August 27, 2011 A New Form of Communication
Dear Editor;
Jack Layton has left us, but not his message of hope and his passion for the youth of Canada. In an event that engaged young people in our region in a celebration of social justice that honored Jack’s message and passion Unionrocks, the Grey-Bruce Labour Council and OPSEU 260 brought the band “Anti-Flag” and three local bands to the Harb in Owen Sound on August 25th.
To entertain, to fundraise and to raise awareness would be a few reasons that musical festivals are put on by dedicated volunteers. The event at the Harb accomplished all of the foregoing, but it is set apart by a call to action by the bands and the promoters and supporters; a call for appreciation and a clear recognition that the collective good of people is the most important aspect in society and far out strips the current societal infatuation with feral and uncontrolled capitalism.
Unionrocks was the keystone to the event, but Unionrocks is in fact translating a new language. The future of the Labour Movement, progressive politics and a just society is already in the hands of our young people, but often what is missed is how to reach the hearts and minds of these very people. Unionrocks, headed up and founded by Brad Drake and supported by the youth in our region and the Labour Council, has found one of the very best ways to engage the future of the Movement. This was ably demonstrated on August 25th and in fact the integration of youth, socially responsible music and socially responsible organizations like the NDP, the Labour Council and Unionrocks may well be the way to engage the next wave of activists. Although the music is different the activists of 40 years ago found strength and support in some of the music of the day. Neil Young, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, to name a few artists spoke of the spirit of protest and told the world of the oppressive policies of past governments that hurt and killed many from Kent State to Vietnam.
For decades Unions and organizations have approached social activism with vigor, and tools we have become accustomed too, and many victories for working people have been won this way. The time is upon us to use the lessons of the last four or five decades and hand in hand with the young people of today ,in a way that makes sense to them, attack the social disparities of today’s society. Unionrocks is forging a new way of communication and in fact it will be the integration of music and youth going forward that will put those in our movement today to work with a new wave of activists to take back our society from irresponsible corporations and the right wing legislative agenda that diminishes all humanity for the benefit of the very few.
In a week where, Jack Layton, one of the most influential Canadian voices for fairness and social justice left us one festival or celebration of convictions and beliefs that would have made Jack smile still took place and it took place in our own backyard. We need hope that there is a quality future for our young people, that there will be strong middle class and that the collective good of all, including a strong and vibrant trade union movement will be clearly in our future.
Many thanks to all who made the concert a success,
Dave Trumble, President Grey-Bruce Labour Council
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Credibility and Credit Ratings
Aug. 6, 2011
“American credit rating to AA+ instead of AAA”; too bad the ratings agency of Standard and Poor’s does not rate credibility! The place that America finds itself in, and sadly many of America’s friends, has much more to with credibility than credit worthiness. Supported in priciple by the other two horsemen of the apocalypse of the middle class, Thatcher and Mulroney, Ronald Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers in America for going on strike in 1981. Of course Reagan chose to take no notice of any issues that the controllers may have had, but behaved without conscience and the action predicted the ensuing 30 years of attacks on workers and public services.
Spawned from this behavior is free trade where corporations have more rights than people, IMF and World Bank policies that force privatization of public services in countries before lifesaving financial aid is provided, the belief that the only thing that matters is the free market, the purchase of the media to create a hospitable place for governments, corporations and the rich to attack the rights of the middle class and unions, the empowerment of organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that have in reality no real reason to attack their middle class customers or unions but have been swept up in the decades of needless attacks and unnecessary mudslinging and amongst a list far too long for this letter a list of politicians such as Bush and Bush, Gingrich, Harper, Harris and even those that pretended to have a social conscience like Blair. Of course left of this list are the plethora radio personalities such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who have made a living by doing nothing other spewing venom that serves the interest of the right and no one else.
If credibility were the measure by which a nation’s credit rating was established a lot of problems would exist for countries married to this mantra created 30 years ago. AA+ would very likely be but a hopeful target as the countries married to free trade and the free market have pronounced for thirty years that prosperity will abound if the free market is left to regulate itself and workers are provided no avenue to protect themselves or the pensions they have contributed to for a lifetime of work. Well for those that believe that economic prosperity is around the corner due to the free market perhaps you can loan 700 Billion dollars to the people who have been without work for years, can’t even hope for the slightest chance of dignity in retirement as companies and governments rape pension plans in some ridiculous battle cry of austerity and to name but one more of an endless list: hope for a better life for their children.
Well, we could hope that the equivalent 700 Billion dollars in the US and billions elsewhere that was found to line the pockets of the architects of the most recent economic meltdown in the US and around the world could be found to help families and workers, but this is not likely as those that are “one” with the policies of deregulation, privatization, free trade and free market are seemingly immune to the calls for help from the very people who for some reason keep electing them. Yes, credibility would be a good measure of credit worthiness and that credibility would only see it’s way back to AAA when elected officials acted truthfully and thoughtfully on behalf of all people and when the people that actually have the power took the time to vote in people that put all of us ahead of the very plans that were laid out for all to see when the three horsemen of the middle class apocalypse began their mission of destroying the middle class and trade unionism.
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
“American credit rating to AA+ instead of AAA”; too bad the ratings agency of Standard and Poor’s does not rate credibility! The place that America finds itself in, and sadly many of America’s friends, has much more to with credibility than credit worthiness. Supported in priciple by the other two horsemen of the apocalypse of the middle class, Thatcher and Mulroney, Ronald Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers in America for going on strike in 1981. Of course Reagan chose to take no notice of any issues that the controllers may have had, but behaved without conscience and the action predicted the ensuing 30 years of attacks on workers and public services.
Spawned from this behavior is free trade where corporations have more rights than people, IMF and World Bank policies that force privatization of public services in countries before lifesaving financial aid is provided, the belief that the only thing that matters is the free market, the purchase of the media to create a hospitable place for governments, corporations and the rich to attack the rights of the middle class and unions, the empowerment of organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that have in reality no real reason to attack their middle class customers or unions but have been swept up in the decades of needless attacks and unnecessary mudslinging and amongst a list far too long for this letter a list of politicians such as Bush and Bush, Gingrich, Harper, Harris and even those that pretended to have a social conscience like Blair. Of course left of this list are the plethora radio personalities such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck who have made a living by doing nothing other spewing venom that serves the interest of the right and no one else.
If credibility were the measure by which a nation’s credit rating was established a lot of problems would exist for countries married to this mantra created 30 years ago. AA+ would very likely be but a hopeful target as the countries married to free trade and the free market have pronounced for thirty years that prosperity will abound if the free market is left to regulate itself and workers are provided no avenue to protect themselves or the pensions they have contributed to for a lifetime of work. Well for those that believe that economic prosperity is around the corner due to the free market perhaps you can loan 700 Billion dollars to the people who have been without work for years, can’t even hope for the slightest chance of dignity in retirement as companies and governments rape pension plans in some ridiculous battle cry of austerity and to name but one more of an endless list: hope for a better life for their children.
Well, we could hope that the equivalent 700 Billion dollars in the US and billions elsewhere that was found to line the pockets of the architects of the most recent economic meltdown in the US and around the world could be found to help families and workers, but this is not likely as those that are “one” with the policies of deregulation, privatization, free trade and free market are seemingly immune to the calls for help from the very people who for some reason keep electing them. Yes, credibility would be a good measure of credit worthiness and that credibility would only see it’s way back to AAA when elected officials acted truthfully and thoughtfully on behalf of all people and when the people that actually have the power took the time to vote in people that put all of us ahead of the very plans that were laid out for all to see when the three horsemen of the middle class apocalypse began their mission of destroying the middle class and trade unionism.
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
Saturday, July 2, 2011
A July 1st Canada Day Letter
One-hundred and forty four birthdays is nothing to be trifled about. After all in that time a nation was built. The nation’s history is not only the 144 years since confederation, but it is the history of the First Nations Peoples who were here for millennia before confederation. For a very large part of the 144 years since confederation the well being of the entire society was a priority. It is also my understanding of First Nations peoples that the well being of the entire society is a priority.
I am extremely proud to be a Canadian and I know I have a lot of company. In our history we have given the world medical and technical breakthroughs, amazing statesmen, the lives of our sons and daughters as we never shirked the call to fight the good fight and for much of our existence the visible record of trying to make our home the envy of the world. In that struggle to be the envy of the world Canadian workers and a progressive political inclination secured sound legislation that entrenched rights for all people that enhanced their work and personal life and empowered people. Further to that this same inclination said let’s be good member of the community of nations, but we must take the same collective will that built the nation and translate it into ensuring the collective well being.
In reflecting on Canada on the 144th birthday of confederation we abound with nature’s gifts, wonderful people and a pride in our identity that is as strong as any. What seems to be missing is the collective good as a priority. Legislatively we are subject to needless attacks on public sector workers and unions who have managed to bargain a piece of the wealth while those that are in the non-unionized workforce attack these same people instead of embracing their recipe for success and demanding their rights to unionize and bargain collectively. Somewhat contrary, in my opinion, to the foundations that Canada was forged by there seems this recent inclination to push for the rights of the few compared to securing and enhancing the rights and well being of the collective body of the country. No clearer example of this exists in electing Harper in Ottawa, Ford in Toronto and perhaps Hudak in Ontario. Each of these married to the failed policies that caused the most recent global economic meltdown and each is vociferous proponent of attacks on workers and the rights of workers.
If we all take a minute to think of our roots in the weeks after our July 1st celebration and in this light seek to abandon the free market mentality that seeks out survival of the fittest and destroys an inherent civility that has existed from our earliest days and instead look to support and empower each other then the time of collective well being should hopefully return and we once again will ourselves aim to tell the world that we are the envy of all who gaze upon us.
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
I am extremely proud to be a Canadian and I know I have a lot of company. In our history we have given the world medical and technical breakthroughs, amazing statesmen, the lives of our sons and daughters as we never shirked the call to fight the good fight and for much of our existence the visible record of trying to make our home the envy of the world. In that struggle to be the envy of the world Canadian workers and a progressive political inclination secured sound legislation that entrenched rights for all people that enhanced their work and personal life and empowered people. Further to that this same inclination said let’s be good member of the community of nations, but we must take the same collective will that built the nation and translate it into ensuring the collective well being.
In reflecting on Canada on the 144th birthday of confederation we abound with nature’s gifts, wonderful people and a pride in our identity that is as strong as any. What seems to be missing is the collective good as a priority. Legislatively we are subject to needless attacks on public sector workers and unions who have managed to bargain a piece of the wealth while those that are in the non-unionized workforce attack these same people instead of embracing their recipe for success and demanding their rights to unionize and bargain collectively. Somewhat contrary, in my opinion, to the foundations that Canada was forged by there seems this recent inclination to push for the rights of the few compared to securing and enhancing the rights and well being of the collective body of the country. No clearer example of this exists in electing Harper in Ottawa, Ford in Toronto and perhaps Hudak in Ontario. Each of these married to the failed policies that caused the most recent global economic meltdown and each is vociferous proponent of attacks on workers and the rights of workers.
If we all take a minute to think of our roots in the weeks after our July 1st celebration and in this light seek to abandon the free market mentality that seeks out survival of the fittest and destroys an inherent civility that has existed from our earliest days and instead look to support and empower each other then the time of collective well being should hopefully return and we once again will ourselves aim to tell the world that we are the envy of all who gaze upon us.
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Canadian Labour Movement in 2011
May 9th to May 13th, 2011 witnessed the tri-annual constitutional convention of the Canadian Labour Congress and the record of that convention is part of many postings and documents throughout the world by now. The purpose of this blog is not to duplicate this, but is to remind Canadians that outside of the variety of reporting that is open to viewing the voices of 3.2 million Canadian Workers have been heard through the delegates in attendance. No one can say that the Trade Unionists that attended agreed on any every single point, but that in itself is a plus in that this debate defines the passion of those that attended.
The delegates that participated debated policy documents such as Good Jobs for All, Reclaiming our Space and Building on our Success; Mobilizing for our Future and many resolutions that talk to all manner of socially responsible initiative. The process of debate to arrive at a direction for the congress, the union affiliates and the workers represented within is clearly a departure from the corporate establishment and their political affiliations. Within the structures aligned with the corporate establishment debate is discouraged and in fact their direction is usually based on a dictatorial process with little or no socially responsible tilt unless it is done so for the express purpose of hiding another more malevolent agenda.
Hot on the heels of electing a conservative majority federal government by a minority of Canadians and electing a progressive official opposition in unprecedented numbers the assembled delegates are under no illusions of the work that lay before them. One hundred and two New Democratic Members of Federal Parliament will ensure that for the first time in history that the recent complicity of liberal and conservative philosophy will be unable to hide the heinous and despicable agenda that will negatively affect working people throughout Canada. The delegates to the convention know that the conservative policies will be of no value to workers and will only work to aid and abet corporate Canada. In this context little was uttered in the convention hall that was not prefaced with how tough the next four years will be with such regressive individuals as Harper, Baird and Flaherty in the legislative driver's seat. In other words, we are entering the future according to the philosophy of fear, aggression, union bashing, and needless attacks on social programs, secrecy and just about any other thing that is contrary to what Canada and Canada's reputation was built on.
Organized Labour has always had at its core the desire to be inclusive and to ensure that no one is left behind and the convention delegates never once veered from this core set of values. It is with commitment to these values that the delegates did all they could to set a path for the next three years that will try and bring socially responsible balance to the national scene of conservative policies that will no doubt hurt workers and to set forth an action plan to make protection of worker's rights and the vulnerable in our society as much of a reality as possible.
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
The delegates that participated debated policy documents such as Good Jobs for All, Reclaiming our Space and Building on our Success; Mobilizing for our Future and many resolutions that talk to all manner of socially responsible initiative. The process of debate to arrive at a direction for the congress, the union affiliates and the workers represented within is clearly a departure from the corporate establishment and their political affiliations. Within the structures aligned with the corporate establishment debate is discouraged and in fact their direction is usually based on a dictatorial process with little or no socially responsible tilt unless it is done so for the express purpose of hiding another more malevolent agenda.
Hot on the heels of electing a conservative majority federal government by a minority of Canadians and electing a progressive official opposition in unprecedented numbers the assembled delegates are under no illusions of the work that lay before them. One hundred and two New Democratic Members of Federal Parliament will ensure that for the first time in history that the recent complicity of liberal and conservative philosophy will be unable to hide the heinous and despicable agenda that will negatively affect working people throughout Canada. The delegates to the convention know that the conservative policies will be of no value to workers and will only work to aid and abet corporate Canada. In this context little was uttered in the convention hall that was not prefaced with how tough the next four years will be with such regressive individuals as Harper, Baird and Flaherty in the legislative driver's seat. In other words, we are entering the future according to the philosophy of fear, aggression, union bashing, and needless attacks on social programs, secrecy and just about any other thing that is contrary to what Canada and Canada's reputation was built on.
Organized Labour has always had at its core the desire to be inclusive and to ensure that no one is left behind and the convention delegates never once veered from this core set of values. It is with commitment to these values that the delegates did all they could to set a path for the next three years that will try and bring socially responsible balance to the national scene of conservative policies that will no doubt hurt workers and to set forth an action plan to make protection of worker's rights and the vulnerable in our society as much of a reality as possible.
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Closing Jails In Owen Sound and Walkerton
Like it was yesterday! I remember Dalton McGuinty saying on the night he was first elected that he was going to treat the public service with respect; the respect it had so lacked under the Mike Harris regime of "scorched earth". Here we are years later and McGuinty has heaped out a lot of respect. Not much of it towards the public service and the thousands of employees that provide the services that many of us need everyday, but respect nonetheless.
McGuinty has respected corporations through billions of dollars in tax cuts that don't create jobs. He has respected Samsung and sold off jobs for Canadians in the energy sector. He has respected unfair trade deals that provide a "no" manufacturing jobs strategy for Ontario. He has respected the lack of democracy in legislation that prevents people from fighting against the location of wind farms. He has respected replacement in that he stood up against anti-replacement worker (scabs) legislation. He has respected legislation that may remove from workers the very ability to receive instruction in matters of health and safety from workers and amongst the many dollops of respect he has handed out he has now handed out respect for short term financial gain and decided to pound rural Ontario again by closing down jails in Walkerton and Owen Sound.
Although Tim Hudak should scare us all, McGuinty's future for Ontario is seemingly no less bleak in some respects. Tell McGuinty to live up to a couple of his promises and that one of them needs to be respect for the public service and hopefully that will translate into hope for rural Ontario. McGuinty needs to be told that his choices are just wrong and if we can't reach him through fighting back right now, lets tell him and the scary alternative (Hudak) that we don't trust either of them and in October lets get Ontario to a place where perhaps the progressive alternatives in the legislature will have the balance of power.
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
McGuinty has respected corporations through billions of dollars in tax cuts that don't create jobs. He has respected Samsung and sold off jobs for Canadians in the energy sector. He has respected unfair trade deals that provide a "no" manufacturing jobs strategy for Ontario. He has respected the lack of democracy in legislation that prevents people from fighting against the location of wind farms. He has respected replacement in that he stood up against anti-replacement worker (scabs) legislation. He has respected legislation that may remove from workers the very ability to receive instruction in matters of health and safety from workers and amongst the many dollops of respect he has handed out he has now handed out respect for short term financial gain and decided to pound rural Ontario again by closing down jails in Walkerton and Owen Sound.
Although Tim Hudak should scare us all, McGuinty's future for Ontario is seemingly no less bleak in some respects. Tell McGuinty to live up to a couple of his promises and that one of them needs to be respect for the public service and hopefully that will translate into hope for rural Ontario. McGuinty needs to be told that his choices are just wrong and if we can't reach him through fighting back right now, lets tell him and the scary alternative (Hudak) that we don't trust either of them and in October lets get Ontario to a place where perhaps the progressive alternatives in the legislature will have the balance of power.
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sisters and Brothers in Japanese Nuclear Plants
The events taking place in the Japanese Nuclear plants are not to be minimized and to do so would dishonor our sisters and brothers working to bring the plants into a controlled state. Despite all this thousands of dedicated and trained professionals maintain and operate close to 400 plants the world over and do so to support energy demand the world over while offering the best alternative to fossil fuels and providing economical base load generation. Hopefully the media will get this message and begin objective reporting of the situation in Japan's plants.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Elections, Get the facts
Dear Editor;
It is natural for the party in power to garner most of the attention of the media and the letter writers and in the case of the Ontario liberals, who have (amongst a litany of mistakes) done deep and significant damage to rural healthcare, manufacturing jobs and foisted the ill conceived green energy act on the citizens of Ontario, they should expect no less consideration.
Now that an election year is upon us in Ontario it is not likely to be very long before the campaign noise gets very loud. In the early part of this year I have noted what to me should be a concern for anyone that can remember the Harris years in Ontario; I get a sense that people are entirely focused on any alternative to McGuinty. Just as a reminder, the Harris years embodied, to name but a few items, the destruction of vast public services, the sell off of public institutions, attacks on worker rights on an almost daily basis, attacks on the poor, appalling funding cuts to education, the attempted destruction of universal and public healthcare and a variety of manufactured crisis.
I am no fan of the McGuinty liberals, but remain steadfastly concerned that the Hudak conservatives are in all likelihood a through back to the Harris years (Wisconsin mean anything to anyone?). I can't offer a political suggestion that answers all concerns, but in what will be the ever increasing noise level of a campaign year please don't ever forget that at least as many of the McGuinty disasters were empowered by the travesty that was the Harris tories as they were of their own making and design. When at long last we make the trip to the ballot box be the person who understands what the parties stand for and be the one who has asked about energy, hospitals, jobs, pensions, schools, worker rights, etc.. By the way, not bad advice if the federal election heads our way in the next while.
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
It is natural for the party in power to garner most of the attention of the media and the letter writers and in the case of the Ontario liberals, who have (amongst a litany of mistakes) done deep and significant damage to rural healthcare, manufacturing jobs and foisted the ill conceived green energy act on the citizens of Ontario, they should expect no less consideration.
Now that an election year is upon us in Ontario it is not likely to be very long before the campaign noise gets very loud. In the early part of this year I have noted what to me should be a concern for anyone that can remember the Harris years in Ontario; I get a sense that people are entirely focused on any alternative to McGuinty. Just as a reminder, the Harris years embodied, to name but a few items, the destruction of vast public services, the sell off of public institutions, attacks on worker rights on an almost daily basis, attacks on the poor, appalling funding cuts to education, the attempted destruction of universal and public healthcare and a variety of manufactured crisis.
I am no fan of the McGuinty liberals, but remain steadfastly concerned that the Hudak conservatives are in all likelihood a through back to the Harris years (Wisconsin mean anything to anyone?). I can't offer a political suggestion that answers all concerns, but in what will be the ever increasing noise level of a campaign year please don't ever forget that at least as many of the McGuinty disasters were empowered by the travesty that was the Harris tories as they were of their own making and design. When at long last we make the trip to the ballot box be the person who understands what the parties stand for and be the one who has asked about energy, hospitals, jobs, pensions, schools, worker rights, etc.. By the way, not bad advice if the federal election heads our way in the next while.
In Solidarity
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
http://www.greybrucelabour.com/
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