Fake News and the Labour Movement

January 3, 2017 “Fake News” and the Labour Movement There is a possibility that “fake news” may have been a consideration in the recent American election outcome and with its proliferation in many facets of life, “fake news” is currently the subject of talk shows, pundits, etc. There is clear evidence that for some ,fake news may pass for factual news but despite appearances it has no semblance to fact based journalism or source verified news. Through trained journalists carrying out hard nosed journalism, legitimate news reporting and analysis will arrive at conclusions, or at least educated opinions. Hard news and reporting is not designed to please everyone, but there is research, debate and if proven, legitimate publication. People may disagree with resulting opinions and/or outcomes that are reached, but by and large the effort is honest and unmolested, unlike the news reported by the fake news purveyors who exaggerate, misinform, use racism, hate, intolerance, wedge issues and / or corporate dollars to interfere with editorial boards. Wedge issues are a cornerstone of fake news as it demands that readers be drawn into discussions that are, by design, put in place to distract people from the issues that need attention. Intrinsic to the standard for legitimate news is accountability. Before fake news, if a media or journalistic source intentionally set out to mislead there were consequences, such accountability did not necessarily have substantial weight, but could range from subscriber issues to legal action against the source. There exists a vast quantity of media personalities and social media users intentionally providing and/or propagating misleading reports and lies. This may also be multiplied by corporate dollars pressuring their lapdog media outlets and by extension their too often repugnant and regressive on air personalities. Up to this point unfortunately there seems to be no accountability for those delivering fake news. Some fake news has a very long shelf life as it is very well reported. An example of the immediate or obvious issues with fake news is that of American President Barack Obama, despite there not being any verifiable information or conclusive evidence, the birther movement in America sustained the question of his birthplace for several years. Additionally, a subscriber or reader of fake news in America took it upon himself to attempt an armed rescue of children who he believed were being held hostage. Fake news is partially sustained by pandering to a portion of the population, that who, because of their personal convictions wish to believe what is provided and by those who either choose to accept fake news without verifying its legitimacy or sadly for any number of reasons are incapable of determining its authenticity. Fake news owes much to the posting and reposting in the social media world and such actions flow out the same roots of verification and pandering. Keeping fake news alive cannot be solely attributed to the left or the right of the social or political spectrum, but its damage cannot be overstated: Did fake news change the course of an election? It will be more appropriate for historians to debate and decide that. Let us be clear though, provocation is one of the pillars of fake news. There will always be topics that generate strong feelings, fake news is typically aimed at these susceptible topics, the already noted example of the birther issue is one such item. Although fabricated, some people wanted to believe bad things about President Obama, aided solely by endless shares and retweets the purveyors of fake news pushed this as far as possible. Fake news is not limited to misleading information on a global scale, but does evolve into numerous smaller manifestations and will exist by sustaining itself by the same rules as fake news on a global issue, nonetheless it does remains damaging. Examining this more closely we can look at the damage done to the labour movement. The labour movement by its very structure, is inclusive and works for the collective good. However, with a concerted campaign of disinformation about the labour movement that predates the social media amplification of fake news by decades, the damage done by the fake news of today is easily multiplied. The labour movement has been overtly attacked since the Mulroney, Reagan, Thatcher triumvirate of economic horror. The attacks have undermined an entity that works for the good of all workers. This attack, both legislatively and in the media, has aided in the decrease in union membership and backlash towards unionized workers in all sectors. There is a direct relationship between the declining wealth of workers, the strength of the middle class and the decline in union membership. Those that have committed themselves to damaging the labour movement, or any progressive movement for that matter, have a tool that knows no bounds and exists with no known method of accountability. The damage that can be done to the labour movement or any progressive movement is all but limitless. Anytime that progressive movements are vulnerable the entire balance of liberal democracy teeters on the razor’s edge. The labour movement is the last self funded barrier between economic totalitarianism and workers maintaining their rights in the workplace and the damage done before fake news is a malignant cancer eating away at workers’ rights in the workplace. The possible damage that fake news could inflict is now almost incalculable. There are numerous legitimate accusations against fake news and an undermining of workers’ rights is but one. Fake news is used by those wishing to see the labour movement weakened to the point of negligible influence, or perhaps destroyed completely. Along with working within the workplace on behalf of its members, the trade union movement is active in the legislative environment. To remain effective, the density or percentage of unionized workers needs to be enough to bring pressure to bear on employers and on legislators to improve workers’ rights and benefits. Fake news attempts to dress up legislation such as so called “right to work” as something noble in the workplace. In reality “right to work” is a corporate and legislative initiative designed to decrease union density and undermine the effectiveness of the labour movement. Similarly, fake news is being used to pit public sector union members against private sector union members. Fake news reports that public sector union members have somehow been awarded lucrative wages and benefits where private sector union members have been intentionally deprived of similar wages and benefits. Instead of recognizing that the benefits that any union member receives is the result of years of open and fair collective bargaining, ultimately advancing the standard of living and working conditions for every worker, the fake news end game is to pit union member against union member. Fake news is being used to suggest to union members and to the general public that public sector union members receiving these wages and benefits are the reason for government debt issues, when these debt issues are part of government inaction on the loss of manufacturing jobs and the continued habit of providing corporate tax breaks. Left unchecked fake news can be used to undermine any entity. It may alter history and destroy institutions with little chance of recovery. The job ahead of us all, despite the fake news attack is to be responsible well informed citizens, voters, union members and workers. Never forget that the gains of union members elevate the standard of living for all workers. Dave Trumble, VP, Grey Bruce Labour Council

Looking to 2017 for the Grey Bruce Labour Council

The founding convention of the Canadian Labour Congress took place 60 years ago in 1956. That founding convention not only brought together workers from across Canada it also witnessed the chartering of local labour councils across Canada. One such labour council was the Owen Sound and District Labour Council. From 1956 to 1995 the Owen Sound and District Labour Council provided a voice to workers across our region and has proudly continued doing this noble and needed work since 1995 when the name was changed to the Grey-Bruce Labour Council. The new year and the council's 61st continuous year of operation starts the new decade for the Grey-Bruce Labour Council. Labour Councils are the very grassroots of the Labour Movement. Workers at the community or local level are able to work towards the betterment of their members and the entire community through labour council involvement. Even though 2017 represents the start of another decade, the only change will be that the labour council in light of the ongoing attacks on workers' rights and the undermining of communities and pubic services will have to work harder than ever to ensure that workers and their families have safe workplaces, safe communities, adequate public services and the opportunity for a dignified retirement. The January 2017 meeting of the labour council will see a setting of local work priorities along with campaign priorities that will assist with provincial and national goals for the labour and the social justice movements. OPSEU is driving a campaign called "We Own It". The focus is to do all things possible to ensure that our public services are adequately funded and accessible. The Grey-Bruce Labour Council anxiously looks forward to assisting with this campaign. Many unionized workplaces have yet to become active in the Grey-Bruce Labour Council and it will be a priority of the council to reach out to these local unions, federations, lodges, etc. in hopes of involving them in the work of the Labour Council. Looking past the early part of the upcoming year, the labour council will be undertaking the required work to organize no less than three Day of Mourning ceremonies to remember workers killed and injured in the workplace, the awarding of the Robert White Social Justice Awards in June, the Labour Day parade in September and the Activist Awards dinner in November. The Labour Council Affiliates contribute so much to the community and the region through their work in the labour council that the very fabric of our community would be damaged if they were to step back only marginally. As we reach out to the community through the United Way and the Four County Planning Board the labour council hopes to exceed its grasp and make the community and the region all the stronger and better for all citizens.

Labour Council Involvement

Why should your union become involved in the activities of the Grey-Bruce Labour Council? A Labour Council is a local or regional labour central where unions and “like minded” organizations come together to share knowledge and consider and plan activities that will move a socially responsible agenda forward within the community or region where they reside. Unions often need training, information and support. Labour Councils capably provide these services by offering a variety of labour produced courses, information from the Canadian Labour Congress and mutual aid in the event of strike, lockout or lay off. Labour Councils provide delegates to assist and, where seats are designated to Labour, to sit on the board of directors of agencies that provide assistance to members of our community or region that may experience job loss, poverty, abuse and violence, and the many forms of tragedy that unfortunately afflict our society. Local Labour Councils are able to undertake all these activities only because local unions, federations, lodges and associations attend Labour Council meetings and support the local Labour Council. A strong Labour Council is only as strong as the commitment of local unions to become involved with the Labour Council and local unions are only able to access the services of the Labour Council when local unions commit to involvement with the Labour Council.

Municipal Elections

Aug. 10, 2014 Dear Editor; Municipal elections, or the next season of political activity will be upon us this fall. Although municipal candidates and elected officials are often our neighbors and co-workers, municipal elections frequently receive less attention than their provincial and federal counterparts. Being careful to not be over zealous (or politely put, not be a pest to these people) municipal candidates and those elected to municipal office are more accessible than any other politician. Federal or provincial officials are accessible when they are in the riding, but their availability pales relative to how often a resident of a municipality will be able to interact with their councilor, trustee and/or mayor. Participating in or viewing local council meetings or simply being able to quickly access a politician living in the community represents a greatly enhanced ability to educate, influence or debate on an issue or issues that will have immediate impact in the community. With nowhere near the majority of the electorate casting a vote to establish majority provincial or federal governments, the recent trend to less engaged voters is costing Canadians dearly as these governments legislate more and more on behalf of the rich and corporate elite and less and less on behalf of all working Canadians. Municipal elections are not responsible for majority governments, but municipal elections are responsible for elected officials that have immediate impact in their community. Many people in Canada, from union members to anti-poverty activists, work tirelessly to effect change that will stem the profound and devastating damage done to working Canadians by a vast array of provincial and federal governments elected not on their merit, but too often by apathy. Every working Canadian needs to thank these activists, but there is no tool more effective in changing the direction of government policy at all levels than informed voters getting out and voting. There must be no mistake that those executing and planning an agenda contrary to the interests of ordinary Canadians have inexhaustible resources and a never ending supply of ethical decay. Resources that they will use to convince people to vote against their own self interests; self interests such as a decent minimum wage, safe workplaces, workplaces with defined benefit pensions and benefits, the right to organize and more. A certain level of surprise is usually present when people start to come to the realization that municipal elections represent a significant opportunity to engage their municipal officials and to generate changes that will benefit working people. Representing over three million Canadian workers, the Canadian Labour Congress through Union affiliates, progressive organizations and local Labour Councils invests considerable effort in the “Municipalities Matters” campaign. The title of the campaign calls out the tangible changes that voters can make by being engaged in their municipal elections and by voting for candidates with a stated desire to work for progressive change in their communities. There is no level of government except the municipal level where carefully considered votes and involvement with local municipal officials by the electorate will have such a tangible result on setting policy on such profound issues as collective bargaining for municipal workers/police/paramedics/fire and others, establishing policy on items like minimum wage (as has been successfully done in Seattle for example), establishing “buy Canadian” policies, governance for local utilities and even in Kincardine the controversial issues associated with the Deep Geological Repository for low and intermediate waste. Educated voters getting out and voting in every election is hugely important. Perhaps with the knowledge of how important municipal elections are the fall elections will see a significant surge in voter turnout. Who knows, this may translate into a wave of voter engagement and the right wing and the corporations will have considerably less influence on the election outcome. A wave of voter engagement is the biggest fear of right wing governments and the corporate elite. Dave Trumble Kincardine

Re; Column of Thursday May 1, 2014, PC Leader say he’ll be fighting two “NDP leaders in election

When Tim Hudak exposes his astonishing ignorance of the Labour Movement I feel remiss in not expressing appreciation. What holds me back is that emoting the slightest positive words towards Tim Hudak, even if it is to thank him for exposing his gross ignorance, could influence one uneducated voter to put their “X” opposite a Conservative candidate in the upcoming Ontario provincial election. Putting an “X” alongside any Hudak Conservative candidate will be the biggest political mistake a voter in Ontario will ever make. If we take a look at the column’s blatant and unguarded propaganda about the Labour / Trade Union Movement and then realize that Mr. Hudak has been quoted in the article it is important to understand that, as with Harper’s federal Conservative propaganda specialists, Hudak is fully vested in a campaign of that is divorced from the truth about the labour movement. Hudak is trying to define the activities of the labour movement as it relates to political campaigns and influence from a position of stunning ignorance, stupidity and omission. If the labour movement or the “unions” as Hudak says ran the government of Ontario why does Ontario not have card check certification, anti-scab legislation (or more politely-anti replacement worker legislation, but scabs they are!) and an increasing level of unionization to name a few items. Ontario has none of this stellar list-not that it is not aspired to! It makes printable press, but Hudak’s desire to “rein in public sector unions” is so much rhetoric. Public sector unions have acquired benefits through the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms right to collective bargaining. Hudak would have you believe that what has been acquired makes these union members some kind of elite when in fact collective bargaining has provided a living wage, a pension that permits retirement with dignity and such basics as a safe workplace. Clearly Mr. Hudak wants to push this back so that no person in Ontario can have any of the above-all of which must be basic to every workplace. Hudak’s plan is a Michigan / Wisconsin plan where the legislative agenda and attack on workers and unions has seen job loss, decreased standard of living for all working people and a full speed drive to a low wage economy with no hope for recovery or sustaining of the middle class. If the above is not enough to assist in understanding how out of touch Hudak and his party actually are then people need to see through the veil of intentional omissions in his description of labour’s involvement in political campaigns. The party of Tim Hudak tries to define working people as only those in the labour movement. That is pure propaganda, as the majority of people in Ontario, and almost everywhere, are working people while through fair and legal organizing about 3.5 million people in Canada have the privilege of referring to themselves as union members. In the context of political campaigns, corporations donate untold millions to more than one political party to ensure that at least two parties (Liberal and PC in Ontario) will ignore all the needs of working people and pander to the very rich and powerful. This of course does change when the Liberals campaign from the left and rule from the same right as the Ontario PC’s. When it comes to the labour movement getting out and campaigning, there is no mystery. The labour movement puts resources and people on the street to canvass and campaign for amongst many responsible issues-wait for it-living wages, decent pensions, fair access to collective bargaining and organizing, safe workplaces and access to broader issues like healthcare and education for all people and not just for Hudak’s powerful friends. This election is the most important election in decades in Ontario-maybe ever! This is the time for the citizens of Ontario to send a message that we are not Michigan or Wisconsin or any other regressive and repressive jurisdiction and we will not let an ignorant bully like Hudak get elected. This would be a good time to return MPP’s to the Ontario legislature without one single member of Hudak’s party being elected anywhere in Ontario. Dave Trumble Kincardine

For the record I have known Tony McQuail

Dear Editor; For the record I have known Tony McQuail, the author of August 14th letter titled "Anti-nuclear group branches out from Huron-Kinloss" and we have found some commonality on issues associated with social justice for example. However, his letter found in the August 14th edition latches onto the "anti-nuclear" lobby's pattern of bringing nuclear weapons and items such as debt retirement to their articles. One is clearly fear mongering and does not belong in any article where a credible debate on the peaceful use of nuclear energy is on the table. Further, the debt component of his article has less to do with issues with nuclear energy and more to do with bad government policy that related to delays in bringing on the Darlington Nuclear Power Station. Suggesting that community members strike out and gather information on any item of public policy is prudent, but to intimate that organizations (such as NWMO,) who have stored and continue to store nuclear waste in a regulated and responsible manner for many years, is intentionally denying or twisting the message to mislead people is rather bizarre. The title of organization noted is the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and it is regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). Not sure where the confusion lies! In the same article Tony uses the term nuclear dump; once again the call of the anti-nuclear groups. Any deep geological repository or high level waste storage facility is about as far away from a "dump" as one can get. As it is today the waste is will be highly regulated by the CNSC and any and all provincial and federal regulators with jurisdiction. To provide an example of how well this has been managed just take the entire accumulated waste of sixty years of peaceful nuclear activity in Canada and you will find that all the waste is held in an area that is equal in size to about seven ice hockey rinks up to about the height of the boards. This is storage is the low and medium waste and the high level waste, or fuel, is already stored above ground in highly regulated facilities. No other form of electricity production can lay claim to 60 years of safe and efficient production with such small amounts of waste. Nuclear plants in Canada have mitigated the emission of billions of tons of climate changing greenhouse gases from fossil fuel generation that would have had to be used without the success Ontario and Canada's nuclear fleet. Perhaps in the interest of complete fairness Tony's next article will discuss the $100 plus per megawatt hour that some renewables used to generate electricity actually cost as compared to Ontario's nuclear fleet that is subject to considerably less revenue per megawatt hour or that the renewables with extremely poor capacity factors are all backed by fossil fuelled power plants. At the end of the day Tony has to be respected for his social justice values, but the anti nuclear lobby is clearly out of touch with the current state of nuclear industry and its regulators.

Another year is drawing to a close and tradition insists that 2012 is up for review

Dear Editor; 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