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Tonight is casseroles night in Canada (Ottawa last night, maybe tonight as well?) and it's not just in solidarity with the Quebec students, it can also be anti-Harper. And it's gone international, with marches scheduled in Denver, Colorado, Paris, and who knows where else. The FB page where this is being orchestrated says it will be ongoing until we get rid of Harper.
Left Turn-- I realize you may not agree with others about tactics. However, I resent the suggestion that because people are not doing, or at least not seen by you to be doing, what you want them to do that you can assume that is because they are fat cats (6 figure salaries), lazy, bought, gutless or otherwise. I'd go so far as to say I think it is presumptuous, even arrogant, to presume that you alone know the best strategy and that those who are not following it are being disloyal to the cause.
Ironically, the cause is actually doing much better than a few months ago in spite of the Con majority and media toadying from the most unrepentant reformatory hacks.
The CPC are down in the polls, articles about the labour movement have taken a more union-positive tone than I have seen in a generation, public policies that labour is promoting are being discussed, the government is being questioned for its direction and Conservative ideology is becoming less of a national religion. And the Cons are now falling to the number two position in the polls for the longest period since 2005.
All the main objectives of a national demonstration is being met without the downside risks of turning the public against us.
There is a tone to the discussion. There is a public mood that will express itself. It may be very positive for labour to support that public mood and encourage it rather than be seen to be trying to manipulate it or threaten it. Labour will move publicly more and more as it is empowered by public support.
I don't think this government is going to be toppled right now and the strategy as I see it looks logical over the next couple years. Building support before demonstrating what you have is not a bad idea.
Don't think that national labour organizations are doing nothing or selling you out.
I personally think that there needs to be more citizen-initiated activity-- Left Turn -- organize demonstrations if you want-- invite the CLC and see if they show up. You may be surprised.
I have been to events with the CLC where union activists were asked to not bring signs because they did not want to take away from the citizen's initiatives that they were. You might have more support from labour than you realize.
Sean both my wife and I share much of Left Turn's analysis. I don't hear him blaming the hardworking union agents and support staff. i hear him talking about a structure that is top down and controlled by the bean counters [i.e. bureaucrats] in every union. My wife is a business rep for a union and that was also one of my jobs during my working life. One can have a lot of respect for the union movement and its thousands of activists and still think Georgetti and his ilk are not only bad at their jobs but a hindrance to movement building.
By the way your description of hiding your union colours is a practice my wife has been railing against for decades. I believe she has spoken on the issue at more than one BC Fed convention. No wonder Canadians think unions are irrelevant.
Unions like to show colours but at times when you go to an event organized by someone else you can take it over and that was what they were trying not to do-- support with people but not take it over. I respect that. They don't hide their colours at their own events
I mean as individuals. Flags and banners at other organizations rallies are not appropriate unless they are okay for all. When union people do things in the community including standing with their neigbours I think they should literally wear their believes on their sleeves and other clothing areas. In BC the rallies organized by the Fed are always large and peaceful and have never gotten a single thing out of the neo-cons. At most rallies in BC there are banners from political parties sometimes including NDP associations as well as union locals. The grass roots of the union movement needs to be proudly union when engaging with other activists. I believe that is how you build bridges between the union movement and other social justice movements.
I agree Kropotkin
Please let's not assume even in jest that this was a political protest.
We don't know any of that. There are several other possible motivations that have nothing to do with policy or ideology.
It doesn't sound political at all. According to Gawker (news source!), the guy was pretty mentally disturbed so it sounds like a psychopathic one off - not a political statement at all.
Just got this e-mail about a national day of action this Saturday against the Conservative's omnibus budget bill -- a series of ralies at Conservative MP offices being organized by Leadnow.ca.
Love Democracy. Fight Back. Stand Against the Federal Budget Bill.
Who Will Preserve the Past for Future Generations - by JL Granatstein
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/who-will-preserve-the-past-for...
"...the treatment of Library Archives Canada will hurt research and scholarship now and forever. It shows nothing, so much as contempt for the past and, regrettably, for the future as well."
Walkom: Beware Politicians Preaching Restraint
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1210254--walkom-bewa...
"...In Ottawa the alibi of restraint has been taken to absurd lengths. Here Prime Mininster Stephen Harper's Conservatives have engaged in a series of precision bombing raids, blasting out specific parts of the federal bureaucracy that they fear might get in the way of the government or its friends. Why have they nuked the Inspector-General of The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service - an official whose job is to assure that the government knows what the spy agency is up to?
When Canadian Press reporter Bruce Cheadle first unearthed this particular tidbit, the official explanation was restraint. The real explanation, presumably, is to make sure that the government [ or the public] doesn't know too much about what CSIS is doing (particularly given its new mandate to use information gleaned through torture), That way, ministers can be provided with the cover of plausible deniability.
And as in Ontario, federal restraint means scaling back health and safety inspections in everything from the environment to meat-packing. The laws remain on the books. But if no one checks up on industry (which is being encouraged to self-regulate), such laws mean nothing..."
If it worked in Latvia, surely it will work here.
.... I wonder if it is part of Nunavut's high cost/price of food? Nutrition North Canada?
recently we have protest in all nunavut communities against high cost. And we will have another protest on Aboriginal Day and Nunavut Day.
This is shaping up to be the year of demonstrations like none other. Here's another:
July 1st, 2012
La Journee Nationale Pour Arreter Harper/National Stop Harper Day
CLC sells out students!
I have met Ken personally on many occasions. He has never been a worker. His daddy was the head of the Steelworkers Local in Trail when he was growing up. He went to work for a few months after graduating and then got elected to a union position and rose very quickly up to the top jobs. In committees he runs a really good railroad. He has been one of the people in the union movement that has hindered the fight back in every battle. He inherited a strong and vibrant union movement from his fathers generation but him and his ilk don't fight they just go backwards bit by bit year after year. He is always looking for labour peace no matter what it costs the membership in the long term.
Just on P&P. Nanos was on and said his number is 55. that is 55%, 55% of Canadians are negatively disposed to taxes. And the CBC guy said well isn't this a threat to the NDP? Don't they have to be carefull now. Then cut away to Harper teling the Europeans auteriy,austerity, austerity. I hate the CBC. Isn't there anyone there who isn't going to side with economic current wisdon? What a load of you know what!
I don't understand why you condemn the entire the entire CBC on the basis on what one person says. I love the CBC, always have. Yes, there are those who turn me off, but the plusses far outweight the negatives for me, Arthur. I much prefer CBC to either CTV or Global, but even those networks occasionally have worthwhile programming. CBC is the network for David Suzuki, and the home of Melissa Fung and Adrienne Arsenault - some of the finest names in network news and documentaries - period.
Taliban Steve and the Robot Nation - by Michael Harris
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/07/18/michael-harris-taliban-steve-and-the-...
"Stephen Harper has a bad case of MOUS - master of the universe syndrome..."
and the Canadian people a bad case of robot syndrome..
When Buzz Hargrove gave Paul Martin a union jacket, the gesture was as tainted as the Liberal brand itself-- and that perception lingers. When union leaders actively identify with the corporate establishment as a peer group, the movement becomes a sham. Labour leaders hobnobbing with the establishment may be good for business, but it only serves to remind the rank and file that they're less than chattels in the grand scheme of politics.
I wish I could speak freely on this...
40% of seasonal EI recipients are in Québec, 27% in the Maritimes. After the mass protests, this:
Québec demands that Ottawa suspend its EI reform
Here's an English-language story on the same topic.