Eastern Ontario Area Council

EASTERN ONTARIO AREA COUNCIL

Behind Working People Since 1948

COUNCIL NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019

Founding Editor Frank Farley

JIM GRADY

ELIJAH RHEAL

HONORING FOUR HONORARY MEMBERS LOST SINCE LAST SESSION

PublishedPublished by by the the Eastern Eastern Ontario Area Area Council Council Jackie Royal Editor: Editor Jackie [email protected] Royal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

“Solidarity Forever” includes a new verse for women.

We’re the women of the union in the forefront of the fight, We fight for women’s issues; we fight for women’s rights. We’re prepared to fight for freedom; we’re prepared to stand our ground, Women make the union strong!

Coordinators Corner by Richard Leblanc Eastern Ontario Area Coordinator Page 4 GM Workers Need Real Action to Defend Their Jobs Page 5 Staff Report by Dave Lipton Page 6 Recalling the Horror Part of Making Improvements Page 7 Make ‘Retirees First’ an Election Issue Page 8 14th Annual Frank Farley Golf Tournament Photo Ops Page 9 Class Work What We Teach Is Who We Are Page 10 Labour History and Workers Rights A Black Hole Page 11 Humanity Fund Donations in Our Area Page 12 Pension Shame CPP Money Used To Buy Into Profits from Trump’s Prison Camps Page 15 Making the Shift To A Green Economy Page 16 Women’s March Events Across Ontario Page 17 Forced Labour Boss Convicted of Abusing Teen Workers Page 18 Workplace Bullying Survey Shows High Level of Non-compliance Page 20 Eastern Ontario Labour Education Spring 2019 Page 21 Honorary Members List Page 22 2

From the Editors Desk by

Greetings Sisters and Brothers!

As I put pen to paper after the memorial service for our Brother Elijah Slade, I can’t help but smile proudly with the honorable words of his eulogy given by Brother Rick Stata. “A gentle giant, who stoically stood his ground on worker’s rights proudly as a Steelworker through and through, continuing his solidarity after retirement in showings of support on picket lines and activity in SOAR”……. “My mentor who supported and encouraged myself and others to be more involved in the Area Council.”

Flooding back came my memories of Brother Frank Farley. So similar in mannerisms and dedication, but I hadn’t realized how alike they were until today.

I found it interesting, like my father, he left the East Coast at the tender age of 15, made a happy, fulfilled content life in Ontario but went home at its beckoning. As it was said at my family reunion “Let the Tide Bring You Back”.

Rick spoke of the time at a conference whereby the family and workers from the Westray mine disaster were recalling the horrors of the tragedy and Elijah quickly ran up to support them after their emotional speech. That is just who he was……

After the honor guard fittingly saluted Elijah’s ashes and family, Don took notice that the HR Manager was talking to his USW Staff Rep. Don grinned and said, “Dad would have loved that!”

Although Elijah didn’t hold a position on the council executive board (that I am aware of) he nary missed a meeting and would always share his thoughts with the Council. Even after retirement, he would show up more often than any other retired honorary member. Sadly the tide has taken him back too soon.

Sorrowfully I also share we’ve lost three other honorary members since last session, Jim Dunn, Rheal Lemoine and Grady Lewis.

Jim Dunn was the Treasurer for my local 1568 beginning before 1990 continuing until his retirement in 1997. He was also the Fi- nancial Secretary for the EOAC pre-1990 until his retirement. Some of his best memories were being active in the union and he talked often of the educationals at Chaffey’s Locks. He subsequently left the area and spent his final years travelling with his wife Rhea. Pictures of his travels that he shared could say a thousand words and he was exuding with happiness.

Rheal was my staff representative until his retirement. You knew when his inner thoughts were reeling as he jingled the coins in his pants pocket. He was always encouraging our local to become more involved. A mentor to many. Quick with a smile and words of encouragement. A true gem.

Grady Lewis was from the Pembroke plant until its closure. He never missed the chance to attend the sessions when in Pembroke and often in Kingston. Quite the advocate and strong arm when needed in adversarial conditions. He is referred to as the old Grandfather of Union knowledge in Pembroke.

Following in the footsteps of Elijah, Jim, Rheal and Grady we need to make sure this tradition of supporting and mentoring others to take an active part in the Area Council is kept. Sometimes the quiet ones can surprise you once accepting a new role outside of their local.

But as I end my article one other quote from today resonated with me…..”Elijah’s life was one of family, love, strength, kindness, and union…………he leaves us as a millionaire because of this”.

I believe the Area Council are millionaires for having had these 4 honorary members (and all those that have gone before them) as such influential energies…………..Rest In Peace

Solidarity Forever Jackie

[email protected] 3 Coordinators Corner

By RICHARD LEBLANC, USW Eastern Ontario Area Coordinator

By the time you read this, the Holiday Season will be over and hopefully not too many of us will be sorry for all the extra food and beverages. Nothing beats spending quality time with loved ones and I sincerely hope you were able to do so.

A big thank you to our host Locals 9343 & 13292, I am sure we will have a great weekend.

Congratulations to Scott Bergeron from Local 13292 from Air Liquide in Cornwall for being accepted to participate in the EOAC Mentorship Program. I am sure Scott will do great. Increasing our bench strength and providing Local Union activists the opportunity to learn more, develop their skills and exploit their talent is something really positive, and I hope more activists will sign up. “The stronger the better”.

The District is really making a push to have more women involved. If you have any ideas on how we can achieve this, please share with me. Every idea is worth sharing. Speaking of women, a big shout out to sister Tracy Simpson from Local 343 in Kingston who’s out on casual and stepping up to the plate to assist the King- ston office with servicing.

This weekend, Eric Delparte from District 6, will join us to explain the new and innovative mentorship program. It’s a good thing to increase our bench strength of people who can be called on to assist with bargaining and arbitrations, but before anybody can consider this option, we must provide the support mechanism for our local union activists in order for them to learn properly and be effective. Being an effective activist often relies on your support cast and available resources. When I started to get involved with my Local, I was lucky to join a big team of experienced activists. Unknowingly at the time, these people were all my mentors. The size of our bargaining units have changed, different sectors, some with high turnover in manpower, the demographics, and for several other reasons, many don’t have the same privilege I had. Well, this very unique program is designed to assist learner local union activists by providing them with a mentor. I hope you enjoy Eric’s presentation and embrace this program wholeheartedly by participating or by promoting it.

Pascal Boucher our new District 6 Organizing Coordinator will also join us this weekend. He will report on some new initiatives to give organizing a new life in the District.

There should be elections held for the Area Council executive at this session, and I want to personally wish good luck to all those running.

Congratulations to all our new members working at K-Town Delivery in Kingston and Storrack Manufacturing in Colborne. Welcome to our big USW family!

I just found out some very sad news this morning, long time EOAC delegate and Local Union activist Elijah Slade passed away. Elijah was a wonderful and generous man. He was a good union brother and friend. My heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Slade family, to his spouse Fran who most often joined Elijah at Council meetings, and to his son Don, who’s a Steelworker in Port Hope and was a longtime EOAC delegate and executive member.

My apologies for cutting it short, but I am truly swamped these days. One matter on my lap these days involves a campaign to save our members at a distribution center in Hawkesbury and this one in particular is sucking the living juice out of me. The Teamsters are playing in our back yard with the strangest possible raid- ing attempt I have witnessed over the years. Shenanigans! I will make a full report on this at the session.

A big thank you to all our guest speakers, for taking the time on their weekend to join us, it’s truly appreciated. Let’s make sure we give them all a good warm welcome to Eastern Ontario.

Hope you all have a great session, wishing you a safe travel back home.

In Solidarity, Richard 4 usw.ca

Nov 26, 2018 GM Workers Need Real Action to Defend Their Jobs TORONTO – The United Steelworkers (USW) is calling on the Canadian and Ontario governments to act decisively to defend thousands of families and their communities affected by the General Motors shutdown of its Oshawa operations.

“GM’s unexpected announcement is a devastating blow to thousands of working families whose lives have been turned upside down,” said USW National Director Ken Neumann.

“These families need decisive, meaningful action from their governments to defend their livelihoods and their communities,” Neumann said.

The General Motors shutdown in Oshawa directly affects over 2,500 jobs and threatens thousands of additional jobs in the region and in the auto sector supply chains in Ontario and beyond, he added.

“Everything about this callous decision is unacceptable. It requires a powerful response from the federal and provincial governments to support these families and to strengthen our manufacturing sector that is so crucial to our economy,” Neumann said.

GM’s devastating decision to shut down its Oshawa operations comes on the heels of the corporation’s report of a $2.5-billion, third-quarter profit, noted Marty Warren, USW Ontario and Atlantic Canada Director.

The company, which benefited from massive subsidies from Canadian taxpayers following the 2009 economic crisis, said last fall it did not expect job losses from its strategy of expansion in the electric vehicle market, Warren said. “GM workers in Oshawa have more than fulfilled their end of the bargain. They have made numerous sacrifices and compromises over the years. They have increased productivity and produced the highest-quality vehicles,” he said. “Liberal and Conservative governments have spent billions of taxpayers’ dollars – with no meaningful job guarantees – to subsidize multinationals such as General Motors, yet these corporations continue to eliminate Canadian jobs and shift production out of the country,” Warren added.

“Where does it end? When will our governments say, ‘enough is enough?’ ”

In addition to injecting $13.7-billion of Canadian taxpayers’ money into the auto sector, the federal and Ontario governments became General Motors shareholders as part of the bailout package.

However, “Liberal and Conservative governments decided to sell off their shares and give up leverage they could have used to protect Canadian jobs. Instead, they helped clear the way to GM’s devastating decision to shut down the Osha- wa operations,” Neumann said.

The GM announcement comes in the midst of a crisis in Canadian manufacturing due to the federal Liberal government’s failed trade policies, Neumann added.

“The Liberal government has been all-too-willing to negotiate bad trade deals that will harm Canadian industries and eliminate thousands of middle-class jobs. The government’s failure to stand up to the Trump administration to end ludicrous U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and alumi- num has complicated the challenges in the auto industry and exacerbated the overall crisis facing the manufacturing sector,” he said.

“General Motors workers and thousands of other Canadians in the manufacturing sector need more than sympathy and good wishes from a government that has a hand in this crisis. They don’t need a government that will throw up its hands in resignation. They need decisive action and policies that will defend their jobs and strengthen the manufacturing sector and the middle class.”

STAFF REPORT by Dave Lipton

Greetings delegates, I hope you all had a great holiday season and some time to spend with your friends and loved ones. Let’s kick off 2019 in Cornwall with renewed energy to keep our union moving forward! We’re involved in an incredible number of issues, and there are many challenges and opportunities to make our workplaces- and our society- better and fairer.

Collective bargaining and servicing our members is at the core of what we do, building strong collective agreements and strong locals so we can keep fighting for working people. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each local, and every delegate and active member, for helping to create positive change. Now a word on a few issues we’re involved in.

Retirement security In 2018, Steelworker rank and file members spent time speaking with federal politicians to talk about changes to the Bankruptcy Act and the Companys Creditors Arrangements Act (CCAA). You’ve likely heard about the issue before: companies go into bankruptcy protection, and the pension plan becomes an ordinary creditor. The banks and bondholders (and the lawyers and court appointed monitors) skim off the cash, often leaving workers with pennies on the dollar. Think Sears, Nortel, Stelco, Cliffs, and right here in this Council, Timminco and Trimag from Local 6946.

In December, Steelworkers were invited to a round table with government policy makers to explain and defend our position. We say that the laws should be amended so that worker’s pension plans that are in deficit have priority. A shout out to Dan Ripley (4820) and Susan Cao (1976) from our area for attending and helping our voice be heard.

Pharmacare Steelworkers are affiliated with the Canadian Health Coalition, which is holding a lobby at the end of Jan- uary to talk to politicians about public drug coverage. Fact: Canada is the only industrialized country, aside from the US, that doesn’t have Pharmacare as part of its public health care system. It’s a long overdue idea that would actually save money. Because of the greater buying power of goverments, the price of pharma- ceuticals would actually be lowered and the inef- feciencies in having multiple insurance plans would be eliminated.

Humanity Fund This Christmas season our Humanity Fund donated almost $190,000 to food banks across Canada. The Fund continues to help with efforts to fight poverty in Canada and the Third World, often in countries where Canadian companies do business and take advantage of lax labour and environmental laws. For a list of the activities of the Fund, and the latest financial statements, visit the Fund’s website: https://www.usw.ca/ act/activism/humanity.

All of this activity is supported and enabled by the work you do every day to build the Union and make a strong Steelworker presence in our workplaces and communities. We are a team, a movement; let’s keep fighting the good fight and change the world- one little bit at a time.

In solidarity Dave

6 usw.ca Recalling the Horror Part of Making Improvements In the first few days after the 1992 Westray Mine explosion, Westray miner and rescue team member Vern Theriault had the grim task of trans- porting bodies to the surface, but only after dark so that the dead miners would not be a spectacle for the media and others gathered at the site, including family members of the 26 who perished.

Twenty-six years after telling his story of post-traumatic stress on every anniversary of the disaster, Vern Theriault has written it all down in “Westray, My Journey from Darkness to Light”. The book recalls the lead -up to and the aftermath of an event that forever changed Vern Theriault and the way the law is expected to treat workplace fatalities.

Often with Vern’s participation, USW continues the Stop the Killing, Enforce the Law campaign to get better enforcement of what we call the Westray Law – Criminal Code amendments intended to hold companies criminally accountable for workplace death and injury.

The campaign, endorsed by municipalities across Canada, and acknowledged by federal, provincial and territorial justice ministers, is making baby steps but, as long as employers are still getting away with fines, the fight has to continue, say USW leaders.

“Every time a province elects a new government or a government appoints a new attorney-general, we must re-educate them on the need for training, protocols and the obligation to investigate workplace fatalities first as crime scenes before turning them over to ministries of labour and other regulators,” said USW National Director Ken Neumann.

In a memo earlier this year, District 3 Director Stephen Hunt noted some recent guilty verdicts against negligent employers. One was against Detour Gold, an Ontario mining company that failed to properly train a worker who died of acute cyanide poisoning. In Stave Lake, B.C., a company was found guilty of negligence after a 22-year-old worker who received no formal training was killed when the mine dump truck she had been operating rolled and crushed her to death.

In Quebec, a jail sentence of 18 months for manslaughter was recently handed down to a contractor after a worker was killed by the collapse of a trench he was in while working on a sewer line.

Each case sets a new bar for others. Steelworkers will build on these cases to ensure training for prosecutors in every province and territory. Without pressure from USW members across Canada, we know that workplace deaths will not get the law enforcement attention they deserve and Crown prosecutors will continue to dispatch cases.

Progress is being made with protocols on dealing with workplace incidents in several provinces. In Newfoundland- Labrador, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary's new involvement in investigating workplace deaths or serious inju- ries is said to mark a "significant difference" that could land employers and supervisors in jail if a workplace is found to be unsafe.

In an expression of national cooperation, the Calgary Police Service is working with the Constabulary so that the force will now start criminal investigations at the site of every incident, rather than securing the scene and handing things over to Occupational Health and Safety.

"We think we do have the responsibility to make sure we do the right thing here with regards to the Criminal Code," says Constabulary Chief Joe Boland. "So we're going to shift to make sure if there is criminal negligence involved, that we lay the appropriate charges.

"We'll also work with Occupational Health and Safety. They will run a parallel investigation with us but we will no longer just turn the investigation immediately over to them."

Meanwhile, the federal Department of Justice is preparing a fact sheet on criminal investigations, which should be available later this year.

With his Westray memories and his story now out for everyone to read, Vern Theriault would certainly approve of these developments. usw.ca Make ‘Retirees First’ an Election Issue: Steelworkers OTTAWA – After meeting with more than 150 Members of Parliament, rank-and-file members of the United Steelwork- ers union (USW) from across Canada left Ottawa this week hoping that protection for retired workers will be on the agenda of every political party in the 2019 election.

“After experiencing the effects of current bankruptcy and bankruptcy protection laws that do not protect retirees’ pensions and benefits, our members are committed to campaigning for a more secure future,” says USW National Director Ken Neumann.

“Besides high-profile cases such as Nortel in Ottawa, Stelco in Hamilton and Sears in most communities across Canada, workers are increasingly afraid to retire. They know how unsecure their pensions and benefits may be if a company en- ters restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) or go bankrupt.

“Pensions are deferred wages and, by the time banks and other creditors are paid, there is nothing left for workers. It amounts to theft.”

Neumann said all Canadians should be outraged by the treatment of older Canadians by laws that protect companies, but force workers to assume all the risk in insolvency.

The meetings with MPs focused on a series of recent bills currently before the House of Commons and the Senate. Two of them, one sponsored by the New Democratic Party, another by the Bloc Québecois, are aimed at reforming the CCAA and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) to give priority to claims by workers arising out of an underfunded pension plan and the elimination of benefits.

Another bill, introduced in the Senate by now-retired Art Eggleton, also aims to grant priority status for pension claims. The fourth bill, introduced by a Conservative MP, proposes only amending CCAA to allow ‘agreement’ before a company implements so-called “key employment retention plans” (KERPs), in other words senior management. It does not address retiree pensions and benefits owed.

“The legislative principles that should be supported by all MPs are ones that protect workers,” says Neumann. “These are exactly the people the government refers to as ‘the middle class and those who want to join it.’ Many millions of dollars were paid out to Nortel, Sears and Stelco executives. Meanwhile, workers and retirees had their benefits cut off, and lost vacation, severance and termination pay.

“It is time to correct this terrible imbalance.”

Robert Macheta, Darlene Jalbert Dave Meinzinger LU 9597 and Dave Lipton present check to Ottawa Central Food Bank

8 14th ANNUAL FRANK FARLEY GOLF TOURNAMENT PHOTO OPS August 2018

7 CLASS WORK What we teach is who we are By: Canadian Labour Institute

“LABOUR HISTORY DOESN’T EXIST,” SAYS JIM WARREN. "There is just history. None of it happened without working people. But that’s not how we choose to teach history in our schools.”

Jim Warren is co-author of On the Side of the People: A history or labour in Saskatchewan and a professor of political science at the University of Regina. He says the history taught in our schools is “a Walt Disney version of reality.”

“The way we are now, the way we live today—everything—is pretty much a direct result of battles working people fought and won for themselves and all of us. The rights workers have, the right to form unions and the right to strike, are embedded in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It’s a big deal. But you won’t learn much about any of it in our schools.”

History is serious stuff In his book 1984 George Orwell wrote: “Those who control the present control the past; and those who control the past control the future.” So, those in power know history has to be written and taught in a certain way—a way that will never cause anyone to question the wisdom of bosses, bankers or politicians

Working people have no place in that history. They were never anything but “troublemakers.” They always questioned authority. They always questioned the idea that “all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.”

The need to control history is never considered trivial and it never goes away.

A good proof of that is the fate of a gravestone in Estevan, Saskatchewan. It marks the graves of three miners shot down and killed by the RCMP in a miners’ strike there in 1931. The original engraving on the stone, erected by miners to honour their fallen com- rades, gives the miners’ names and includes the words “Murdered by the RCMP.”

The phrase, murdered by the RCMP, has been removed and replaced several times in the years since 1931. Each side determined to have their version of history be the one carved in stone.

Who decides what gets taught Who decides what gets taught in school is always controversial.

Right now the new Ford government in Ontario has plans to revert to the sexual education curriculum used in 1998—a program of study that omits discussion of consent and LGBT issues. Many object to Ford’s plan. The Ontario Teachers’ Union plans to chal- lenge it in court.

Students themselves are also speaking out, arranging province-wide walks out in protest of the outdated curriculum with support from their parents and teachers.

In Saskatchewan, in 1933, it was the desire to teach the socialist values of cooperation that caused concern.

The original 1933 election platform of the Cooperative Commonwealth Fed- eration (CCF) proposed an education program that would include “the teaching of the principles of cooperation” and “the teaching of the origin of money and its function as a medium of exchange.”

The curriculum proposals were not a minor part of the early program. A CCF pamphlet proclaimed: “This is one of the most important planks in this particular program." The CCF leader, M. J. Coldwell declared: “We propose to stop teaching capitalism in the schools. We will substitute teaching cooperation for competition.”

Critics said such a program would introduce politics into the classroom. The CCFcountered with the argument that politics already existed in the classroom in the form of pro-capitalist history and economics.

The CCF came to power in Saskatchewan 1944. The plan to teach socialist values in the schools to counter capitalism had not been part of their campaign. Labour history and workers rights a black hole The teaching of labour history and workers’ rights in our schools has been a black hole for dec- ades.

High schools do a once-over-lightly of unions and safety rules in the career studies and social sciences programs. But most courses that aim to prepare students for the future are very business-oriented as opposed to rights-orientated.

The need and desire to change this reality is persistent. Yet it is still pretty much left up to individual teachers to find ways to bring that history into the classroom.

Teachers unions often supply teaching aids on the issue. For example, Youth, Unions, and YOU: A Secondary Teacher’s Guide to Labour Studies for B.C. Schools is a joint project of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Federation of Labour.

“Hardball and Handshakes,” developed by the American Labor Studies Center and the Baseball Hall of Fame, uses the history of professional baseball to examine the relationship between employer and employee. The unit focuses on collective bargaining and is geared toward high school and college students.

The California Federation of Teachers’ Labor in the Schools Committee maintains a website, which features curricula and educational activities for elementary through high school students. Lesson plans, biographies of union leaders, and photo- graphs of children at work reflect the long struggle by unions to improve the lives of working people.

Despite the lack of comprehensive labour studies material in the current curriculum, teachers can still find creative ways to introduce the concept of workers’ rights to their students.

Teacher puts labour rights on her curriculum Last spring, for instance, Toronto teacher Hayley Mezei wrote a piece for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario’s online magazine VOICE about the ways that she brings lessons about labour laws into her classroom.

One of the ways she did this was by talking to her 8th grade Language Class about Ontario Bill 148 or the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act 2017, which passed last November. The bill insured significant improvements for approximately 1.7 million workers in Ontario earning less than $15 an hour.

Mezei explained in her article that many students in her school are new Canadians who are try- ing to find their way in this country. She believed talking about the bill to her class would be something positive for her students and their families—even though it was not a part of the grade eight official curriculum.

“As a language teacher,” she explains, “I make choices every day about what materials I use in the classroom. I have chosen to structure part of my language program around topics that directly affect my students’ lives such as Bill 148 and other important legislation such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (in particular section 15, which refers to equality rights). My hope is that in learning about our rights, students will become better informed citizens and have greater control of their futures.”

Official classroom courses on these topics would be ideal, but until then, it’s important to encour- age teachers to follow in the footsteps of Hazel Mezei and others currently leading the charge by bringing these topics to their students as relevant, everyday life lessons.

Paulette Benoit LU 4096 presenting donation to Renfrew County Child Poverty Action Network #NoChildLeftBehind

Watch: Trailer for "Stand" a movie based on the Winnipeg General Strike

The 100th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike is May 15, 2019. The strike is being commemorated, in part with "Stand" a movie musical based on the true story of the Winnipeg General Strike (1919) which was a monumental moment in the history of Labour and the fight for better working conditions and compensation. To watch the trailer go to ofl.ca

Fighting for our Families - a new video documentary from the Labour History Project

The video documentary A Struggle to Remember: Fighting for Our Families puts faces and narratives to the story of the struggle for family leave in our nation. The 20 minute film shows how it became accepted that women be able to return to their jobs after maternity leave and how men and women gained real and enforceable work-life balance provisions. You can watch the documentary online at ofl.ca

Ray Callier recently made donations on behalf of LU 6946 to local area Food Banks including Barry’s Bay, Cobden, and Renfrew. Presentation in bottom picture includes a Stewards Class held in Renfrew.

ABOVE: Another Day of Mourning Monument in Eastern Ontario. This one is located in Chalk River, donated by LU 4096.

RIGHT: Julio Jiron LU 8327 proudly displaying his honorary axe handling certificate from Sucrerie de la Montagne at last session.

March 8 Project: Order the pins and posters for 2019!

Your union or organization is invited to participate in the ninth year of our exciting March 8th Project developed by the OFL Women's Committee celebrating International Women's Day (IWD). This year's theme is “POWER OF MANY.” Both the pewter pin and poster are a work of art that our members and community partners will value for many years to come.

Click the following link to order and pay online for your 2019 IWD Pins and Posters in English; myunionstore.com/iwd or in French: maboutiquesyndicale.com/8mars.

Last year, the March 8 Project raised a record amount, and funds raised went to funding the Equal Pay Coalition’s Equal Pay Day Campaign, CBTU's Summer Youth Program (the OFL sponsored 5 girls to attend), OCBCC—Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appre- 14 ciation Day, and the Northern Indigenous Food Bank. PENSION SHAME CPP money used to buy into profits from Trump’s ‘prison camps’ By: Virginia Ridley

GEOFFREY RUBIN IS PLEASED WITH THE JOB HE’S DOING. The rest of us not so much. Not since we learned he’s investing some of our CPP (Canada Pension Plan) money in companies that profit from locking up immigrants crossing into the USA.

Rubin is chief strategist for the CPP Investment Board (CCPIB)—their job is to make the most of the surplus beyond what the CPP needs to meet its current obligations. The board has used our money to invest in more than 4,000 companies world-wide. Two of those investments are in companies deep into making the anti-immigrant policies of Donald Trump possible.

The CPPIB holds US$5.9m of stock in Geo Group and CoreCivic. Both companies run private prisons for massive profits, including the “prison camps” set up to cage children following the US “zero-tolerance” crackdown on the US-Mexico border this summer.

Pension board ‘doubles down’ on prisons Between August 2017 and 2018, the CPPIB grew its investment in Geo Group almost 13-fold to 153,500 shares worth $4.2m.

CoreCivic is the second largest private prison company in the USA. During the same period, our pension fund more than doubled our investment in CoreCivic to 73,700 shares, worth around $1.7 million. CPPIB sees nothing wrong with any of this. Their attitude is, it’s “just business,” and is just something that comes with the territory of big-time investing. And besides, the amount is really “small potatoes.”

A CPPIB spokesperson said: CPPIB’s objective is to seek a maximum rate of return without undue risk of loss. This singular goal means CPPIB does not screen out individual investments based on social, religious, economic or political criteria.” Many Canadians think this might be a good place to start.

Why not invest in narco gangs CPPIB is a government agency, ultimately accountable to parliament, but free of any government input in its day-to-day operations. Despite its stated environmental, social and governance investment policy, CPPIB remains invested in some companies that other big investors have pulled out of due to ethical concerns.

For example, CPPIB holds: a $186m investment in ExxonMobil, a $202m investment in the tobacco giant Philip Morris International, a $18.7m in the defense contractor General Dynamics and a $36.8m in another defense contractor, Raytheon. “Quite frankly, if they’re going to be investing in private prisons, weapons manufacturers and tobacco companies, why aren’t they investing in narco gangs?” asked NDP MP Charlie Angus.

Private prisons are a growth industry The Trump administration’s policies have created a positive outlook for both the Geo Group and CoreCivic. Corporate executives for both companies told investors and analysts recently that they are expecting federal contracts for housing immigrant detainees to continue to grow.

Financial analysts from US investment banks and firms agree the companies have a positive growth outlook. “We believe an increased reli- ance on private prisons will likely be required to handle the inflow of detainees owing to federal prison populations that are at 120% of designed capacity,” wrote one JP Morgan analyst in a report about GEO Group.

Both companies provide a favorable dividend yield of about 7%, which means each investor receives a steady 7% return of their investment.

All of which is all that Geoffrey Rubin and his boss Finance Minister Bill Morneau need to hear it seems. A 7% return will trump other people’s pain and suffering every time.

15 Canadianlabour.ca MAKING THE SHIFT TO A GREEN ECONOMY

As members of Canadian-based labour, environmental and social justice organizations we have come together to form a common front for the building of a green economy in Canada. We have done so, recognizing that we are living in one of those critical moments of human history wherein decisions must be made that will ultimately affect our destiny as a people, a nation, and the planet.

We maintain that, if the plan of action outlined below were to be fully enacted during the coming decade, Canada would be well on the road to creating over two million new person job years and reducing our total national greenhouse gas emissions by over 100 million tonnes a year by 2025 which represents a substantial contribution towards our overall emissions reductions. Moreover, these initiatives would generate opportunities for the transition towards a more equitable as well as a more sustainable economy.

Introduction Canada is still recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Unemployment and underemployment in precarious jobs remains very high. Policy measures which de-industrialized the Canadian economy in favour of a resource-based economy are proving short-sighted in the aftermath of the collapse of the price of oil. This economic crisis is compounded by an environment and climate crisis which threatens the future of the planet.

In turn, this environment crisis is further reinforced by an emerging energy crisis. What’s more, our economy and society are further plagued by an equity crisis marked by increasing inequalities and divisions amongst race and class. We can no longer afford an economic model that treats the planet and people as disposable goods. We believe the time has come to chart a new economic model, one that requires a funda- mental transformation in the way we produce, transport and consume goods. We need a new industrial strategy for this country. We need to rethink the way we construct buildings, produce products and generate energy. We need to rethink the way we transport ourselves, move goods, fuel industries, and heat our homes and businesses, while ensuring there is affordable green energy for all. We need to foster local sustainable economies, provide equitable job opportunities and contribute our fair share to efforts that reduce environmental and social harm internationally. In doing so, we will help break our addiction to fossil fuels and overcome persistent poverty and inequalities. In short, we must build a green economy and society that transforms the mode of production and consumption, ensures energy is available and affordable, and makes the jobs we have more environmentally sustainable, while simultaneously creating new decent paying green jobs and providing just transition programs.

Ford government proposed changes to regulations put Ontarians in danger

(TORONTO, ON) – Many of the regulatory changes proposed today in Bill 66 compromise the health and safety of Ontarians, says the Ontario Federation of Labour.

“From reclassifying employers so they can avoid hiring well-trained unionized workers for public infrastructure projects to increasing the number of children allowed in home-based daycare facilities Doug Ford is putting Ontarians at risk and workers in greater danger by removing and amending important regulatory requirements. This Bill is going to do nothing but replace red tape with yellow caution tape,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley.

“The OFL is not opposed to reducing administrative regulations. But many of the regulations currently on the books are there to serve a useful purpose, from ensuring workers know their rights to safeguarding their health at work,” said Buckley.

The Bill deems public entities, like municipalities, hospitals, universities and schools as‘non-construction employers’, opening the door for non- union shops in the construction trades to bid on and build public infrastructure projects.

“Unionized construction trades are leaders in health and safety. By opening public construction projects to non-union shops, Ford is putting worker safety at greater risk and trampling collective bargaining agreements,” said Buckley. “By reducing safety standards to satisfy big business, the government is playing with the lives of Ontarians. When there are too many children at a private daycare, children are unnecessarily put in harm’s way. When guardrails are not required, workplace accidents kill workers. With this Bill the government that claims to be ‘for the people’ is once again putting the almighty dollar ahead of the lives of Ontarians.”

Changes under the Bill include ending the requirement for employers to seek approval from the Ministry of Labour for excess hours of work and overtime averaging, weakening the requirements for employers to post employment standards information in their workplaces, and introducing changes to how hazardous materials are labeled.

“Removing regulations does nothing to create good jobs,” said Buckley. “There are 1.7 million low-wage workers in this province who have had decent work laws torn from their hands by this government. Now that same government is telling employers they don’t even need to post the Employment Standards Actin their workplace, this is wrong on so many levels.” 16 ofl.ca Women’s March events across Ontario December 4, 2018 Women’s marches are happening across Ontario January 19. To find a women’s march in your area find it below:

Brantford Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 12pm-2pm Harmony Square Brantford, ON

Haldimand-Norfolk Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 11:30am-2:30pm 320 St. Patrick St. Port Dover, ON

Niagara Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 1:30pm-3:30pm Mahtay Cafe 241 St. Paul St. St. Catharines, ON

North Bay/Nipissing Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 11am-12pm Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing 101 Worthington St. E. Suite 11, North Bay, ON

Ottawa Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 12pm-4pm Parliament Hill Wellington St. Ottawa, ON

Sarnia Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 11am-2pm Sarnia, ON

Toronto Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 12pm-3pm Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto City Hall 100 Queen St. W. Toronto, ON

Waterloo Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 10am-1pm Waterloo Square, Waterloo, ON

York Region Saturday, January 19, 2019 – 11am-1pm 1368 Concession Road 3, Palgrave, ON

17 FORCED LABOUR Boss convicted of abusing teen workers By: Canadian Labour Institute

THE LAW CAUGHT UP WITH KAMALJIT BHALLA LAST MONTH. His mistreatment of teenage workers earned him a sentence of 15 months house arrest.

The guilty verdict came after the court heard how Bhalla essentially held two 16-year-old boys captive for three days on his remote construction site northwest of Edmonton, where he subjected them to repeated abuse.

Bhalla pushed, shoved and pulled the beard of the older boy, the court heard. Both boys were shoved to the ground, verbally insult- ed and punched over the following three days. Although they were on a construction site, they never received safety boots or gloves.

The impact on the two boys victimized by the bully boss in March 2017 has been devastating.

The teens, whose names are protected under a publication ban, shook at the front of the courtroom as they read victim impact statements describing their anxiety, depression, anger and sadness

The mother of one of the abused boys told CBC how her son was transformed, from a happy teenager who enjoyed hockey and going out, into someone who no longer wants to leave his bedroom and fears contact with people.

She told of how happy boys went from excitement to fear. “They are high school kids. So happy to have their first job. Now they don’t want to work for anyone. They don’t want to go out. They don’t trust anyone. He spoiled their lives. They had dreams. They never talk about their dreams any more.”

A violent workplace The sad truth is that the scandalous treatment of these two teenagers is anything but exceptional. Whether it’s a violent boss, unsafe working conditions, or having children performing dangerous or inappropriate jobs, the mistreatment and exploitation of young workers is widespread across Canada.

A 2017 report by the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC) captures the problem in some shocking statistics. Be- tween 2013 and 2015, 23,711 young people aged between 15 and 19 suffered an injury on the job that caused them to be unable to work for a period of time. A total of 25 young workers lost their lives at work over the same period.

Many provinces do not even have a legal minimum employment age. One of them is British Columbia, where 18 young workers aged between 15 and 24 died on the job between 2012 and 2016, and over 32,000 were injured, 3,600 of them seriously. That’s an average of 14 per week.

Behind these numbers, thousands of young people’s lives have been turned upside down. Jack Thomas was aged 17 when the sleeve of his clothing became trapped in a conveyor belt. He lost half of his right arm.

Young people don’t know their rights Mark Cherrington is the lawyer who represented the two teenagers in the case against Bhalla. He told us that what makes so many young workers so vulnerable is that a growing number of them don’t even know they have rights.

“Many of these workers don’t know where to turn when they’re injured. In Alberta, workers compensation hardly does any advertis- ing. That’s usually done by unions.”

This is only made worse by the complete lack of clear procedures for dealing with such complaints. For example, Cherrington says the mistreatment of the two boys by Bhalla only came came to his attention through word of mouth.

Finding decent work now is pretty much a shot in the dark. If employers want things done, they just put up an ad online on private job banks. Many young people end up going from one bad job to the next.

Unionizing would help Unions continue to work to win members among the low-wage workers in insecure jobs open to young people. Whether it’s pour- ing coffee at Tim Horton’s or working a summer job on a construction site, young people without unions are cut off from the very organizations capable of not only educating them about workers rights in the workplace, but also fighting to apply those rights.

Anti-union laws that prevent unions from winning members in low-wage, precarious jobs need to be challenged. Expanding the number of young people in unions will provide the means for them to defend their rights, and stand up against injustice and mistreatment on the job whenever it occurs. 18 STAYING AFLOAT Ontario economy bobs along on good public service jobs By: Canadian Labour Institute

WITHOUT THE MIDDLE CLASS WE ARE DONE. That’s why every politician from Ontario premier Doug Ford to prime minister Justin Trudeau vows to “protect the middle class.” Problem is: their favourite way to do this is to cut the public service. Which is like boring holes in a leaking boat to let the water out.

Ford’s freeze on public service hiring is the worst thing he could do. Public service jobs are what keeps the Ontario economy afloat.

The glory days of manufacturing are long gone: down to providing just 11% of all jobs in Ontario.

All float, no bloat These days almost one in four jobs in Ontario (24 per cent) are in the public and social services—namely, education services, health care and social assistance, and public administration. Most of these services are provided by governments and public institu- tions, as well as not-for-profit and charitable organizations.

Equally significant is the fact that this is not because of so-called “government bloat.” In fact, the share of public administration jobs has remained steady at 5% since 1987.

The number of public and social service jobs is important. But the quality of these jobs is even more important. They are Ontario’s last reservoir of middle-class jobs. They are more likely, on average, to provide a middle-class lifestyle comparable to what manufacturing jobs once offered. They provide economic security and stability to communities, as well as families.

Twenty-four percent is the average proportion of public and social sector jobs in Ontario. The percentage is considerably higher in many communities beyond Ontario's biggest cities.

Take Sarnia for example: it is a town on the St. Clair River about 100 km north of Detroit. It once boasted the highest income per capita in Canada, thanks to high-paying jobs in nearby oil refineries. A lot of those jobs are gone. But Sarnia continues to prosper. Now 36% of the jobs in Sarnia are well -paid, middle class public service jobs.

It’s the same in North Bay, Peterborough, Kenora and dozens of other municipalities in the province: many survive and thrive on more than the average of 24% jobs in the public service.

By contrast, in Toronto (proper), the share of public and social services jobs makes up 22 per cent of all jobs in the city—a percentage below the provincial average.

Death by 1000 cuts The devastation caused by a factory shut down is harsh and immediate. The impact of public service cuts is no different—it just takes longer to show up. The many small blows of public service cuts bring the same pain in the end.

We experience it personally with long hospital wait lines, crowded, dilapidated classrooms, increased homelessness, poorly maintained roads, and slow government responses to crisis situations.

But when the middle class jobs go the town changes too. Dollar Stores replace the up-scale retailers. Payday loan joints spring up. Empty main street storefronts become eyesores. Folks talk about the “old days” when there were good jobs in town. The children and grandchildren have to move away. That’s what happened to many Ontario towns when middle class manufacturing jobs disappeared.

On top of that, the loss of middle-income public service jobs could well threaten the survival of towns now acting as “regional centres” providing the closest medical centre, the closest high school, the closest employment office, the closest mall. Which are not really that close.

Cuts in public service jobs would put these regional centres on the same path as former industrial towns.

The real bottom line is: Public services aren’t just about helping us get access to good health care, education, and social services. They’re the backbone of the economy in communities all across Ontario. whsc.on.ca Workplace bullying survey finds high level of non-compliance A recent survey of almost 1,900 Canadians revealed many employers are ignoring reported incidents of workplace bullying.

A random phone survey, conducted in October, 2018 by polling firm Forum Research, found more than half of Canadians say they, a co-worker, or both have been bullied at work. For one in four of these bullied workers, they faced it on a daily basis. Another one in four reported facing bullying behaviour once a week.

Only half of those bullied reported the incident to their employer. In these instances, it was reported just one in three employers took action to address the bullying. Equally troubling, three-quarters of those surveyed stated the person bullying them did not face any consequences after it was reported.

Those who identified as disabled or from the LGBT+ community reported even higher levels of bullying. Older workers experienced bullying more often than their younger counter parts.

On a positive note, in instances where the employer took action to end the bullying, two- thirds reported the actions were effective. Worker health implications Affected workers are suffering. Those bullied can experience feelings of helplessness, panic and anxiety. They can suffer with sleeplessness and loss of appetite. Over time, the stress associated with bullying can lead to more significant health impacts including lowered self- esteem, depression and cardiovascular illnesses. Where bullying is ongoing, many go so far as to quit their job as they see no alternative. Business and legal implications Though hard to quantify, workplace bullying can also lead to toxic work environments costing Canadian businesses billions of dollars annually in terms of turnover, absenteeism and reduced productivity.

Failure to respond to complaints of bullying or failing to take proactive preventive measures are placing employers in many Canadian jurisdictions in legal jeopardy. Here in Ontario, for instance, employers must address the issue of bullying or harassment.

Workplace harassment is clearly defined in Ontario’s Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.” This might include insulting or intimidating conduct or comments, hostile actions, bullying or cyber- bullying and the posting of offensive pictures. It often involves repeated incidents or pat- terns of behaviour intended to humiliate, degrade, threaten, intimidate and/or offend the victim(s).

Specific forms of bullying at work might involve teasing, spreading rumours, exclusion from meetings or social events and threats of violence. Other forms of bullying common to work might include micro-management, assignment of too little or too much work or oth- erwise undermining a person’s work.

OHSA places significant duties on employers. Chief among these obligations is the requirement to develop a workplace harassment policy (in addition to a workplace violence policy). Employers must also develop a harassment program, which includes measures and procedures for workers to report incidents and how they will be investigated and addressed. Unfortunately, unlike the violence program requirements, OSHA has no specific requirement for the prevention of harassment — an omission many health and safety activists say must be amended. Re- gardless, employers must also provide all workers with information and instruction on the content of the workplace harassment (and violence) policy and program.

Despite this legal requirement though, one-third of Ontarians surveyed believed their employer has no policies relating to bullying in the workplace. For those workplaces with policies, 26 per cent felt they were either not very, or not all effective. An additional 10 per cent were unsure about the effectiveness of bullying policies.

On the basis of these survey findings and others, some are also suggesting it is time to develop a standard for workplace violence, harassment and bullying training, much in the way a standard was developed to combat worker injury and death from working at heights. In such a way, a minimum level of quality is ensured. WHSC can help! For our part, the Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) offers a range of resources and a three-hour Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention Training program designed to help workplace parties better understand workplace violence, harassment and bullying and to fully comply with legal obligations. We also offer training programs to help employers meet the training and competen- cy requirements for supervisors, joint committee members and worker health and safety representatives, who all play essen- tial roles in the pursuit of healthier and safer workplaces. 20 EDUCATION CORNER

EASTERN ONTARIO LABOUR EDUCATION SPRING 2017 Kingston & District Labour Council

Eastern Ontario H&S / WCB Labour School

March 5/6 to March 10 2019 COURSES OFFERED

1. WHSC Level 1 Basic Occupational Health & Safety Awareness (No Prerequisite)

2. WHSC Level 2 Law Provincial (You must hold a Level 1 Certificate to enroll) 3. WHSC Federal Composite – Committees and Representatives & Hazard Prevention (You must hold a Level 1 Certificate to enroll)

4. Prevention Link WSIB Level 1 & 2. (No prerequisites)

5. Prevention Link Level 4 Return to Work (You must hold Prevention Link Level 1 and 2 to enroll) 6. Prevention Link Level 6 Occupational Disease (You must hold Prevention Link Levels 1, 2, 3, and 5)

For full course descriptions, to register online, or for more information about the school and the Isaiah Tubbs Resort in Pic- ton, please visit our website: http://laboureducation.webs.com

Contact: [email protected]

THE FIRST 10 YOUNG WORKERS (30 and under) REGISTERED AND PAID WILL RECEIVE A $100 SCHOLARSHIP

21 EOAC HONORARY MEMBERS LIST W. Griffin Doug Northy H.S. Clouts Oakland Christink Cliff Gunter Frank Farley Bruce Gibson Syl Shalla D. McAlley Marian Fraser C.W. Bailey Emile Martin Lorne Heard Don Morrison William Cummings Ross Smith William Powell Joan MacGregor Lloyd Fell Jim Dunn Keith Ross Donnie Bannan Lynn Williams Gerry Sinclair William Mahoney John Reid Ernie Briginshaw Shirley Hill Frank Thompson Jackie Royal Jean Guerin-Lajoie Rheal Lemoine John Hollingsworth Ron Varley Debbie Marino Jim Buchanan Bea Gibson Lawrence McBrearty John Cassidy Elijah Slade Kemis Carswell Stan Sitkiewicz Mike Barko Glen Carswell Ron Palmer Eric Brown William Charbonneau John O’Connor Angus Smith Allen Cook Grant Taylor Chris Steacy Jean Beaudry Steve Haffie Russ Jones Cindy Burgess Jim Stewart Harry Skelton Mel McCreary Andy Cook Gil Wareham Peter Boyle Jack James Gord Armstrong Don Thompson Rick Stata Doug Tousignant Dorothy MacRae Golden Bill Lloyd Richard Leblanc Jack Ostroski Steve Judd Harry Borsboom Stuart Deans Earl Kinch Peggy McComb Winston Curtis Peter Hills Ron Sundberg Joe Grills Grady Lewis Sharon Danis Don Morrison Cecil Bell Don Montgomery