Latest News and Updates
LGBTQ Pride 2013
posted on May 17, 2013April 2013 LGBTQ Pride 2013 Dear Sisters and Brothers: Visible signs of union pride are extremely important for smaller towns and communities across Ontario. Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) identified workers and their families are very often invisible or, if out, at serious risk of harassment in their workplaces and their communities. Over [...]
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Hate Must Be Challenged Every Day and in Every Way: OFL Statement on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – May 17, 2013
posted on May 17, 2013OFL STATEMENT May 15, 2013 Hate Must Be Challenged Every Day and in Every Way OFL Statement on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, May 17, 2013 For the second year in a row, Ontario’s LGBTQ community and its allies are celebrating historic victories for the rights and protections of transgender people as part [...]
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Damning Report Says Ontario is Failing Migrant Workers: OFL Calls on Wynne Government to Protect Rights of Vulnerable Workers
posted on May 16, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2013 Damning Report Says Ontario is Failing Migrant Workers OFL Calls on Wynne Government to Protect Rights of Vulnerable Workers (TORONTO, ON) ─ OFL calls on Ontario Government to respond immediately to a new report that gives the province shameful grades for failing to protect the rights of migrant workers. [...]
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Workers’ Rights Should Know No Borders: OFL Statement for South Asian Heritage Month – May 2013
posted on May 3, 2013OFL STATEMENT May 1, 2013 Workers’ Rights Should Know No Borders OFL Statement for South Asian Heritage Month – May 2013 Across Ontario, workers are joining the South Asian community in recognizing May as South Asian Heritage Month. However, this year’s celebrations are dampened by news of the April 24 collapse of a Bangladesh garment [...]
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Without Justice, No Fallen Worker Can Rest in Peace: OFL Statement on Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job – April 28
posted on April 24, 2013OFL Statement April 24, 2013 Without Justice, No Fallen Worker Can Rest in Peace OFL Statement on Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job – April 28 Thousands of workers, friends and families of those killed and injured on the job will gather at ceremonies across Ontario this weekend to memorialize [...]
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Clementine Ng: Remembering a Beloved Hotel Worker Activist
posted on April 17, 2013Clementine Ng: Remembering a Beloved Hotel Worker Activist It is with very heavy hearts and deep sadness that we say goodbye to the beloved hotel worker activist Clementine Ng. She was fighting for justice right up until her very last days of life. We will always love her and carry her in our hearts. “Clementine [...]
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Bullying Only Thrives in the Shadows: OFL Statement on the Day of Pink, Anti-Bullying Day – April 10, 2013
posted on April 9, 2013OFL STATEMENT April 10, 2013 Bullying Only Thrives in the Shadows: OFL Statement on the Day of Pink, Anti-Bullying Day – April 10, 2013 Last year, the Ontario government passed historic anti-bullying legislation, but the issue of bullying, and its traumatic consequences, remains a daily concern in the lives of too many people. The impact [...]
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Letter to National Post: OFL pension security should be the standard, not the exception (Sid Ryan)
posted on April 4, 2013OFL pension security should be the standard, not the exception By Sid Ryan Letter to the Editor – National Post Originally appeared in print and online on April 4, 2013 Re: Labour federation struggles with deficits, pension bills, April 2. Pension adversaries and austerity hawks will get no validation from the Ontario Federation of Labour [...]
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EQUAL PAY DAY: APRIL 9, 2013
posted on March 28, 2013EQUAL PAY DAY: APRIL 9, 2013 Greetings Sisters and Brothers: In Ontario women are “in the red” because on average they earn 28% less than men, for work of equal value. I know it’s hard to believe in 2013 but it’s a fact, and the gap is even bigger for racialized women, women with disabilities [...]
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Precarious Lives are the Legacy of Systemic Racism: Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – March 21, 2013
posted on March 20, 2013OFL STATEMENT March 20, 2013 Precarious Lives are the Legacy of Systemic Racism: OFL Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – March 21, 2013 The legacy of Canada’s colonial history and current trends towards cuts to jobs and social programs continue to deliver a double blow to people of colour and [...]
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2013 OFL Labour Post-Secondary Scholarship
posted on March 12, 20132013 OFL’s LABOUR POST‐SECONDARY SCHOLARSHIPS The OFL is pleased to call for applications for its annual OFL’s Labour Post‐Secondary Scholarships. The OFL will award two scholarships worth $2,000 each to a member or the child of a member of a local union affiliated to the OFL. The scholarships are awarded in honour of distinguished trade [...]
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OFL 3rd Aboriginal Gathering ─ June 14 to 16, 2013
posted on March 12, 2013OFL 3rd Aboriginal Gathering ─ The Way the River Flows The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is holding its 3rd Aboriginal Gathering from June 14-16, 2013. The OFL and its affiliates have a long history of activism and lobbying on Aboriginal, Métis and Inuit issues. This is a Gathering that is reaching out to all [...]
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Statement: Women Rise As Unions Rise: OFL Statement on International Women’s Day – March 8, 2013
posted on March 7, 2013OFL STATEMENT March 7, 2013 Women Rise As Unions Rise: OFL Statement on International Women’s Day – March 8, 2013 As millions of women around the world observe International Women’s Day, the Ontario Federation of Labour will proudly celebrate the role that unions have played in elevating the living standards of all women in Canada. [...]
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Huffington Post Blog: Tories Attack Rand Formula to Silence Workers (By Sid Ryan)
posted on February 14, 2013[This Blog post originally appeared on the Huffington Post on February 14, 2013] The way that Conservative Members of Parliament like Pierre Poilievre go on about unions dues, you’d think they are familiar with the struggle of the average working person. However, unlike the millions of workers in Canada who are striving to make ends meet, [...]
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Video: Rally for Rights and Democracy: The Full Story Behind the #J26Rally
posted on February 8, 2013On January 26, 30,000 people demonstrated outside the Ontario Liberal Convention for good jobs and public services. Watch the YouTube video here!
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Watch this short video of the #J26Rally
posted on February 1, 2013On January 26, 30,000 people demonstrated outside the Ontario Liberal Convention for good jobs and public services. Watch the YouTube video here!
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Feb 6-7: Memories and Movements in African Canadian History
posted on February 1, 2013Feb 6-7: Memories and Movements in African Canadian History Memories and Movements in African Canadian History will recognize the 100th anniversary of the death of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman and celebrate the Steelpan movement, which was born out of resistance and through its resilience continues to play an active role in the lives of Canadians. [...]
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Feb. 28: Black History Month Event, “Where is Our Obama?”
posted on February 1, 2013Feb. 28: Black History Month Event, “Where is Our Obama?” Celebrate Black History Month with an intergenerational discussion on race and racism within the Canadian political system in preparation for the next federal election in 2015. The OFL will be co-hosting the event, “Where is our Obama?,” with the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance, the Coalition [...]
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Statement: Celebrating History Through Action: OFL Statement in Support of Black History Month – February, 2013
posted on January 31, 2013OFL STATEMENT February 1, 2013 Celebrating History Through Action: OFL Statement in Support of Black History Month – February, 2013 As millions celebrate February as Black History Month, they will also be marking an important milestone in the movement to abolish slavery: the 100 year anniversary of the passing of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Born into [...]
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Media Advisory: Liberals to Elect New Premier Amid Unprecedented Protest
posted on January 25, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2013 Media Advisory: Liberals to Elect New Premier Amid Unprecedented Protest (Toronto, Ontario) – Whoever is elected to be the new Premier of Ontario will have to face the largest protest of the party’s eight years in government. “The Liberals have tried to pretend that their only opposition is from [...]
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Rising Together Against Violence Against Women: OFL Statement in Support of One Billion Rising – February 14, 2013
posted on January 17, 2013OFL STATEMENT January 17, 2013 Rising Together Against Violence Against Women: OFL Statement in Support of One Billion Rising – February 14, 2013 The Ontario Federation of Labour is joining with people around the world in a global movement to demand an end to violence against women and girls. One million workers in Ontario are [...]
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International Women’s Day 2013 – Order Posters & Pins by Feb. 15
posted on January 17, 2013International Women’s Day (IWD) started in 1911 and is recognized annually around the world on March 8 to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. This year, join the OFL in celebrating IWD by ordering posters and pins to distribute to your members. Order yours today! OFL’S IWD 2013 [...]
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Advisory: OFL President to Join Chief Spence and Allies in Rally for Justice
posted on January 10, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2013 OFL President to Join Chief Spence and Allies in Rally for Justice (Ottawa, Ontario) – As First Nations leaders prepare to meet with Canada’s Prime Minister and Governor General, Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan will show the support of Ontario’s labour movement for Canada’s Aboriginal community by [...]
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Metron Manager to Face Criminal Trial for Toronto High-Rise Fatalities
posted on January 10, 2013FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2013 Metron Manager to Face Criminal Trial for Toronto High-Rise Fatalities (Toronto, Ontario) – The Ontario Federation of Labour welcomed today’s Ontario Court decision that Metron Construction Project Manager Vadim Kazenelson will face a criminal trial for the deaths of four workers and the serious injury of another in 2009. [...]
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OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER HARPER: Talk to Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation
posted on December 17, 2012OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER HARPER: Talk to Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation DECEMBER 17, 2012 Dear Prime Minister Harper: On behalf of one million members of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) I am calling on you to meet with Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation who is engaged [...]
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OFL Statement for December 18, 2012 International Migrants Day
posted on December 17, 2012OFL STATEMENT December 18, 2012 Canada’s Exploitation of Migrant Workers Lowers the Bar for Every Worker OFL Statement for December 18, 2012 International Migrants Day Only days before the international community celebrates International Migrants Day, Canada’s Conservative government quietly introduced new rules stripping migrant workers of benefits they pay for. On December 10, International Human [...]
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Email Your MPP and Ontario’s Political Party Leaders
posted on December 13, 2012The Ontario government has been shut down while workers’ rights are under threat and public service cuts are hurting every community. The 2012 Ontario Budget cuts will cost many their jobs and many more their livelihoods while banks and corporations are being allowed to reap record profits at the public expense. This fall, McGuinty’s Liberals [...]
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OFL President Sid Ryan to Hunker Down with the Homeless in Sidewalk Sleep-Out to Protest Social Assistance Cuts
posted on December 11, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2012 OFL President Sid Ryan to Hunker Down with the Homeless in Sidewalk Sleep-Out to Protest Social Assistance Cuts (Toronto, Ontario) – OFL Officers Sid Ryan and Irwin Nanda will join poverty activists and people who are homeless in a sidewalk sleep-out at MPP Glen Murray’s Toronto Centre Constituency Office [...]
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OFL Statement for December 10, 2012 International Human Rights Day
posted on December 7, 2012OFL STATEMENT December 10, 2012 Canada’s Human Rights Reputation is Fast Becoming a Myth OFL Statement for December 10, 2012 International Human Rights Day This year, as the global community recognizes December 10 as International Human Rights Day, many Canadians struggle with a vanishing sense of pride in Canada’s once renowned reputation as a leader [...]
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OFL Statement for December 6, 2012 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
posted on December 5, 2012OFL STATEMENT December 5, 2012 Rising Together Against Violence Against Women: OFL Statement for December 6, 2012 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women As Ontarians gather in cities and towns across the province to remember the women victims of gender-based violence, Ontario’s labour movement is beginning to build for a global [...]
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ADVISORY: Cornwall Town Hall Exposes Local Impact of Government Cuts to Services and Democratic Rights
posted on December 3, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2012 ADVISORY: Cornwall Town Hall Exposes Local Impact of Government Cuts to Services and Democratic Rights (Cornwall, Ontario) – Outraged at the McGuinty governments’ deep cuts to social programs and the recent attack on the democratic rights of education workers, Cornwall community members will be gathering on the evening of [...]
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OFL Statement for International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 2012
posted on December 3, 2012OFL STATEMENT December 3, 2012 Ontarians with Disabilities Hit the Hardest by Government Cuts: OFL Statement for International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 2012 December 3 marks the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities. According to the UN, persons with disabilities make up 15 percent of the world’s population and a quarter of [...]
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Donate to the OFL Jack Layton Memorial Statue: Memorial Progam Available for Download
posted on November 28, 2012Help us remember Jack’s contribution to Canada and donate now to a statue in his honour.
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ADVISORY: Windsor Town Hall Exposes Local Impact of Government Cuts to Services and Democratic Rights
posted on November 26, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2012 (Windsor, Ontario) – Outraged at the McGuinty governments’ deep cuts to social programs and the recent attack on the democratic rights of education workers, community members from across Windsor will be gathering this evening for a public town hall meeting. The forum will provide an opportunity for local residents [...]
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Honouring Lost Lives, Seeking Justice for the Living: OFL Statement on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20, 2012
posted on November 19, 2012OFL STATEMENT November 20,2012 Honouring Lost Lives, Seeking Justice for the Living: OFL Statement on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20, 2012 Since 1999, November 20 has been recognized as the International Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day to reflect on the lives of transgendered people who have been killed due to [...]
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ADVISORY: Thunder Bay Town Hall Exposes Local Impact of Government Cuts to Services and Democratic Rights
posted on November 19, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 20, 2012 (Thunder Bay, Ontario) – Outraged at the McGuinty governments’ deep cuts to social programs and the recent attack on the democratic rights of education workers, community members from across Thunder Bay will be gathering this evening for a public town hall meeting. The forum will provide an opportunity for [...]
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DOWNLOAD THE CONFERENCE AGENDA: OFL Equity Conference (Nov. 9-11, 2012)
posted on November 7, 2012The Ontario Federation of Labour will be hosting an Equity Conference from November 9 to 11 under the theme: “We Are Ontario: Putting Equity Before Austerity.” The event will be opened up to members who belong to the OFL’s many equity-seeking constituencies. Community groups will also be invited to add their voices and experiences to [...]
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OFL Launches Democratic and Economic Rights Campaign
posted on November 7, 2012Demand good jobs, public services, workers’ rights & the recall of the legislature! The Ontario government has been shut down while worker’s rights are under threat and cuts to jobs and services are hurting every community. It’s time to defend everyone’s democratic and economic rights. Download the campaign flyer here Jan. 26, 2013: Rally for [...]
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Register Now! OFL Women’s Leadership Summit, December 10-12, 2012
posted on October 26, 2012OFL Women’s Leadership Summit Kempenfelt Conference Centre December 10-12, 2012 Dear Sisters and Brothers: I am writing to invite you to identify and sponsor Sisters from your Union to attend our upcoming OFL Women’s Leadership Summit. This is a unique opportunity for women in your union to come together with like-minded trade union and community [...]
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Labour Calls Prorogation an Affront to Democratic Rights
posted on October 19, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 19, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Sid Ryan today debunked media speculation that the labour movement was privy to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s decision to prorogue the Ontario Legislature. “Let me set the record straight once and for all: the labour movement played no part in the [...]
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Labour Movement Releases Mental Injury Tool Kit on World Mental Health Day
posted on October 9, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) has banded together with several provincial labour unions and the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) to launch a Mental Injury Tool Kit on October 10, 2012, in recognition of World Mental Health Day. This tool kit is part [...]
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In Memoriam: Charles Roach (Activist+Artist+Musician+Lawyer+Revolutionary)
posted on October 4, 2012Charles Roach September 18, 1933 − October 2, 2012 Equality and civil rights advocates across Canada lost an incredible community activist and friend with the passing of renowned lawyer Charles Roach. Charlie never shied away from a cause. For more than 50 years, he led the fight against systemic racism and defended the most vulnerable in [...]
Read MoreEmergency Meeting of Union Leaders to Announce Plans to Mobilize Opposition Against McGuinty’s Attack on Charter Rights
posted on September 25, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) will host an emergency meeting of labour union leaders representing over one million workers on Wednesday, September 26 to draft province-wide plans to challenge Premier Dalton McGuinty’s recent attack on the Charter rights of workers. After tabling the constitutionally disputed [...]
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Bad Gas Rip-Off Hotline: Report Wage Theft from Gas Companies 1-800-668-9138
posted on September 18, 2012On Saturday, September 15, Toronto gas station attendant Jayesh Prajapati was run over and killed during pursuit of an SUV driver who stole $112 worth of gas. In response, the OFL sent a letter to the Toronto Police Service calling for a criminal investigation into the policies of Shell Canada and the possible role they played [...]
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OFL Launches Hotline to Report Gas Company Theft of Worker Wages in Wake of Gas-and-Dash Tragedy
posted on September 18, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — Despite denial from the petroleum industry, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) believes that the illegal practice of docking worker wages for gas theft may have played a role in Saturday night’s gas-and-dash killing of a Toronto gas station attendant. Today the OFL set out to [...]
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OFL Calls for Criminal Investigation into Role of Shell Canada Policies in Gas-and-Dash Killing
posted on September 17, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) today wrote to the Toronto Police Service to call for a criminal investigation into the policies of Shell Canada and the possible role they played in Saturday night’s death of a Toronto gas station attendant. Amid public outcry over the [...]
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All Rise! – The People’s Court Will Judge Austerity (Sat. Sept. 15)
posted on September 13, 2012PSAC members know that an attack on public services workers is an attack on all Canadians. Under this federal government, public services are being slashed and the workers who provide them are being declared “affected” and told they may lose their jobs. This is not a government that believes in strengthening the services that Canadians [...]
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The Labour Movement Mourns the Loss of Arlene Mantle
posted on September 13, 2012The Labour Movement mourns the loss of Arlene Mantle, a sister whose voice was on every picket line, rally or demo. She worked with many unions to create a space and voice for women through song. Below is a message from her family. ____ Arlene Mantle 1939–2012 She lit her candle in the wind. It [...]
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WSIB Death and Injury Stats (Jan-July, 2012)
posted on September 13, 2012Twenty-seven workers reportedly died in workplace related accidents or from occupational disease in only one month, according to new Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) statistics. That brings the total WSIB fatality claims to 236, while over 140,000 injury claims had been made. When compared to the 435 workplace fatalities and over 240,000 injury claims made in [...]
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MEDIA RELEASE: McGuinty’s Anti-Union Posturing is Simply a Crass Game of Politics that Will Cost Him a Majority
posted on September 6, 2012For Immediate Release September 6, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — Stealing a page out of Tim Hudak’s failed “Change Book,” Premier Dalton McGuinty made a cynical electoral play when he decided to try to vilify school teachers and educational workers. In a deposition delivered last night on the McGuinty government’s controversial anti-worker bill, OFL President Sid [...]
Read MoreMedia Advisory: McGuinty’s Anti-Worker Gamble will Cost Him a Majority Government
posted on September 5, 2012For Immediate Release September 5, 2012 (Toronto, ON) — Stealing a page out of Tim Hudak’s failed “Change Book,” Premier Dalton McGuinty made a cynical electoral play when he decided to try to vilify school teachers and educational workers. In tonight’s deposition on the McGuinty government’s controversial anti-worker bill, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) will [...]
Read MoreLabour-Community Alliance is the Only Way to Challenge Inequality: OFL Statement on Labour Day, 2012
posted on September 3, 2012OFL STATEMENT Labour-Community Alliance is the Only Way to Challenge Inequality OFL Statement on Labour Day, 2012 Just days before the Canadian workers celebrated their proud labour history, Ontario’s labour movement and more than 90 community groups and non-profit organizations released an unprecedented report that reverberated through the media from one end of the country [...]
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Sid Ryan: Depressed wages are a drag on Canada’s economy (Labour Day Op-Ed in the Toronto Star)
posted on September 1, 2012Originally appeared online on Sept. 1 and in the print edition of the Toronto Star on Sept. 3, 2012. Click here to see the original op-ed piece in the Toronto Star. Just in time to celebrate Labour Day, the American retail giant Target rolled into Canada, swallowed up 150 Zellers stores from the Hudson’s Bay [...]
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Ontario Common Front report puts inequality in the news
posted on August 30, 2012Yesterday the Ontario Common Front hit the provincial scene in a big way with the launch of a report on Ontario’s growing inequality that dominated the media and put a spotlight on the harsh impact of cuts to jobs and services. Download a full copy of “Falling Behind” Download quick reference fact sheets The report [...]
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Letter to South African President Jacob Zuma: Justice for Striking Workers
posted on August 24, 2012August 24, 2012 President Jacob Zuma President of South Africa Union Buildings Private Bag X1000, Pretoria 0001 South Africa Sent by letter mail and emailed to president@po.gov.za. A .PDF version of this letter can be downloaded from this link. Dear President Zuma: Subject: Call for a Full and Independent Investigation into Police Shootings of [...]
Read MoreRally for Public Education: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 @ Noon
posted on August 24, 2012An emergency rally has just been called to demand respect for teachers and support for public education. It is crucial that union members and community allies come out in big numbers to protest the government’s proposed anti-collective bargaining legislation. A joint rally has been called by ETFO, OSSTF, and CUPE at Queen’s Park in Toronto [...]
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August 25: Stand in Solidarity with Mineworkers in South Africa
posted on August 23, 2012Condemn the Massacre of South African Miners Demonstration outside the Consulate of South Africa in Toronto When: 1:00 pm, Saturday, August 25, 2012 Where: South Africa Consulate-General, Toronto 110 Sheppard Ave East, Suite 600, (Sheppard-Yonge Subway Station) A rally is being organized by labour, community and international solidarity activists on Saturday, August 25, 2012 at [...]
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Target Fairness: Mass demonstration in Mississauga at 11 am on Aug 22
posted on August 21, 2012Dear Sisters and Brothers, Over 10,000 Zellers workers need your support in demanding fairness from the American retail giant, Target. Since Target bought up Canadian Zellers stores, every employee (some with over 30 years of loyal service) learned they were being terminated and forced to reapply for their jobs. Bring friends, members and community allies [...]
Read MoreOFL Applauds Crown’s Appeal of “Manifestly Unfit” Sentence in Metron Scaffolding Tragedy
posted on August 21, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 21, 2012 (Toronto) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Sid Ryan today applauded Ontario’s Attorney General for appealing the $200,000 fine leveled against Metron Construction for criminal negligence claiming the lives of four workers and seriously injuring another on Christmas Eve 2009. Calling the sentence “manifestly unfit,” the Crown’s [...]
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Labour of Love “Real Hip-Hop Tour” Travels Ontario
posted on August 20, 2012Join three of Ontario’s most well-known political hip-hop acts in celebrating workers’ struggles. This five-city tour will travel Ontario from Sudbury to Southern Ontario in the week leading into Labour Day. Featured Artists: TEST THEIR LOGIK (Toronto/London) is made up of two revolutionary MC’s: Testament and Illogik. Their music is a lyrical explosion in the [...]
Read MoreWSIB Death and Injury Stats for the first 6 months of 2012
posted on August 14, 2012The latest death and injury stats from the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) report over 200 fatality claims and over 120,000 injuries. The tally for 2011 reached 436 workplace fatalities and 240,342 injury claims. It appears that the alarming trend in workplace tragedies remains unabated. 2012 WSIB Stats (to the end of June 2012) 209 [...]
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Mark Your Calendars! OFL Equity Conference (Nov. 9-11, 2012)
posted on August 12, 2012The Ontario Federation of Labour will be hosting an Equity Conference from November 9 to 11 under the theme: “We Are Ontario: Putting Equity Before Austerity.” The event will be opened up to members who belong to the OFL’s many equity-seeking constituencies. Community groups will also be invited to add their voices and experiences to [...]
Read MoreOFL Receives Appointment to Ontario’s First Prevention Council
posted on August 10, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 10, 2012 (Toronto) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) welcomed yesterday’s Ontario government announcement of the province’s first Prevention Council on Occupational Health and Safety. Included in the announcement was the appointment of OFL Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Hutchison and four other worker representatives to advise the government on measures to protect [...]
Read MoreInfo picket at Rogers Cup Tennis Final: Call for fair first contract, Aug. 12 @ 4:00 pm
posted on August 8, 2012Dear Sisters and Brothers, Help 300 Rogers workers secure a fair first collective agreement by bringing friends, co-workers and community allies to join an info picket during the Rogers Cup Tennis Final at York University on Sunday, August 12 at 4:00 pm. Please circulate the message from the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada [...]
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Labour Federation Presidents: Premiers should fight back against Ottawa’s low-wage schemes (Op-Ed in the Halifax Chronicle Herald)
posted on July 26, 2012[Read the original op-ed in the Halifax Chronicle Herald] July 26, 2012 It has become clear that the federal government, supported by a number of employer organizations, has a plan for transforming Canada’s labour market in ways that will profoundly hurt Canadians. It’s a four-prong strategy which includes the dramatic expansion of the Temporary Foreign [...]
Read MoreSid Ryan: ‘Flexible’ labour means ‘cheap’ labour (Guest Column in Toronto Sun)
posted on July 23, 2012Guest Column in the Toronto Sun, July 23, 2012 http://m.torontosun.com/2012/07/20/flexible-labour-means-cheap-labour Prepare yourselves for lower-wages, fewer benefits and frequent job changes because middle class wages and job security are relics of the past, according to Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak. After all, it is a dog-eat-dog job market out there and only the lean and mean will [...]
Read MoreSid Ryan: Stripping labour rights (Op-Ed in the Windsor Star)
posted on July 19, 2012Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak would have you believe that trade unions have outlived their usefulness and workers are better off without their right to work together. In support of his White Paper, Paths to Prosperity – Flexible Labour Markets, Hudak concedes that “over time, unions have contributed to developing Ontario’s middle class and to [...]
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Huffington Post: When Hudak Says “Flexible” Labour, He Really Means “Cheap” (Guest Blog Part 1 of 3 by Sid Ryan)
posted on July 18, 2012Guest Blog in the Huffington Post When Hudak Says “Flexible” Labour, He Really Means “Cheap” Sid Ryan, President, Ontario Federation Labour http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/../../sid-ryan/tim-hudak-unions_b_1680555.html This is part one of a three-part reply to Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak’s series of HuffPost blogs about his party’s “Path to Prosperity” white paper. Since when was the middle class the enemy of Ontario’s [...]
Read MoreSid Ryan: Hudak pushes poverty over prosperity – Ontario PC leader signs onto Stephen Harper’s anti-labour agenda (Op-Ed in Hamilton Spectator)
posted on July 14, 2012It’s official. Reduced public services and cheap labour are the cornerstones of Ontario Conservatives’ latest economic scheme, as outlined in their recent white paper on “flexible labour markets.” For Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak, “prosperity” means turning Ontario into a low-wage, regulation-free haven where corporations rake in profit at the expense of Ontario workers, communities [...]
Read MoreOFL’s Sid Ryan live interviewed on CP24 about Metron Construction Fines
posted on July 14, 2012Watch this CP24 video clip of a live interview with Sid Ryan after Metron Construction was slapped with a $200,000 fine for the deaths of 4 workers and the critical injury of a third. Sid Interviewed Live by CP24′s George Lagogianes: The OFL has called on the crown to appeal the sentence because justice can’t be [...]
Read MoreOFL Calls on Crown to Appeal Metron Sentence: A Worker’s Life is Worth More than $50K
posted on July 13, 2012FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 13, 2012 (Toronto) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Sid Ryan is calling on the Crown to appeal the $200,000 fine leveled against Metron Construction today for the deaths of four workers and the critical injury of another. Ryan had harsh criticisms for a judicial system that continues to [...]
Read MoreOFL Expects Historic Sentencing of Negligent Company: Restitution Sought for Victim and Survivors
posted on July 12, 2012(Toronto) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is bracing itself for a historic verdict this Friday, when the sentence will be announced against Metron Construction. The company’s criminal negligence led to the deaths of four workers and the critical injury of another when scaffolding collapsed at a Toronto high-rise on December 24, 2009. While [...]
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Sid Ryan: Conservative Tim Hudak pushes plan for poverty, not prosperity (Op-Ed in Toronto Star)
posted on July 10, 2012It’s official. Reduced public services and cheap labour are the cornerstones of Ontario Conservatives’ latest economic scheme, as outlined in their recent white paper on “flexible labour markets.” For Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, “prosperity” means turning Ontario into a low-wage, regulation-free haven where corporations rake in profit at the expense of Ontario workers, communities [...]
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Out and Proud: Labour Contingent Photos from Toronto Pride
posted on July 2, 2012On July 1, the OFL and many affiliates celebrated Toronto Pride by marching together in a proud labour contingent. The theme of this year’s contingent was “We Are Ontario: Out and Proud” and it served as an opportunity to challenge government cuts to jobs and social programs that will affect the LGBTQ community. Click here [...]
Read MoreHudak Plan Seeks to Strip Workers of Wages, Benefits and Pensions
posted on June 27, 2012(TORONTO) — Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak’s White Paper on “Flexible Labour Markets” seeks to strip Ontario workers of wages, benefits and pensions, according to the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). “Hudak’s proposed reforms to Ontario labour laws are nothing but sour grapes. He blames labour unions and not his own bad policy for his [...]
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Show Solidarity for Striking Peel Workers
posted on June 26, 2012CUPE 966 Solidarity BBQ (Tuesday, June 26 @ Noon) Join striking members of CUPE Local 966 for a solidarity barbeque and help call for a fair settlement. This mostly female workforce deserves a fair contract that grants them equal treatment with other workers in the region. Your support can help restore the vital services they [...]
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Callous Assault by Employers on Cancer Victims and Surviving Widows
posted on June 26, 2012OFL Calls on McGuinty to Reinstate Compensation for Victims and Survivors (Toronto) — As a result of an employer-led legal campaign, victims of occupational disease and their survivors have been cut off of “loss of earnings” benefit payments by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB). OFL President Sid Ryan sent an urgent letter to [...]
Read MoreLetter to the Premier: Compensation for Occupational Disease Victims and Survivors
posted on June 25, 2012Dear Premier McGuinty: I am writing to bring your attention to a serious attack on Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) compensation benefits for victims and survivors of occupational disease. This is an issue of grave concern to the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), the injured worker community, and indeed many Ontarians. By way of [...]
Read MoreUrgent: Support Needed for Students Occupying Minister Glen Murray’s Office to Drop Tuition Fees
posted on June 22, 2012Post-secondary students from across the GTA are currently occupying the office of Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Glen Murray to drop tuition fees. Please support them by bringing members and flags to join the picket outside of Murray’s Cabbagetown Constituency Office today between now and 4:00 pm and help to spread the word.
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No Jail Time, No Justice, Says OFL
posted on June 22, 2012(TORONTO, ON) — The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) expressed frustration that Metron Construction boss Joel Swartz won’t be facing jail time for the deaths of four workers and serious injury to another. While applauding the historic conviction of the company – the first in Ontario to face conviction for criminal negligence – the OFL made it clear that the $1-million fine sought by the prosecution doesn’t deliver sufficient justice to the victims and their families.
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No More Broken Promises! OFL Statement on National Aboriginal Day, June 21, 2012
posted on June 21, 2012After years of inaction on critical Aboriginal land and resource matters and its refusal to protect the sacred burial sites of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation on Big Trout Lake, the Government of Ontario finally showed signs of conceding. In March 2012, the McGuinty Government relented to public pressure and issued a temporary stop to all mining activity on KI land, but the moratorium didn’t apply to Toronto-based God’s Lake Resources, which staked its claims early enough to get in under the wire.
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“Toby’s Law” Marks Break-Through for Human Rights
posted on June 13, 2012On the opening day of the OFL’s Out@Work Conference, delegates were joined by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale-High Park) who announced the second reading passing of Bill 33, Toby’s Act (Right to be Free from Discrimination and Harassment Because of Gender Identity or Gender Expression). In her fourth attempt to secure Human Rights Code protections [...]
Read MoreFunding Cut for Canadian Apprenticeship Forum
posted on June 10, 2012The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) is a pan-Canadian body that brings together government, employer and labour representatives of trades across Canada. This year the federal government de-funded the organization, along with other sector councils. In order to maintain a pan-Canadian body, a proposal has been developed to fundraise $850,000 by April 2013 to maintain the [...]
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Toxic River Poisons Grassy Narrows
posted on June 8, 2012The people of Grassy Narrows have sustained themselves for thousands of years on their traditional territory – 2,500 square miles of forest, lakes and rivers north of Kenora, Ontario. Now plans for clear-cut logging, mining and the legacy of residential schools, hydro damming, relocation, and mercury poisoning threaten to uproot the way of life of [...]
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We Are Ontario: Anti-Austerity Monday (June 11)
posted on June 7, 2012Stop Schedule 28 Pack the Gallery at Queen’s Park; Rally Against E.I. Cuts
You Can Help Stop Schedule 28: A Call to Action
Everyone who is concerned about the privatization of our public services needs to take action as soon as possible. Amendments to the Budget Bill are due by the end of the day on Tuesday, so we do not have much time.
Open Letter to Québec Students:
posted on June 6, 2012On behalf of over one million workers in Ontario, I am writing to you to express our strongest solidarity with your movement to stop tuition fee hikes and maintain a high quality, accessible post-secondary education system in Québec. We salute your movement’s determination to continue in the face of an intransigent government and violent police crack-downs.
Read MoreE.I. Changes Target Vulnerable Workers
posted on June 6, 2012Buried in Harper’s omnibus budget are E.I. changes targeting some of the most vulnerable workers–including migrant and unemployed workers–to create downward pressure on the wages of all workers. Last year, the federal government announced the closure of more than 80 percent of E.I processing centres and the elimination of hundreds of associated jobs. As a result, [...]
Read MoreNew Anti-Bullying Law Protects LGBTQ Youth
posted on June 5, 2012The Ontario government’s anti-bullying legislation is on its way to becoming law, making it clear that sexual assault, gender-based violence, homophobia and transphobia will not be tolerated in the province’s public schools. While the law comes too late to save the lives of 15-year-old Jamie Hubley and 11-year-old Mitchell Wilson, it is hoped to help [...]
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Labour is OUT and PROUD: 2012 Ontario Pride Events
posted on June 4, 2012Equality is a founding principal for our labour movement. We urge unions to be out & proud! Show support and solidarity for the LGBT community by building and participating in your community Pride events.
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Sid Ryan: Redirecting our priorities (Guest Column in the Toronto Sun)
posted on June 2, 2012Sid Ryan, Guest Columnist Article Appeared in Print Edition: Saturday, June 2, 2012 Read the article on the Toronto Sun website and share your comments Quebec is currently gripped in a not-so-quiet revolution and, in an ironic twist, it is the children of the ’60s and ’70s who led an era of momentous social upheaval [...]
Read MoreOntario College of Trades Impacts Services and Other Sectors
posted on June 2, 2012The Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) is well underway, with two consultations that are important to Trades and Apprentices—membership and membership fees—having been completed on June 3, 2012. Ratio Reviews are currently underway for each trade. The ratio of journeypersons to apprentices is important in maintaining the quality of apprenticeship training and to ensure that [...]
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Sid Ryan: The case for zero tuition (Opinion Article in the National Post)
posted on June 1, 2012Numerous National Post columnists have argued that striking Quebec students should just accept higher tuition rates. I don’t get that argument. In Ireland, where I’m from, education is free from kindergarten through university. It seems absurd to me that we charge our young people any college or university fees at all, given that their skills and knowledge will propel our economy.
Read MoreHarassment Forces Some Workers to Choose Between Their Safety or Their Job: OFL Statement on Sexual Harassment Awareness Week, June 1-7, 2012
posted on May 31, 2012Studies show that the majority of working women will experience some form of sexual harassment throughout their working lives; however the harassment experienced in the workplace is not solely limited to sexual harassment. Harassment on the basis of race, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity/expression and various other forms of personal harassment, compounded with harassment due to gender can make the workplace, and indeed society, dangerous and even lethal for many vulnerable workers.
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Mississauga Solidarity Rally for CUPE 966 – Friday, June 1 @ 1:00 pm
posted on May 29, 2012Dear Sisters and Brothers, Your support is crucial in helping the striking Human Services members of CUPE 966 get a fair contract from the Region of Peel. The big pink CUPE 966 Flying Squad bus has become one of the most visible and consistent features of every rally and picket line throughout the province. Now [...]
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Letter to the Toronto Sun: Draconian Legislation
posted on May 24, 2012Megan Harris appears blind to her own double standard. She complains about the efforts of students to bring accessible post-secondary education to Ontario, then she admits to moving from Toronto in 1990 to study at a much more affordable Montreal university where she escaped Ontario’s punishingly high tuition fees. For 14 weeks, more than 150,000 striking college and university students have been joined by thousands of citizens of all ages and backgrounds in overwhelmingly peaceful protests against the plan of Quebec Premier Jean Charest to double tuition fees.
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