The Council will benefit from research being carried out by four ProBono students from the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. This will include such topics as OntarioWorks, Bill 142, Bill 136 and Hospital Restructuring. Please join with me in giving full support of our council to this terrific program.
The NDP nomination meeting was held on November 29th at Memorial Hall, City Hall. Beth Pater will be the NDP candidate for Kingston and the Islands. I want to thank those council delegates who supported me and sincerely ask that all our delegates support Beth in her quest to win this riding. Let’s remember the silence of the Liberals in terms of replacement workers, workfare and cutbacks to all our social programs, as we ensure that Harris does not form the next Government.
Kingston was the only location where the Premier’s Conference on Fraud and Poverty was held without the Premier being in attendance. A rally was held at the Holiday Inn in the morning and the Tory Free Fall exhibit and rally took place in the evening at Confederation Basin. Again our thanks must go to Peter Boyle and Natalie Mehra for the excellent job of organizing this very successful event.
Our Labour Council is working with CUPE and SEIU who are currently embroiled in a bargaining dispute with the Ontario Hospital Association. The OHA is asking for wage freezes and the right to contract out such positions as dietary, housekeeping and laundry. Hospital workers across the Province are taking strike votes and Labour Councils are joining with them to approach the hospital administrators finding out which hospitals support the OHA position. The Hospitals which support the wage freezes and contracting out will be boycotted in terms of fund raising and their position will be publicly opposed by the local Labour Council in conjunction with CUPE and SEIU.
Labour’s Voice in the Community taped two shows today, the first one with Ken Brown the Canadian director of SEIU stated the unions position regarding the bargaining with the Ontario Hospital Association. The second show featured the topic of the Local Training board, which has members of our Labour Council involved in the process of how money is spent on the various training programs.
November 20th marks the third anniversary of the Sisters of Providence Silent Vigil in opposition to the Government cutbacks. Please consider bringing a friend and showing up to support our allies at City Hall. The event will start at 5:00pm with donations of mittens to the Better Beginnings project, followed by enough participants to ring City Hall with Candlelight in solidarity.
On November 24th the OFL will be sponsoring the growing Gap workshop from 9:am until 4:pm. This seminar facilitated by Natalie Mehra and Chris Schenk will illustrate the effects of the Harris Government policies on our communities and give the participants the tools they will need to convince others why this Government has to go. The registration fee is $35 and I would ask all delegates to approach their local union to send as many people as possible.
In closing, please remember to attend the Workers Health and Safety Centre activist appreciation dinner being held on November 26th at Gencarrelli’s restaurant beginning at 6:pm. Tickets are $20 and there will be a cash bar.
As always,
In solidarity,
Charlie Stock
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