Latest News and Updates
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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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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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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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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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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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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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 [...]
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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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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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 [...]
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OFL 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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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