My vote is not for sale

Sorry Mr. McGuinty. While I agree that Ontarians need another holiday, the fact that one is for sale at the low cost of a vote is just dispicable.

As for the Liberal promise of another statutory holiday, the opposition critics agreed another one is warranted, but criticized the Liberals for making a "cynical" promise just before an election, describing the pledge as an attempt to paper over the legion of broken promises over the past four years.

If such a holiday is instituted, can we just call it Liberal Day?

Eliminating Democracy in Ontario

Once again, the Greens have been left out of the leaders debate. This time, it's at the provincial level.

Frank de Jong, leader of the Green party, is unhappy that broadcasters have shut him out of the Sept. 20 TV debate with Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory and NDP Leader Howard Hampton.

De Jong says the networks have done a "huge disservice" to democracy in Ontario. As in the past, the broadcast consortium has restricted the debate to parties with seats in the Legislature.

While the Greens inability to appear at the debate is troubling for democracy, the real attack on democracy here is that the broadcast consortiums are shutting him out. Who runs politics in this province? I guess the TV networks do...

The ONDP and publicly funded religious education

Thomas Walkom is correct that this will be 'firestorm issue.' Good thing the New Democrats are working hard on this one...

So far, the New Democrats are doing their best to stay out of the way. The party's official position, according to a spokesperson, is that the NDP supports the status quo (that is, it sides with McGuinty) but wants more money spent on schools (that is, it doesn't side with McGuinty).

But as the campaign progresses towards its Oct. 10 finish, NDP Leader Howard Hampton may not have the luxury of staying silent. Already, the language is heating up – both from politicians and interest groups.

The 'luxury' of staying silent? How can a party remain relevant while being virtually silent on one of the campaign's biggest issues? If the NDP supports the status quo, fair enough, though I disagree with their position. But they sure aren't doing a good job at differentiating themselves from the Liberals. Believe it or not, Dalton McGuinty seems to be doing a better job at defending public education (with a dose of Catholicism) than Howard Hampton.

Ridings to watch in Ontario's election

The Liberals can lose no more than 15 of their current seats if they wish to retain their majority government status following the 2007 election. Ian Urquhart's newest column highlights some of the key races.

Of course, one of the most intense races will be Don Valley West, currently held by Liberal heavyweight Kathleen Wynne. She is being challenged by Conservative leader John Tory, who has been representing Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, which he won in a by-election. However, he promised to run in Toronto in this year's election, and kicked his campaign off yesterday. His task is not an easy one, but neither in Wynne's task of retaining her seat.

"I knew it (Don Valley West) was a big challenge the minute I left Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey," Tory told reporters after yesterday's rally. "I knew I had a very formidable opponent and that I'd have to work hard."

Urquhart notes that, "Don Valley West is a swing riding that will probably follow the provincial trend. If the trend is toward the Liberals, Wynne will win it; if it is toward the Conservatives, Tory will emerge on top."

We'll see if Don Valley West serves as Ontario's swing-state.

Miss Teen South Carolina vs. Bush

I wonder if Dubya can locate the U.S. on a map...

Ontario NDP campaign- what a surprise!

While I'm still not over my disappointment with the ONDP's decision not to campaign on supporting a fair electoral system (one that is truly democratic)and eliminating discrimination in Ontario's school system (by supporting a unified, secular public system), I did get one pleasant surprise from the party today. While at a labour day rally in Niagara Falls, the next federal NDP candidate for the Welland area riding handed me a leaflet urging me to give McGuinty a pink slip this October. Trust me, there is nothing that would make me happier than seeing McGuinty booted from office.

To my surprise, upon flipping the leaflet over, I noticed that the ONDP is campaigning on banning scab labour in the province and implementing card-check certification in all industries. Now, I suspect that this leaflet is one that is the labour focused leaflet and likely won't be the main leaflet the party uses. Nor will banning scabs and instituting card-check certification be the main issues of the campaign. This was definitely the labour day leaflet! That being said, after discarding two of the most important issues of this campaign, at least the party has come through on labour rights.

A Labour Day Message you can't afford to miss

With school starting tomorrow, the 'broads' that make sure you're kids don't get hit by some hard-on become some of our most important- and overlooked- public servants. And remeber, they don't take shit from nobody!

Celebrate Labour on Labour Day

Celebrate Labour and its history this Labour Day. From CAW Council 4000

These days, Labour Day is more often viewed as the last summer long-weekend than what those who fought so long for it really intended it to be - a heart felt
celebration of labour, workers and their families, and to affirm the dignity and honour of working people everywhere. Today we take paid holidays, safe work
places, medical care, unemployment insurance, fair work hours, union wages and "the weekend" for granted.

Perhaps this comes only from the labour movement's enduring success in improving the lives of so many working Canadians.

How many of these advances would have happened if it were not for the long-forgotten heroes who fought so hard to make unions, and Labour Day, a reality in
the first place?

Workers created unions to protect themselves in what were then viewed as new impersonal labour markets - like some unfortunately remain today. Although
the first unions were small, local organizations, they attracted hostile reactions from governments and most employers. In fact, governments declared unions
illegal.

Union sympathizers confronted constant harassment, firings, blacklisting, and arrests. Despite this opposition, poor wages and dangerous working
conditions led to an increasing number of strikes and protests.

At the turn of the century, workers often toiled for 60 to 70 hours a week. The work in the factories and on the assembly lines was repetitious, and often
physically demanding. Many labourers were seriously, sometimes fatally, injured due to faulty equipment, poor safety measures or human error.

The labour movement eventually succeeded in convincing the government that employers, who then had little concern for workers health and safety, needed to
improve the situation. After years of hard lobbying, the government appointed factory inspectors, who ensured that certain standards were maintained.
Although the introduction of inspectors did improve factory conditions and reduce the number of incidents of worker abuse by employers, accidents continued
to occur, as shown by these reports from Ontario inspectors in 1899:

Right leg hurt by revolving shaft

Right thumb cut off by circular saw

Arm burned by molten iron

Three fingers, left hand, cut off by shaper

Fell down elevator shaft

Killed by bursting cylinder of hair picker

Scalded -seated on edge of vat and fainted

Eyes burned while pouring babbit metal

Arm torn - caught in set screw of a reamer

Forearm cut - lifted planer top, sleeve caught in knives, drew in arm, severely cut it

Caught in belt and wound around shaft - Died five hours after accident


As unions began to organize, the working conditions of workers slowly improved.

The first signs of permanent unions date to the mid-nineteenth century. In manufacturing towns, craft workers such as printers, shoemakers, moulders,
tailors, coopers, and bakers established local unions. Railroad workers also actively pursued trade unionism. In the hostile atmosphere of this era, the life of
these associations proved fragile and their existence was never guaranteed. Eventually, unions strengthened their situation through the creation of local
assemblies, and by looking farther afield to establish links with the larger British and American unions.

One of Canada's first sole Canadian unions was the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Employees. Founded in Moncton, New Brunswick by Aaron R. Mosher
on October 12, 1908, the union diversified its membership from railway workers of blue collar and white collar clerical workers, to include highway
transportation workers, hotel and hospitality, health workers and seafarers to name a few. Based on the diverse membership of the Canadian Brotherhood of
Railway Employees, which was continuing to grow, the union changed its name to one that was more fitting given its wide diversity, Canadian Brotherhood of
Railway, Transport and General Workers Union (CBRT&GW).

The 5,400 union members of what is now known today as CAW National Council 4000 were once proud members of the
CBRT&GW.

In addition to starting the CBRT&GW, Mosher was also a founder of the All-Canadian Congress of Labour in 1927 as well as the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1940. He was a seasoned veteran of union battles over nationalism, communism, and industrial unionism. When the Canadian Labour Congress was formed in 1956, Mosher was named
honorary president.

Of the many accolades Mosher's career in the labour movement brought him, the biggest came in 1981 when the Government of Canada issued a stamp in honour of him. Not only was the stamp issued in the centennial year of Mosher's birth, but also on the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Labour Congress and was officially released on Labour Day! Mosher is the only union leader ever to be depicted on a Canadian postage stamp.

The stamp includes the figures of two railway workers flanking Mosher's portrait. It is as near as we come to a stamp paying tribute to organized labour in Canada.

One of the best known stands taken by labour unions and activists came in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1919. Starting on May 15th and running until June 25, The
Winnipeg General Strike is Canada's best-known general strike. Massive unemployment and inflation, the success of the Russian Revolution (1917), a wave
of strikes across Canada and rising revolutionary industrial unionism all contributed to postwar labour unrest.

In March of 1919, Western Labour leaders met in Calgary to discuss the creation of ONE BIG UNION. In Winnipeg on May 15th, when negotiations broke down
between management and labour in the building and metal trades, the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council (WTLC) called a general strike.

The Winnipeg General Strike is just one of the many struggles that trade unions and labour activists have fought over many years, struggles that today has
brought workers all across Canada rights to secured union recognition, collective bargaining, improved working conditions, wages and benefits, to name only
a few. Thanks to the years of efforts of many men and women!

In Solidarity - Happy Labour Day!

Source: Canadian Labour History and Civilization - CAW Council 4000

Hotel Workers Rising on Labour Day- Niagara Falls, Ont.

Join International Film Star Danny Glover in bringing the power of Labour Day to Niagara Falls.

Join us as we hold one of the first Labour Day actions in Niagara Falls.

1:30 PM
September 3rd

Rally at the corner of Union Ave and Hunter St. in Niagara Falls.

Buses will be leaving from locations in:
Toronto, Brampton/Mississauga, and from the end of the Hamilton Labour Day Parade.

Please call or email to reserve your seat.
For details: call Ethan Clarke at 905-354-2027 ext. 312 or visit www.niagarahotelworkers.ca

Weakerthans podcast on CBC Radio

Great band. Great politics. Great music. Check it out!

Divisive Arabic school set to open in NYC

Extending funding to faith-based schooling in Ontario will be one of the key issues in this fall's provincial election. Opponents of the idea believe that separating students based upon their religion will be divisive. The following example from New York City might illustrate this point.

A publicly funded Arabic school- which is mandated to teach the Arabic language and non-religious Arabic culture- is set to open this week. The school, however, has been marred with controversy.

The idea- that being teaching the Arabic culture and language to young people- is much needed idea, especially in the climate of mistrust that exists following 9/11. However, I'm forced to ask why this same sort of education can't be done in public schools (and by that, I mean non-sectarian/religious based schools). Let's promote culture, but let's not divide ourselves to do it.

Article examines 'vintage Greenpeace'

An article in today's Star examines the Greenpeace activism exhibited yesterday on Lake Erie.

It was the kind of in-your-face protest that has been the group's hallmark for more than three decades. It had the feel of ritual. The Ontario Provincial Police pretty much knew what was afoot when Greenpeace made it known the Arctic Sunrise would visit Lake Erie. Police and an official from Ontario Power Generation, which owns the Nanticoke station, boarded the vessel just before it left the Welland Canal to enter the lake and warned the group not to trespass.

Police and Coast Guard boats and a helicopter kept the group under close surveillance for several days and accompanied the protesters to the freighter. But neither they, nor the freighter's crew, made any attempt to stop the Greenpeace action. Likewise, the protesters, circling in their four small craft, didn't interfere with the arrests.

Still the tactic remains valid, said Greenpeace spokesperson Jose Higginson.

"The core of the Greenpeace mission is non-violent direct action ... identifying environmental harm and standing in its way.

"You'll see a lot of interest in this type of action; it's exciting. And it lets us encapsulate the environmental harm being done."

And, she said, "it's not a coincidence that our ship is here in time for the election campaign."

Perhaps this will put pressure on the governing Liberals to follow through on their promises. If they had followed through on their first promise, the protest wouldn't have even taken place as the plants would be scheduled for close at the end of this year. Can McGuinty be arrested for lying to Ontarians?

Liberal Party looking toward new symbol

I've thought that Michael Ignatieff has came up with pretty crazy ideas in the past. This one might top them all. He wants to make the puffin the party's new logo.

"It's a noble bird because it has good family values. They stay together for 30 years," Ignatieff said Thursday outside a Liberal caucus retreat in the Newfoundland capital.

"They lay one egg (each year). They put their excrement in one place. They hide their excrement. ... They flap their wings very hard and they work like hell.

"This seems to me a symbol for what our party should be

."


Apparently these birds also hide their feces. I guess that's a parallel to covering up the ad-scam debauchery for so long.

Greenpeace, the Ontario Green Party, and the Ontario Liberals

Several Greenpeace activists have chained themselves to a cargo ship bringing coal to the Nanticoke power plant of the shore of Lake Erie. Ontario's four coal plants, which are one of the province's worst polluters, were supposed to be shut down by this year. I guess there's another reason why Liberal promises aren't worth the paper they're written on. They now promise to shut them down by 2014. Meanwhile, Frank de Jong of the Ontario Green Party weighs in on the debate.

Green Party leader Frank de Jong applauded Greenpeace’s actions, noting the Liberal plan to phase out coal by 2014 isn’t good enough.

While the NDP has vowed to eliminate coal plants by 2011, the Green Party has promised to do it by 2009.

“The end of King Coal is 2009 and Greenpeace is absolutely right,” he said. “The trouble is you can’t vote for Greenpeace, but you can vote for the Green Party.”

The American Education System

I guess the American education system needs a great deal of help. Yikes. This is a clip of Miss South Carolina from the 2007 Miss Teen USA contest.

Funding Religious Education in Ontario

Education Minister Kathleen Wynne has recently spoken out against John Tory's plan to extend public monies to faith-based schools in the province of Ontario. She has called the proposal too costly, suggesting that the $400 million price tag estimated by Tory will end up being closer to $500 million.

While I agree with Wynne that public monies shouldn't be extended to private faith-based schools (we disagree on money for Catholic schools though), it seems to me that she is opposing this extended funding for all the wrong reasons. Shouldn't she be opposing it because it will lead to segregation and division within the school system and will hamper interaction between students of different faiths? Shouldn't she be opposing the extended funding because a common school system can best serve Ontario's children? Shouldn't she be opposing the extended funding because the church/mosque/synagogue/temple etc. and state should be separate?

Furthermore, if extending state funding to all forms of faith based education was the correct thing to do- which by the way it isn't- shouldn't it be supported at virtually any cost? Can the Liberals really put a price tag on equality? I guess they can.

Wynne's opposition to extending funding to other faith based because of the cost involved, while at the same time supporting funding for Catholic education, is shallow and hypocritical.

That being said, the race in Don Valley West between Wynne and Tory will prove to be one of the most exciting races this October.

Police Agression: Buffalo, New York

By now, we've likely all heard that undercover police officers at the SPP demonstrations in Montebello, Quebec were attempting to insight violence, only to be discovered and turned away by union leaders who were coordinating the protests.

Last night I was at at a Bills pre-season game in Buffalo when I witnessed some police agression of my own. As officers were directing traffic into a lot, the pickup truck in front of me turned into said lot and the police officer began yelling at the truck. As it drove off, the angry looking cop heaved his water bottle at the vehicle, hitting it's back tail gate.

While nothing will come out of this incident, I think it highlights the fact that officers can get caught up in the moment and exert agression toward the general public.

Niagara Hotel Workers Rising- Labour Day Rally

Celebrate Labour Day in style with Danny Glover and UNITE HERE local 2347. Join them in their fight for fairness in Niagara Falls.

Bring Labour Day To The Front Lines
Written by UNITE HERE Canada
Sunday, 19 August 2007

Join International Film Star Danny Glover in bringing the power of Labour Day to Niagara Falls.

Members of UNITE HERE who work at Canadian Niagara Hotels have been fighting to force their employer to respect the contract in it’s entirety.

1:30 PM
September 3rd
Rally at the corner of Union and Hunter n Niagara Falls


Buses will be leaving from locations in Toronto, Brampton/Mississauga, and from the end of the Hamilton Labour Day Parade.

Please call or email to reserve your seat

Join us as we hold one of the first Labour Day actions in Niagara Falls.

A print version of the poster is here.


A map to the rally location is here.

Hotel Workers Rising- Vancouver

Unionized hotel workers in Vancouver with UNITE HERE Local 40 are entering into contract talks with four of the city' hotels. The 2010 Winter Olympics provide an interesting backdrop for these talks, and potentially provide the union with a major bargaining chip. The union is looking for a two year deal (to expire before the Olympics), while ownership is looking for five years. The last three years could be bought- at a hefty price- or the union could work two years without a deal and strike before the Olympics. Keep in mind that British Columbia has anti-scab legislation and a long history of labour militancy. Keep your eyes on this story.

Why don't presidents fight the war?

System of a Down question the legitimacy of war in 'Bring Your Own Bomb (BYOB).'

Why do they always send the poor

Barbarisms by Barbaras
With pointed heels
Victorious victories kneel
For brand new spankin' deals

Marching forward hypocritic and
Hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox stealing
Our intentions

Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Blast off
It's party time
And we don't live in a fascist nation

Blast off
It's party time
And where the fuck are you?

Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?

Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox stealing
Our intentions

Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion,
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sun

Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
They always send the poor
They always send the poor

Is America fascist?

You tell me....

Gays For Giuliani

A satirical campaign advertisment that is designed to bring to light Giuliani's somewhat ambivalent relationship with the gay community and social conservatives.

From Red to Blue

I recently picked up Billy Bragg's 'William Bloke' LP. While 'Upfield' is my favorite song on that disc (and probably my favorite song of all time), I think that 'From Red to Blue' is an amazing song, both musically and lyrically. Billy definately speaks the truth on this one regarding the paradigm shift that has occured within many left wing parties (and virtually all parties for that matter). However, as a lefty, it's troubling to see ideological and class-based parties drift into the elusive centre of the political spectrum.

Another day dawns grey, its enough to make me spit
But we go on our way, just putting up with it
And when I try to make my feelings known to you
You sound like you have changed from red to blue

You're a father now, you see things in different ways
For every parent will gain perspective on their wilder days
But that alone does not explain the changes I see in you
The way you've drifted off from red to blue

Sometimes I think to myself
Should I vote red for my class or green for our children?
But whatever choice I make
I will not forsake

So you bought it all, the best your money could buy
And I watched you sell your soul for their bright shining lie
Where are the principles of the friend I thought I knew
I guess you let them fade from red to blue

I hate the compromises that life forces us to make
We must all bend a little if we are not to break
But the ideals you've opted out of,
I still hold them to be true
I guess they weren't so firmly held by you

Bloggers for MMP

Are you a blogger? Do you support proportional representation?

If you've answered yes to these two questions, visit Vote for MMP and apply to be on their blog roll.

Feel free to sport their trendy 'Vote for MMP' badge on your website or blog.

Conservative students sick of liberal professors

I happened to come across a facebook group that serves as a meeting place for conservative students who are sick of their liberal minded professors.

The groups description is as follows.

This is a group for any student who has to sit through or has sat through a course and are forced to (or have been forced to) listen to their liberal professor(s) shove their political views down their throats and who are using our valuable class-time to do so.

For conservative minded students sick and tired of the liberal/socialist bias that professors “teach” at our academic universities. Universities were a place for debate, but now it is just a factory for creating liberal/socialist ideals.

In recent years, conservative minded students and student groups have had their voices be shut down by liberal professors, administration and student associations. It is time to turn our universities back into a learning environment, with debates.

Why don't these students speak up and question and/or debate with their professors. I have yet to meet a lefty who doesn't love debate. In fact, most lefty's love debate so much that they struggle to agree with other leftys. I debate the fact that Canada's universities are run by leftys (or liberals/socialists), but if such were true, these whining conservatives should engage thoughtful debate, not sit and sulk and then whine on facebook.

I really like one group member's response. However, I don't think that she's a conservative.

Yup, it's truly a shame there aren't more conservative professors at Universities.

Tell me, though, what do you think is the reason for that:

(a) Conservatives tend to be dumb and don't make it into Academia.
(b) Conservatives tend to not want to become academics because of the huge financial debt(or, as they like to call it, investment) necessary to get 3 degrees in order to get an underpaid position at an underfunded institution; or
(c) once a conservative becomes educated, he turns into a liberal.

Take your pick!

My guess is all three.

Of course, to assume that there aren't any conservative professors is to forget about the Calgary school (or the department of redneckology as a former faculty member once described it). This 'school' includes Ted Morton of the Alberta PC party and Tom Flanagan, an advisor and former campaign manager of Stephen Harper.

I guess that university has in fact failed to teach these students much of anything, such as reality. Poor conservatives.