Toronto, ON – The five-day Ontario Federation of Labour Convention was structured around the theme – “Rising Together” – with OFL president Sid Ryan calling upon the delegates to unite against the anti-worker policies and agenda of the federal and provincial conservatives.
“We’re in for the fight of our lives, make no mistake about it,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Dave Ritchie. “We have to walk out of here at the end of the week not only united with every union but with the communities we live in as well.”
Over the course of the week-long 12th Biennial Convention, delegates determined how labour would respond to the Conservative attacks on workers’ rights as well as adopt a plan of action to forge a community alliance to improve the livelihoods of every Ontarian.
The second day of the convention saw delegates return all three OFL officers for another term with a strong mandate to mobilize labour’s fight against Harper and Tim Hudak’s anti-worker agenda. Throughout the day, the recurring theme was an urgent appeal for labour activists to push the equity and social justice agenda even further. The motions covered everything from licensed child care to stricter regulations of childcare centres. Keynote speaker Maude Barlow denounced recent free trade deals endorsed by the Harper government. She said foreign corporations now have the right to bypass their own governments and directly sue another country for any law that a company feels impedes its ability to generate profit. “This undermines national standards and sidesteps democratic checks and balances,” said Barlow.
Delegates took to the streets in a rally to march through Toronto’s Retail District demanding an increase in the minimum wage from $10 to $14.00 an hour and calling upon Premier Kathleen Wynne to put an immediate stop to employers who are paying poverty wages.
The rally was joined by Legal Aid Lawyers who have been denied the right to form a union. Comprised mostly of women and racialized workers, these lawyers are the only members of the legal profession who do not have the right to collectively bargain. It was another sign that labour and community groups are beginning to fight together!
In keeping with the IAM ‘s theme to engage the membership from coast to coast, the delegates were given a labour forum which delivered some pretty tough truths to digest. Rob Fairley of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council presented a clear and present threat to union security. “If the Tories win a spring election, it will send shockwaves throughout our movement,” explained Fairley. “Imagine how your union would adapt if your dues were cut in half or if you had to appeal to each member to pay them. Any worker who takes their union rights for granted had better be prepared to lose them.”
A better Ontario and a better Canada will only be possible through political action by the labour movement and like-minded community groups across the province and the country. “Hudak’s Tories hope that by attacking workers they can drive a wedge between unions and the public, but voters have no interest in the politics of division,” said Ryan.
“Attacking workers’ rights backfired on Liberal Premier McGuinty and it will be the downfall of Hudak. Unions are going to rise to the challenge but our fight isn’t with Tories, it is for the hearts and minds of Ontarians who aspire to a better future for everyone.”
