As I enjoy this Labour Day weekend I find my self reflecting on why I've become so strongly pro union.
Showing posts with label labour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label labour. Show all posts
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Debunking Anti-Union Myths
In this first installment of a promising series of videos York University professor Dr. Stephanie Ross eviscerates the myth and right wing neoliberal meme that unions are no longer needed in todays society. h/t @canadianlefty
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Where Have We Seen This Before
When I look at Canada today I see many disturbing issues,among them I see high unemployment, massive income inequity,increasing poverty,hunger and homelessness. I also see higher education being priced out of the range of most.
We have seen these conditions in Canada before most notably in the early twentieth century.Each time we have been presented with this combination of issues our governments have to varying degrees reacted the same way. One way they have consistency reacted is by bringing in austerity measures which only served to exacerbate the problem.Perhaps more troubling they have reacted by becoming draconian in nature.
Violently putting down citizen protest,criminalizing decent,increasing detentions,demonizing immigrants,War mongering,ramping up deportations,manufacturing an enemy (Commies Muslims Jews Gays) are some of the tools they use to maintain the status quo so favoured by those who profit from these conditions.
However there is another constant and that is invariably the people of this nation reach a point where they've had enough and rise up in protest. In 1918 and 1919 we saw this manifested in the Vancouver and Winnipeg general strikes and in the On To Ottawa Trek of 1935. ( Know Your Roots Video) While each of these events ended in seeming defeat, they each served to galvanized the general public into action,creating the conditions for improvement in the lives of Canadians.
Each of these movements grew out of the labour movement,hence the Conservative government's current all out assault on not just organized labour but all workers. There is nothing they fear more than the organizing power of Unions and labour in general for they have learned history's lessons well.
We have seen these conditions in Canada before most notably in the early twentieth century.Each time we have been presented with this combination of issues our governments have to varying degrees reacted the same way. One way they have consistency reacted is by bringing in austerity measures which only served to exacerbate the problem.Perhaps more troubling they have reacted by becoming draconian in nature.
Violently putting down citizen protest,criminalizing decent,increasing detentions,demonizing immigrants,War mongering,ramping up deportations,manufacturing an enemy (Commies Muslims Jews Gays) are some of the tools they use to maintain the status quo so favoured by those who profit from these conditions.
However there is another constant and that is invariably the people of this nation reach a point where they've had enough and rise up in protest. In 1918 and 1919 we saw this manifested in the Vancouver and Winnipeg general strikes and in the On To Ottawa Trek of 1935. ( Know Your Roots Video) While each of these events ended in seeming defeat, they each served to galvanized the general public into action,creating the conditions for improvement in the lives of Canadians.
Each of these movements grew out of the labour movement,hence the Conservative government's current all out assault on not just organized labour but all workers. There is nothing they fear more than the organizing power of Unions and labour in general for they have learned history's lessons well.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Kim Jin-suk and her Hope Riders
If you feel that one person can't make a difference then you haven't met Kim Jin-suk yet
On January 6, Kim Jin-suk began her sit-in against her employers plans to shed 400 workers, in the control room of crane No. 85. This was the same place where in October 2003 her co-worker Kim Ju-ik ended his 129-day sit-in protesting 600 job cuts by committing suicide.Two hundred and nine days later she still remains perched atop the crane some 115 feet above the ground.
The company has tried starving her out,cutting off electricity and limiting her ability to communicate with her supporters and the media yet she soldiers on,even in spite of the fact that her union has caved and made a deal with the company to allow a few more workers to retire.
Her supporters who have dubbed themselves the Hope Riders are growing in numbers with each protest, protests by the way that are violently suppressed by the police and company goons, something reminiscent of early 20th century North America.
During a July 10 march, the police used water cannons to blast protesters with PAVA—a new and particularly dangerous form of pepper spray—leaving many collapsing.
This week the Hope Riders were successful in reaching the base of the crane where Kim was able to address them
Here is an excellent report fom AJStream that includes a brief interview with Kim Jin-suk
On January 6, Kim Jin-suk began her sit-in against her employers plans to shed 400 workers, in the control room of crane No. 85. This was the same place where in October 2003 her co-worker Kim Ju-ik ended his 129-day sit-in protesting 600 job cuts by committing suicide.Two hundred and nine days later she still remains perched atop the crane some 115 feet above the ground.
The company has tried starving her out,cutting off electricity and limiting her ability to communicate with her supporters and the media yet she soldiers on,even in spite of the fact that her union has caved and made a deal with the company to allow a few more workers to retire.
Her supporters who have dubbed themselves the Hope Riders are growing in numbers with each protest, protests by the way that are violently suppressed by the police and company goons, something reminiscent of early 20th century North America.
During a July 10 march, the police used water cannons to blast protesters with PAVA—a new and particularly dangerous form of pepper spray—leaving many collapsing.
This week the Hope Riders were successful in reaching the base of the crane where Kim was able to address them
“Until tonight, we could not envision getting off the bus of despair that is crashing towards corruption, destruction and barbarism. Now, we have built a bus on our own. On the bus bound for hope and bound for the future, we are all drivers. Kim Jin-sukSupporters flew 200 sky lanterns, lighting up the night.
Here is an excellent report fom AJStream that includes a brief interview with Kim Jin-suk
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Looking Back At The Roots Of The Labour Movement In Canada For Inspiration
Whenever my energy flags and the struggle to build a better society seems lost, I like to go back in time and revisit the birth of the labour movement in Canada, this invariably recharges my batteries and I get back in the fight.
This week I revisited once more the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and as I've said before there are many similarities between then and now. The bosses wallets getting fat from the profits of war and off the labour of working women, men and children, yes children even today much of what we wear has been touched by child labour at some point in it's manufacture. Among the other similarities are high unemployment and poverty, gross wealth and prosperity gaps and of course governments that governed solely in the interests of the bosses.
The Winnipeg General Strike while inspiring wasn't unique for it's time in fact it wasn't even the first of it's kind that honour as near as I can tell goes to the Vancouver general strike of August 1918 which was sparked by the murder of labour activist Ginger Goodwin.
Goodwin originally ruled "unfit" for duty during WWI by the conscription board due to Black Lung Disease saw that decision reversed after leading a strike in 1917 at a Trail, B.C, lead/zinc smelter for an eight hour day. Being opposed to war he went into hiding upon being found he was murdered by a company hired Special Constable.
But the Vancouver general strike isn't Goodwin's sole legacy his death inspired the formation of the Ginger Group a loose coalition of Progressive and Labour Party members who would later play a role in the formation of the CCF, the precursor to today's NDP.
Another labour action of note is the On to Ottawa trek Some 1600 men fed up with the conditions in the forced labour camps of the depression set out to Ottawa to press their demands for fairer treatment and for get this the right to vote in Federal elections.They made it as far as Regina where they met a violent response from the government of R. B. Bennett and were then penned into city's exhibition grounds, surrounded by machine guns and denied food and water. Bennett's actions in putting down this march proved to be his downfall seeing his party reduced from holding 134 seats to just 39 after the following election
Anyway this is how I motivate myself.Seeing the sacrifices made by these brave men and women force me to demand better of myself and hopefully that is true of others.
Timeline of labour issues and events in Canada
This week I revisited once more the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and as I've said before there are many similarities between then and now. The bosses wallets getting fat from the profits of war and off the labour of working women, men and children, yes children even today much of what we wear has been touched by child labour at some point in it's manufacture. Among the other similarities are high unemployment and poverty, gross wealth and prosperity gaps and of course governments that governed solely in the interests of the bosses.
The Winnipeg General Strike while inspiring wasn't unique for it's time in fact it wasn't even the first of it's kind that honour as near as I can tell goes to the Vancouver general strike of August 1918 which was sparked by the murder of labour activist Ginger Goodwin.
Goodwin originally ruled "unfit" for duty during WWI by the conscription board due to Black Lung Disease saw that decision reversed after leading a strike in 1917 at a Trail, B.C, lead/zinc smelter for an eight hour day. Being opposed to war he went into hiding upon being found he was murdered by a company hired Special Constable.
But the Vancouver general strike isn't Goodwin's sole legacy his death inspired the formation of the Ginger Group a loose coalition of Progressive and Labour Party members who would later play a role in the formation of the CCF, the precursor to today's NDP.
Another labour action of note is the On to Ottawa trek Some 1600 men fed up with the conditions in the forced labour camps of the depression set out to Ottawa to press their demands for fairer treatment and for get this the right to vote in Federal elections.They made it as far as Regina where they met a violent response from the government of R. B. Bennett and were then penned into city's exhibition grounds, surrounded by machine guns and denied food and water. Bennett's actions in putting down this march proved to be his downfall seeing his party reduced from holding 134 seats to just 39 after the following election
Anyway this is how I motivate myself.Seeing the sacrifices made by these brave men and women force me to demand better of myself and hopefully that is true of others.
Timeline of labour issues and events in Canada
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
When Canadians Had Balls: The Winnipeg General Strike.
Some 30,000 workers,including the police and firefighters fed up with the conditions of the day shut down the city of Winnipeg for six weeks. The bosses responded by forming the "Citizens Committee"to oppose the strikers and with the help of the government, to destroy the fledgling union movement. They succeeded for a time, however the union movement stayed in the fight and eventually won some measure of fairness for workers, leading to the growth of the middle class.
Almost immediately the elite began fighting to take back these gains and unfortunately they have succeeded to a great extent,thus today we see many of the same conditions that led to the people taking to the streets in order to get their fair share.What is happening all around the globe today except sadly in Canada is no different than what happened that spring in Winnipeg in 1919. We the people can only be pushed so far until we feel cornered with no choice but to fight back. Will Canadians join the fight or unlike those who built this country, have we become too cowardly.
The Winnipeg General Strike
- The Citizens Committee ignored the strikers' demands and with the assistance of local newspapers accused the strikers of "Bolshevism," of being "enemy aliens" and of undermining "British values."
- On May 22, the federal Minister of Labour, Senator Gideon Robertson, and the federal minister of the interior and acting minister of justice Arthur Meighen met with the Citizens Committee. They refused to meet with the Central Strike Committee.
- Within the week, federal government employees, provincial government employees and municipal workers were ordered to return to work. An amendment to the Immigration Act was rushed through Parliament to allow the deportation of British-born strike leaders and the definition of sedition in the Criminal Code was expanded.
- On May 30, the Winnipeg police refused to sign a no-strike pledge. They were fired and an 1800-man force of "Specials" was hired to tame the strike. They were supplied with horses and baseball bats by the Eaton family of Eaton's fame.
- On June 17, the strike leaders were arrested in late-night raids.
- The city council outlawed the regular demonstration marches, both pro and anti-strike, by veterans.
- On June 21, which came to be known as Bloody Saturday, strikers pushed over and set fire to a streetcar. The Royal North-West Mounted Police attacked the crowd of strike supporters gathered outside City Hall, killing two and injuring 30. The Specials followed the crowd as it dispersed through the streets, beating protesters with baseball bats and wagon spokes. The army also patrolled the streets with machine guns.
- Authorities shut down the strikers' paper, the Western Labour News, and arrested its editors.
- On June 26, afraid of more violence, the strike leaders called off the strike.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)