops in the process of mixing them in with pro-business trainers in order to create a training system more aligned with business interests. Health and safety training, from the point of view of big business, is about keeping costs down using the minimum training time for with a ‘blame the worker’ orientation. Brother Wilson remarked that the purpose of the vital training provided by the Centre is to “empower workers to reduce injuries in the workplace.”

George Hewison again regaled us with his inspiring songs, including his Day of Mourning anthem ‘We’ll Not Forget’. The Day of Mourning flag was lowered to half-mast and a minute of silence was held in respect of those workers killed or injured at work.

Following the ceremony, may of the attendees joined the Labour Council for lunch at the Blackhorse Pub.

Roy Brady was the guest speaker at the January 24 Labour Council meeting. He spoke on the need to support the Occupy Movement and join in the democratic assemblies they hold in Peterborough. Their goal, according to Mr. Brady, is to highlight society’s division between the privileged 1% and everyone else. He stated there aim as the “need to drastically change society.” There have been demonstrations against the limited participation at the federal pre-budget meeting and at a supplier for the Caterpillar corporation. Roy also pointed out the need for support for the student tuition protest at City Hall and Jeff Leal’s office on Wednesday, February 1. The council voted to endorse the students’ goals and has chosen Paul Brown to be the liaison with the student community.

The Labour Council will be preparing a delegation to City Council (tentatively on February 20) to present a motion for councillors to repudiate the secret provisions of the Harper government’s Canada Europe Trade Agreement (CETA). The Labour Council executive selected a three-member delegation, led by president Marion Burton, to present the resolution.

Members of the Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition of Peterborough met with Steve Mahoney, Chair of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) on Tuesday, January 24 in Peterborough. The meeting was facilitated by MPP Jeff Leal. Five members of the coalition made presentations with the main topic of concern being the abrupt end to the intake clinic for workers (mainly from G.E. Canada) suffering from occupational disease. CAW Local 524 retiree John Ball made the main presentation, citing examples of injustice to workers and survivors suffering not only the effects of terminal diseases caused by the workplace, but having to deal with a compensation system more noted for making people go through bureaucratic hoops than actual fair compensation for serious illnesses.

Steve Mahoney took final responsibility for the shut down of the clinic stating, “I was not told the truth — I was not given the information.” After reviewing the concerns raised by John Ball’s full report, Mr. Mahoney will raise the issue again with the WSIB board. “I’m going to get you a hearing.” He will be getting back to the Coalition within a couple of weeks to inform them of what he’s managed to accomplish.

The results of our December 20 mid-term elections were that two vacancies from our Executive Members at Large were filled by Paul Brown of CAW Local 1987 and Doug McDonald of CEP Local 685. They will complete the final year of outgoing executive members Bill Astell and Dave Nickle. Betty Cree of OPSEU Local 351 was acclaimed our new Trustee for a three-year term.

A motion was passed by the labour council to host a meeting with a representative from the Toronto Action Centre and local stakeholders in early 2012 to obtain information and discuss the possibility of creating a workers’ action centre for the unemployed in Peterborough.

Paul Brown, a delegate to the labour council from CAW Local 1987, submitted a video to the CLC One Minute Message contest in December. The video titled ‘Time for Corporations and CEOs to Pay their Fair Share’ has been selected as one of the top five submissions and is up for voting on the CLC contest website at: http://oneminutemessage.canadianlabour.ca/
The winner receives $2000, the runner-up $1000 and the three remaining finalists get $250 each. Voting will continue until the deadline of Friday, January 20, 2012. Congratulations on your submission, Paul!

The topic of labour’s solidarity with the peoples of Africa was discussed at the Labour Council meeting of December 20. Samantha Payne of OPSEU Local 345 spoke on her selection from OPSEU Region 3 to go to Malawi, Africa for three weeks in August to work with the Stephen Lewis Foundation on projects to combat AIDS and HIV. Sister Payne informed the council that OPSEU’s Social Justice Fund and Live and Let Live Fund were designed for international solidarity projects and to help stop the spread of AIDS/HIV respectively. She will be spending time raising $7000 to help cover the costs of her trip and to enable her to bring needed goods and materials to Malawi. Sister Payne may be contacted through Marion Burton at the labour council at 705-742-9286.

The Peterborough and District Labour Council is donating $100 to ‘Operation Christmas Cheer’ in support of union members on strike/lockout throughout Ontario, which includes the Children’s Aid Society strikers from OPSEU Local 334. The council pledged to support the 130 workers from Local 334 in their fight for respect from their employer.

The results of elections held at the Ontario Federation of Labour convention on Tuesday, November 22 were as follows: Sid Ryan, President, re-elected from CUPE (acclaimed); Nancy Hutchinson, Secretary-Treasurer, newly elected from USWA (acclaimed); and Irwin Nanda, Executive Vice-President, newly elected from CUPW (elected in vote by a wide margin). All were elected to a two-year term. Newly elected OFL Executive Council vice-president (from labour councils for Eastern Ontario) is Jim Freeman, president of the Durham Region Labour Council.

Some of the major issues at the convention included support for a campaign for barrier-free union membership through card certification; support for the April 13 Anti-Bullying campaign; embarking on a Fair Taxation Campaign; supporting improvements in the upcoming 2014 Canada Health Accord; and supporting an OECTA motion for per pupil funding to rise with the Consumer Price Index.

The third annual Canadian Labour International Film Festival in Peterborough featured a larger venue and more than just films. Just under 50 people attended the festival on Saturday, November 12, this year held at the newly renovated Market Hall Performing Arts Theatre. in downtown Peterborough. Labour troubadour George Hewison played his fiery brand of worker music as people entered the theatre and again during intermission, ending his set with a rousing chorus of ‘Solidarity Forever’. The films themselves were a mixture of quirky shorts and inspirational features that focussed on such issues as asbestos poisoning, pay equity, labour history, protecting the environment, and why workers need unions. The proceeds from the film festival this year went to the United Way of Peterborough and District which raised over $2000 from this event.

Thanks go to Dean Shewring, Festival Coordinator; Paul Brown, who arranged the venue; and Jim Gill, Master of Ceremonies.

Around 50 people attended the annual Health and Safety Activists’ Dinner on Thursday, November 10, at the CAW Local 222 Hall in Oshawa. Volunteer recognition awards were presented to four union sisters from the Durham, Lindsay, Peterborough and Northumberland labour councils. Our labour council nominee, Carol Fisher of CEP Local 685, accepted the Workers Health and Safety Centre Volunteer Activist award for her long term service with the joint health and safety committee at Genpak. Marion Burton spoke on the honour of receiving the first ‘Cathie Fowlie Memorial Award’ from our labour council and Dean Shewring promoted the upcoming CLiFF labour film festival.

Guest speaker Blain Morin, former MPP and CUPE National Health and Safety Representative from the Ontario Region, stated “reprisals are at an all time high” by employers against those who raise safety concerns. He called Ontario’s Bill 160 “a step backwards” and there should be a review of the Ministry of Labour’s failure to enforce workers’ rights. Brother Morin urged health and safety activists to “start a conversation about safety and keep up the fight.”