MESSAGE FROM LABOUR COUNCIL
Communications
- Come out Saturday
- Solidarity Thursday
- Award Friday
- TFW Fiasco/Stelco Lockout
- Transit Benefits for Neighbourhoods
- Welcome Esery
ABORIGINAL/WORKERS OF COLOUR SATURDAY MAY 4th
Labour Council’s 11th annual Workers of Colour/Aboriginal Workers conference takes place this Saturday May 4th. There will be inspiring presentations on First Nations issues by Hayden King, union struggles by Jan Simpson, and the Foreign Temporary Worker fiasco by Pablo Godoy. Meet with other activists to look at what took place in the fight against austerity since last year’s conference, and what needs to be done to defend workers’ rights in the next year.
The Harper Conservatives are counting on winning votes within communities of colour to secure their future rule – how can union activists make sure that doesn’t happen. Come and find out! Also help us recognize the legacy of our dear sister Clementine Ng of UNITEHERE Local 75 who recently passed away. You can register online or e-mail afonseca@labourcouncil.ca
STEVEN LEWIS FOUNDATION SOLIDARITY TOUR KICK-OFF MAY 2nd
The Labour Council meeting on Thursday, May 2nd will feature the kick-off of a special tour of Canada by of three leading HIV AIDS activists from Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Canadian unions have long supported the Stephen Lewis Foundation with a shared commitment to social justice, women’s equality, and international solidarity. In recognition of those shared values, the Foundation is organizing a Solidarity Tour for union members from Winnipeg to Windsor – a 15-day trip to raise awareness and understanding about the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Open to all union and community activists! www.solidaritytour.ca
OUTSTANDING LEADER TO RECEIVE THE BROMLEY AWARD
Labour council is proud to announce this year recipient of the Bromley L. Armstrong Award, Fred Upshaw. Brother Upshaw is a former president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, and broke ground in 1990 as the first African Canadian to lead a major Canadian labour union. http://www.opseu.org/committees/woc/upshawprofile.pdf
The Award was established by the Labour Council in 2005 to celebrate the life and achievements of Bromley Armstrong, a pioneer labour and human rights activist. It will be presented to Upshaw on Friday, May 3rd at the Award Dinner at 888 Don Mills Rd. Speaking at the event will be Herman Stewart, the first Black union leader to serve on the Executive of the Ontario Federation of Labour. For tickets contact Ana at afonseca@labourcouncil.ca
TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS/STEEL LOCKOUT
The minor changes to the Conservatives Temporary Foreign Workers programs will hardly change the abuse of migrant workers by business interests. They want a low-wage, pliant workforce with few rights, and that is exactly what Stephen Harper intends to deliver. Jim Stanford explains http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/temporary-worker-program-changes-just-a-new-rubber-stamp/article11606920/
The other side of the same coin is US Steel’s lockout of a thousand employees at Nanticoke – the third time this multinational has locked out Canadian steelworkers since in took over Stelco. Where’s the net Canadian benefit in that, Mr. Harper?
COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR TRANSIT PROJECTS
More than 250 people attended public forums and a weekend-long workshop to support the campaign for a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) to be required as part of the contract tendering process for the $4.6 billion Eglinton Crosstown and Scarborough Light Rapid Transit lines. The tender call for these projects is expected to be issued within 90 days.
The weekend events featured guest speakers from Glasgow, Los Angeles and Vancouver, where CBA’s have been used to ensure that large public infrastructure projects include an equity plan of local outreach, training and hiring for historically disadvantaged populations. Read John Lorinc’s view at spacing.ca/toronto/2013/04/29/lorinc-turning-metrolinxs-revenue-tools-into-jobs-for-low-income-neighbourhoods .
WELCOME ESERY
Labour Council has a new communications staff person starting this week. Esery Mondesir worked as a union organizer for ten years in New York and Toronto, and is now taking film studies at York University. A student activist in his native Haiti, Esery combines a life-long commitment to social justice with a desire to give voice to the real issues facing working people. He can be reached atcommunications@labourcouncil.ca or 647.892.7494
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