INSIDE: l Ukrainian soldiers run in U.S. Marines’ marathon – page 3 l Ukrainian National Credit Union Association meets – page 9 l “Vyshyvanka” ball: UNWLA branch christening – page 11 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXIV No. 46 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 $2.00 Ukrainian Canadian labor minister seeks Poroshenko congratulates Trump to improve workplace safety in Ukraine Presidential Administration of Ukraine He said he is hopeful that the U.S. will continue to provide that support in two to ILO principles and rights, including the KYIV – President Petro Poroshenko con- important spheres: the struggle of gratulated Donald Trump on winning the prevention of occupational injuries and ill- Ukrainians against Russian aggression, for presidential elections in the United States nesses, and offer compensation in such freedom and independence, and the resto- that took place on November 8. cases. ration of sovereignty and territorial integri- “My sincere congratulations to Donald CUFTA’s labor provisions mark the first ty, as well as in the implementation of large- Trump on being elected president of the time Canada has incorporated a “progres- scale reforms in various spheres, starting United States and to the friendly American sive” and comprehensive chapter in a free- from the fight against corruption to energy nation on democratic expression of will. trade agreement that addresses such issues sector reform, ensuring the rule of law, This is a symbol of true democracy when as eliminating all forms of forced labor and implementation of constitutional amend- nobody knew the results of the elections until banning child labor, said Ms. Mihychuk, ments on justice, reform of the public pro- the very last moment. And this is a feature of who previously served as Manitoba’s min- curement system, security and defense. true democracy always professed and pro- ister of industry, trade and mines. CUFTA’s The president emphasized that the moted by our reliable and strategic American Chapter 13 on labor also gives workers the abovementioned elements of Ukrainian- partners and friends,” President Poroshenko rights to join unions and collective bargain- American bilateral interaction and the ing; prohibits employment discrimination; said at a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to strong support in strengthening interna- and sets out minimum employment stan- Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch on November 9. tional solidarity were designed to remain dards, such as minimum wages and over- Mr. Poroshenko emphasized that, by fundamental to their strategic partnership. MaryAnn Mihychuk, Canada’s minister time pay for wage earners, even if they are winning the highest office in the state, the Mr. Poroshenko also said he expects that of employment, workforce development not covered by collective agreements. new U.S. president also assumed responsi- the functioning of the bilateral Commission and labor. Similar labor protections are also part of bility for the global leadership of the United for Strategic Partnership will soon be the free-trade deal Canada signed with the States in the democratic world. relaunched. by Christopher Guly European Union late last month. Ukraine’s president also once again The Ukrainian president also welcomed Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Coincidentally, while Minister Mihychuk expressed appreciation for the bipartisan the re-election of representatives of the was preparing to leave Ukraine and head support of Ukraine by political forces of the OTTAWA – In the days leading up to her Ukrainian caucuses in the House of home on November 3, her Cabinet col- United States as demonstrated by the Representative and Senate, which, he said, first anniversary as Canada’s minister of league and fellow Ukrainian Canadian, American people, the U.S. Congress, the employment, workforce development and International Trade Minister Chrystia president and the administration. (Continued on page 7) labour, MaryAnn Mihychuk had the chance Freeland was in Ottawa to introduce legis- to use her pre-political professional skills in lation in the House to implement CUFTA. a visit to her ancestral homeland. Minister Freeland and her Ukrainian Ms. Mihychuk, who serves as the Liberal counterpart, Economic Development and Member of Parliament for the north Ceremony in D.C. marks first anniversary Trade Minister Stepan Kubiv, signed the Winnipeg federal riding of Kildonan-St. agreement in July during Canadian Prime Paul in the House of Commons, was in Minister Justin Trudeau’s first official visit of Holodomor Memorial’s dedication Ukraine during the first week of November to Ukraine. Once CUFTA receives parlia- to strengthen collaboration between mentary ratification in Canada and Ukraine Canada and Ukraine on workplace safety in and comes into force, the agreement will the context of the bilateral trade agreement eliminate Canadian duties on almost all signed in Kyiv in July. (99.9 percent) Ukrainian imports. It will She also met with representatives of the also remove duties on about 86 percent of International Labor Organization – the only Canadian exports to Ukraine, with the tripartite United Nations agency that brings remaining tariff concessions to be imple- together governments, employers and work- mented over a period of up to seven years. ers to develop and set labor standards and Given her ministerial portfolio, Ms. policies – to create a training plan involving Mihychuk’s focus flowing from CUFTA con- Ukraine, Canada and the ILO with the goal of cerns labor and workplace safety, and the improving the safety surrounding working latter’s importance was amplified when conditions in Ukraine’s extractive sector. she visited the former Chornobyl power Ms. Mihychuk, a geoscientist for 20 years plant, where one reactor was destroyed before entering politics in her home prov- and another experienced a partial melt- ince of Manitoba in 1995, said in an inter- down in 1986, resulting in the worst nucle- view that according to Ukrainian govern- ar disaster in history. ment statistics, 26 percent of Ukrainian Canada has contributed $3.6 million workers faced hazardous conditions on the ($2.7 million U.S.) toward a replacement job in 2015. sarcophagus at the site to help contain and Yaro Bihun “In particular, the extractive mineral safely store radioactive materials resulting Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Valeriy Chaly opens the commemoration of the first industry was the most hazardous industrial from the catastrophic accident. anniversary of the dedication of of the Ukrainian Holodomor Memorial in Washington. sector,” said the minister, who holds a mas- Canada is contributing as a member of ter’s degree in geology from Brock the international Chornobyl Shelter Fund by Yaro Bihun tance of remembering that evil Soviet mass University in St. Catharines, Ontario. that is supporting the construction of a safe killing of millions of Ukrainians by starva- The three-party, workplace-safety strat- WASHINGTON – The first anniversary of confinement structure intended to prevent tion in 1932-1933 and ensuring that simi- egy is also supported by a chapter on labor the dedication of the Ukrainian Holodomor the reactor complex from leaking radioac- lar crimes will not be repeated in the in the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Memorial in this nation’s capital was tive material into the environment It will future. Agreement (CUFTA). It requires that both marked at its site here on November 7 with countries’ labor laws and practices adhere (Continued on page 8) an evening event focusing on the impor- (Continued on page 9) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 No. 46 ANALYSIS As U.S. elections conclude, Ukrainians react to Trump victory Georgian president from 2004 to 2013, was appointed by Ukrainian President Petro KYIV – Ukrainians have expressed disbe- Poroshenko to govern the Black Sea coastal Putin rediscovers moderation lief and worry after they awoke to discover region in May 2015. Mr. Saakashvili relin- that a U.S. election outcome many had Russia’s military intervention in Syria is quished his Georgian citizenship to assume by Pavel Baev feared – a Donald Trump presidency – had also confused by the Kremlin’s contradicto- official responsibilities in Odesa. He had Eurasia Daily Monitor become reality. “Tell me I’m sleeping and ry orders to demonstrate force while show- expressed increasing frustration with Mr. This year’s United States presidential ing restraint. Western outcry about Russian this is a terrible nightmare!” a shocked Poroshenko in recent months over reported election campaign may have been like no war crimes apparently persuaded Mr. Putin Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the efforts to root out corrupt officials and said other before it in the intensity of acrimony that the battle for Aleppo had gone too far, Kyiv-based NGO Anticorruption Action in his resignation speech that he was tired and the starkness of choices. But as every so he (according to official sources) turned Center, wrote on Facebook on November 9. of broken presidential promises. Looking other, it comes to an end in the first full down the request from the General Staff to “Please someone tell me this is not happen- straight at news cameras, Mr. Saakashvili week of November. In its final stretch, resume a full-scale air assault as “untimely” ing...” tweeted civil activist Kateryna Kruk as directed a question at the president: “How Russian President Vladimir Putin discov- (Rossiiskaya