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Published By AMERICAN INCOME LIFE & NATIONAL INCOME LIFE LETTER canada LABOUR ADVISORY BOARD MARCH 2011 Vol. 12 No. 2 NEWS FROM THE and again that expansion of the Canada respondents support increasing CPP benefits CLC, FEDERATIONS Pension Plan is a far better savings option and 51 per cent oppose the current federal than RRSPs and the Pooled Registered Pen- approach to delay CPP reform in favour of a & COUNCILS sion Plans proposed by Finance Minister private pooled pension plan. Flaherty. They ignored us and hundreds of Canadian labour joined in an other people who made the effort to partici- A disproportionate number of international week of action that began Feb. pate in the process.” women are falling through the many cracks 14 in defence of labour and human rights in Canada’s pension and retirement sys- in Mexico. Demonstrations were held that Pension reform remained a hot tem, Canadian Labour Congress President coincided with the fifth anniversary of the topic with Canadian labour as political sup- Barbara Byers recently told more than 100 death of 65 workers in an explosion in north- port increased for an expanded Canadian union delegates meeting in Regina. Part of ern Mexico. “We are expressing our concern Pension Plan. Labour praised the comments the problem for women is that they contin- about countless violations of the fundamen- of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and the ue to be paid on average significantly small- tal human rights of Mexican workers, and Liberal party who said that they want to er wages which means they have less money we demand that the Mexican government strengthen the base Canada Pension Plan by to contribute to their pension. In addition, comply with its own laws on human and la- increasing benefits gradually over time. Cana- women live longer than men and are in bour rights,” said Canadian Labour Congress dian labour along with seniors’ and citizens’ greater danger of outliving their retirement President Ken Georgetti. “Over the past five groups, has been calling for a gradual dou- savings. She also said one of seven senior years, we have seen a systematic escalation in bling of Canada and Quebec Pension Plan citizens in Canada is living below or just the violations of the rights of Mexican work- benefits. In addition, a recent survey conduct- slightly above the poverty level, she said. ers.” He further expressed his concerns about ed by Environics for the Canadian Union of “That’s unacceptable in a country as rich the situation of Mexican workers in a letter to Public Employees showed that 76 per cent of as Canada.’’ Byers called for major reforms the Mexican ambassador. to the pension system to benefit both men and women. Responding to the recommen- dations of the Task Force on Financial Lit- eracy, CLC head Ken Georgetti said Cana- INTERNATIONAL dians need better government policies rather LABOUR NEWS than lectures on how to save money. The 13-member task force was appointed in June More than 30,000 Wisconsin 2009 by the Minister of Finance to recom- state workers and teachers conducted massive mend “a national strategy to strengthen the protests in Madison, the state capital, against financial literacy of Canadians.” The panel new legislature introduced by newly-elected held a series of hearings in 2009 and recently Republican Gov. Scott Walker that would released its findings which were criticized by strip them of collective bargaining rights. The labour. “This report heaps blame on ‘unin- anti-union measure sparked a wave of attacks formed’ individuals, and completely ignores against government workers’ union rights in the predatory behaviour of financial institu- several states where Republicans were elected tions,” said Georgetti. “We told them again Picture by AIL PR Rep Gabriela Berloni governor in last fall’s U.S. congressional and JAMES WILLIAMS, General President - International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Chairman - AIL Labour Advisory Board VICTOR KAMBER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Executive Director - AIL Labour Advisory Board ROGER SMITH, Chief Executive Officer & President - American Income Life Insurance Company, President - AIL Labour Advisory Board DENISE BOWYER, Vice President - American Income Life Insurance Company, Secretary - AIL Labour Advisory Board DAVE BARRETT, Former Premier of Province of British Columbia, Honorary Member - AIL Labour Advisory Board DEBBIE ENSTEDT, Vice President of Public Relations - American Income Life Insurance Company Pg 2 LABOUR LETTER state elections. A similar proposal to strip billion. Energy exports rose by 25.1 per cent (AWA). “The denial of human rights should public employees of collective bargaining to $8.6 billion and account for half the value not be the foundation for Canada’s food rights drew throngs of protesters last month of total exports in the month, the report said. supply system,” says UFCW Canada and at the Ohio Capitol. Hundreds more have “Every once in a while, an economic report AWA president Wayne Hanley. “But as the demonstrated in Tennessee and Indiana, comes along that just makes you (or at least report details, that’s exactly what’s happen- where Republican-led committees have ad- some economists) say ‘wow.’ And today’s Ca- ing to migrant farm workers … the federal vanced bills to restrict bargaining rights for nadian trade report for December fits that government … turns a blind eye to the dan- teachers’ unions. bill,” BMO deputy chief economist Doug gers and abuse migrants are forced to accept Porter wrote in a note. For 2010 as a whole, if they want to keep their jobs.” UFCW Defying warnings by Egypt’s the country had a deficit of $7.2 billion, the Canada has been a leading advocate for farm ruling military junta, workers at Egypt’s largest on record and the first time that Can- workers’ rights for more than two decades, largest factory went on strike last month. ada has posted a deficit two years in a row. and in association with the AWA, operates Approximately 15,000 workers from the Exports to the U.S. hit their highest level by 10 agriculture worker support centres across Misr Spinning and Weaving, which employs value since November 2008, again boosted by Canada. The report is based on interviews, 24,000 people in the Nile Delta city of Al- energy. Canada’s trade surplus with its big- surveys and other frontline information. Mahalla al-Kubra held a sit-in outside the gest trading partner jumped from $3 billion administration building, reported the Cen- in November to $5.1 billion in December, the Members of UNITE HERE Local tre for Trade Union and Workers’ Services largest since the same month of 2008. 75 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in (CTUWS). “The workers have refused to Toronto ratified a new collective agreement end their protest until their principal de- that contained no concessions and includes mand is met, and that is to remove the head NEWS FROM improvements in wages, health benefits, re- of the company, Fuad Abdel Alim, who is CANADA’s UNIONS tirement, job security, subcontracting protec- accused of corruption,” it said. tions, workload, and the TTC pass subsidy, National Association of Public the union reported. Eighty-nine per cent of Employees (NAPE) launched a new cam- the members voted in favor of the contract. NATIONAL & paign called All Together Now! to promote “I’m very pleased with the result. This is a POLITICAL EVENTS quality public services and tax fairness. The step forward for us and for all hotel work- campaign is co-ordinated by NAPE’s na- ers in the city,” said Michelle Williams, a The average Canadian family tional union, the National Union of Pub- member of the Union’s Negotiating Com- is $100,000 in debt and owes far more than it lic & Government Employees (NUPGE). mittee. The union said Local 75 hotel work- earns, according to a new report released last According to the union, the campaign has ers conducted a “significant mobilization” month by the Vanier Institute of the Family. three goals: defend public employees, pro- across the city, starting with “a citywide Families’ debt-to-income ratios are at a re- mote public services and fight for tax fair- strike authorization vote last May, a two-day cord 150 per cent, the report said. The find- ness. “The Federal government says there’s strike at the Novotel Toronto Centre dur- ings mean that Canadian families remain in a no money to reinvest in public services, yet ing the G20 Summit, rolling one-day strikes precarious predicament even if standard eco- the Federal government continues to cut at Westmont-owned hotels during the To- nomic indicators suggest the recession is over, corporate taxes. While Newfoundland and ronto International Film Festival, and a two- said Katherine Scott, director of programs for Labrador may be a have province, we still week strike at the Delta Chelsea Hotel.” The the Vanier Institute of the Family. “As gov- rely on Federal transfer payments for the Royal York is the fifth hotel to settle after ernments at all levels craft their budgets for provision of our health care and social pro- the Delta Chelsea Hotel strike. the coming year and look at cutting programs grams. If there are cuts to these transfers, to reduce their deficits, they need to be mind- it would negatively impact public services,” ful that the state of Canadian family finances said NAPE in a statement. “We’re con- continues to be fragile in many households,” cerned about the impact of those decisions she said. In 1990, the average family debt on families and communities who rely on stood at $56,800, with a debt-to-income ra- public services.” tio of 93 per cent, suggesting that the level of LABOUR LETTER debt has been on the rise for the past 20 years.