2012 In Review

Another year is drawing to a close and tradition insists that 2012 is up for review. The year is bracketed by two hopeful events. The first of these events was the rally by thousands of workers and the efforts of trade unions in January in support of sustaining the jobs at London’s Electro-Motive plant and in support of the Charter right to free collective bargaining. These efforts fell to the destructive forces of neo-liberalism, unbridled greed and globalization. The end of year and ongoing event, with the outcome still ahead of us, is the “Idle No More” campaign. In light of this First Nations lead campaign the face of seeking social justice and a civil society may change forever. Unions have witnessed the significant successes of government, corporate forces and right wing extremist media working tirelessly to disenfranchise workers and the union representatives that work in the interests of all workers. Some of the rallying cries of the attacks on workers in 2012 were austerity, pensions, public service employee compensation, right to work, return to work legislation, bill 115 and bill 377. Regan, Thatcher and Mulroney represent the pioneers of the modern day method of governing by ideology and the politics of division instead of governing in the collective good. The present day ilk of Regan, Thatcher and Mulroney have far exceeded the move to the right that these well known predecessors could have hoped for and it is in this context that this annual review is done. In 2012 we hear of the likes of Walker of Wisconsin, McGuinty of Ontario, Stephen Harper, Snyder of Michigan and the never ending demands for austerity measures. In looking at this list we see the paradigm shift that now sets 2012 apart. The approach by government and corporations is not to negotiate with workers or meet in the realm of free collective bargaining or try to find anything close to a position where collaboration may be reached. Instead it is, in 2012, to take the most repugnant nature of the right wing belligerently forward by cowardly changing legislation to undermine any and all organizations that may stand in opposition to right wing oppression of the rights of working people and the unions that democratically represent them. In 2012 workers and unions worked very hard to elect people that would work to secure their rights and maybe turn back the attacks. For this effort unions are called undemocratic special interest groups, but when people like the republicans in the Michigan state legislature ram through right to work legislation solely to undermine union membership it is strangely labeled as fair and democratic. If there is a common descriptor of 2012 it is the undeniable effort of the right to secure a perverted version of a future where only the reactionary version of conservatives and republicans survives and the recognition that “The Labour Movement is the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress”, as noted by Martin Luther King, no longer exists. With Wal-Mart workers demanding justice, unions seeking mergers to increase density, teachers fighting bill 115, workers in Michigan pushing back on right to work legislation, workers striving to hold onto collective bargaining rights and workers across the world fighting austerity in 2012 there is always hope that the improvements made in workers lives over the last 150 years won’t be lost. At the end of 2012 let there be no mistake that the goals of the right and many corporations and governments, if not all, is to push the rights that workers enjoy right off the map and to a place where there will no longer be anyone to fight for those rights. Dave Trumble, Kincardine

Grey-Bruce Labour Council Sees Change at Executive

For Immediate Release, May 28th, 2012 Grey-Bruce Labour Council Sees Change at Executive The Grey-Bruce Labour Council, the voice of workers in the Grey-Bruce region for over fifty years, elected a new President, Vice-President and Trustee in a mid-term by-election in Hanover on May 28th, 2012. Affiliate Unions, through their Delegates, supported Hazel-Pratt-Paige (CAW), Brad Drake (UFCW) and Becky Thompson (OPSEU) as newly the elected President, V-P for Grey and Trustee. The by-election was brought about as long standing President Dave Trumble has taken on a new role within the Labour Movement as a Staff Officer within his Union. Gogi Bhandal, CLC Staff, conducted the elections and the Council offers thanks for her dedication and assistance. The remaining Executive positions remain unchanged and are Anna Morrison (OECTA), Kevin MacKay (PWU), Mike Dunn (PWU) and Len Hope (CAW and CURC). Over the weeks leading to this meeting the Council had prepared for the pending leadership change. Past President Dave Trumble who is going to remain a delegate to Council noted that �it is clear that the work of ensuring dignity and respect for working people is sustained in the light of unprecedented attacks from government and corporations will be taken on with commitment and vigor by the new Executive and all Delegates to the Grey-Bruce Labour Council�. Newly elected President Hazel made note of her, Brad�s and Becky�s long standing experience with Labour Council �and with the strength of this rural Council and our Affiliate Unions, Friends and Partners there is little doubt that the entire Grey-Bruce Labour Council Executive and Delegates will remain a very strong voice for workers in our Region�.

Some Labour Council History

As part of the Canadian Labour Congress founding convention in 1956 Labour Councils were established across Canada. One such Labour Council was the Owen Sound and District Labour Council or as known today, the Grey-Bruce Labour Council. In 1956, and for many years after, industry flourished across Canada. Owen Sound was no exception. People found employment, put down roots and middle class lives were established. In addition the trade union movement gained momentum as people recognized that union protection would ensure that while a middle class was growing it would continue to grow as strong union representation ensured fair and equitable distribution of growing wealth. Distribution of the wealth working people created through their labour. Owen Sound and our region benefitted from shipping, manufacturing, growth in the utility sector, technology sector growth, increased public services such as healthcare and education and much more. The foundation of socially responsible and sustainable economies and communities were established and strange as it may seem, all, within a variety of governments and party politics. Throughout this time the Labour Council was a home for working people and although the issues may not be the same as they are today your local labour council gave a community voice to all working people. Clearly businesses and sectors experienced a variety of changes up to the late 1980’s, but the changes reflected nothing more than changes that had effected economies for decades; demographics, technology and demand for example. The late 1980’s began the visible and concerted attack on working people with the first free trade agreement. In short order Ontario lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs to places where people could be easily exploited. Canada lost millions of jobs to the same agreement. Owen Sound was not spared and lost jobs and industries. At the same time the public sector continued to grow as the need for public services was recognized and expanded. Along with this came increased level of unionization in this sector. This was extremely important as it was clear that public sector employees were as easily exploited as there long serving private sector manufacturing counter parts. Attached to this change came the government and media attacks on unions, public services and regulation. Not since the days of Frost in Ontario and King in Ottawa had government made a choice to attack their own people for the singular purpose of enriching corporations and undercutting their right to safe and regulated workplaces. The depth of the attack and the fact that it would be indistinguishable from Liberal to Conservative was also a first, but it became clear that it was about right wing reactionary policies compared to left wing progressive policies. The essence of this process remains unchanged except for its virulence and the addition of the fringe of the right wing that would pull each and every progressive piece of legislation out of existence. What also remains unchanged is the role that Labour Councils have played throughout this entire time. The Councils and the Grey-Bruce Labour Council have, along with every progressive organization, worked to educate people to the harm being done and to work in all aspects of society to push for a legislative framework that supports workers, keeps high paying unionized jobs at home and ensures that no vulnerable person is ever left behind. The Grey-Bruce Labour Council will experience a change in leadership at the end of May and is going to remain true to a clear and strong history of inclusiveness. Your Labour Council will not only work towards the goals noted previously, but will ensure that the workers of our communities and region will have a voice that will be heard from coast to coast if need be. As President of the Grey-Bruce Labour Council for almost all of the period from 1995 to present it is easy to see that the new leadership will not only lead, but innovate and the progressive partnerships will only be enhanced. In Solidarity Dave Trumble, President Grey-Bruce Labour Council

Grey-Bruce Labour Council Reacts to Drummond Recommendations

For Immediate Release, Feb 15 2012
Grey-Bruce Labour Council Reacts to Drummond Recommendations
The Drummond recommendations fail to take into account the history of gross legislative negligence at the federal and provincial level that has put Ontario’s economy in its current state. Drummond claims that in only a couple of years the debt will be so large that the province will not be able to recover and will perhaps succumb to problems no less dramatic than that of Greece.
When the Drummonds of the world and their free market / globalization / deregulation / anti-union / anti worker political allies intentionally look away from the history that they have been an integral part of creating we get recommendations that if boiled down lay the blame squarely at the feet of those that did not make or contribute to the crisis; average workers! The free marketers of the world have destroyed Canada’s manufacturing base and given massive corporate tax cuts and now want to shift their attack to the public services and the workers that are part of a legacy of excellent public services and fair and reasonable treatment of workers that did exist before the introduction of free trade and deregulation.
It is time for a responsible government, if we can find one, to push the Drummonds away and to have the courage to abide by the adage to “do no harm” and in that restore Ontario to a place of prominence by bringing home and protecting manufacturing jobs, by standing behind their people by acting on policy that will protect them and recognize that progressive social policy is far more economically sound over the long run over policy that bows to the agenda of capital.
Mr. McGuinty and Mr. Duncan dump Drummond and embrace for the first time in a decade and a half a policy that honours the social contract with the people of Ontario.
Dave Trumble
President
Grey Bruce Labour Council
519 955 1061

Feb. 11, 2012, For Immediate Release

Feb. 11, 2012, For Immediate Release
Grey-Bruce Labour Council Conducts Planning Session
Caterpillar, Goodyear, Public Services, Pensions, CPP, OAS, Occupy Movement, Union Rocks. Whether it is the reprehensible act of greed perpetrated by Caterpillar, the needless loss of jobs in the former Goodyear plant, the Drummond driven impending attack on our public services, Harper’s failure to understand the need for retirement with dignity for all Canadians, the so much needed direct action of Occupy or Union Rocks elevating the next generation into activism, the Grey-Bruce Labour Council set its course today to ensure that our region will hear loud and clear the voices of “the people”.
For over 50 years the Grey-Bruce Labour Council has been the voice of working people in our region and through the decades of working on behalf of all working people the rights of working people and the public services so critical to our lives have never been at more risk.
Representatives of the Labour Council from CUPE, CAW, OPSEU, OECTA and UFCW worked through a session on the 11th of Feb. to prepare for the struggle to protect Canada’s heritage of social responsibility and to engage the broader community in a region wide coalition to line up against the forces that seek to destroy the jobs and services that support workers.
The details of the planning session align with the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress and will have to be vetted by the entire Labour Council before being committed to action, but as Brad Drake of Union Rocks and a UFCW delegate stated “the days of depending on traditional methods to carry out this work will not get the job done this time. The integration of youth and direct action with our traditional methods along with seeking to increase our density and political influence is the only framework that will lead to success and that success is measured only by one standard; the ability to ensure a fair and equitable of share our wealth to all in our society”.
For More Information
Dave Trumble
President Grey Bruce Labour Council
dtrumble@bmts.com
5199551061

For Immediate Release, Grey-Bruce Labour Council, Feb 4, 2012, Electro-Motive Plant Closure

For Immediate Release, Grey-Bruce Labour Council, Feb 4, 2012, Electro-Motive Plant Closure




Two weeks ago the community, labour, the occupy movement and citizens from all walks of life stood in London in support of workers; not just the workers at Electro-Motive, but the Canadian worker. Yes, the focus was the CAW Members on the picket line, but the workers on the line that day represented every single worker in Canada being wilfully targeted by corporate and government organs and repreresentatives that have made it the purpose of their existence to destroy the ability of workers in Canada and around the world to exercise any form of self defence such as collective bargaining. In Canada it is particularly heinous and despicable as these agents of terror are purposefully undermining the right of Canadian workers to their charter right to free collective barging.



In a week where the former Goodyear plant in Owen Sound announced the closing of it's doors the announcement by Caterpillar cannot help but stir the call to direct action. What form does such action take? Dave Trumble, President of the Grey-Bruce Labour Council and one of many that journeyed to London and stood with USW 818L at the Goodyear plant some years ago believes that this will become only too obvious when in the near future those "left to deal with poverty, illness, injury and the 99% who no longer see the inequality in our society as sustainable take up the call to change the status quo". The battle plan will no doubt exhibit a focus on seeing progressive governments elected, but people should not be surprised if the streets begin to fill up with people that have had enough.



In an interview on Friday Trumble called the actions of Caterpillar and the Harper government sad and despicable. The Grey-Bruce Labour Council will be carrying out a planning session in the next week and will align itself clearly with the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress and the 99% as the time nears to re-establish fairness and equality in Canada.



For Information;

Dave Trumble

President

Grey-Bruce Labour Council

http://www.greybrucelabour.com/

dtrumble@bmts.com

519 955 1061

Letter to the Editor; Re, Former Goodyear Plant to Close

Feb. 1st, 2012
Letter to the Editor; Re, Former Goodyear Plant to Close


Black Lawson Kennedy, Russell Brothers, PPG, Bell Canada Operator Services and now Veyance Technologies (former Goodyear plant) and manufacturer’s too many to name have left Owen Sound or downsized over the years since the early eighties. This does not begin to identify the list of other manufacturing sector jobs and / or well paying public service sector jobs that have left the entire Grey Bruce region since the same time period.

The three conservative horsemen of economic destruction (Mulroney, Regan and Thatcher) ushered in the era of free trade and deregulation and three decades later the conservative mantra set out in those days continues to manifest itself in more an more jobs disappearing across Owen Sound, our region and Canada; millions to be more precise. What troubles progressive people such as Trade Unionists is that 30 some years later and with countless friends and families destroyed or forever financially crippled by job loss that is directly tied to neo conservative legislative policy is why there is one vote cast for the candidates that represent the parties that have legislated into existence the polices and deregulation that facilitate the very loss of this base of work for the working class and the source of middle class and community prosperity.

As we discover more about this latest closure let us not forget that these closures have been underwritten and empowered by neo conservative policy since the 1980’s and if there is one thing we can learn is that unless candidates arrive with progressive platforms, manufacturing jobs strategies and support for public services it is time to unelect the purveyors of economic destruction that are dressed in blue and sometimes red.

Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council