The Monthly President's Report
Charlie Stock, President
Kingston & District Labour Council

BACK March 1998
President’s Report,

Greetings,

The labour council was successful in achieving an Ontario Arts Council grant to create a street banner recognizing the Day of Mourning. Laurie Swim will be guiding us in developing this long overdue project. Injured workers and their families have been approached to provide photographs of themselves or their loved ones and this two sided twenty-five foot banner will exhibit that an injury can and does happen to members of our community. Anyone who would like to volunteer can show up at the Steelworkers’ Hall at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 4th. The banner will hang at Clergy and Princess Street from April 24th until May 1st.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help with the project can show up at the Steelworkers’ Hall at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 4th.

The labour council will be applying for a summer placement grant in hopes of providing employment to at least one student. The project will involve developing a business plan for local community economic development, partnering with communities in the south (i.e. El Salvador). We sponsored a workshop I regard to the Alternative Federal Budget. George Harris from Choices in Winnipeg was the facilitator. We are grateful to Natalie Mehra and the Kingston Action Network for organizing this successful event.

Members of our labour council attended the health care forum at the Ambassador Hotel sponsored by the Ontario Nurses Association.

The ONA members at Comcare are back to work after four months and are awaiting the results of arbitration.

Labour council attended the Kingston Action Network meeting on March 9th where Natalie Mehra was selected as the community co-chair for the Kingston Day of Action. Hopefully the next protest will be decided at the OFL executive board meeting on March 20th. Our council will be hosting two forums regarding Bill 99. The first one will be tomorrow from 9:30 to 4:00 at the Steelworkers’ Hall for union members and the second will be for injured workers again at the Steelworkers’ Hall.

Andy King has been invited to do a LABOUR’S VOICE television show and to address tonight’s meeting. The second show will be in support of Hotel Die hospital and a representative will also be in attendance tonight.

The 1997 United Way campaign has concluded and labour can be very proud of our accomplishments. Although we are currently 3% short of goal, the amount raised was in large part due to the efforts of the labour movement and in particular Oliver Doyle. My heartfelt thanks to Peter Boyle, Oliver and the Labour Council, for the presentation of the plaque, at the United Way Volunteer Appreciation Night. The process of finding a replacement for Oliver as the Labour Staff representative has begun. The committee chaired by Bruce Elder has met several times and with the guidance of our CLC rep. Mike Sinkevitch, the agreement with the United Way will be reviewed and the position advertised in the near future. The Labour Review magazine will be published soon; anyone who would like to add material must submit his or her article A.S.A.P. to the executive of Labour Council.

As always,
In solidarity,

Charlie Stock
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