P.9 ADDRESSING THE P.7 P.18 THE CONSCIENCE CAUSES OF VIOLENCE CLC DEFENDS UNION IMAGE of Queen’S PARK PResident’s REPORT ONTARIO FEDER TION OF LABOUR SPRING 2013 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 FIGHTING AUSTERITY P.10 COPE 343 ... THE LITTLE UNION THAT COULD P.15 IWD 2013 GETS WOMEN FIRED UP SPRING PResident’s REPORT VOL. 3 2013 ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR NO. 2 P.8 P.4 P.18 FROZEN THE PEOPLe’S BUDGET POLITICAL WAGES CHALLENGES AUSTERITY REBEL HEALTH & HUMAN RIGHTS UPCOMING IN 13 SAFETY 15 STATEMENTS 17 EVENTS 18 MEMORIAMM FEATURES POLITICS ON THE COVER: Drafting a people’s Budget ...........4 OFL Presses Government to Broaden Budget Talks ...6 1,500 Pack CLC Conference to Defend Fair OFL Offers Friendly Advice on Fair Trade to NDP ...11 Wages and Working Conditions .............................7 Ontario Common Front Partners Mobilize Actions EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS and Build Community ............................................8 Workshop Calls for Rights for Migrant Workers........8 OFL Celebrates Black History ...............................14 African Canadian Summit Looks at Root Causes Women Demand Equal Pay for Equal Work ...........14 of Youth Violence ...................................................9 Maternity Leave Documentary ..............................15 Firing It Up for IWD 2013 ....................................15 SOLIDARITY Trans Rights Bill Passes .......................................15 Twenty Airline Fuelers Take on Goliath ..................10 Rising Together Against Gender-Based Violence ....15 UN Women’s Conference Addresses Violence OFL Human Rights Statements ............................15 Against Women and Girls.....................................12 Common Front Awards South Asian Activisim ........14 Strawberry Ceremony Calls for Justice for Stolen Sisters .....................................................12 OFL UPDATES HEALTH & SAFETY/WCB Building an Online Nation ....................................16 OFL Directs Scholarship at New Students .............16 Witmer Visits OFL to Meet with Compensation Committee ...................................13 ND INSIDE COVER PHOOTOS: JOEL DUFF ND INSIDE COVER PHOOTOS: OFL Delivers Community Input on Safety Prevention ...13 IN MEMORIAM HOTO A April 28 National Day of Mourning ........................13 Peter Kormos: Warrior for the Working Class ........18 COVER FEATURE P COVER FEATURE SUBSCRIBE TO THE OFL E-NEWSLETTER AT WWW.0FL.CA FEATURES OEL DUFF S: J HOTO Sid Ryan and fellow Bampton consultation panelists, Irwin Nanda and Simon Black receive public deputations from community and labour groups THREE P dRaFtinG a PeOPLe’s budGet OFL PLAN FOR A FAIR ECONOMY CHALLENGES FAILED AUSTERITY MYTHS Only days after Ontario’s new Premier, a fairer society,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. cuts in the 2012 Budget have made life more Kathleen Wynne presented her first throne “with a government that had ignored the public difficult for many hard-working Ontarians, speech in the legislature, the OFL released a interest, we decided to provide an opportunity including those most in need. The evidence discussion paper, called Toward a People’s for Ontarians to bring their ideas forward and makes clear that austerity budgets only worsen Budget, and launched an unprecedented, demand a budget that puts people first.” social conditions while seriously undermining province-wide community consultation to solicit The OFL’s green paper challenged several the economy, contributing to the very deficit recommendations for the next provincial budget. myths, including: problem the agenda purports to resolve. Frustrated by deep cuts to jobs and services • The government can no longer afford The OFL was not alone in questioning the that have had a devastating impact on to deliver the same level of services to wisdom of austerity agendas being pursued communities across the province, the OFL called Ontarians; with much vigour by governments across for a change in the conversation on austerity and • cutting the deficit will grow the economy; the western world. Recently, the International an Ontario Budget that focuses on economic • The experts are never wrong; and Monetary Fund issued an unprecedented mea growth and help for struggling families. • Everyone is being asked to do their share to culpa, admitting that the negative impact of The people’s Budget campaign visited nine reduce the deficit. austerity on economic growth is much greater cities across the province over the span of a In reality, as the paper points out, Ontario than what had been anticipated. month and invited Ontarians to share their ideas provides less funding for public programs and The OFL’s paper considered the social and for a new approach to addressing our economic, services than any other province in Canada; our economic possibilities that arise once governments social, and fiscal challenges. poverty rates are rising faster than almost every move beyond austerity, including specific ideas to “there is no doubt that Ontarians are other province; the government has foregone spur growth and job creation, address income struggling with job loss and austerity cuts to $15 billion in tax revenues that have benefited inequality, preserve public services, and restore services in their communities. They want to wealthy Ontarians and corporations the most fair taxation for banks and corporations. see Ontario choose a new path that focuses with little evidence such largesse has delivered Community groups and residents from every on good jobs, sustainable public services and on their promise of growth and jobs; and deep corner of the province were invited to attend the 4 SPRING 2013 • VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 Mississauga student activist Grace Guo Sonia Singh from the Workers’ Action Centre tells Toronto consultation that calls for real tuition fee reduction the working poor need a raise in order to keep one step ahead of poverty public consultations to present their ideas for • Creating good jobs; to influence Ontario’s budget priorities. The a new approach to addressing the province’s • Fair taxation; white paper will call on the province to pursue economic, social, and fiscal challenges. • Alleviating poverty; a bold new strategy that pro-actively supports However, public input was also solicited • Supporting workers and their families; and key sectors in the Ontario economy and fosters through an online submission portal hosted • Giving young people a fair chance. innovation, investment in sustainable products on the OFL’s slick campaign web page at: The OFL will be submitting a final “white and practices, and creates good jobs. www.ThePeoplesBudget.ca paper” of budgetary recommendations in mid- The measures highlighted in the white All three OFL officers traveled the province April that puts forward specific proposals to paper will reflect the interests of Ontarians and to attend the various consultations and receive address these themes. These recommendations present a blue-print for putting Ontario back on the deputations as part of regional panels will include, among other things: an economic and fiscal path that ensures the that included local labour and community • Establishing an infrastructure fund to economic prosperity for everyone. representatives. In total, the consultations be used for transit, housing and green drew over 500 attendees, over 100 initiatives; presentations were made and scores of other • Raising taxes for high income earners, PeOPLe’s BUDGET submissions were received from individuals and restoring corporate tax rates and closing tax CONSULTATIONS organizations representing such diverse groups loopholes; WERE HELD IN 9 CITIES as seniors, students, women, Aboriginal people, • Improving social assistance rates and people with disabilities and injured workers, as restoring funding for the community start-up Feb 25: Brampton well as anti-poverty, labour, environmental and program; Feb 26: Ottawa newcomer groups. • Increasing the minimum wage to lift low- Mar 6: Sudbury Throughout the consultations, Ontarians wage earners 10 percent above the poverty brought forward an impressive array of line, with an annual adjustment for cost of Mar 7: Thunder Bay ideas, shared stories on the impact of the living; and Mar 11: Kitchener-Waterloo austerity agenda, and proposed thoughtful • Enhancing the school funding formula, Mar 19: London recommendations for moving forward in a creating a youth job strategy and reducing of Mar 20: Toronto new direction. The main themes that emerged post-secondary tuition fees. throughout the process can be generally Like the We Are Ontario campaign last year, Mar 26: Hamilton grouped into five priority areas: the people’s Budget process has the potential Mar 28: Windsor oFL preSiDeNt’S reporT 5 POLITICS SOCIAL MEDIA CORNER E-NEWSLETTER Sign up for the OFL’s new e-blast updates by visiting www.OFL.ca and clicking on “sign up for updates.” TWITTER OEL DUFF : J Sign up for a free Twitter HOTO P account at www.Twitter.com OFL Executive Vice-President Irwin Nanda presents a pre-budget Follow & Retweet the OFL at: submission to government with Researcher Brynne Sinclair-Waters OFLabour OFL PRESSES GOVERNMENT TO BROADEN BUDGET TALKS SidRyan_OFL The OFL welcomed the constructive message young Ontarians, and imposing fair taxes on in Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s first throne corporations. However, one of the OFL’s central PResident’s REPORT speech in February, which committed to a new recommendations was a procedural one: ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR relationship with the province’s workers