Ontario Federation of Labour calls for adoption of "most progressive budget" in years

178 posts / 0 new

Sat, 2014-06-07 22:48

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

How about answering a simple question, mark_alfred. How can you slam the Liberals for not promising to raise personal income tax enough, when the NDP has not proposed raising it at all?

Why should he answer when its a false preposition. The ONDP supports the same tax increase on income taxes for the top 2% of income earners. Their platform uses the Liberal budget as its base, and then adds or subtract polices outlined in its program:

Rosario Marchese wrote:
“The NDP platform takes the [Liberal] budget as its baseline, keeping nearly all the same spending commitments, but with additional commitments that are paid for by a corporate tax increase."

Repeating the same error, over and over again, does not make it any more true that it was the first time you made it.

Sat, 2014-06-07 22:59

#103

Unionist

Oh, and mark_alfred, you forgot to reply on this:

The NDP dropped their corporate tax increase commitment from 2.5% to 1% - without consultation, without permission of the members, without any explanation whatseover.

Given that your prime motivator is right there (as you yourself have repeated on many occasions), who says they won't reduce it to 0%? And if it's a good thing since 2010, why did they reduce it at all?

I think we're dealing with untrustworthy people here. You know, like their Liberal twins? Or wait, maybe there's a brilliant spin-doctor "explanation" I haven't heard yet? What is it?

See, here's why I believe the 1% promise is a [b]lie[/b]. It's real simple. Horwath propped up the Wynne regime without ever, not once, making corporate tax increases a condition. She had the power. She didn't use it. Now she can promise anything she wants, because she knows she's going to lose. Very unconvincing performance.

Sun, 2014-06-08 00:04

#104

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

Given that your prime motivator is right there (as you yourself have repeated on many occasions), who says they won't reduce it to 0%? And if it's a good thing since 2010, why did they reduce it at all?

Because the ONDP made good on their commitment to block further reduction of the corporate tax rate, using the balance of power since 2011.

unionist wrote:
See, here's why I believe the 1% promise is a lie. It's real simple. Horwath propped up the Wynne regime without ever, not once, making corporate tax increases a condition. She had the power. She didn't use it. Now she can promise anything she wants, because she knows she's going to lose. Very unconvincing performance.

When the present budget came up for review, the ONDP made one simple demand, and that was for a 1% increase in corporate taxes, in order to fund transit expansion. This the Liberals ignored. The ONDP pulled the plug.

Sun, 2014-06-08 22:44

#105

Rokossovsky

Letter from John Cartwright - President Toronto & York District Labour Council

John Cartwright wrote:
I was shocked to read Kathleen Wynne's Op-Ed in today's Star, calling for the defeat of Michael Prue and the other New Democrat MPP’s in Toronto. It was not just asking people to support her party – it was directed specifically at NDP voters, urging them to abandon the NDP and vote Liberal in all ridings.

John Cartwright wrote:
This is about the Liberals wanting fewer voices to hold them to account when they veer back to the right once the election is over.

Facebook entry.

Other notes: Syd Ryan has got to go.

Sun, 2014-06-08 22:54

#106

Unionist

June 5 op-ed by John Cartwright, president of Toronto & York Region Labour Council:

[url=http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/06/05/five_reasons_not_to... reasons not to trust Tim Hudak[/url]

Quote:
The latest scandal to envelope Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak should be enough to sink any self-respecting politician. Imagine boasting that you would create a million jobs, making it the central feature of your election program, and then seeing that promise torn to shreds by economists of every political stripe. [...]

Every day, the Conservatives give us another reason why we can’t trust Tim Hudak to run this province. It’s up to all of us to vote on Election Day.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:00

#107

Rokossovsky

Oh "scandal" John must be campaigning from the right.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:03

#108

Rokossovsky

I guess John just woke up to the fact that actually the Liberals only support "strategic" voting for themselves, and despite labour doing its best to follow through with an anti-Hudak campaign, Wynne turns around and tries to make it an anti-NDP campaign, which has nothing to do with "strategic voting" or defeating Hudak.

Now we know that the Liberal election strategy had nothing at all to do with defeating Hudak, and everything to do with winning seats from the ONDP.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:10

#109

Unionist

[url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/ontario-unions-advocate-... unions advocate strategic voting to defeat Tim Hudak[/url]

Quote:
[Sid] Ryan — whose organization's executive board is made up of 15 unions — is urging members to vote for incumbent NDP MPPs in addition to those NDP candidates who have a realistic chance of winning their riding.

Emphasis added, because whether one agrees with the labour movement's position or not, it is important to represent it accurately, if one wishes to show good faith.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:20

#110

Rokossovsky

Yes exactly, which is precisely why Cartwright is "shocked". After deliberately endorsing a strategy that supports Liberal against Tories, almost everywhere else, the Liberals turn around and stick the knife in trying to defeat ONDP incumbents, which has nothing to do with defeating Hudak.

The Liberal priority here is not to defeat Hudak.

But that's ok. You clearly have demonstrated zero understanding of Ontario labour politics.

John Cartwright wrote:
This is about the Liberals wanting fewer voices to hold them to account when they veer back to the right once the election is over. Corporate tax cuts, privatization, more austerity and refusal to respect workers’ rights is what happens when Liberals govern un-checked. Just look at the record.

What do you reall think the Liberals are all about anyway? Social Democracy?

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:32

#111

Unionist

Those for whom partisan cheerleading is the be-all and end-all can't fathom, not for a moment, how labour can fight to eliminate Harper, Hudak, and their ilk, without becoming the cheerleaders of some other party.

Labour's independence of political action, like its independence of action in the earthplace, terrifies the employers, and has always been a target for annihilation. Preaching that workers must mindlessly support one or another political party, and confine their political action to the electoral realm, is the favoured method of neutralizing workers in this "democratic" society.

Kudos to our Sid Ryans and John Cartwrights and countless others, for putting the interests of working people, and society as a whole, in first place, against the narrow-minded self-promotion and lies and corruption of the Hudaks, Wynnes, and Horwaths of this world.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:43

#112

Aristotleded24

Unionist wrote:
Those for whom partisan cheerleading is the be-all and end-all can't fathom, not for a moment, how labour can fight to eliminate Harper, Hudak, and their ilk, without becoming the cheerleaders of some other party.

Labour's independence of political action, like its independence of action in the earthplace, terrifies the employers, and has always been a target for annihilation. Preaching that workers must mindlessly support one or another political party, and confine their political action to the electoral realm, is the favoured method of neutralizing workers in this "democratic" society.

Kudos to our Sid Ryans and John Cartwrights and countless others, for putting the interests of working people, and society as a whole, in first place, against the narrow-minded self-promotion and lies and corruption of the Hudaks, Wynnes, and Horwaths of this world.

Actually, the labour union leadership is very partisan in its campaigning, in the sense of "oh my god, the PCs might win the election, we have to stop it at all costs or everything is DOOMED!!!!!" and it's getting tiring. Does the labour movement leadership have nothing more to say than that they are afraid of the PCs? What a bunch of cowards. If all the labour movement leadership can do is to run in fear of a particular party getting elected without really clarifying what it's fighting for, then I have lost a great deal of respect for them. It's the flip side of what's happening here in Manitoba, where the strategy of the labour movement leadership begins and ends at keeping the NDP in office for ever and ever and then all good things will flow, despite the fact that anti-scab legislation is not on the agenda and the MGEU is unhappy over staffing shortages throughout many government departments.

As Rokossovsky said, if the labour movement can't take meaningful action outside of the political arena then it is not of much use to the working class. Sadly, that seems to be coming to fruition.

The thing is that these union leaders don't realize that they are playing right into Hudak's hands. If I were advising Hudak, I would have him take on this issue by proudly claiming that he'll stand up to the "union special interests," and have him find a couple of union workers who are frustrated with their unions, and weave that into the general campaign theme.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:57

#113

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

Those for whom partisan cheerleading is the be-all and end-all can't fathom, not for a moment, how labour can fight to eliminate Harper, Hudak, and their ilk, without becoming the cheerleaders of some other party.

Labour's independence of political action, like its independence of action in the earthplace, terrifies the employers, and has always been a target for annihilation. Preaching that workers must mindlessly support one or another political party, and confine their political action to the electoral realm, is the favoured method of neutralizing workers in this "democratic" society.

Kudos to our Sid Ryans and John Cartwrights and countless others, for putting the interests of working people, and society as a whole, in first place, against the narrow-minded self-promotion and lies and corruption of the Hudaks, Wynnes, and Horwaths of this world.

What does this have to do with Cartwright's outrage at Wynne turning her guns on the ONDP in order shut up the last vestiges of progressive pro-union members in the Ontario legislature, as opposed to campaigning against Hudak?

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:58

#114

Unionist

To A24:

You think the labour movement is silent about what it's fighting for? You need links about doubling pension benefits, minimum wage, social assistance, stimulus spending, social programs of all kinds, making it easier to unionize, opposing privatization and outsourcing, free collective bargaining, health care and education spending, infrastructure spending?

The reason they're saying "Stop Hudak" is because Hudak (in their view - and it's their decision, not mine) represents the biggest threat to all those and other aims of social progress. Furthermore, they are promoting (without much success) the kind of alliance or accord or coalition which would see NDP and Liberals, even if neither can form a majority government alone, working together to stop Hudak from barreling to power.

You think that's "cowardice"? A better example of cowardice (and pick a lot of other insulting attributes) is watching and cheering while Horwath, without explanation or advance discussion with anyone, drop the long-standing pledge to raise corporate taxes by 2.5% and replace it with 1%. And drop the Ontario Retirement Plan. And stop talking about the minimum wage in case the CFIB gets too upset. And likewise with social assistance. And instead, start blathering and ranting about how this election is a referendum on "corruption".

Those who don't publicly condemn Horwath for these actions are the real cowards. They have given up on fighting for causes. All they are left with is fighting for some party - a party whose principles are as ephemeral as the weather.

The only way the NDP can play any positive role is when people in movement, in struggle, tell it what to do. When it stops listening, it should crash to its much deserved fiery oblivion, and make way from something better.

Sun, 2014-06-08 23:59

#115

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

You think the labour movement is silent about what it's fighting for? You need links about doubling pension benefits, minimum wage, social assistance, stimulus spending, social programs of all kinds, making it easier to unionize, opposing privatization and outsourcing, free collective bargaining, health care and education spending, infrastructure spending?

Calling the Liberal budget the "most progressive budget in years" was doing none of those things. It was total capitulation, apparently for the purposes of short term political benefit.

Mon, 2014-06-09 23:40

#116

Unionist

[url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1369533/media-union-breaks-silence-on-el...'t vote for Hudak and his PCs, Unifor Local 87-M tells members[/url]

Quote:

The union representing journalists and other media workers across Ontario is asking its 2,600 members not to vote for Tim Hudak and his Progressive Conservative Party in Thursday's provincial election.

In an unprecedented move, Unifor Local 87-M, historically known as the Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guild, has broken its traditional silence during elections by asking members not to vote Progressive Conservative.

To view the video, go to http://youtu.be/7YFmadIO7MM.

"This is a big deal for us," said Paul Morse, president of Unifor Local 87-M. "As a media local representing a large number of journalists, we have strict policies against endorsing candidates or contributing financially to election campaigns."

"But the threat of Hudak and his circle of Tea Party groupies is too great for us to remain silent. We're not telling our members who to vote for. We're asking them to vote for someone other than Hudak and his party."

Wed, 2014-06-11 15:13

#117

Rokossovsky

Make sure you vote "strategically" to replace Michael Prue with Arthur Potts, because the Liberals are the only one who can "Stop Hudak".

5 Things Liberal Voters Should Know About Arthur Potts

Quote:
#2: A Professional Union-Buster

If you’re a progressive Liberal, you probably have some appreciation for the essential work that unions do, both or their members, and for the economy as a whole. Yes, unions brought us the weekend, and “union density” (the % of workers who are unionized) tends to increase wages and benefits, even for non-unionized workers in the same sector. Kathleen Wynne claims to understand this, but it is hard to reconcile approval of Arthur Potts as a liberal candidate.

Arthur Potts is a former executive director, and long-time spokesperson for “Merit Ontario (aka Independent Contractors Association, Open Shop Contractors Association) a benign-sounding organization that advocates for right-to-work legislation, and has worked closely with Tim Hudak and Mike Harris for more about 15 years.

Arthur Potts is on record saying that Mike Harris’ Conservative union-busting legislation was not harsh enough, because “no non-construction employers have been able to escape their bargaining relationships with the trades”

Thu, 2014-06-12 22:33

#118

Unionist

Jim Stanford, on Twitter wrote:
Defeat of Hudak's aggressive anti-labour program means no Cdn Conservatives will try that again for years. Huge victory for workers! #canlab

Thu, 2014-06-12 22:36

#119

Rokossovsky

Looks like Mr. "Mike Harris labour reforms didn't go far enough", might be sitting in Wynne's bench.

Fri, 2014-06-13 02:55

#120

Aristotleded24

Unionist wrote:
Jim Stanford, on Twitter wrote:
Defeat of Hudak's aggressive anti-labour program means no Cdn Conservatives will try that again for years. Huge victory for workers! #canlab

Won't stop the Liberals from trying.

Fri, 2014-06-13 04:58

#121

Rokossovsky

They don't need to try. The job of the labour leadership will be to sell the anti-labour program of the Liberals to the membership, because of course they endorsed this result, in order to "stop Hudak".

Fri, 2014-06-13 16:32

#122

Unionist

From the newly-elected president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Hassan Youssuf:

[url=http://www.canadianlabour.ca/news-room/statements/ontario-has-spoken]Ont... has spoken[/url]

Quote:

The new President of the Canadian Labour Congress says voters in Ontario sent a clear message when they rejected the politics of austerity and declined to vote for policies that target working people as the scapegoats for the economic failure of others.

“If you think you can win by blaming workers for the problems caused by others, you better think again. People see the unfairness. They don't like it. They will stand up to you and you will lose, just like Tim Hudak.” said Hassan Yussuff.

But that wasn't the only message that Ontario voters sent, according to Yussuff. They delivered a message to Stephen Harper about retirement security by rejecting his own government's arguments against expanding the Canada Pension Plan.

“Two in every three Ontario workers don’t have a workplace pension. Kathleen Wynne ran on her budget, and the centrepiece of that budget was a plan to improve the retirement security of Ontarians. Now it's time for the federal government to accept that Canadians want action on retirement security.”

Fri, 2014-06-13 16:51

#123

Rokossovsky

Hassan Yussuff echoes Horwath's sentiment that reform of retirment pensions should begin in Ottawa.

Fri, 2014-06-13 16:57

#124

Unionist

From the president of Unifor:

[url=http://www.unifor.org/en/whats-new/press-room/ontario-votes-good-jobs-st... votes for good jobs, strong public services and healthy communities[/url]

Quote:

"The Liberals have offered Ontarians a plan to build a strong and inclusive Ontario, and some of the best ideas have come from the NDP," Dias said. "It is Unifor's belief that Premier Wynne's government should work with the NDP to ensure Ontarians benefit from the very best ideas on offer, regardless of party affiliation."

Noting that there were some significant losses for the NDP, Dias stressed, "We are disappointed that some very strong, progressive NDPers were not re-elected. The NDP - and Ontario - needs smart, bold political leaders who are willing to pursue a progressive vision of Ontario. We lost some of those important leaders tonight. The party is worse off - and our province is worse off as a result."

Unfortunately, unthinking selfish partisan cheerleaders, whether of the Liberal Party or the NDP, will never be able to grasp this message. Let's hope there are enough courageous rank-and-file voices that will sweep away those cheerleaders and actually fight for progressive change, not for "my party right or wrong".

Fri, 2014-06-13 17:12

#125

Pogo

What a pile of self serving nonsense. In order to defend there counterproductive and unnecessary strategic voting they are left pretending that the Liberals are not going to move to the right and that they will make room for NDP policies.

Fri, 2014-06-13 17:21

#126

Unionist

Pogo wrote:

What a pile of self serving nonsense. In order to defend there counterproductive and unnecessary strategic voting they are left pretending that the Liberals are not going to move to the right and that they will make room for NDP policies.

What Hassan and Jerry are doing is to remind the NDP of their policies (the policies that Horwath, in a fit of stupidity on or about May 22, forgot), and urging all possible allies to fight to implement them.

Forcing Wynne to adopt the Ontario Retirement Plan in her budget - and to reaffirm that she will implement her budget - was a huge victory in and of itself. Horwath idiotically responded by dropping that plan. The unions are telling the NDP, and its supporters, to dump the cheerleaders and get back to principles.

There can be no illusion that the Liberals and Kathleen Wynne will implement progressive policies. What there can be, however, is a movement that says clearly that austerity has been soundly rejected, and all allies should unite to move forward. Those bitter and twisted souls who are depressed about the humiliation and defeat of Horwath will not be part of that alliance. They need to be swept away, the sooner the better.

Fri, 2014-06-13 18:12

#127

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

From the president of Unifor:

[url=http://www.unifor.org/en/whats-new/press-room/ontario-votes-good-jobs-st... votes for good jobs, strong public services and healthy communities[/url]

Quote:

Noting that there were some significant losses for the NDP, Dias stressed, "We are disappointed that some very strong, progressive NDPers were not re-elected. The NDP - and Ontario - needs smart, bold political leaders who are willing to pursue a progressive vision of Ontario. We lost some of those important leaders tonight. The party is worse off - and our province is worse off as a result."

Will be looking forward to seeing how much money Unifor put into the Prue, Marchese and Schein campaign's in comparison to what they paid out to Liberals, who couldn't give a fuck about union donations because they are soaking in corporate cash. As if Unifor is buying any favours from the Liberals.

Not to mention the contentless "Stop Hudak" campaigning that foolishly had many Torontonians actually thinking that it was important to unseat NDPrs in order to give Liberals enough seats to win minority. As a result Michael Prue has been unseated by an anti-labour right to work activist.

Jokes on you Jerry Diaz.

Some people seem to think that election time is the time that the ONDP should be all about setting out a "progressive" agenda but somehow "stop hudak" is all that labour can muster for progressive content.

Fri, 2014-06-13 19:05

#128

Pogo

I think the left and some labour has shown itself to being fair weather friends. Now it is rather rich that they make demands on the NDP. Who is going to pretend that if she had propped up the LIberals until the perfect time (for the Liberals) to call an election that these same people would not have pulled out the evil Conservative boogey man and ran to the Liberals - using the strategic voting sop to win NDP-Liberal battles.

Would rather be a cheerleader than a hater.

Fri, 2014-06-13 23:52

#129

Unionist

Pogo wrote:

I think the left and some labour has shown itself to being fair weather friends.

You've put the choice rather well. Between "the left and some labour [including the CLC and the OFL]" and Andrea Horwath's inner circle, gee, lemme see, whom do I pick, duh...

As for "fair weather friends", that's a great description of a party which exists on the resources and volunteerism of workers and their unions, then shits on them once in power (duh, Bob Rae, Roy Romanow, Gary Doer, Darryl Dexter, the list is long).

I grew up believing that a party, like a union, owed loyalty to its members and supporters. The opposite theory is this:

Quote:
Would rather be a cheerleader than a hater.

Wrong dichotomy. The real one is "cheerleader" vs. self-respecting human being, true agent of change in the society.

Sat, 2014-06-14 00:22

#130

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

Pogo wrote:

I think the left and some labour has shown itself to being fair weather friends.

You've put the choice rather well. Between "the left and some labour [including the CLC and the OFL]" and Andrea Horwath's inner circle, gee, lemme see, whom do I pick, duh...

Yeah. Cept its pretty clear an evident that Syd dropped his "most progressive budget in years" endorsement with almost no consultation with the leadership of the unions that make up the OFL, issuing his statement of approval within hours of Wynne's budget speech, making it look very much like that Syd jumped the gun based either on his own judgement, or the approval of a very limited inner circle.

The great majority of statements directly from the presidents of the unions that are members of the OFL were far more circumspect in their analysis, and certainly were not wholehearted endorsements of the budget, and came without recommendations for the NDP.

It looks like Syd used his position to force feed his preference to the rest of the union leadership, and in so doing put a wide ranging stamp of "progressive" approval on the Liberal campaign from the OFL, leaving them once more with very little to promote other than "Stop Hudak".

There was absolutely no need for the OFL to "take a side" on the budget issue, and doing so may very well have encouraged Wynne to dissolve the legislature, as opposed to trying to negotiate reconciliation through back channels.

Sat, 2014-06-14 00:28

#131

Unionist

[url=http://ofl.ca/index.php/ofl-wynne-promises-build-fair-ontario/]Statement by Sid Ryan – OFL to Wynne: Keep your promises and build a more fair Ontario[/url]

Quote:

Today, a clear majority of Ontarians voted for fairness and against Hudak’s reckless cuts, costly tax giveaways to wealthy corporations, and wholesale firing of 100,000 public sector workers. This should serve as a warning to the Progressive Conservative Party that there is no appetite for emulating American Tea Party-style politics in this province.

The Liberals should work to improve the budget introduced last month, while following through on their promises of a public pension that mirrors the Canada Pension Plan, wage increases for vulnerable workers and investment in infrastructure. Ontarians have rejected Hudak’s radical and rash fiscal approach, and now further cuts to public services and privatization should be abandoned.

[...]

For the OFL and the labour community, the work does not stop here. Both municipal and federal elections are on the horizon and the labour movement will continue to press for policies that support working people and build a fair Ontario. These include expanded workplace rights, good pensions for all, and concrete measures to address youth unemployment, curb the rise of precarious work, reduce income inequality, and stem the tide of austerity once and for all.

Amen.

Sat, 2014-06-14 00:39

#132

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

[url=http://ofl.ca/index.php/ofl-wynne-promises-build-fair-ontario/]Statement by Sid Ryan – OFL to Wynne: Keep your promises and build a more fair Ontario[/url]

Quote:

The Liberals should work to improve the budget introduced last month, while following through on their promises of a public pension that mirrors the Canada Pension Plan, wage increases for vulnerable workers and investment in infrastructure. Ontarians have rejected Hudak’s radical and rash fiscal approach, and now further cuts to public services and privatization should be abandoned.

[...]

Amen.

Lol. Not to long ago, the Liberal budget was the "most progressive in years" and he wanted the ONDP to support it unamended. Now it need "improvement". The pleading part about how "further cuts to public services and privatization should be abandoned" is particularly pathetic.

What a fucking moron. I guess he has finally read the damn thing and is beginning to realize the destruction he has wrought.

A pathetic stand. The union movement leverages its power through collective action, not finely phrased begging and pleading for mercy, after the fact. Where is your "leverage" now Mr. Ryan since you have endorsed this?

Sat, 2014-06-14 00:46

#133

Unionist

From the OP - [size=25]May 2, 2014[/size]:

Quote:
Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Sid Ryan acknowledges gains for working people in the most progressive budget this province has seen in recent years, but warns that a course correction is still needed away from austerity.

Unlike Andrea Horwath's craven capitulation to Hudak and Bay Street on May 22 (when she erased the ONDP's long-standing policy book from the website and dropped key proposals on pensions, corporate taxes, etc.), the labour movement has remained exactly on course. They don't always, but they did this time.

That's because we have no friends in high places - only those whom we can try to influence through mass action, solidarity, and alliances. And that's why we never hand over the workers' autonomy and independence of political agency to some sweet-talking Liberals or NDPers or PQists or Bloquistes or Greens. Let them support our cause and be loyal to our interests, or let them disappear.

Sat, 2014-06-14 00:49

#134

Rokossovsky

It isn't the "labour movement" it is Syd Ryan.

Sat, 2014-06-14 20:15

#135

Pogo

Unionist wrote:

Pogo wrote:
Would rather be a cheerleader than a hater.

Wrong dichotomy. The real one is "cheerleader" vs. self-respecting human being, true agent of change in the society.

Perhaps you should look at how others see you, not how the rose coloured glasses that you look upon yourself with.

Sat, 2014-06-14 22:14

#136

Unionist

Pogo wrote:

Perhaps you should look at how others see you, not how the rose coloured glasses that you look upon yourself with.

Ok, thanks, I'll try that. Such helpful advice. I am a worker and a trade union activist. I am one of many. Me and my gang, we have each other's back. Thanks again for cautioning me about the colour of my glasses. Oh, and fuck those who betray our cause, starting with Andrea Horwath and her hangers on.

Sat, 2014-06-14 23:47

#137

Aristotleded24

Unionist wrote:
Pogo wrote:

Perhaps you should look at how others see you, not how the rose coloured glasses that you look upon yourself with.

Ok, thanks, I'll try that. Such helpful advice. I am a worker and a trade union activist. I am one of many. Me and my gang, we have each other's back. Thanks again for cautioning me about the colour of my glasses. Oh, and fuck those who betray our cause, starting with Andrea Horwath and her hangers on.

This from someone who while claiming the mantle of the moral arbiter of the left-wing movement while having no problem responding to disagreements with name-calling in the most vicious, vitriolic fashion?

Sure.

Sun, 2014-06-15 01:17

#138

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:

From the OP - [size=25]May 2, 2014[/size]:

Quote:
Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Sid Ryan acknowledges gains for working people in the most progressive budget this province has seen in recent years, but warns that a course correction is still needed away from austerity.

Unlike Andrea Horwath's craven capitulation to Hudak and Bay Street on May 22 (when she erased the ONDP's long-standing policy book from the website and dropped key proposals on pensions, corporate taxes, etc.), the labour movement has remained exactly on course. They don't always, but they did this time.

That's because we have no friends in high places - only those whom we can try to influence through mass action, solidarity, and alliances. And that's why we never hand over the workers' autonomy and independence of political agency to some sweet-talking Liberals or NDPers or PQists or Bloquistes or Greens. Let them support our cause and be loyal to our interests, or let them disappear.

Not at all. In fact I saw no promotional material from the OFL or the "Working Families Coalition" that talked about the "need for a course correction away from austerity", or any of the issues that were listed in the other release you cited above. Can you offer examples of any campaign advertising meant for public consumption that pursued this theme?

Austerity, is something that people like Syd only talk about at meetings with unionists, activists or in press releases that they know no one will bother reading, except perhaps on here. So, on the one hand you deride the ONDP for offering up a campaign that is too free of "left" social democratic content, and then applaud the labour movement when it promotes simplistic "For Against" politics, of the "Stop Hudak" variety. Daily my Facebook feed during this election was flooded with OFL "Memes" with members holding signs that said "Stop Hudak". Nothing about austerity, unemployment, privatization or the need to reduce income inequality.

If the labour movement wants to promote its issues, it needs to promote its issues. The problem with that of course is that actually spending real money on the stuff that Syd and people like Syd talk about at meetings with unionists, activists or in press releases, and raising public conscience about diverserse issues such as "expanded workplace rights, good pensions for all, and concrete measures to address youth unemployment, curb the rise of precarious work, reduce income inequality, and stem the tide of austerity once and for all," would have meant impugning the Liberals, and their austerity budget.

None of that seemed of interest to the OFL, during the actual campaign. So, no, they did not "stay on course". They are returning to this theme after a month and a half of embarassing themselves as political amateurs and dupes who have just played their part in delivering a majority mandate for the Liberals so that they can pursue their austerity politics, cut social service, and use public funds to fund private profit.

In fact they have endorsed "austerity".

The central theme of what the ad put out by the "Working Families Coalition" might have been penned by the ONDP with the names changed: "We can't trust Tim Hudak with our future," basically what Horwath said about Wynne when she declined the budget, but of course that kind of thing in the hands of Horwath is really campaigning on "right-wing" morality arguments.

Indeed, your latest is just a re-run of the same kind of hypocrisy that has been thematic in the so called "left-critique" of the ONDP, attacking ONDP for opportunistically "watering down" its election campaign platform for public consumption, while applauding the OFL and "Working Families" for offering absolutely no policy content advertizing, other than attack ads about how Tim Hudak is untrsustworthy, and how scandalously bad was his math.

The only unions that raised real issues in the campaign were those that liberated themselves from cheap "for against" politics. ATU113 managed to get privatization on the agenda during the first days of the election, and OPSEU pounded anti-austerity themes in all of their material, throughout.

OFL, and Working Families, offered no policy content whatsoever, apparently in their search to win "friends in high places" who they now have to plead with in the most embarassing terms.

Sun, 2014-06-15 12:21

#139

arielc

I felt that for the first time, the NDP approached the topic of how to encourage the healthy economy needed to support ...
[i] "expanded workplace rights, good pensions for all, and concrete measures to address youth unemployment, curb the rise of precarious work, reduce income inequality, and stem the tide of austerity once and for all," [/i]

It's easy for a party with no real hope of holding power to pander to such demands in hollow rhetoric, but much more difficult for such a party to actually address the economic sector support and initiatives neededto create the economy that can support the jobs, taxes and other conditions necessary.

Andrea took a first step in that direction, responding to party supporters from the young green entrepreneur community who are a new wave of NDP'rs.

I don't think she got it wrong, and she didn't lose support overall.
She may have lost some support from some wealthy 'socialists' who like to 'give' to the poor, who don't comprehend the reality that a certain amount of industry - greed for the green - is fundamentally necessary in order to implement socially progressive democracy.

I think the NDP has a lot of work to do to present a balanced policy book that addresses both income and expenditures, to become a viable choice as government.
Andrea sees that, and also sees the needs and potential of the small business sector to fuel the vision. A good first step, imo. A good leader has to not only chase the economic sector for money, but lead economic growth.

Sun, 2014-06-15 13:33

#140

Rokossovsky

Discussion definitely needs to go beyond expenditures. The argument that the Liberal budget was the "most progressive in years" rested entirely on the proposed expenditures, not on where the money was coming from. Selling off profitable crown corporations of quick cash for a few "progressive" initiatives will hamper the ability of future generations to make simillar commitments to the social realm.

Now, with a majority conservative neo-liberal government in power, its open season for those who want to direct public money toward private profit.

Sun, 2014-06-15 17:52

#141

Unionist

Aristotleded24 wrote:

Unionist wrote:
Pogo wrote:

Perhaps you should look at how others see you, not how the rose coloured glasses that you look upon yourself with.

Ok, thanks, I'll try that. Such helpful advice. I am a worker and a trade union activist. I am one of many. Me and my gang, we have each other's back. Thanks again for cautioning me about the colour of my glasses. Oh, and fuck those who betray our cause, starting with Andrea Horwath and her hangers on.

This from someone who while claiming the mantle of the moral arbiter of the left-wing movement while having no problem responding to disagreements with name-calling in the most vicious, vitriolic fashion?

Sure.

Just because you consider me as the moral arbiter of the left-wing movement, doesn't mean I see myself that way.

For your information, this thread is about the trade union movement's stands and actions in Ontario in the last month. I rarely agree with where the leaders of the largest unions are going. It's a decades-long fight within my own union and union federation (FTQ).

But geez, this time, they got it right:

1. They criticized Horwath for her incomprehensible rejection of the Liberal budget, without even offering to negotiate with Wynne.

2. They reminded Horwath of the demands which the unions had made of governments (primarily the fight against austerity, the pension plan, etc.) - surely not believing at the time (May 2) that Horwath would drop most of these demands in mid-campaign (May 22) and start fighting against "corruption" and "waste" instead (what a dork).

3. They initiated a campaign to STOP HUDAK. And they won.

You don't like me calling Horwath "vicious, vitriolic" names? But it's ok to call Sid Ryan an "idiot"??

I think they've both got tough hides.

Sun, 2014-06-15 18:08

#142

Pogo

Unionist wrote:

Pogo wrote:

Perhaps you should look at how others see you, not how the rose coloured glasses that you look upon yourself with.

Ok, thanks, I'll try that. Such helpful advice. I am a worker and a trade union activist. I am one of many. Me and my gang, we have each other's back. Thanks again for cautioning me about the colour of my glasses. Oh, and fuck those who betray our cause, starting with Andrea Horwath and her hangers on.

Is Debater part of your gang? He sure refers to your posts all the time to support his position.

Sun, 2014-06-15 18:09

#143

josh

What a fucking moron.

Stay classy.

Sun, 2014-06-15 20:33

#144

Rokossovsky

What Labour leaders actually said about what Sid Ryan called the most progressive budget in years:

CUPE President:

“... throw thousands out of work and cut services that our communities rely on.”

ETFO President:

"...squeeze the wages of most public service workers..."

OSSTF President:

"...austerity is alive and well in Ontario when it comes to public education..."

OPSEU Statment

"Ontario’s public sector is grossly underfunded, the Wynne Liberals are determined to maintain Ontario’s last-place status. To do this, the Budget proposed an “annual program review savings target” to cut even more."

Sun, 2014-06-15 20:51

#145

Rokossovsky

Unionist wrote:
1. They criticized Horwath for her incomprehensible rejection of the Liberal budget, without even offering to negotiate with Wynne.

False.

Ryan did not say that Horwath should negotiate anything with Wynne. He said nothing of the sort. He argued that the ONDP should support it. There is nothing in the OFL press release that says anything about negotiation.

Sid Ryan used his position at the OFL to misrepresent the position of the vast majority of labour leaders, none of who expressed opinions in anyway similar to Ryan, when he called it "the most progressive budget in years".

Ryan endorsed the budget, and recomended that the ONDP support it.

Unionist wrote:
2. They reminded Horwath of the demands which the unions had made of governments (primarily the fight against austerity, the pension plan, etc.) - surely not believing at the time (May 2) that Horwath would drop most of these demands in mid-campaign (May 22) and start fighting against "corruption" and "waste" instead (what a dork).

The OFL immediately abandoned any of these demands long before Horwath presented her platform, going with the "Stop Hudak" campaign, rather thean raising any issues that might impugn his support for the budget he deemed "progressive".

Unionist wrote:
3. They initiated a campaign to STOP HUDAK. And they won.

Giving a clear mandate to the Ontario Liberals to carry out the austerity agenda laid out in the budget the OFL endorsed, because they campaigned against Hudak, not austerity.

Thanks to these guys Ontario voters and unionists now believe they are getting a progressive government.

It is a lie. They now how to paint this strategic loss as a victory because they defeated Hudak. But in fact they have just given a huge austerity mandate to the Liberals.

When the full weight of Sid Ryan's foolishness in using the offices of the OFL to endorse an austerity budget, and an austerity government come to flower in the next year, he will be out on his ass.

Tue, 2014-06-17 08:23

#146

Unionist

Robyn Benson, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada:

[url=http://www.aec-cea.ca/2014/06/dodging-a-bullet-in-ontario.html]Dodging a bullet in Ontario[/url]

Quote:
The June 12 Ontario election was a watershed moment for Ontario--and for the rest of the country, too. Tim Hudak and his conservative platform was overwhelmingly rejected. [...]

Voters overwhelmingly rejected the package--austerity for everyone but the rich, and extremist anti-labour measures.

The hard work, determination and organizing skills of Ontario unions and the Ontario Federation of Labour deserve special mention. It led an all-out effort across the province to reject Hudak and his agenda, and there were countless volunteers on the ground. In fact, the cooperation and coordination of the labour movement to get their members to the polls, should serve as an example of what has to be done across the country when the 2015 federal election rolls around.

The people of Ontario have spoken. That's a welcome sign. But let's be cautious.

The job of the labour movement will be to hold Kathleen Wynne's feet to the fire. Ontarians voted for a promised provincial pension plans, higher wages for personal care workers, and child care staff, and for a minimum wage that keeps pace with inflation. The Liberals may have moved to the left for the election, as they often do. It's our job to make sure that the promises are kept and that we can push the province, and the country, further left in the future.

Wed, 2014-06-18 02:24

#147

Rokossovsky

Even with a majority, we can force change

Warren Thomas wrote:
The tough work comes from how to do these things all at once. Saving and spending are tough to do without borrowing. Herein is the threat to OPSEU members and public services. To get to this target, Wynne will turn to asset sales, private public partnerships, asset recycling and all the other programs that pass these days for privatization.

This threat exists across all OPSEU Divisions, from the LCBO to the smallest community agency or non-profit. Business groups think they can profit from licensing, blood collection, children’s services, education, alcohol sales, inspection, health care, mental health and many other services. This government may think it is good to lease or sell existing public services to the private sector at a price, and then allow the service to be provided with a profit margin added. That profit will then flow to the private sector for an extended period.

Wed, 2014-06-18 02:37

#148

Rokossovsky

Sid jumped the shark and endorsed the Liberal budget. Now it will be re-introduced. He will wear everything that flows from that. Damage control or no damage control. Cheap pronouncements about victories against near illusory threats in favour of illusory comforts, will not change that.

He can't even blame the ONDP because he wanted them to pass it without changes. No need for an election: "what's the rush", he said.

Wed, 2014-06-18 09:36

#149

mark_alfred

Wynne was on CBC's Metro Morning today, already hinting that they'll impose contracts on the public service unions. Her statements were along the line of We respect collective bargaining, but there is no money*. Which to my ears anyway means they she plans to repeat the same actions that they did with teachers not so long ago. Which is in line with the freezes that were called for in "the most progressive budget in years".

*of course, if, as the NDP suggested, the Libs were willing to raise corporate taxes, then there would be some money. Libs would rather pick on unions than have corporations pay closer to their fair share, though.

Thu, 2014-06-19 03:47

#150

onlinediscountanvils

David Bush: [url=http://rankandfile.ca/2014/06/18/hudaks-gone-but-the-austerity-agenda-re...’s Gone But The Austerity Agenda Remains[/url]

The task for the left and labour is to fight the urge to demobilize what was fundamentally an anti-austerity movement. We must recognize that in terms of orientation, working class militants are fragmented into various camps: those that still remained with the NDP, those who strategically voted, and those who stayed home. The first camp still is the largest layer of union activists. Those in the GTA who are rightfully doom and gloom about the NDP must also look outside Toronto and recognize why large sections of the working class in northern and southwestern Ontario haven’t broken from the party.

The immediate task for union activists and other leftists will be figuring out ways to unite these fragments through organizing. The $14/hour minimum wage campaign, Stop Line 9 and the fight to Save Canada Post are just some campaigns that can push labour and the left away from complacency and petty squabbles and towards mobilization. Hudak was stopped but the austerity train is still full steam ahead.

Fri, 2014-06-20 17:44

#151

Unionist

[url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1376801/unifor-leader-challenges-opseu-s... leader challenges OPSEU's Smokey Thomas[/url]

Quote:

TORONTO, June 20, 2014 /CNW/ - Today Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, reiterated his belief that the union's decision to support strategic voting was in the best interest of working people and communities in Ontario.

Responding to OPSEU leader Smokey Thomas's allegations that union leaders who backed Liberals had been "played" and "sold their souls", Dias said: "There is no question that our members' decision to do everything possible to prevent the election of Conservative Tim Hudak was the smart and responsible thing to do. As a result of our decision, we protected 100 000 public service jobs and workers' rights that Hudak was bent on destroying."

"Frankly, it is because of Unifor and other labour organizations that thousands of OPSEU members still have jobs," said Dias. "No wonder, so many public service workers have thanked Unifor for our leadership."

Dias also expressed his concern that prior to the election Thomas had proposed to the Wynne Liberals that the government sell the LCBO to OPSEU's pension plan and its private sector partner. "Privatization of the LCBO would mean thousands of OPSEU members would be out of a job - and the people of Ontario would lose a valuable public asset. What in the world is going on when the head of OPSEU is secretly calling for privatization?" challenged Dias.

Dias noted that Premier Kathleen Wynne announced earlier in the week that she would not be legislating wage restraint in the public service or broader public service. "The Premier reiterated her commitment to the collective bargaining process. Hopefully, when Thomas gets to the table he will have the vision, leadership and skill to represent his members well," said Dias. "But it's no surprise his members are feeling worried about whether he has savvy and commitment to do that."

Unifor stressed that it is determined to push the Wynne government to ensure its healthcare workers get the wage and benefit increases they desperately need and deserve.

"We are under no illusion that we will have to work very hard to ensure the Wynne government does what is in the best interest of working people and Ontario communities," said Dias. "But we feel confident that we can do that - and we know for certain, that we are all far better off negotiating with Kathleen Wynne than Tim Hudak," stressed Dias.

"Smokey" indeed.

Ontario Federation of Labour calls for adoption of "most progressive budget" in years

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