׉?ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://UEvXz2IS7V5vysssyvEjhseeA3pbEyf0HfCeAJ84PRI`׉ 7cassandra://Qp6R440lWhpNHWbjkzYuBsEZApZfU1yTYyIvaLPP5_0͖`s׉ 7cassandra://W0rOg3oB5xZr48HzmGF2JtWIMG1YIv8lj_dfIzUu6j84|`׉ 7cassandra://BItcQBAzUPIyIpLpp9nenFIpVE7NG-sRHaAR5CkBbB0 H͠]W]7KMKט(u׈׈EW]7KMK׉EJSPECIAL FEATURE: WORKERS MOBILIZE FOR LABOUR LAW REFORM PAGES 4 THROUGH 7 ׉ 7cassandra://W0rOg3oB5xZr48HzmGF2JtWIMG1YIv8lj_dfIzUu6j84|`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://rUnifdS1u6tNsUi-biKOkwz6Wpz8D8scx5eucYbpTiI;`׉ 7cassandra://XCD376UkyP-xiwjrYwLdmktqcJUmWllkmCdn_Zke004͜`s׉ 7cassandra://UZkVP7wpx983JndbEg9eM-yk3kVc8vy7r-UxY3RRKbk1`׉ 7cassandra://dV-S8grd7IZCNEiWj40HGywkIoDoITHv5FxEFXkGDh4k ͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://GMwy3XePWWvPVfJg6SHA0hBmT-I7a0v5C-h35oC2Kyo>`׉ 7cassandra://owkVTPsBtfw6jGtf6jJOwjd2Gy7EASiq5uf7YMouaqY~`s׉ 7cassandra://RMepiHdJcS7CsK7TduBj-ewMlV4dvFZc3koHi0heSBY%`׉ 7cassandra://Rhueo3xqI6vSBdisPX81eZSanQwxqoP6_0LFT2dUXC4PT͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMKȁ̫?C 9ׁHmailto:info@ofl.caׁ ׁ Ј׉E3ACTION REPORT ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR Chris Buckley VOL. 6 NO. 2 SPRING 2016 P.6 FIGHTING FOR $15 AND FAIRNESS ONTARIO WE WANT Patty Coates OFL Launches Campaign to Make It Fair .............................................................................4 Taking Action for $15 and Fairness ....................................................................................6 Ontario Budget Throws Public Services Under the Infrastructure Bus .....................................8 Campaign Pushes Back Against Hydro One Corruption Scandal ............................................9 Rally Calls on Wynne to #PlayFair with OLG Pensions ...........................................................9 EQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS Ahmad Gaied ACTION REPORT ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR The Ontario Federation of Labour represents 54 unions and one million workers. It is Canada’s largest provincial labour federation. Volume 6, Issue 2 of the OFL Action Report was produced for the April 21, 2016 meeting of the Executive Board of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Editor-in-Chief/Writing/Design/Layout: Joel Duff Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) Fédération du travail de l’Ontario (FTO) 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 202 Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Y8 416-441-2731 • 1-800-668-9138 TDD: 416-443-6305 • FAX: 416-441-1893 info@ofl.ca OFL Marks International Women’s Day with Call to End Wage Discrimination........................10 April 19 is Equal Pay Day for 2016 ....................................................................................10 Op-Ed: The Gender Wage Gap is About More than Wages ...................................................11 Black Lives Matter Shows that Direct Action ... Gets Action .................................................14 Ontario Labour Councils Band Together to Challenge Racism ..............................................15 Attawapiskat First Nation Declares State of Emergency ......................................................16 Annual Strawberry Ceremony Remembers Stolen Sisters ....................................................16 Wrongful Termination of New Mother Threatens Maternity Leave .........................................17 Ontario Creates New Anti-Racism Directorate ....................................................................17 Day of Pink Takes on Bullying............................................................................................18 Ontario Pride Events .........................................................................................................18 HEALTH & SAFETY / WCB Historic Legislation Supports First Responders with PTSD but Leaves Others Behind ....................... 20 NDP Bill Calls for Flags to be Flown at Half-Mast for Day of Mourning ................................. 20 OFL NEWS Letter from OFL President Chris Buckley ..................... 3 OPSEU Membership Votes 93.8% in Favour of Re-Joining the OFL ................................................. 12 OFL Hires Two New Staff to Strengthen the Labour Movement Inside and Out ............................. 13 OFL Stalwart Retires After 46 Years .......................... 19 Labour & Human Rights Dates ................................. 18 Upcoming Events .................................................... 21 Jim Freeman: 1955-2016 ....................................... 22 IN MEMORIAM This document was proudly produced with unionized labour: JD/ph:cope343 SUBSCRIBE TO THE OFL E-NEWSLETTER BY TEXTING THE WORD “OFL” TO 647-496-5602 OFL GROWS BY 132,000 New Affiliations since January 1, 2016 OPSEU USW 2010 USW 6565 CUPE 3907 130,000 members 690 members 128 members 200 members Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association 918 members We are stronger together! MEET THE OFL OFFICERS Secretary-Treasurer Executive Vice-President President PHOTO: ARNIE DE VAAN FRONT COVER PHOTO: JOEL DUFF ׉ 7cassandra://UZkVP7wpx983JndbEg9eM-yk3kVc8vy7r-UxY3RRKbk1`W]7KMK׉E LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT PHOTO: PETER BOYLE Sisters and Brothers, We are less than six months into the first term of your new OFL leadership and I am proud to report that we have made significant strides in the commitments that we made to you back at our November Convention. Both internally and externally, our movement is moving forward. On April 14, delegates to the annual Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) convention voted 93.8 percent in favour of ending their five-year hiatus from Ontario’s house of labour with the historic decision to re-join the OFL. The very next day, OPSEU joined the OFL on the streets in cities and towns across Ontario to lock arms with non-unionized workers in a province-wide campaign for $15 and Fairness. We proved that together we are stronger. This spring, the OFL also launched “Make It Fair,” our flagship campaign to mobilize union support for labour law reform alongside the Fight for $15 and Fairness. The campaign is centred on the province’s “Changing Workplaces Review” and gives voice to union demands for across-the-board changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act that would improve employment standards for every worker and make it easier to join a union. It is an ambitious and decentralized plan that is designed to empower activists in 16 target communities to drive political pressure from the grass roots to make decent work the law of the land. We cannot accomplish these objectives alone. The OFL is reaching out to every union and every local to support the campaign, join the OFL, and affiliate to their local labour council. The labour movement cannot advance unless we are truly committed to the principle of labour solidarity. The OFL is also reaching out to non-unionized workers, community partners and equity-seeking groups to support their struggles in an effort to earn their trust, build relationships and win their support for our campaign. In this report, you will see more equity work reported on than any previous OFL report. We have stood in solidarity with Black Lives Matter–Toronto, Indigenous peoples, Muslim people, the Equal Pay Coalition, injured workers and the LGBTQ community. This is a reflection of our collective recognition that these community alliances will be vital to both the immediate success of our labour law campaign and our long-term goal of building a common front against austerity. I am calling on each and every union member in Ontario to support the Make It Fair campaign and to join the OFL in our fight to change Ontario’s outmoded labour laws. Together, we can raise the bar for every worker and to make every job a pathway out of poverty. In order to seize this opportunity, we must be united and we must be relentless. In solidarity, Sign up for the OFL’s new e-blast updates by texting the word “OFL” to 647-496-5602 Chris Buckley, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour OFL ACTION REPORT 3 Follow & Retweet the OFL on Twitter at: @OFLabour and @ChrisBuckleyOFL @CHRISBUCKLEYOFL ׉ 7cassandra://RMepiHdJcS7CsK7TduBj-ewMlV4dvFZc3koHi0heSBY%`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://lM96-CFzzB98P2EZOrZnJpe37AjAAZLhRxQqKdQJdmQm`׉ 7cassandra://8pO7_n7VHc-pkz0orbX7QsXsL1yJJcHXDFWQ9jrECOś`s׉ 7cassandra://qJ64LN0XrSmi7KP97wptGQ5-sjfyY1afXtNZ5wrsdm0+<`׉ 7cassandra://znAxynmKGvYhCJCKw26IkZntsvpK8fMesMqA9pIU7cUѾ͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://KiYSHK-HPJS4Zk00-yc3vht7CGmYycKrlfo5EH9Q3Jw`׉ 7cassandra://nkfPys2bs0BfKSR_MLvkqGMLPbLLpRWNTixRk6GFb3Q͎-`s׉ 7cassandra://QWFH2P1LYDJ6qYKRr8ImHxwW9zPUVx3TRltc8_G_4PA-`׉ 7cassandra://uEfVyYdIy9sQ87h-XJCGrVD8l2LGpKloxQFUAn2Lksk̘͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMKʁFR9ׁHhttp://MakeItFair.caׁ ׁ Ј׉E THE ONTARIO WE WANT OFL LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO MAKE IT FAIR: GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT FOR LABOUR LAW REFORM TO HIT TARGET REGIONS The OFL kicked its campaign for labour law reform into full swing in March, with launch of MakeItFair.ca. The campaign is focused on seizing the historic opportunity presented by Ontario’s “Changing Workplaces Review” to champion sweeping changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act that would elevate employment standards for every worker and make it easier to join a union. Throughout history, unionized workers have been able to win incredible gains at the bargaining table that have become the law of the land. Important rights like maternity benefits, unemployment insurance, the 40-hour week and a ban on child labour would never have been won without that collective power. Today, Ontario’s workplaces are changing dramatically and all workers are losing ground. There are roughly two million unionized workers but there are over 1.7 million low-wage workers earning at or near the minimum wage. Over half of our workforce are trapped in precarious part-time, contract and temporary jobs. 4 The success of this campaign very much depends on the commitment of every union and every member. We are calling on every union and every local to pass a resolution to support the campaign, assign activists to every regional hub where they have members and to affiliate to their local labour council. The campaign website is designed as a central repository for action. With the balance shifted to precarious work, every worker is being dragged into a race to the bottom but the OFL campaign intends to bring labour unions together to reverse that trend! At the heart of the campaign is a strategy to mobilize our movement from below to put strategic pressure on vulnerable members of provincial parliament to support our campaign or suffer defeat in the next election. We have organized the province into 16 target regions and in each one we are setting up a “Local Organizing Hub” to drive a community-based campaign that is focused, sustained and relentless. SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 It drives visitors to sign up to “take the pledge”, which will allow the OFL to grow a list of key supporters to mobilize for future actions, based on their union and their region. The site provides updates and campaign documents, along with regionally specific data on current labour market trends and measures of inequality. However, the defining feature of the site is a live and interactive event calendar that provides regionally specific, real-time updates on meetings and actions in every one of our target communities. The OFL is dedicating all of its energies to the campaign, but a talented labour organizer, Melisa Bayon, has been hired to spearhead organizing ׉ 7cassandra://qJ64LN0XrSmi7KP97wptGQ5-sjfyY1afXtNZ5wrsdm0+<`W]7KMK׉Eefforts across the province. The financial support for the campaign that is rolling in from affiliates is a reflection of the collective commitment to the campaign and the OFL is currently working with affiliates to book off labour activists in every region. With the initial report of the Changing Workplaces Review expected at the end of May, and final recommendations promised for late fall, the window for action is very tight. The OFL swung support in behind the “Fight for $15 and Fairness” Day of Action on April 15 to generate media attention and put polticians on notice about the growing movement to demand decent work in Ontario. Over the last week of April, labour activists will be following up this grassroots activism with an intensive lobby week directed primarily at Liberal Members of Provincial Parliament. Throughout the month of May, the OFL, CLC and regional labour councils will be hosting “all presidents meetings” in each target region to strengthen support for the campaign and lay the groundwork for greater unity at the labour council level. Once the Local Organizing Hubs are fully set up, wtih regional organizers assigned to each, the campaign will call on members to attend regional assemblies in June, with an eye to engaging members in locally-driven campaign planning for tactical riding-based actions throughout the summer. After Labour Day, the campaign will kick into high gear and we will tap into the deep lists of supporters that are built up over the summer months. 16 LOCAL ORGANIZING HUBS • Durham • Guelph • Hamilton • Kingston • London • Niagara • North Bay • Oakville • Ottawa • Peel • Peterborough • Sudbury • Thunder Bay • Toronto • Kitchener-Waterloo • Windsor OFL ACTION REPORT 5 ׉ 7cassandra://QWFH2P1LYDJ6qYKRr8ImHxwW9zPUVx3TRltc8_G_4PA-`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://UQPG-j306Ov3RsQUIjfs_XN4jQs1tzNNLLbS7RUWNe0`׉ 7cassandra://0WULm9P4I1TQpwoc8OBdxvg72VOBbE_dcJW0ebkqssUͤ`s׉ 7cassandra://x3ZFHGaa3K7ww6ICXz4XF_2HxiBmNuTmDbu1VBMrlHE4$`׉ 7cassandra://-nZqRjVF7vHqRrCyWjlrs0Hl8yXrHAIW94YRu4qxNiol͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://cpl-8M2qKhcDhItr0hQhlFrRgyExJKNuuxPdXT-D310`׉ 7cassandra://tkF9BGXBanpx7El-G5GMVGcW1sRyp-RP1cz3udSrZ7U͘V`s׉ 7cassandra://Kgw0riyLoK7KLOmBXeeDIm1aqdxTvQzQ_uHQcBgUKgE3`׉ 7cassandra://l7hKg9ymQ5_tm0kiPbP3l10bsMBFLsmpVIPNXngTQ9k̄͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMKɁ9ׁH$http://www.15andfairness.org/workersׁ ׁ Ј׉E THE ONTARIO WE WANT Hundreds of OPSEU activists march from their convention hall to join the day of action at Ontario’s Ministry of Labour. Photo: Two top photos by TAKING ACTION FOR $15 AND FAIRNESS: APRIL 15 MOBILIZES THOUSANDS OF UNIONIZED & NON-UNIONIZED WORKERS On April 15, thousands of unionized workers and non-unionized workers stood shoulder-toshoulder in a united campaign for “$15 and Fairness.” It was part of a province-wide day of action for labour law reform that was timed to rally public opinion for fairer labour laws in advance of the first report of the Changing Workplaces Review. In Toronto, OFL Officers Chris Buckley and Ahmad Gaied joined a rally one-thousand-strong at the Ontario Ministry of Labour for a guerilla ribbon-cutting celebration to rename the “Ministry of Labour” as the “Ministry of Decent Work.” Afterwards, the two officers attended similar actions at the Office of Finance Minister Charles Sousa and out front of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority at Pearson. Secretary-Treasurer Patty Coates hit the road to join campaign events in Kitchener and London, two of the OFL’s key target regions. Other actions took place in Barrie, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, North Bay, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury and Windsor. 6 it’s parents trying to make ends meet on poverty wages, recent graduates struggling to pay student debt on short-term contracts, temp workers with no guarantee of hours, workers losing their wages and benefits when contracts flip, or unfair exemptions that leave some workers with no protection at all – more and more Ontarians are saying: Enough – we need changes now!” Just days before the action, the Ontario New Democrats gave a huge boost to the campaign by becoming the first political party in the province to endorse a $15 minimum wage. “There is no better time than now for our elected representatives to commit to a meaningful, decent work agenda,” said Pam Frache, provincial Fight for $15 & Fairness coordinator. “Whether SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 The Fight for $15 & Fairness is promoting a decent work agenda that includes fair scheduling; stronger regulation of temporary agencies; pro-active enforcement of employment laws; meaningful fines for labour law infractions; seven paid sick days; an end to contract flipping; and easier access to unions. Central to the campaign is the demand for a $15 minimum wage for all workers, with no exceptions. While labour activists took action in the streets, supporters were asked to join the action online by sending emails to every Member of Provincial Parliament using an online email blast tool at: www.15andfairness.org/workers-stories ׉ 7cassandra://x3ZFHGaa3K7ww6ICXz4XF_2HxiBmNuTmDbu1VBMrlHE4$`W]7KMK׉E#y Joel Duff, four regional photos by local organizers. OFL President Chris Buckley and a thousand close friends rename the Ontario Ministry of Labour the “Ministry of Decent Work.” Ottawa activists take to the streets of the nation’s capital. OFL Secretary-Treasurer Patty Coates joins London activists. NDP MPP France Gélinas joins the Sudbury action at the office of Liberal MPP Glenn Thibeault. NDP MPP Jennifer French joins Durham region activists at Oshawa event which featured an “amazing race to the bottom.” OFL ACTION REPORT 7 ׉ 7cassandra://Kgw0riyLoK7KLOmBXeeDIm1aqdxTvQzQ_uHQcBgUKgE3`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://nbDp7ZGrU9gdvXxqGbXK2HFpqew0qKNyfiCYPMuhqWw\c`׉ 7cassandra://3jgMPoodFXttR7FAGpF2Mt9vPHloBPTmsklNhtneQMI͢N`s׉ 7cassandra://w4BQwgcvcYXs16x2-N1YGnKEOzY1AoPTSV0llw7pvns0`׉ 7cassandra://CV3QIbKffdelV67zKbMEMPoOwdfXkg516VlJNehz9HE?~D͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://0J4_CpfzyaDdJ16_hOsryTkUq9SV-8YyF2rprgGeUgsu`׉ 7cassandra://kO8mh1AIpiKNX_jpaPNgtumOYzBsBuQUrOKrIP8Wwy4͡`s׉ 7cassandra://D9VS919F3B6BhX0psZO0tTxDMHF_WDmzbJ3oihIdIG4/`׉ 7cassandra://3_o0N9FNLkmlKYSZBLahJHsX-6D5i3vF06XE57He8dsZ ͠]W]7KMK׉ETHE ONTARIO WE WANT ONTARIO BUDGET THROWS PUBLIC SERVICES UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUS MODEST PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS CLAWED BACK BY CUTS AND PRIVATIZATION After the public relations lighting storm generated in 2015 over the sale of Hydro One, the 2016 Ontario Budget sought, unsuccessfully, to reverse the current of public outrage by changing the channel. Up front in Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s budget speech this year were showpiece announcements about “free tuition” for post-secondary students and limited new funding for hospitals. However, the Minister failed to mention the previous nine consecutive years of hospital budget cuts and a restructuring of student financial assistance that meant the new grants for students would be offset by cuts to existing aid programs. Meanwhile, tuition fees will continue to increase. Despite these modest investments, the budget held the line on austerity cuts and hydro privatization in order to fund its infrastructure plans. Behind the budget numbers was a net transfer of wealth and good jobs from a public sector where the workforce is 60 percent female to a construction sector that is 88 percent male. It is a fiscal strategy that will inadvertently widen the gender wage gap, precisely at a time that the government has promised to reduce it. “The 2016 Ontario Budget throws public services under the infrastructure bus when it should be presenting Ontarians with a roadmap for growing the economy and reversing the backslide to inequality,” said Buckley. “Piecemeal improvements to student financial assistance, disability support and other positive measures won’t help reduce inequality in Ontario if families are 8 squeezed by precarious work, shrinking public services and increasing user fees.” In its pre-budget submission, the OFL called on the Wynne Government to abandon its balanced budget fixation in favour of new investments in job creation, restoring public services and making sure that banks and corporations pay their fair share. The OFL cited a report released by the Ontario Common Front in November 2015, demonstrating that, by nearly every measure, Ontario is trailing every other province in income equality and poverty reduction. Among the most alarming findings are: • Ontario has experienced a 50% increase in the duration of unemployment, making its long-term unemployment the second worst in Canada; • 1.7 million people are now earning within $4 of the minimum wage; • There has been a 38% increase in poverty in Ontario over the past 20 years and nearly one in five Ontario children live in poverty; • Young Ontario families pay up to $19,000 a year for child care, the highest costs in Canada; • University tuition fees have outpaced inflation by 601% while per student funding is dead last; and • Ontario funds all of its social programs at the lowest rate in Canada. “Wynne has given us one step forward, two steps back. Without increasing social program funding above inflation, this budget will further cement Ontario’s last place status for social program funding, income equality and poverty reduction,” said Buckley. “The shortcomings of the 2016 budget make it all the more essential for this government to move forward with bold plans to close Ontario’s gender wage gap and reform Ontario’s outdated labour laws so that every worker is lifted out of poverty and fairness becomes the law of the land.” Behind the budget numbers was a net transfer of wealth and good jobs from a public sector where the workforce is 60% female to a construction sector that is 88% male. It is a fiscal strategy that will inadvertently widen the gender wage gap, precisely at a time that the government has promised to reduce it. SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 ׉ 7cassandra://w4BQwgcvcYXs16x2-N1YGnKEOzY1AoPTSV0llw7pvns0`W]7KMK׉E8Following revelations that a bank underwriting the Hydro One sale backed a fundraiser that funneled tens of thousands of dollars into Liberal party coffers, CUPE Ontario President issued a public call for a police investigation. A Globe and Mail exposé uncovered active promotion by the Bank of Nova Scotia for a December 7 fundraising event featuring Finance Minister Charles Sousa and Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli. Emails obtained by the Globe suggest the bank helped secure participation in the $7400-perperson fundraiser by 22 people. These included executives of other banks involved in the Hydro One IPO, including TD, RBC, CIBC, Goldman CAMPAIGN PUSHES BACK AGAINST HYDRO ONE CORRUPTION SCANDAL anti-poverty Sachs, Barclays and Raymond James. The paper reports the emails included at least one overt reference to Hydro One privatization. The disclosures added a new jolt to the province’s highly charged decision to sell off the publicly owned hydro transmission and distribution company. Since the sale was announced in early 2015, nearly 200 municipalities have passed resolutions opposing the sale of Hydro One and public opinion polling pegs voter opposition to the sale at more than 80 percent. The OFL is part of a broad-based campaign, called “Keep Hydro Public,” that is supported by more than 20 community, labour, environment, and student organizations. The campaign began rolling out large community canvasses across the province that are blitzing Liberal ridings across the province to amplify public outrage over hydro privatization. “We already know the public won’t benefit from Hydro privatization, but we have recently learned about the undue political influence of the project’s financial backers,” said Hahn. “Whether the Liberals broke the law is for the police and courts to decide, but governments need to be held to a higher standard. The Keep Hydro Public campaign is going to try this government in the court of public opinion.” RALLY CALLS ON WYNNE TO #PLAYFAIR WITH OLG PENSIONS On December 16, 2015, management at the Rideau Carleton Raceway Slots (RCRS) locked out 124 housekeepers and slot-area cashiers after their bargaining team rejected a new contract that would freeze wages for two years and remove existing pension language from the current collective agreement. The workers have not had a raise since 2009, despite the fact that the cost of living in Ottawa has increased by 8.7 percent since then. In the first 15 days of the lockout, the RCRS lost five times more money in revenue than it would have cost the employer to increase wages by three percent in a single year. The workers were quick to call out Ontario’s governing Liberals for being very vocal about OFL ACTION REPORT the need to expand the Canada Pension Plan, while allowing the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) – a crown corporation – to try to strong arm workers into giving up their long-standing pensions. The union has accused the Wynne government of allowing OLG to make itself more attractive to private buyers by forcing employees to give up their pensions. On March 9, the OFL helped PSAC mobilize a solidarity rally of hundreds of workers at Queen’s Park to call on the Wynne government to “play fair” with OLG pensions. Joined by several members of the Ontario NDP Caucus, and even the of local Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod, the protesters called on Wynne to intervene in the bitter dispute and to put a stop to scab labour. “Solidarity from the labour movement and incredible support from the public buoyed the spirits of the slots workers through holiday season and the cold winter months,” said Larry Rousseau, Regional Executive Vice-President for PSAC. “These locked out workers have become stronger on the picket line over the last few months and they are determined to win a fair contract.” The union has continued to keep the heat on the government by staging a series of protests outside the Ottawa offices of three local Liberal MPPs, calling the province to stop privatizing the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. 9 PHOTO: JOEL DUFF PHOTO: KEEP HYDRO PUBLIC ׉ 7cassandra://D9VS919F3B6BhX0psZO0tTxDMHF_WDmzbJ3oihIdIG4/`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://plSgUFc-LM0fvyT_vPR3YaZSMIPj_DVL-GBJAIGvm9U(`׉ 7cassandra://ARjoHTfx-x_YKNV3LiHnH_V0dozYi12kQniYKYxV1iwͧg`s׉ 7cassandra://voapwZwG0pjMoKYWFOpMVv20o2GdIwBGuBu9P0zM4x45`׉ 7cassandra://-bzAV_xTn41hTJL3-fJILvLAOsSgV69yt516fRXKYtgZ͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://59ohQMus4fVEpu1COWPwTTwgDpnzKaLkoj6frNUglG0!F`׉ 7cassandra://pBnAKapf2sLkoY0dmwqCb45sbkdFRwotgqTgRpQgoGs͉X`s׉ 7cassandra://j_TBIvj18yZzAMXFkfchoV9whU-Lpkoqkat-vsoOnB0*6`׉ 7cassandra://U1XiXghog2z3RRFnP4C3__VnmHFjc5jgynbomSdXG5k ͠]W]7KMK׉EEQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS OFL MARKS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY WITH CALL TO END WAGE DISCRIMINATION Based on the current rate of progress, it will take over 100 years before women earn the same wages as men. In Ontario today, even though women now account for roughly half of the labour force, they continue to make 31.5 percent less than the average annual earnings of male workers – one of the largest reported gaps in the world. It amounts to a gendered wage penalty that is compounded by race, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity and ability. It is an economic price that women pay at every wage level, regardless of their age, education or occupation. Action on wage equality cannot wait another year, let alone 100. The OFL marked the 2016 International Women’s Day (IWD) with a call to end wage discrimination by raising the wages and employment standards for every worker. “2016 is the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote in a Canadian province. Nellie McClung and the ‘Famous Five’ led this historic victory in Manitoba and paved the way for women’s suffrage across Canada,” said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Patty Coates in her Hamilton Spectator op-ed. “What better way to honour their legacy than to make sure that 100 years from today, young women will look back on wage discrimination as a similar relic from another century.” APRIL 19 IS EQUAL PAY DAY FOR 2016 The OFL and affiliates recognized April 19, 2016 as “Equal Pay Day” – the date symbolizing the nearly four months of additional work that women need to toil at to catch up to the previous year’s earnings of their male counterparts. Rallies and events were held in communities across Ontario. The OFL partnered with affiliates and the Ontario Equal Pay Coaltion to participate in a special pay equity supplement in the Toronto Star (see adjacent page). A number of affiliates launched punchy campaigns to expose the wage gap. 10 SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 PHOTO: JOEL DUFF PHOTO: MELISA BAYON PHOTO: SHANNON DEVINE PHOTO: JOEL DUFF ׉ 7cassandra://voapwZwG0pjMoKYWFOpMVv20o2GdIwBGuBu9P0zM4x45`W]7KMK׉EPPepper Media SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Thursday, April 14, 2016 THE GENDER WAGE GAP IS ABOUT MORE THAN WAGES A sponsored feature by Pepper Media Thirty years have passed since I first entered the workforce as a young educator – the first woman in my family with a college diploma – believing that my generation would be the one to tear down the barriers to women’s equality. It was this profound belief in fairness that motivated me to get involved with the women’s movement and the labour movement, and it guided me as a mother who wanted all of my children – one girl and two boys – to enter the workforce as equals. I wasn’t a lone idealist. In June of 1987, when I was in the midst of starting my family, Ontario became the second jurisdiction in Canada to pass historic pay equity legislation that confirmed a public and government commitment to “redress systemic gender discrimination” in workplace wages and benefits. We were certain that change was on the way. Today, my children are all grown up and they are in a workforce that is just as divided as it was when they were born. In Ontario, the average wage for women is 70 percent of what a man earns for the same work. If you are a woman of colour, it falls to 64 percent. If you are an Aboriginal woman it is only 46 percent. If you are a woman with a disability it is extremely difficult to even get a job, and those who do are often among the most precarious and poorly paid. How can we still be so far behind? The answer is more complicated than simply fixing and enforcing the pay equity legislation that has failed to deliver the progress it promised. What these past 30 years have taught us is that we have to go much further in raising the bar for all workers. After all, when the overwhelming majority of Ontarians are falling behind and most of the good jobs we lost during the recession have been replaced with precarious ones, it is women who are the most likely to fall back down to the bottom. That is why the best approach to closing the gendered wage gap is to tackle inequality from the bottom up. To start, Ontario must increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. A movement is spreading across North America to demand “$15 and Fairness” and it is based on the basic notion that every job should be a pathway out of poverty. Raising the minimum wage to $15 and tying that rate to the cost of inflation would peg wages permanently at 10 percent above the poverty line and lift nearly a million women out of poverty. However, the most significant action that Ontario can make to improve the wages and working conditions for women is to make it easier to join a union. While labour unions were historically concentrated in male-dominated sectors, like manufacturing and resource extraction, unions see their biggest growth each year in female-dominated workplaces. That is because women know a good thing when they see it. Unionized women have been better able to negotiate good wages, benefits, and working conditions. The net result is an average pay boost for unionized women of $7.83 an hour more than non-unionized women. This was certainly my experience, as an educational assistant supporting elementary and high school students with special needs, when I got my first union job in a school board after years of precarious work in private childcare centers. However, current labour laws in Ontario make it hard to join a union and these laws have not been revamped in 25 years, which has worked strongly against the goals of pay equity legislation. This year, women workers have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally bring fairness to the workforce. That is because Ontario is currently reviewing the province’s employment laws. This is our chance to bring in sweeping changes that can close the gender wage gap, lift every worker up and help create the Ontario we want. While this change might be late in coming, it will make me proud to fight for it with my children at my side. Patty Coates Secretary-Treasurer of the Ontario Federation of Labour Continued from page 3 STEP 6 Promote access to collective bargaining Unionized women receive better pay than their non-unionized counterparts since unions negotiated pay equity plans with employers that led to pay adjustments. Unionization is a pathway to close the gender wage gap. The Labour Relations Act needs modernizing including expanding card-based certification. New sectoral certification and bargaining structures should also be implemented. STEP 7 Increase the minimum wage An effective and immediate step for low-wage women is for the Ontario government to bring in emergency legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour immediately and maintain annual increases until the minimum wage is at the level of a living wage. STEP 8 Provide affordable and accessible child care The time for a program is now. Many women work part-time because of a lack of affordable child care. In 1988, the Government fully recognized that access to an affordable child care program was a cornerstone to ensure women’s equality. STEP 9 Mainstream equity compliance into government laws and policies All social and economic policies should be vetted by government Ministries for their impact on the gender wage gap. This includes litigation decisions and ensuring that scarce public resources are used to provide pay equity for women providing important public services and not used to fight pay claims. Cabinet policy submissions should include a sign off to ensure proposed laws and policies have been reviewed for their contribution to closing the pay gap. STEP 10 Mainstream equity compliance into workplaces and businesses Employers also need to mainstream equity compliances into their workplace practices, including analyzing the impact of recruitment and retention practices as well as pay and promotion structures and conditions of work have on vulnerable groups. STEP 11 End Violence and Harassment of Women The Ontario government’s targeted strategy to end Genderbased-violence needs to be expanded to address the fact that a woman who is the victim of assault or harassed out of a job is left with few economic resources. STEP 12 Secure Decent Work for Women Across the Economic Spectrum The precarious labour market means predominantly lower wages, less access to benefits, holiday pay, overtime pay, pensions, severance pay and employment insurance. In today’s labour market, there is little balance between the power of employers and the many precariously employed women. It is time for the Ontario government to commit to the Decent Work agenda to address this precarity. By Jennifer Quito and Jan Borowy, Ontario Equal Pay Coalition OFL ACTION REPORT 11 ׉ 7cassandra://j_TBIvj18yZzAMXFkfchoV9whU-Lpkoqkat-vsoOnB0*6`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://71Mz2EB6tjE526ZGgWPriM9ninZzpLsuu7dtgzOJy78Z`׉ 7cassandra://g0P_hcb3hX1ie2kJUttgRS2wJNT4Da7q1jn4514V5q8̓`s׉ 7cassandra://KR-BatMyGUu2SBQxEYTOHJ2S4ZBwfvyshYDliXjO3FI*Q`׉ 7cassandra://hTJ4HquheXSFS9V_KlDKT3NHSoxBa-VuNIujxehvJWY[d̐͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://yTSFBGQ2fgTroeYZorX-dPO_eKtZWryMPP2KHdbLEoUsz`׉ 7cassandra://DHfRqjFfQgO0ccqqRqwCh9NXrcV8tei6oOs41hYaP-M̈́C`s׉ 7cassandra://OEWQs2pwoRVLs5tJQbv1nP8up4m3i-hSTI8IDpg0jUA*`׉ 7cassandra://ckPdqTkge6olq1FBjzsicKm4ybs0F82dEBu9L3FX-sAͶ,6͠]W]7KMK׉E OFL NEWS OPSEU MEMBERSHIP VOTES 93.8% IN FAVOUR OF RE-JOINING THE OFL At their annual convention April 14, 2016, 1,700 delegates of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) voted 93.8 percent in favour of renewing their membership in the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). It was a decision met with thunderous applause. All three OFL officers were present in the convention hall as OPSEU delegates voted to end a five year hiatus from the province’s house of labour. “This decision is a momentous one for Ontario’s labour movement,” said Buckley. “It is amazing news for the OFL, but it is also amazing news for working people across the province, because a united labour movement has the capacity to shift public policy and build a better province.” OPSEU let its membership in the OFL lapse in August 2011, along with three other unions. In November 2015, the OFL membership elected a new team of officers on a platform of progress and unity. Since then, relations have been restored, as the OFL and OPSEU have begun collaborating on key campaigns to oppose the sale of Hydro One, win employment law reform and close the gender wage gap. The resolution our convention passed today tells me, in no uncertain terms, that our members want to be back in the Ontario Federation of Labour. - OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas “There will always be differences among unions, just as there are differences among people, but I believe we can harness these differences to change our province for the better,” said President Chris Buckley. “Today’s decision is an overwhelming display of labour solidarity in Ontario. It is a signal of a movement of workers that united in our collective goals to halt the privatization agenda, to make our workplaces safer, to close the gender wage gap and make sweeping changes to employment laws that will raise the bar for all workers.” “The resolution our convention passed today tells me, in no uncertain terms, that our members want to be back in the Ontario Federation of Labour,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “I and my Executive Board are looking forward to negotiating the details that will make it happen as soon as possible.” OPSEU brings into the OFL approximately 130,000 members who work for the Ontario government inside community colleges, for the LCBO, in the health care sector and they are employed in a wide range of community agencies inside the broader public service. “On behalf of Ontario’s one million unionized workers, I am pleased to welcome OPSEU members back into the house of labour and I want to personally thank the OPSEU leadership, staff and membership for their tireless work for a better province. OPSEU’s dedication to a progressive province has never abated, but we are unquestionable stronger when we are working together,” said Buckley All three OFL officers joined OPSEU President Smokey Thomas and 1st Eduardo Almeida on the stage at the OPSEU Convention. Photo: Shannon Devine 12 SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 Vice-President ׉ 7cassandra://KR-BatMyGUu2SBQxEYTOHJ2S4ZBwfvyshYDliXjO3FI*Q`W]7KMK׉E STRENGTHENING OUR LABOUR MOVEMENT INSIDE & OUT JANE MEANS BUSINESS FOR OFL FINANCES MELISA PUTS BOOTS ON THE GROUND Since taking office last December, OFL Secretary-Treasurer Patty Coates has made it her mission to restructure and strengthen the OFL finances from the bottom up. A central piece of that strategy is the hiring of a CPA to direct the OFL finances and administration through the creation of a new Controller position. Jane Liu stepped into her new role on April 11, after dedicating the past 20 years to heading up financial management and accounting in the private sector. Before she sets her mind to making the OFL’s financial operation more effective and efficient, she plans to apply her skills to restructuring and streamlining the OFL’s accounting so that the staff, officers and Executive Committee have an up-to-theminute financial snap shot when they are planning the campaigns of the labour movement. “People sometimes have the misconception that best business practices are at odds with socially progressive values. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Liu. “I believe that accountability and transparency are essential for a democratic organization like the OFL because it empowers the Board and the members to harness the resources of our movement and apply them to our political priorities.” Campaign reinforcements arrived just in time for the official launch of the OFL’s “Make It Fair” campaign and Melisa Bayon comes to the position of Campaign Organizer with loads of street cred. Melisa cut her campaign teeth over a decade of hotel worker organizing for UNITE HERE across Canada and the United States and spent the last few years as the lead organizer for homecare workers with SEIU Healthcare. She has drafted non-union organizing strategies and led scores of grassroots campaigns to empower some of North America’s most precarious workers by forging bonds with political and community allies. The daughter of a single mother who fled from Argentina with young children, Melisa comes by her working class roots honestly and knows first hand that unions are a pathway out of poverty. “There is no campaign with more potential to transform the daily lives of workers than the campaign for labour law reform,” said Bayon. “We are building a campaign to redefine the future of work in Ontario and to give every worker control over their own life. This campaign isn’t just about solidarity, it is about our survival.” OFL ACTION REPORT 13 ׉ 7cassandra://OEWQs2pwoRVLs5tJQbv1nP8up4m3i-hSTI8IDpg0jUA*`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://LuHYy_PNhlxuTIqp_tYmEARlS4U0GUADL7r4cpKVzto+!`׉ 7cassandra://JzMR6Pr08CWXwJ4e63fI2bsYIH74KLK53C-47AN7zQY͓`s׉ 7cassandra://29eGSvwadxWpLDArvnuw4M6RmKs-kozoHvInXgSUnXU0:`׉ 7cassandra://o1zxtvsXNCep-BbTXZRyxAO52G5DRY-06XriMNCoq8Qp͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://E5a79Q1yqSzp9xAVHpLBKrPF9AoM1lj2_tcoG6IDJWA5`׉ 7cassandra://6QWtX8aQqi354oeEpKrJnRCmfnaIXKTfm1fUIb_Ytz0͗f`s׉ 7cassandra://IpwcguSUBIFjJt-MI9ysnVIig5vrAX3_w9aAH6nYbvs.r`׉ 7cassandra://bOTn3yNr064GkGv_8mQLvy3ZAkyZtYP22UESDGMW_38|͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMK̹9ׁH http://ofl.ca/index.php/stophateׁ ׁ Ј׉E "EQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS BLACK LIVES MATTER SHOWS THAT DIRECT ACTION ... GETS ACTION When Black Lives Matter demonstrators packed up their tent city outside Toronto police headquarters early in April, they set a 300-hour deadline to come back if their demands were not met. Less than two weeks later, their campaign had chalked up three important victories and inspired renewed solidarity between social movements. Under the banner of Black Lives Matter-Toronto, a coalition of Black community members, students, artists, workers and many others launched a peaceful “Tent City” occupation outside the Toronto Police Headquarters on March 19 to draw attention to systemic racism and demand an inquest into the police shooting deaths of Andrew Loku, Alex Wettlaufer and Jermaine Carby. The group was also responding to a recent City of Toronto decision to cut an annual AfroFest cultural celebration down to one day, from two. Within days of launching their campaign, the City of Toronto reversed its decision, but the Toronto Police Force and the controversial Special Investigations Unit appeared to be intractable in their decision to keep the circumstances of the police shootings shrouded in secrecy. After closing down their tent city action, campaign organizers staged a march on the Queen’s Park Legislative Buildings that resulted in a personal commitment from Premier Kathleen Wynne to conduct four public consultations across the city on the state of policing. However, the biggest win came on April 13, when Ontario Coroner Dr. James Edwards called an inquest into the death of Andrew Loku. The OFL supports these courageous activists in their demand for answers about recent shootings of Black men, as well as their call for broader systemic change. - OFL Executive Vice-President Ahmad Gaied Matter-Toronto, The OFL proudly stood behind Black Lives providing resources, publicity and support during their two-week encampment. All three OFL Officers visited the Tent City action. “The OFL supports these courageous activists in their demand for answers about recent shootings of Black men, as well as their call for broader systemic change to prevent any future loss of life,” said OFL Executive Vice-President Ahmad Gaied. “Black Lives Matter-Toronto has proven that peaceful direct action gets action.” The Black Lives Matter demonstration travelled to Ontario’s Parliament building from Toronto Police Headquarters, shutting down traffic on University and College streets. Photo: Toronto Star/Lucas Oleniuk 14 SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 PHOTO: CP/DOMINIC CHAN ׉ 7cassandra://29eGSvwadxWpLDArvnuw4M6RmKs-kozoHvInXgSUnXU0:`W]7KMK׉E ONTARIO LABOUR COUNCILS BAND TOGETHER TO CHALLENGE RACISM March 21 is celebrated around the world as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is a day that marks the anniversary of the tragic events of Sharpeville, South Africa, when police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against the apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. Six years later, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 an annual date for the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate racism in all its forms. This year, Ontario’s regional labour councils came together for the first time to issue a joint public statement for March 21, with the support of the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Ontario Region of the Canadian Labour Congress. Together, they recognized the strong and important role that labour councils have to play in bringing together labour and community groups in every region of Ontario to tackle barriers to equality, human rights, and social justice. Together, they fight for good jobs and sustainable communities that are supported by strong public services and universally accessible social programs. “We recognize that racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and all forms of prejudice, hate and discrimination – whether individual, cultural or systemic – divide our communities and prevent our collective prosperity,” declared the statement. Ontario today has the fastest growing rates of poverty and precariousness out of every province in Canada, but racialized, Indigenous and newcomer communities are disproportionately affected by rising inequality. With the recent push to welcome an unprecedented number of refugees and immigrants into our communities, there has been a backlash of racism and Islamophobia that has been fueled by prominent political figures like Stephen Harper and Donald Trump, and many others. Ontario’s labour councils felt it necessary to respond openly and directly to this undercurrent of hate with the strongest and most unified condemnation possible. Together, they committed to working to: • End individual, cultural or systemic rac ism and discrimination by speaking out and confronting all barriers to the full and equal opportunity for all; • • Promote and protect social justice, man rights, and the environment; Demand immediate action to eliminate poverty, end employment precarity and nate close the wage gap that disproportion ately affects women, racialized people and other equity-seeking communities, and prevents the advancement of ever worker; and ion ople es, r al • Demand public investment in social programs, a $15 minimum wage, better employment standards and easier access to join a union. Labour councils across Ontario are committed to advancing these agendas and providing a space for such discussions. They also have a unique role to play in supporting refugees to our communities, while being a vigilant opposition to any backlash they might experience. In recognition of March 21, 2016, Ontario’s labour movement encouraged unions and community members to download and display #StopHate window signs and to share them on social media: http://ofl.ca/index.php/stophate Inspired by the OFL’s push for intersectional solidarity, OFL Executive Vice-President Ahmad Gaied joined a group of Muslim activists to deliver community support to Toronto’s Black Lives Matter occupation. Photo: unknown OFL ACTION REPORT 15 ׉ 7cassandra://IpwcguSUBIFjJt-MI9ysnVIig5vrAX3_w9aAH6nYbvs.r`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Ha4lG8eCRF-uDMnHX1Q_jLSHWHV-pwu3zvdnslGONAc`׉ 7cassandra://3cKJievl611jrJQlOkzEjM9ZvmnbYxIFBjKX9HlKId4̓r`s׉ 7cassandra://WSrOEaetDT7gOUIaDIUl3u6kYsswAeIvvdZxl36XWCk+`׉ 7cassandra://1AX2GcjcgZ6vFWIJMmtNrFwOEKCPOmN0YqYdpBmRxKE)f͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://4dUtLJosreB1j4fdy3TY3b4_4NHdBt19EEL7i44waBUھ`׉ 7cassandra://boAFmpbEICZVboX4t365IIF8D_9LWOAVbJ8SayZ1Lr4͍`s׉ 7cassandra://csAnHiAWxRW3Mhrt_Px--zFS3vte-R_BmgSxxtp-5_4*\`׉ 7cassandra://9S355dpHCnDafmsvletNCvC20QYivkfHIbr83ekwarA*̶͠]W]7KMK׉E EQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS ATTAWAPISKAT FIRST NATION DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY The Northern Ontario First Nation of Attawapiskat has declared a state of emergency amidst a suicide epidemic that has seen over 100 suicide attempts in the community since last September. Eleven suicide attempts were made on a single Saturday night and on the following Monday, 13 youths, including a 9-year-old child, were detained by police in an effort to thwart an ongoing suicide pact. As the country grappled with the crisis, Idle No More and Black Lives Matter protesters staged sit-ins at Indigenous and Northern Affairs offices in Toronto and Winnipeg to demand immediate and long-term government action to address the th Oti Fit Nti f Att crisis. The OFL supports these demands and, at a recent meeting of the OFL Aboriginal Circle, declared its solidarity with the people of Attawapiskat and other First Nations communities. In response to the direct appeal from the Attawapiskat Chief Bruce Shisheesh and eight councillors, Ontario’s Health Minister Eric Hoskins has pledged $2 million in mental health support and Health Canada also sent 18 health workers, mental health workers and police to the community. However, these temporary solutions will do little to address the systemic problems at the root of a crisis that is generations in the making. ii Th OFL t th dd d t Attikt h b ld f Attawapiskat has been plagued for years by annual spring flooding, contaminated drinking water and a condemned schoolhouse built on the site of a massive diesel spill. There can be little doubt that today’s mental health crisis that is gripping the community of Attawapiskat and so many other Indigenous communities is part of the lingering legacy of Canada’s colonial history. The OFL calls on affiliates and allies to help amplify the pressure on all levels of government to take immediate and sustained action to end the grinding poverty and desperation that haunts communities like Attawapiskat. ANNUAL STRAWBERRY CEREMONY REMEMBERS STOLEN SISTERS While February is not a time when strawberries are in season, Indigenous and community activists have long recognized that the violence facing Canada’s Indigenous women on a daily basis is also a disruption in their traditional ways of life. On February 14, Strawberry Ceremonies were held in communities across Canada to honour women, girls, trans and two-spirit people who have died violent and premature deaths. ar and p powerful service led b reasurer P dir er Patty Coates and Human Rights & Women’s Director Carrol Anne werful vigil for Canada’s “stolen sisters.” Photo: Joel Duff tar 16 er Patty C ed powerful vigil SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 PHOTO: CBC NEWS ׉ 7cassandra://WSrOEaetDT7gOUIaDIUl3u6kYsswAeIvvdZxl36XWCk+`W]7KMK׉EONTARIO CREATES NEW ANTI-RACISM DIRECTORATE The OFL and Ontario NDP applauded February’s Ontario Government decision to create a new AntiRacism Directorate to work in collaboration with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The OFL and NDP had been calling for the re-establishment of an Anti-Racism Secretariat ever since it was abolished by the Mike Harris government in the 1990s, but had recently ramped up this demand as part of this year’s Black History Month celebrations. WRONGFUL TERMINATION OF NEW MOTHER THREATENS MATERNITY LEAVE The OFL responded to a grassroots campaign to support respected labour and human rights activist, Gilary Massa, whose employer terminated her three months into her maternity leave. Massa, who is a woman of colour and a Muslim, had been working as an Executive Director of the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) since 2009. Citing “restructuring” as the cause, she was laid off without notice in December 2015, after giving birth to her first child in September and never offered a secondary position within the organization. It was a devastating blow to deliver to a dedicated staff person during one of the most precious and vulnerable moments in her life and it sent a chilling message to women and new parents everywhere that their right to have both a family and career is in jeopardy. The OFL took the unusual step of issuing a joint letter from the Executive Board, Young Workers’ Committee, Women’s Committee and Workers of Colour Committee to call on the RSU Board of Directors to immediately reinstate Massa to her rightful position and provide compensation to account for the emotional distress, financial hardship and embarrassment. The OFL also called for a emotional distress hardship and full audit of the RSU human resources and human rights protocols, with an eye to preventing future mistreatment. For decades, the labour movement has fought to attain equal opportunity for women, for people of colour, and for parents. The provision of a universally enforced and protected parental leave is one Massa has proven her unshakable resolve by fiercely fighting for her rights at the Human Rights Commission. of our movement’s greatest achievements. The idea that parents, especially women, have to make a difficult choice between providing a loving family environment or having a successful career is a throwback to an archaic mentality. In the face of these adverse circumstances, Massa has proven her unshakable resolve by fiercely fighting for her rights at the Human Rights Commission. Several affiliates responded to the OFL call for solidarity by issuing their own letters in support of Gilary Massa and a Mother’s Day rally is planned in Toronto on May 8. For information on the campaign, visit #IStandWithGilary on Facebook and Twitter. OFL ACTION REPORT “By establishing an Anti-Racism Directorate, Ontario has an opportunity to make the advancement of racial justice a prerequisite throughout the province,” said OFL President Chris Buckley. “However, this Directorate must be given appropriate resources to produce the research, expertise and guidance that can truly challenge individual, systemic and cultural racism in all its forms.” On Tuesday, February 16, the Ontario Government announced the establishment of an Anti-Racism Directorate and named the Honourable Michael Coteau as Ontario’s new Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism. The mandate of the Directorate is to increase public education and awareness of racism to create a more inclusive province, and apply an anti-racism lens in developing, implementing and evaluating government policies, programs and services. The OFL responded to the announcement by calling on the Wynne government to provide proper funding for the Anti-Racism Directorate and include Ontario’s labour movement among the Directorate’s key strategic partners. “A directorate is an important step forward for Ontario at a time when racial profiling, racially motivated ‘carding’ and police shootings of racialized people have spurred incredible public outrage and given rise to a Black Lives Matter movement that has swept North America,” said Ahmad Gaied, OFL Executive Vice-President. “Challenging racism is about much more than speaking out against prejudice and discrimination when we witness it; it is about confronting systemic racism with concrete government action to remove the barriers to equal opportunity. We hope this Directorate leads the way to change.” 17 ׉ 7cassandra://csAnHiAWxRW3Mhrt_Px--zFS3vte-R_BmgSxxtp-5_4*\`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://l6x0RdpbnlHj4wv1z3z40i2IoEW7oGc0MwyYo22K9N0'`׉ 7cassandra://dbExOcurduOMeWMJEetb4MGEY8feagj4zzopw8mSvVU͈`s׉ 7cassandra://G5XhnXC8zf6TGDKbOtr3NSjMKi07WFkxUz12wETGwEo*`׉ 7cassandra://mOLanR9TV-t3o2W50PWaj7ueaMoWH4gfEaN8WHTZu3E̾͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://1alcrfyKpEsH80y7RvuKJPl75hYFtyaQaya8Cq3Me7E `׉ 7cassandra://hmqLCiBqJ2YU-hVgUkLnxrvKasLmOdg1mzLdJx5oQu0͚`s׉ 7cassandra://6uzJS7R-IVO6_w1zcjTl18WrUi6X5Eg-U_7kdBcITAo+`׉ 7cassandra://aAwgKM74ZqTtYIeYCDU2DniIzhMBYmakdQzkPEGs-EI͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMK̗9ׁHhttp://www.peterboroughpride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKaq9ׁHhttp://www.capitalpride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK߁:|9ׁHhttp://www.wepridefest.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKށ9ׁHhttp://www.simcoepride.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK݁ځr9ׁHhttp://www.pridelondon.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKہ̤9ׁHhttps://sites.google.com/site/ׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKځ|d9ׁHhttp://www.peelpride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKفÚ9ׁHhttp://www.gaymuskoka.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK؁.̄9ׁHhttp://www.sudburypride.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKׁ|9ׁHhttp://www.bellevillepride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKց9ׁHhttp://www.pridetoronto.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKՁe9ׁHhttp://www.brantfordpride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKԁ>|9ׁHhttp://www.pridehamilton.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKӁ̃9ׁHhttp://www.yorkpridefest.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKҁ̂9ׁHhttp://www.thunderpride.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKсʁ̄9ׁHhttp://www.timminspride.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKЁx9ׁHhttp://www.barriepride.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKρ|̂9ׁHhttp://www.pridedurham.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK΁U|9ׁHhttp://www.kingstonpride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMḰ.́9ׁHhttp://www.prideniagara.comׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMḰV9ׁHhttp://www.elpride.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKˁ}9ׁHhttp://www.guelphpride.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EEQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS THE OFL TEAM EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE OFFICERS: Shannon Devine, Executive Assistant OFL & ODRT DIRECTORS Melisa Bayon, Campaign Organizer Joel Duff, Communications Director Vern Edwards, Health & Safety Director Rob Halpin, Director of Research and Education & ODRT Project Coordinator Laurie Hardwick, Organization Services Director Jane Liu, Controller Carrol Anne Sceviour, Human Rights and Women’s Director Elizabeth Smith-VanBeek, Director of Administration OFL & ODRT STAFF Judy Chow, Executive Secretary (SecretaryTreasurer & Administration) Paulette Hazel, Secretary Brian Morgan, DocuTech Operator Kathy Neumann, Executive Secretary (President and Exec. V.P.) Ethiraju Ramachandar, Secretary / Bookkeeper Sylvia Stewart, Secretary LABOUR & HUMAN RIGHTS DATES April 23 Anniversary of the CLC (1956) Apr 28 Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job May Asian & South Asian Heritage Month May 1 May Day May 17 International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia Injured Workers’ Day June 1 June 1-7 Sexual Harassment Awareness Week June 12 World Day Against Child Labour June 21 National Aboriginal Day June 27 National Multicultural Day July LGBTQ Pride Month July 1 Canada Day Aug. 9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous People Sep. 5 Labour Day 18 DAY OF PINK TAKES ON BULLYING Every year, LGBTQ students, workers and their allies celebrate the second Wednesday of April as the Day of Pink. The OFL called upon workers across the province to celebrate diversity by wearing a pink shirt and by organizing activities to challenge bullying in all its forms, including homophobic and transphobic bullying. The Day of Pink got its start in Nova Scotia when two straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The two students decided to wear pink shirts in solidarity with their classmate and, a few days later, got everyone at school to share in this expression of support by wearing pink to class. By creating a “sea of pink” in their school, these students helped to trigger an international movement to challenge homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools. In Canada, three-quarters of students and 61 percent of students with LGBTQ parents report that they feel unsafe at school, according to the EGALE Canada national school survey. “Bullying, intimidation, prejudice and discrimination has an impact on everyone, not just the people who are targeted by it. When we allow members of any community to be marginalized and dehumanized, we contribute to a hidden form of violence,” said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Patty Coates. OFL Officers and staff join the Pride and Solidarity Committee in recognizing April 13, 2016 as the “Day of Pink.” Photo: Brian Morgan Apr. 29 – May 8: Guelph Pride www.guelphpride.com May 27 – May 29 Elliot Lake Pride www.elpride.ca May 28 – Jun. 4 Pride Niagara www.prideniagara.com Jun. 18 Jun. 4 Kingston Pride www.kingstonpride.ca Jun. 1 – Jun. 5 Pride Durham www.pridedurham.com Barrie Pride www.barriepride.com Jun.6 – Jun. 11 Timmins Pride www.timminspride.com Jun. 11 – Jun. 18 Thunder Bay Pride www.thunderpride.com Jun.11 – Jun. 19 York Pride www.yorkpridefest.com Jun. 18 Jun. 18 Hamilton Pride www.pridehamilton.ca Brantford Pride www.brantfordpride.ca Jun. 24 – Jun. 26 Kenora Pride Facebook “Kenora Pride” ONTARIO PRIDE EVENTS Jun. 24 – Jul. 3 Pride Toronto www.pridetoronto.com Jul. 16 – Jul. 23 Belleville Pride www.bellevillepride.ca Jul. 18 – Jul. 23 Sudbury Pride www.sudburypride.com Jul. 15 – Jul. 24 Muskoka Pride www.gaymuskoka.com Jul. 11 – Jul. 16 Peel Pride www.peelpride.ca Brockville Pride Jul. 16 https://sites.google.com/site/ brockvillepride Jul. 14 – Jul. 24 Pride London www.pridelondon.ca Jul. 28 – Aug. 6 Simcoe County Pride www.simcoepride.com Aug. 3 – Aug. 7 Windsor-Essex Pride Festival www.wepridefest.com Aug. 15 – Aug. 21 Capital Pride (Ottawa) www.capitalpride.ca Sep. 17 – Sep. 24 Peterborough Pride www.peterboroughpride.ca This list of LGBTQ Pride events across Ontario is accurate at the time of printing. Please check your local listings for the most current updates. SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 ׉ 7cassandra://G5XhnXC8zf6TGDKbOtr3NSjMKi07WFkxUz12wETGwEo*`W]7KMK׉E=OFL NEWS OFL STALWART RETIRES AFTER 46 YEARS If is almost the end of an era; just a few years short of 50 years of service, OFL Director of Administration, Elizabeth Smith-Vanbeek, has decided to start a new chapter as a retiree and volunteer at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. There is only one thing at the OFL that has been there longer than Elizabeth, and that is the building itself. Overlooking Toronto’s lush Don Valley, the OFL building has sat like a sentinel at 15 Gervais Dive since May 1, 1968. A little over 18 months later, an 18-year-old Elizabeth Smith started working in the mailroom. Over the intervening years, Elizabeth worked her way up through the ranks to achieve the Federation’s most senior staff position. Graduating from the mailroom to become a secretary, she would eventually become the Secretary-Bookkeeper, where she headed up the OFL accounting department for 14 years prior to becoming Director of Administration. “Elizabeth’s commitment and loyalty to our movement is rare indeed. She has devoted 46 years of her life to the working people of Ontario, but she has occupied positions that rarely gave her public recognition,” said OFL President Chris Buckley. “The OFL has always been more than a job to her; she is deeply invested in union values and social justice.” Over her career, Elizabeth witnessed some radical transformation within the labour movement, as it shifted from a male-dominated private sector unions into the public sector. The movement was forced to adjust with the times. “It was an incredible time to be a woman trade unionist. One of my proudest moments was when the OFL first created five affirmative action seats for women on the Executive Board,” reflected Smith-Vanbeek. “I knew that we were blazing the way for significant change, and the women in our movement have never looked back.” What little personal time Elizabeth had outside of the OFL, she donated to her staff union, OPEIU 343, and the Ontario NDP. She served as the Southwestern Ontario Organizer for Bob Rae’s leadership campaign and, after he won in 1982, she accepted an 18-month secondment to the party’s fundraising department. “Elizabeth has dedicated half a lifetime to our movement and to our party. That is an incredible contribution,” said Ethel Birkett-LaValley, retired OFL Secretary-Treasurer (1995-2005). “While Elizabeth’s physical filing system wasn’t always the tidiest, her mental filing system was second to none. She stored vast amounts of information and historical records in her head and her wealth of knowledge will not be easily replaced.” It wasn’t until the OFL had elected its first female officer, Julie Davis, that Elizabeth ascended to the position she has held for the last 24 years. During her career, she worked under 22 officers, including six OFL presidents. “Elizabeth has put a phenomenal effort in the OFL. In convention years, hers was the light that was always on, no matter what time of the day or night,” said Pearl Sawyer, President, UFCW 1000A and the OFL’s most senior Executive Board Member. “Elizabeth has served the OFL through many changes, but she has been the one constant through thick and thin. Through it all, she maintained genuine friendships that transcended politics.” Elizabeth’s dedication and loyalty to our movement is rare indeed. She devoted 46 years of her life to the working people of Ontario, but she occupied positions that rarely gave her public recognition. - OFL Pesident Chris Buckley Elizabeth has served the OFL through many changes, but she has been the one constant through thick and thin. Through it all, she maintained genuine friendships that transcended politics. - Pearl Sawyer, President of UFCW 1000A OFL ACTION REPORT OFL Director of Administratrion Elizabeth SmithVanbeek is set to retire at the end of April. 19 PHOTO: JOEL DUFF ׉ 7cassandra://6uzJS7R-IVO6_w1zcjTl18WrUi6X5Eg-U_7kdBcITAo+`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://rlYgAOIuIDUPi_f5NkoqABSp-hX4HeujNWzumtr-fFc`׉ 7cassandra://dDZLBH3FDwgRlUnenlAbt_z_rG2rWuS9VD_D68RtaMY͕ `s׉ 7cassandra://LEkGVa5oqtX5KUzNjl2DPGowh1wePjkgEm9ICTqyeZ0-`׉ 7cassandra://4C3SVfQdai7l_Cn2FShKiF3OYnWxH4MQDIhX7tGLEXsP͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://TSJl76ZZSYrX8uex62MvNoWROFnjbrvIA4hwukDgO40y`׉ 7cassandra://MMFwwfYgsed22Bnx9wkG7f_-hEf5oxWThPV2CAvybjM͙V`s׉ 7cassandra://dWhPvsvdj8GknuzGp7vsco_wrNlUGjK5YgzlAEcbFCc,`׉ 7cassandra://czvhS4ohIK-RXoDG9Y__dYe4imvqIfiLfcRbx8qv57YFH͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMKjG9ׁHhttp://yws2016.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKg7U9ׁHhttp://riseup2016.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKm9ׁH%http://ofl.ca/index.php/scholarships/ׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKɁU 9ׁHmailto:PHazel@ofl.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK̅9ׁHhttp://ofl.ca/index.php/ׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK8Xm9ׁHhttp://www.Mayworks.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMK8`9ׁHhttp://whsc.on.ca/Events/Dayׁ ׁ Ј׉EHEALTH & SAFETY / WCB HISTORIC LEGISLATION SUPPORTS FIRST RESPONDERS WITH PTSD BUT LEAVES OTHERS BEHIND In a government submission on Bill 163, called historic On April 5, the Ontario government passed to support first responders legislation suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Tabled by Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act amended the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act 1997, creates a presumption that PTSD diagnosed in first responders is work-related, making it quicker and easier access to benefits and treatment. That means first responders, like fire-fighters and police, will no longer have to prove that their PTSD was triggered by tragic situations they see on the job, something that can be difficult to do. Other provinces, like Alberta and Manitoba, have already recognized PTSD as a workplace illness, but Ontario has delayed signing on. This legislation was an important milestone for workplace health and safety, but the OFL and the Ontario NDP have been critical of Bill 163 for leaving many other workers behind. “Post-Trauma,” the OFL argued that other workers who face assaults, sexual violence and traumatic events in their daily routines deserve equal protection under the law. The submission cited nurses, paramedics, personal support workers and subway operators as a handful of the categories of workers who will see no relief in this bill. “All workers suffering from PTSD or other mental illnesses from chronic stress as a result of their work need to be treated with dignity, respect and compensation,” said OFL President Chris Buckley. “Protecting those who become victims of PTSD and other work-related psychological injuries will require new enforcement tools for the Ministry of Labour investigators.” The passage of Bill 163 comes seven years after New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo first proposed a private member’s bill that would add PTSD to the list of conditions — such as cancers — recognized as a workplace illness. Since then, DiNovo introduced five unsuccessful bills to recognize PTSD as a workplace injury. “This bill is a long time coming and it will go a long way towards reducing the stigma associated with PTSD, but it falls short of offering protection to every worker who faces significant psychological hazards at work,” said DiNovo. “Nurses, parole officers, bailiffs and many, many others will continue to face a daunting uphill battle to get their injuries recognized, treated and compensated.” The OFL will continue to fight to broaden the scope of the legislation so that other mental injuries are properly recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). It is also calling on the government of Ontario to allow first responders whose claims have been rejected by the WSIB to have their claims re-opened. Read the OFL Submission on Bill 163: http:// ofl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016.03.08-SUBBill163.PTSDOFL.pdf NDP BILL CALLS FOR FLAGS TO BE FLOWN AT HALF-MAST FOR DAY OF MOURNING Only weeks before the April 28, 2016 Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job, NDP MPP Percy Hatfield’s private member’s bill, Bill 180, an Act to Proclaim a Workers Day of Mourning, passed second reading in the Ontario Legislature. The Act seeks to require all Canadian and Ontario flags outside the legislative building, government of Ontario buildings and other public sector buildings to be flown at half20 mast on the Day of Mourning, April 28 of each year. OFL Health & Safety Director Vern Edwards joined Hatfield in calling for all party support. “If this bill is passed in the House, it will go a long way towards generating awareness and discussions in communities across Ontario about the needless and tragic toll occurring in our workplaces,” said Edwards. “We must make these workplace tragedies as socially unacceptable as those caused by drinking and driving.” SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 NDP MPP Percy Hatfield and OFL Health & Safety Director Vern Edwards join family members of a fallen worker. ׉ 7cassandra://LEkGVa5oqtX5KUzNjl2DPGowh1wePjkgEm9ICTqyeZ0-`W]7KMK׉E UPCOMING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDARS APR. 28: DAY OF MOURNING Since 1985, April 28 has been recognized across Canada as the “Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job.” The purpose of the Day of Mourning is two-fold to remember and honour those lives lost or injured on the job and to renew the commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace in order to prevent further work-related deaths, injuries and diseases. For events in your community, visit: https://www. whsc.on.ca/Events/Day-of-Mourning MAY 1: MAY DAY AIRPORT RALLY Airport workers in Toronto are hosting a May Day rally for $15 and Fairness at Canada’s largest workplace. 1:00 pm at Terminal 1, Departures. On Facebook, search “Mayday Toronto Airport.” MAY 1-14: MAYWORKS FESTIVAL The annual Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts is being held in Toronto from May 1 to 14, 2016. For an up-to-date event listing, visit: www.Mayworks.ca MAY 8: MOTHER’S DAY RALLY FOR MATERNITY RIGHTS On Sunday, May 8, join a rally at Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas square to defend the maternity benefits of Gilary Massa, wrongfully terminated by the Ryerson Students’ Union. On Facebook, search: “I Stand with Gilary SUMMER: PRIDE EVENTS Throughout the course of the summer, LGBTQ Pride events will be held in cities and towns across Ontario. Read the listing on page 18, but for up-to-date information, contact your union for local events, or visit: http://ofl.ca/index.php/ prideevents/ JUN. 30: OFL’S LABOUR HONOUR ROLL NOMINEES Each year, the OFL adds five retired or deceased trade unionists to the OFL Labour Honour Roll. These are activists who made a significant contribution to the trade union movement. The deadline for nominations has been extended to June 30. Contact: 416-443-7667 or PHazel@ofl.ca JUL. 10: OFL/AIL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE The OFL and American Income Life Canada are proud to offer two $2,500 scholarships to OFL members, or their children, who will be starting post-secondary education in September 2016. Apply at: http://ofl.ca/index.php/scholarships/ OCT. 7 - INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DECENT WORK Save the date now for this important milestone where we’ll rally in response to the final recommendations made by the Changing Workplaces Review. Stay tuned for details! OCT. 20-23: RISE UP! CLC HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE This conference will bring our movement’s diverse activists and allies together in a unique space that explores strategies and skills. Together we will empower and engage workers to build a stronger movement based on equity and inclusion, which reflects the changing demographics of the workforce. Find out more and register now at: riseup2016.ca OCT. 23-25: CLC NATIONAL YOUNG WORKERS’ CONFERENCE This conference will bring together young workers, youth activists, and allies to build young workers’ power to address the changing nature of work, empower young and new leadership in workplaces and unions, and lay the framework for a renewed and growing labour movement. Find out more and register now at: yws2016.ca OFL ACTION REPORT 21 ׉ 7cassandra://dWhPvsvdj8GknuzGp7vsco_wrNlUGjK5YgzlAEcbFCc,`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://pNJ9yva-khGouSsD3vnaRasWKndu-DcXWSJtAYR3IUw`׉ 7cassandra://Ujx9SKW4OOG1CA4fiHQDRFFwNbucQygUrDFnRczQJd0͎`s׉ 7cassandra://uLvKcyC2Yb6v5kPK6btAA9laSc0WONOUMpluVNLj0CI*`׉ 7cassandra://k82nPayI4eD9PCbgJb92oWAgkKhjwT2vJAelHCQs-bk%0͠]W]7KMKט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://kMEr5d1H64ZkfzFVdF2VTOLEAjN_f7jQzZpJIdAzV_A``׉ 7cassandra://icx19iu1YGb2QJN1_iAy8z_V_MJ7Z9kfQoKSzgvJWvU͗`s׉ 7cassandra://KKgJZPKsc89DFPyK-m_Pgj8aDZ2j0cy_CNpYeNMsk9Q,`׉ 7cassandra://2Pf2OxepmGRDqJ15F1o4TSOUnbWRNUE533Jhj0qHcK07l͠]W]7KMK׉EIN MEMORIAM Lifelong labour activist, autoworker and Durham Region Labour Council President Jim Freeman finally lowered his union flag on Monday, April 4, when he passed away suddenly at home at age 61. “Jimmy’s principled passion and hearty laugh will be missed at rallies, marches and picket lines across the province,” said Chris Buckley, OFL President and former President of Unifor/CAW Local 222. “Jimmy was a go-to guy for anything and everything political. He showed progressive leadership that gave incredible profile to Ontario’s labour councils as hubs for regional organizing. His passing leaves a big hole in our hearts and in our movement.” “Jimmy gave incredible profile to Ontario’s labour councils as hubs for regional organizing. His passing leaves a big hole in our hearts and in our movement.” Chris Buckley, OFL President Jim was known for his easy-going attitude, loudly coloured Hawaiian shirts, and his commitment to community organizing. He grew up in Oshawa, where family life revolved around the auto industry. Jim’s grandfather started at General Motors in 1934, his father worked there for 40 years, and Jim followed in their footsteps. Over 30 years, he was a member of the United Auto Workers, Canadian Auto Workers, and the newly formed Unifor. Even after he retired 22 in 2013, he became active with the Local 222 retirees. The union was in his blood. Jim became a principal member of his union flying squad, and he later headed up the Political Education Committee. During the height of the Mike Harris attacks on workers’ rights and social programs, Jim was seconded to help organize the Kingston Days of Action, where he headed up advance work for a rally that drew tens of thousands to the streets. “Jim was a long-standing dedicated activist in our union. He would go to the wall to defend workers and demand change for social justice,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor President. “I always admired his forth right honesty, passion for politics, and active approach that helped make our union and the labour movement stronger.” Jim is perhaps best known for his decade-long run as the President of the Durham Region Labour Council, which he used as a platform for giving provincial and national profile to the role of labour councils. Jim used every opportunity to pave the way for young activists. Under Jim’s leadership, the Durham Region Labour Council became the first in Canada to create a Vice-President position for young workers and he later spearheaded an initiative to give every labour council an additional Ontario Federation of Labour convention credential that was dedicated for a young worker delegate. His strong leadership among Ontario’s labour councils got him elected to the Ontario Federation of Labour Executive Board in 2011 and he was elected to the Board of the Ontario Federation of Union Retirees in 2013. SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 “Jim’s mentorship from my earliest days as a young worker has earned him a special place in my heart,” said Erin Harrison, CLC Ontario Regional Director. “He had a knack for looking into the eyes of young activists and seeing a potential we didn’t yet see in ourselves. It was a deeply felt commitment to growing the labour movement that never wavered.” During his “personal” time, Jim sat on the Board of the Durham United Way and the Durham Region Unemployment Help Centre. He also served on the executive of the provincial and federal NDP riding associations in Oshawa and he was involved in too many NDP campaigns to count. However, the electoral campaign he was no-doubt most proud of was the 2014 breakthrough victory of rookie NDP MPP Jennifer French in a long-time Tory riding. “Jim Freeman broadened our movement one personal connection at a time. He helped build a strong community of activists in Oshawa, by inspiring us to take care of each other, to work and to fight.” Jennifer French, NDP MPP for Oshawa “Jim Freeman broadened our movement one personal connection at a time. He helped build a strong community of activists in Oshawa, by inspiring us to take care of each other, to work and to fight,” said Jennifer French, NDP MPP for Oshawa. “He wanted to build a better world, and he ׉ 7cassandra://uLvKcyC2Yb6v5kPK6btAA9laSc0WONOUMpluVNLj0CI*`W]7KMK׉E TWO LEFT PHOTOS: PETER BOYLE THIS PHOTO: JOHN MACLENNAN made each of us better along the way. Though the ripples of this loss are being felt across the country, they can’t travel half as far as the reach of his impact.” One of Jim’s most important contributions to labour and social justice organizing, was the role he played in helping to create a labour-community movement called “We Are Oshawa.” From its inception, Jim was always very clear that We Are Oshawa is quite pointedly not a coalition, but a horizontal, democratic membership organization whose political focus is determined by those members. It brought together a network of labour, students, community activists, environmentalists, retirees and youth to launch creative campaigns for social change. Never intimidated by the changing times, Jim was an early adopter of social media and used Facebook and Twitter to grow a political movement outside of the traditional circle of union activists. However, his skill at adapting to new technology was defined by his aptitude for the “social” part of social media. Whether in person or online, Jim knew how to connect to people and make them feel like part of a broader movement. He frequently called on activists to make political events more fun, so that people feel positively about the movement and form the social bonds that keep them involved. With love and solidarity from Ontario’s regional labour councils. OFL ACTION REPORT 23 “Jim was the real deal – raw and unvarnished. He was a fearless activist who believed in the power of the labour movement but also understood that the full potential of popular movements can only be leveraged when labour and the community were fused together in solidarity,” said Patti Dalton, President of the London and District Labour Council. “Jim’s work in pioneering the We Are Oshawa initiative really raised the bar for labour councils across the country and inspired us to follow the example he set.” “We could always count on Jim to challenge leadership with the tough questions that needed to be asked. He will be sadly missed, not only by me, but by everyone who had the pleasure of working alongside him.” Hassan Yussuff, CLC President In 2012, Jim was recognized with the first ever Kathie Fowlie Award of Excellence for Community Building from the Labour Community Services of the Durham Region United Way. It was a testament to a lifetime dedicated to growing a movement. Despite his affable and easy-going demeanor, Jim was stubbornly committed to his principles and it was a trait that sometimes gave him cause to rise at a convention microphone in opposition to his union or party leadership. However, it was precisely this tenacity that earned him the respect of his political allies and opponents alike. “Jim was a passionate labour council and local leader. Throughout his life, Jim was known for his commitment to labour and to the NDP. We could always count on Jim to challenge leadership with the tough questions that needed to be asked,” said Hassan Yussuff, President, Canadian Labour Congress. “He will be sadly missed, not only by me, but by everyone who had the pleasure of working alongside him. This is a tragic loss for our movement.” Jim is survived by his beloved longtime spouse, Monique Hayes, and a movement of labour and community activists that often felt more like family than comrades and political allies. The labour movement, joins the Oshawa community in mourning the loss of one of its most principled and straight-talking activists. W you, ׉ 7cassandra://KKgJZPKsc89DFPyK-m_Pgj8aDZ2j0cy_CNpYeNMsk9Q,`W]7KMKW]7KMK(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://fhpAqdLwI8U-jKDTRi3M6J8WYxB1udYx7JyPTDD_eCEh`׉ 7cassandra://ZMPRqT4eQ_LEch5R0jqUGdsAMZ81rT7wCi167J-wB2Q|J`s׉ 7cassandra://nqJk2cd4QFAwEjel2vSB059ZrgPOQRAvHvXXOM0QXmI+`׉ 7cassandra://jPX8-NNhguZaV3kWMFsYd6xIvo8sKyhKLtVIWOHbB98qb͠]W]7KMKנW]7KMK̢ȁ̅9ׁHhttp://yws2016.caׁ ׁ ЈנW]7KMKB^̞9ׁHhttp://riseup2016.caׁ ׁ Ј׉ERegister now for one or both great events hosted by the Canadian Labour Congress: RISE UP! 2nd NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE Shaw Convention Centre in Ottawa, Ontario October 20 to 23, 2016 Register at riseup2016.ca Both events will be held on the Algonquin Anishinabek territory. 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