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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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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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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Follow-Up Letter from Sid Ryan to Porter Airlines President Robert Deluce
posted on March 15, 2013March 15, 2013 Robert J. Deluce President and Chief Executive Officer Porter Airlines Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Toronto, ON M5V 1A1 Dear Robert Deluce, Thank you for your recent response to our letter in support of striking COPE 343 members. Your attempt to discredit the strikers and their union, however, will not contribute to [...]
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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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Toronto Star Op-Ed: Canada-EU trade deal: No time for NDP to show moderation (Sid Ryan)
posted on March 7, 2013Canada-EU trade deal: No time for NDP to show moderation NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair’s “wait-and-see” approach to the Canada-European Union trade deal is dangerous, not moderate. By: Sid Ryan Published on Thursday, March 07, 2013 It is always uncomfortable to give public advice to a friend, but when he is about to head down a perilous [...]
Read MoreLetter from Sid Ryan to Porter Airlines President Robert Deluce
posted on March 2, 2013March 1, 2013 Robert J. Deluce President and Chief Executive Officer Porter Airlines Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Toronto, ON M5V 1A1 Dear Robert Deluce, I am writing to inform you that the Ontario Federation of Labour fully supports the striking COPE 343 members who work as airplane re-fuelers for your company, Porter Airlines. As [...]
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Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed: Time to change the conversation on austerity (Sid Ryan & Alex Himelfarb)
posted on February 25, 2013Time to change the conversation on austerity By Sid Ryan and Alex Himelfarb, Ottawa Citizen Opinion Editorial February 24, 2013 7:04 PM There is an absence of confidence in politics these days. Each new government budget offers a new austerity menu of what we cannot do, what we must cut and who must tighten their [...]
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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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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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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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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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In Memoriam: Cliff Pilkey (July 27, 1922 – November 17, 2012)
posted on November 21, 2012A Man of the People Cliff Pilkey (July 27, 1922 – November 17, 2012) Download the OFL’s Cliff Pilkey Memorial Download archival photos of Cliff The funeral service will be held in the Chapel of the Oshawa Funeral Home on Friday, November 23 at 11:00 amwith the interment at Thornton Cemetery. A reception to follow [...]
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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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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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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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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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Rally 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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Labour Leaders Join Celebration of Jack Layton’s Vision
posted on August 23, 2012On the anniversary of the passing of the Jack Layton, labour leaders from across the country joined thousands of people at Toronto’s City Hall to pay tribute to the beloved NDP Leader. Jack’s last act was his open letter to Canadians, released hours after his death. What came next was a collective outpouring of grief and sorrow, [...]
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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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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 [...]
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NDP Candidate Catherine Fife Launches Campaign in K-W Byelection
posted on August 18, 2012On Thursday, August 16, NDP Candidate Catherine Fife launched her campaign in the Kitchener-Waterloo byelection with outstanding support. Nearly every Ontario NDP MP and MPP attended her campaign kick-off to a cheering crowd of more than 200. OFL Vice-President Irwin Nanda joined the campaign launch to bring labour support. After the launch, hundreds of volunteers [...]
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 [...]
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Join the Ontario Common Front on Facebook! Help fight cuts across Ontario
posted on August 9, 2012The Ontario Common Front is a coalition of labour and community groups that have come together to challenge cuts to jobs and services in every community in Ontario. Join the Ontario Common Front on Facebook and share the page with your friends, coworkers and community allies. www.facebook.com/OntarioCommonFront Check out the website of the Ontario Common [...]
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Info 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 [...]
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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OFL’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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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“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.
E.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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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.
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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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