The Bad Boss community forum was held in January and was excellent in terms of highlighting the issues, in spite of a bad snowstorm. We supported strikers at Strathcona Paper and Cineplex-Odeon. In February the emphasis was on the Alternative Federal Budget and Health Care cuts as information was distributed to our community through leaflets and a rally. Judy Holsgrove received a scholarship and attended the C.L.C. winter school in Port Elgin.

In March members of the labour council attended a round table discussion with the assistant to the Minister of Labour to talk about the proposed changes to the Health and Safety Act, Worker’s Compensation and the need for public hearings. A brief was presented at the Bill C-91 Drug Patent Legislation hearings in Ottawa. We helped organize a busload of senior citizens from Kingston who attended as well, to show opposition to the high cost of drugs. The council applied for a summer career placement grant to hire students. The Day of Mourning committee organized a poster contest to educate the local high schools regarding health and safety in the workplace.

April was excellent in terms of educating the community for the C.L.C. National Day of Protest surrounding the Federal Governments failure to create jobs and their continuation of cutting Social Programs. The Day of Mourning was again a tremendous success with a large turnout to hear John Cairns as guest speaker and the opportunity to see the poster contest winners. The event raised much-needed dollars for the Greater Kingston Injured Workers Association. Bob White came to town and did two Labour’s Voice in the Community television shows. Ground Zero performed two performances of "Flipping In" at K.C.V.I. for over 500 students. We attended CUPE candlelight vigils at the Board of Education and Fairmount Home for the Aged. The council held a weekend education seminar at Chaffey’s Locks. Our Labour Review magazines arrived for distribution.

The council participated in the Males Walking against Male Violence walk which raised over $12000 for local shelters in our area. We participated in a large (200)) Silent Vigil at City Hall on May 2nd. We followed that with one of the largest turnouts in the country for the Day of Protest on May 3rd as approximately 800 people showed up in spite of a torrential downpour. Oliver Doyle completed another successful Union Counselor course providing more graduates to assist members in our community.

The labour council sponsored a Federal all-candidates meeting and participated in the Stop the Cuts rally at City Hall. In the month of June we became the only labour council in Ontario to secure a summer placement grant and hired Shelley Kyte to catalogue our history collection and to document the written history of the labour movement in the Kingston area. We participated in rallies against Bill 136 and applied for standing for the public hearings on Bill 99.

The summer months were spent informing the community of the dangers of Bill 136, Bill 142, Bill 160, Bill 99, municipal and health care issues. Delegates attended the special O.F.L. convention on July 28th and strengthened the resolve to fight Harris with the Common Front of solidarity. The Bill 99 hearings came to town on August 14th and delegates from our council and injured workers took over the hearing and presented the committee with a resolution demanding rights of working people be maintained and improved. This was the largest turnout for the public hearings in the province. Shelley Kyte finished the summer project and our history is well documented now.

Labour Day was very successful with the largest attendance in many years.

The day was enjoyed by all and the council distributed loads of anti-Harris information. We received the fully restored 1918 Labour Council Charter from the Queen’s Art Conservation department. The United Way campaign with a labour chair kicked off with a sold out breakfast listening to John Cairns an injured worker as guest speaker.

In October we joined in forming the Common Front of Kingston which continued the fightback against Bill 136, Bill 142, and Bill 160. We joined the teachers on picket lines and rallies. The council helped organize candidate questionnaires and held an Education Institute at Chaffey’s Locks.

November witnessed the council participating in the Dudley George rally at Queen’s Park. Members of the labour council supported teachers and Comcare nurses on their picket lines. We hosted all-candidates meeting for school board trustees. The council sponsored a teacher appreciation rally and joined the Sisters of Providence at the anniversary of the Silent Vigil opposing Government cuts. The candidates seeking the leadership of the Ontario Federation of Labour addressed us. Delegates from the council attended the O.F.L. Convention which elected Wayne Samuelson as President of the Federation and I was re-elected by the labour council caucus to a third term as a vice-president representing labour councils on the Executive Board.

In December we continued our support for the Comcare nurses and Postal workers. The O.S.S.T.F. and I.B.E.W affiliated to our council and our C.L.C. rep Mike Sinkevitch returned after a lengthy sick leave. The delegates of our labour council unanimously voted in favour of hosting a Day of Action in Kingston and we forwarded the request to Wayne Samuelson for consideration at the January O.F.L. Executive Board meeting.

. This report is rather lengthy, however we have accomplished many things over the past year and the delegates deserve to feel proud of our accomplishments. As we are holding elections tonight I would ask you to support those executive members who choose to again place their names forward for nomination.

As always,
In solidarity,

Charlie Stock
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