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 the past forty years, the labour movement can be proud of our work to ensure full legal rights for the LGBTQ workers and their families. We fought for collective bargaining rights and stood with our members through legal battles in achieving legislative equality.

A record 24 centres across Ontario are working hard right now to mark PRIDE this spring and summer. Most are relatively new and therefore vulnerable.

In these difficult economic times, we must ensure that human rights do not become a causality of the recession. The economic downturn has very real repercussions for marginalized groups. We know that in hard times tension rises and harassment increases.

The more unions that assist members in creating a visible presence at picnics, marches and parades the better. This support is crucial, particularly in the smaller towns.

Unions are strongly encouraged to work with local labour councils and contacts wherever possible. For example, support at Thunder Bay’s 3rd Pride celebration, THUNDER PRIDE, will be critical this year because of the high cost of airfares from the south. Your assistance will be appreciated.

Scroll down or click here or an up-to-date list of LGBTQ Pride dates and events as of mid-May. Updates will be posted as they become available.

Let us know what your union is able to do this spring and summer. We’d love to know and to receive your photos and YouTube posting. However small, be assured all workers will appreciate your support.

In Solidarity,

Nancy Hutchison
Secretary-Treasurer

2013 Ontario Pride Listings

MAY

May 6-11: Guelph Pride
www.guelphpride.outontheshelf.ca

May 23-June 2: Tri-Pride: Kitchener/ Cambridge/Waterloo
www.tri-pride.ca

May 31 – June 2: Elliot Lake Pride
www.ELPride.ca

May 31 – June 8: Pride Niagara (St Catharine’s)
www.prideniagara.com

May 31- June 9: Pride Durham
www.pridedurham.com

JUNE

June 1-16: Kingston Pride
www.kingstonpride.ca

June 1: Perth Pride
http://lgbtlanark.com/events/pride-in-perth/

June 2: Halton Pride
www.haltonpride.org

June 4-16: Thunder Pride
www.thunderpride.ca

June 10-15: Hamilton Pride
www.hamiltonpride.org

June 14-16: Grey Bruce Pride
htpps://facebook.com/#1/GreyBrucePride

June 15-23: York Pride
www.yorkpridefest.com

June 15: Brantford Pride
tbuchanan3953@gmail.com
Mohawk Park Lower Pavillion

June 21-30: Pride Toronto
www.pridetoronto.com

June 22-24: Gananoque Pride Festival
http://1000islandsganoque.com/lgbt-summer-solstice

JULY

July 14-21: Sudbury Pride
www.sudburypride.com

July 19-28: Peel Pride
www.peelpride.ca

July 19-21: Port Stanley Pride
www.portstanleypride.ca

July 20: Brockville Pride Walk
https://sites.google.com/site/brockvillepride

July 21-28: Muskoka Pride
www.gaymuskoka.com

July 20-28: Pride London
www.pridelondon.ca

AUGUST

August 2-10: Simcoe County Pride
www.simcoepride.com

August 8-11: Windsor-Essex Pride Festival
www.wepridefest.com

August 16-25: Capital Pride
www.capitalpride.ca

SEPTEMBER

September 21-27: Peterborough Pride
www.peterboroughpride.ca

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Scroll down or click here or an up-to-date list of LGBTQ Pride dates and events as of mid-May.

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 of May 17 events to recognize the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. On March 20, 2013, the Canadian House of Commons approved Bill C-279, an NDP private members bill that extends Canadian Human Rights Act protections to trans people and amends the Criminal Code of Canada to target crimes that are motivated by gender-based hatred. These gains come on the heels of Ontario’s Toby’s Act, a 2012 NDP private members bill that amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to afford protections for trans people with respect to public services, housing, employment and access to government facilities.

“The labour movement has proudly supported the NDP in championing laws affording LGBTQ rights at the provincial and national level, but a true testament to the success of these gains is the support they have received from politicians of every stripe,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “These laws will provide powerful tools in combating homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination, but we cannot simply challenge hate in the courtrooms of the nation – we must challenge it in our homes, workplaces and communities.”

Around the world, May 17 is recognized as a day of action, awareness and affirmation of the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified and Queer-identified (LGBTQ) people. On this day, the labour movement joins the LGBTQ community and allies in fighting for equality and celebrating the contributions made by LGBTQ people to society and their families. The day commemorates the removal of homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 1992. Prior to that, homosexuality was officially considered a mental illness.

“Despite important victories and advancements made in recent years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and Queer members of our communities still face homophobia and transphobia in their daily lives,” said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Hutchison. “LGBTQ people and their families experience harassment, intimidation and even violence on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. This oppression is compounded by other forms of discrimination such as racism, sexism, ableism, and classism.”

The devastating effect of homophobia and transphobia continues to exact a heavy toll on a community whose youth face a suicide rate that is 14 times greater than their heterosexual peers. A survey of high school students published by the EGALE Human Rights Trust in 2009 showed that three-quarters of LGBTQ students feel unsafe in at least one place at school, such as change rooms, washrooms, and hallways. Transgender and transsexual students are among the most marginalized and are especially likely to see at least one of these places as unsafe (87 percent). These statistics provide a frightening back story to the alarming rates of depression and suicide within the LGBTQ community.

However, these prejudices do not stop at graduation and often follow LGBTQ workers throughout their lives. Recent studies indicate that a high percentage of LGBTQ workers opt to stay “in the closet” and do not “come out” to their colleagues or employer for fear of being ostracized, demoted or fired. While the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Occupational Health and Safety Act explicitly prohibit harassment and discrimination, incidents too often go unreported, unacknowledged and unenforced.

“Now that governments are finally recognizing some of the most fundamental rights of the LGBTQ community, they must take action to challenge prejudicial and discriminatory attitudes in our workplaces,” said OFL Solidarity and Pride Vice-President Stephen Seaborn. “Here in Ontario, we are calling on the Liberal government to launch a public awareness and educational campaign on workplace violence and harassment. Every worker must know their right to a violence and harassment-free workplace.”

The Ontario Federation of Labour stands with pride in solidarity with the LGBTQ community’s struggle for equality. This Federation is proud of its contribution to the legislative and social progress on LGBTQ issues that has been made over the past forty years.

“We have come a long way as a society, but we cannot stop striving for fairness and equality as long as individual or systemic discrimination continue to persist,” said Ryan. “Teen suicide is unrelenting for the LGBTQ community, gender expression has yet to be recognized as a human right and, all around the world, trans people continue to be classified as mentally ill. These are egregious signs of malignant attitudes that must be challenged every day and in every way.”

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.

For further information:

Sid Ryan, OFL President: 416-209-0066 (cell) or www.Twitter.com/SidRyan_OFL

Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) or jduff@ofl.ca *ENG/FRENCH*

Scroll down to see to download the OFL poster for May 17.

May 17 PosterPost these posters in your workplaces and in your communities to help raise awareness about homophobia and transphobia. Creating positive spaces is everyone’s responsibility.Click here to download the poster in English. Click here to download the poster in French.

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. The Migrant Workers Federal and Provincial Report Cards, released today by the Canadian Council for Refugees, expose gaps in provincial legislation, enforcement and information that put Ontario’s more than 120,000 migrant workers at great risk and with little recourse to justice.

“Ontario has more migrant workers than any other province in Canada and yet we continue to treat them as an expendable work force,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “In 2009, four migrant construction workers plunged to their deaths from the thirteenth floor of a West Toronto high rise and, in 2012, ten migrant farm workers were killed in a horrific accident near Hampstead, Ontario. These tragedies are a chilling wake-up call about the risks that vulnerable workers face when they lack legal protection, proper training and knowledge of their rights.”

The national report card gives Ontario a “C–” for its lack of legal protection for migrant workers and a “D” for failing to educate vulnerable workers about their rights. Ontario received its lowest grade, a “D–”, for failing to provide migrant workers with access to permanent residence, while other provincial governments have used the Provincial Nominee Program to give low-skilled migrant workers access to permanent residence.

According to the report, lack of tracking of migrant workers means that the province often does not even know where migrant workers are located, much less how they are being treated. Currently, Ontario’s only legislation providing specific protections for migrant workers applies to live-in caregivers. This leaves the tens of thousands of migrants working on farms, construction sites, factories and many other workplaces with the poorly enforced Employment Standard Act to fall back on. However, without proper education on those rights or proactive employer spot-checks, the province’s migrant workers live in constant fear of losing their job and being deported. The full set of report cards can be downloaded from this link: http://ccrweb.ca/en/migrant-workers-report-cards

“Ontario cannot continue to keep migrant workers out of sight and out of mind. These workers put food on the tables of Ontario families and take care of our children, but they often live and work in deplorable conditions,” said Ryan. “Every worker in Ontario, regardless of nationality or citizenship, should be treated with dignity and respect and have access to healthcare, workers compensation, and information about their rights.”

The report shows that Ontario lags behind provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia that have shown leadership by passing legislation offering protections to migrant workers through initiatives such as employer licensing systems, monitoring recruitment fees and the implementation of tough penalties for violations. Meanwhile, Ontario is also one of the only two provinces in Canada that denies agricultural workers the right to collective bargaining, affecting many migrant farm workers. Gaps in provincial health care coverage and over-punitive workplace compensation policies merely compound the injustices faced by these workers.

“For migrant farm workers like Juan Ariza, who is one of three Peruvian workers who were critically injured in the Hampstead tragedy that claimed the lives of ten of his co-workers, survival means an uncertain future,” said Ryan. “Ariza was in Canada for only three days before his life was changed forever. He was injured in Canada and he needs to stay here for benefits and treatment, but one year later his permanent residency application is still hanging in limbo.”

The OFL is joining the Canadian Council for Refugees in calling on the Ontario Government to extend the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act to all migrant workers. It is also calling for the implementation of a registration system for employers and recruiters to better detect exploitation, proactive enforcement of employment standards, and collaboration with the federal government to provide pathways to permanent residence for all migrant workers.

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.

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For further information:

Sid Ryan, OFL President: 416-209-0066 (cell) or @SidRyan_OFL

Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) *ENGLISH/FRENCH*

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 factory that killed as many as 500 workers and injured 2,500 more. One hundred and fifty workers remain missing and are feared dead beneath the rubble. This tragedy touches the lives of thousands of Bangladeshi Canadians who have friends and family in the Dhaka region and is a stark reminder of the human cost of the cheap textiles and merchandise in Canadian marketplaces.

“Canadian workers are proud of the contributions that the hundreds of thousands of South Asian workers have made to our country and our labour movement, but today we are reminded of our responsibility to defend the rights and lives of workers around the world,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “Canada may rely on international imports, but must do so while striving to export workers’ rights, decent wages and safe working conditions. Canadians cannot profit from the exploitation of workers at home or abroad.”

In Canada, South Asians represent one quarter of the racialized workforce and four percent of the total workforce, making them the country’s largest racialized group. Most South Asian workers live and work in Ontario and British Columbia (and more specifically, Toronto and Vancouver, and surrounding areas). While most South Asian workers in Canada are well-educated, they are under-represented in managerial and skilled occupations and over-represented in semi-skilled and low-skilled occupations. These trends are based on the 2006 Census – and given the dramatic shifts in the economy since then, it is likely that they have been exacerbated.

“South Asians have a long history in Canada and our accomplishments are a vital part of Canadian history,” said OFL Executive Vice President Irwin Nanda, the OFL’s first Executive Officer of South Asian descent. “South Asian workers are active in the membership of unions across the country and, increasingly, we are finding our place in the leadership as well.”

Since receiving proclamation in December 2001, South Asian Heritage Month has celebrated the presence and heritage of people with roots in the South Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan. While celebrations often highlight South Asian history, arts, heritage and culture, it is also important to recognize the contributions of South Asian workers to Canada’s economy and society.

South Asian immigrants began arriving in Ontario at the start of the 20^th Century. Originally working primarily in the sawmill industry, South Asian immigrants settled in various parts of the province. For many South Asians, the month of May has been a time of celebration and commemoration of their arrival from the Indian subcontinent to the Americas beginning on May 5, 1838. However, many other South Asians have travelled to Ontario from such places as Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, United Kingdom, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Today, a diverse South Asian population makes up a significant proportion of Ontario’s population and proudly draws upon their heritage and traditions to contribute to many aspects of culture, commerce and public service across the province.

“Many South Asian people in Canada have faced harassment and discrimination in the workplace and in society. We have responded by becoming active in challenging racism in all of its forms and making Canada a better place for everyone to live and work,” said Nanda. “We are proud to have the trade union movement joining with community partners to acknowledge the incredible activism being undertaken every day by South Asian Canadians in our communities and our unions.”

The OFL and the Ontario Common Front will be recognizing South Asian Community Activism on June 1^st with an awards gala at the Sagan Banquet Hall in Brampton. For sponsorship, tickets or more information, visit www.weareontario.ca/index.php/south-asian-awards-2013

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.

For further information:

Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) or jduff@ofl.ca *ENG/FRENCH*

MEDIA RELEASE

Modest Improvements Offer Little Relief in Austerity Budget

OFL Calls on Parties to Make Fairness the Focus of Budget Negotiations

(TORONTO, ON) ─ Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Sid Ryan welcomed modest measures in today’s Budget that responded to concerns identified in the People’s Budget but said the continuation of McGuinty’s austerity approach will fail to spur economic growth.

“Premier Wynne is holding the line on a one percent cap on public sector spending growth that is imposing real dollar cuts to hospitals, schools and vital public services,” said Ryan. “The province’s deficit reduction is taking place on the backs of working people while bankers and CEOs aren’t paying their fair share.”

“Ontarians were clear that they are frustrated with austerity cuts that are hurting every community and called on the government to make fairness a top priority,” said Ryan.

The OFL welcomes a series of budget measures that responded to the call from working families for good jobs and new opportunities. This spring the OFL launched a People’s Budget consultation process that asked Ontarians how to make Ontario fair for everyone. Several recommendations from the People’s Budget were reflected in today’s budget, including: $35 billion for infrastructure to create jobs and rebuild aging infrastructure; $295 million for a youth jobs strategy; $260 million for home care; $3 million for enforcement of employment standards; modest reforms to social assistance; and a commitment to address the minimum wage.

“The Wynne government has shown a willingness to listen to Ontarians, but what we really need is a more ambitious plan to address inequality and alleviate poverty,” said Ryan. “Plans to address the minimum wage are a step in the right direction but in the meantime, millions of Ontarians earning minimum wage are living below the poverty line,” said Ryan.

The OFL called the budget a missed opportunity to address inequality through fair taxation measures but said that it is not too late for improvements. The People’s Budget recommendations included four practical measures that would generate as much as $8 billion in new revenue that could be used to spur economic growth and ensure quality public services. The People’s Budget offers a positive path forward set out by the people of Ontario that the parties can look to for guidance in the coming negotiations.

“Ontarians do not want an election, but they can’t afford the social and economic cost of austerity,” said Ryan. “It is time for legislators to work together to put fairness into the budget.”

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour. Read the full set of recommendations from the People’s Budget at: www.ThePeoplesBudget.ca.

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For further information:

Sid Ryan, OFL President: 416-209-0066 (cell) or @SidRyan_OFL

Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) *ENGLISH/FRENCH*

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 the labour movement’s most solemn occasion–the annual Day of Mourning to renew our call to “Fight for the Living and Mourn for the Dead.”

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Bill C-45, historic legislation known as the Westray Bill, which amended the Criminal Code of Canada to hold employers criminally liable when their negligence caused the death or serious injury of employees. The Westray Bill provided a new regime outlining the framework of corporate liability in Canada.

When the amendments came into effect in 2004, workers across the country welcomed the promise of serious sanctions to ensure that there would never be another disaster like the one in Nova Scotia’s Westray coal mine that killed 26 miners on May 9, 1992 after ignited methane gas caused a massive underground explosion. However, every year since the law was introduced, roughly 400 Ontario workers continue to be killed on the job and 200,000 others are injured at work while not one Ontario employer has ever been brought to justice.

“Unless employers are held personally liable, they will continue to put profit ahead of the lives of their workers,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “This carnage will continue in the workplace as long as the criminal justice system continues to fail victims and survivors. How many workers must die before bosses start ending up behind bars?”

Since 1985, April 28 has been recognized across Canada as the International Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job. The purpose of Day of Mourning is twofold–to remember and honour fallen workers and to renew the commitment to health and safety protections that prevent further work-related deaths, injuries and diseases. While such a mandate is important in any year, this year there is a chance to enshrine these principles into the laws of Ontario.

Immediately following the December 24 tragedy in 2009, the OFL launched a Kill a Worker, Go to Jail campaign that led to a province-wide review of health and safety laws. In response, the Ontario government established a Prevention Council and proposed Bill 160 to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. The Bill implemented many of the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety. Once fully implemented the recommendations will be the most significant changes to Ontario’s health and safety system in over two decades.

“We need a commitment from every police chief and every crown attorney in Ontario that they will instruct officers and prosecutors to investigate every workplace tragedy as a crime scene,” said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Hutchison. “Police must collect evidence and prosecutors must build their cases, just like they do with any other violent offence. Accidents are accidents, but when employers ignore safety protocols, then a crime has taken place and there must be serious consequences.”

This April 28, the Ontario Federation of Labour will be remembering the hundreds of workers across Canada who die needlessly each year in workplace disasters and the hundreds of thousands more who are injured while trying to provide for their families and their future.

“Workers and their families will not stop campaigning for justice until bosses and CEOs who endanger the lives of workers are escorted from their boardrooms in handcuffs,” said Ryan. “Without justice, no fallen worker can rest in peace.”

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.

For further information:
Sid Ryan, OFL President: 416-209-0066 (cell) or @SidRyan_OFL
Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) or jduff@ofl.ca *ENG/FRENCH

Click here to download a copy of this statement.

Click here to download a compilation of WSIB workplace death and injury stats over the last two decades.

Click here for a list of Day of Mourning events across Ontario.

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 was a trade union activist like no other. She defended some of the most vulnerable workers in Toronto and she never slowed down after retirement,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “She had a big heart and truly understood that the strength of the labour movement was people. She nurtured other people to gain the confidence to stand up for their rights. Her greatest legacy was the empowerment of others.”

The OFL recognized Clementine’s incredible contribution to the labour movement by adding her name to the OFL Labour Honour Roll in 2011.

Funeral and Memorial Details

The viewing will be held at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home, 8911 Woodbine Avenue, Markham, Thursday night from 5pm to 8pm.

The funeral will be held at Saint Agnes Kouying Tsao Catholic Church, 2130 Rodick Road, Markham on Friday at 10:30am sharp. A number of our leaders will be her pall bearers.

In several weeks, UNITE HERE Local 75 will be organizing a union memorial service to celebrate her life and leadership.

Details will follow soon.

About Clementine

Sister Clementine was a native of Malaysia who immigrated to Canada in 1985.

She landed a job as a cook at the former Colony Hotel in Toronto in 1988. The hotel, located at 89 Chestnut St., became a University of Toronto student residence and Clementine continued to serve the students while they pursued their education.

When the Hotel Employee and Restaurant Employees Local 75, became UNITE HERE Local 75 in 1994, Clementine got active in her union as a defender of social justice, women’s rights, the elderly, the young and the poor. Above all she embraced the fight for the rights of all immigrants to Canada.

In 2004, Clementine ceased working at age 63 due to health reasons, but that did not stop her from carrying on the fight for working people, in addition to retirees rights and pension reform.

Everywhere across the city, Clementine was a common fixture at strikes, lockouts, rallies, demonstrations, community forums, labour forums, pension forums and any other political events. She was always dressed in the brightest clothing in her union’s colours, raising her voice and urging us all to fight on.

The highest office that Clementine held was that of a rank and file Executive Board member of UNITE HERE Local 75 and a shop steward and committee person. But in spite of never holding full-time office, Clementine distinguished herself as a recognizable and inspiring leader of her union and Toronto’s labour movement.

Clementine was 71 years young and she will be deeply missed.

April 15, 2013

OFL releases People’s Budget plan for Ontario: affordable measures to alleviate poverty, new infrastructure investment, and tax fairness

More than 135 groups participated in nine-community public consultation

(Toronto, Ontario) –The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) released a white paper today, A People’s Budget – Towards a Fair Ontario, which proposes recommendations that will create good jobs, alleviate poverty, support workers and their families, give young people a fair chance, and promote tax fairness. These recommendations are based on extensive feedback from citizens and groups and builds on a discussion paper the OFL released in February of this year calling for a change in the conversation on austerity.

“Over the course of our consultation, we heard stories of hard-working Ontarians falling behind, young people losing their optimism, and families struggling to make sense of the unfairness of income inequality,” said Sid Ryan, President of the OFL. “Yet we also heard inspiring stories of perseverance and thoughtful ideas for the future. The People’s Budget offers a positive path forward, away from austerity and towards a fair society based on equity and shared prosperity.”

The People’s Budget campaign held public consultations with citizens and organizations in nine communities: Windsor, London, Hamilton-Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, Brampton-Mississauga, Toronto, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Ottawa. The campaign also encouraged feedback through our website, email, and social media. In total, we received submissions from more than 135 groups, representing educators, small business people, students, seniors and many others. Submissions were received from many individuals as well. From this consultation, three key themes emerged:

1. Austerity is failing the people of this province, particularly our most vulnerable citizens.
2. Ontarians want to live in a fair society.
3. Government can do a better job of supporting Ontarians to realize their full potential.

“Government budgets must serve all citizens,” said Simon Black, Researcher at The City Institute at York University and one of the panelists at the Brampton-Mississauga community consultation. “The People’s Budget provides the voice of people who may not otherwise have an opportunity to influence public policy.

Among the 28 specific recommendations contained in the People’s Budget that touch on issues ranging from education, housing, the environment, health care, agriculture, and newcomer settlement, are three priority proposals:

1. Increase the minimum wage and put in place a formula for determining regular future increases.
2. Establish an infrastructure fund to be used for the expansion of public transit, rebuilding aging infrastructure, and green infrastructure initiatives.
3. Implement a fair taxation package that will include a range of tools to generate revenue.

These priority recommendations reflect the sentiments and ideas expressed most often throughout the consultation process. Ontarians understand that when people are paid a fair wage, the economy is stronger and fewer people have to rely on government programs, such as social assistance. Ontarians also know that strategic investments in green infrastructure, in transportation and housing, and in health and education pay multiple dividends fiscally, economically and socially. Finally, Ontarians are committed to a fair society where those who benefit most pay their fair share, those that pollute most pay for the remediation, and those in greatest need are given the help they need.

“Now is the time to embrace the potential of Ontarians,” said Mr. Ryan. “Ontario was once a gold standard that other provinces and countries looked to as an example. For many in Ontario today, those memories are too remote from the reality of their current situation. If we choose the right path forward and work together to build a fair Ontario, we can be that kind of society once again.”

The full report can be read at www.thepeoplesbudget.ca.

About the Ontario Federation of Labour

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour and follow OFL President Sid Ryan at @SidRyan_OFL

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For further information:

Christopher Holcroft
Empower Consulting/ Public Response for the Ontario Federation of Labour
416-996-0767 / Christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca

Anne-Marie Flanagan
Flanagan and Associates/ Public Response for the Ontario Federation of Labour
416-735-3690 / amflan@sympatico.ca

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 is often most targeted and most severe for LGBTQ youth (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning).

“Legal change has given us important tools, but like all bullying, homophobic and transphobic bullying cannot simply be banished by proclamation,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “With the law and the legislature on the side of justice and acceptance, it is up to everyone to work together to challenge the deep-seated prejudices that give rise to abuse and intolerance.”

In Canada, three-quarters of students and 61 percent of students with LGBTQ parents report that they feel unsafe at school, according to a 2009 national school survey by Egale Canada.

Nearly 90 percent of transgender students see their school as unsafe and 74 percent report having been verbally harassed about their gender expression. The pervasiveness of this hate-motivated bullying is due, in large part, to the fact that homophobia and transphobia are often ignored and not categorized as bullying. These statistics provide the frightening back story to the alarming rates of depression and suicide within the LGBTQ community.

This year, LGBTQ students and their allies will be celebrating  April 10 – the second Wednesday of April – as the International Day of Pink. It is an annual day of awareness for communities around the world to celebrate diversity and challenge bullying in all its forms, including homophobic and transphobic bullying.

“Bullying, intimidation, prejudice and discrimination are toxins that affect us all. When we allow members of any community to be marginalized and dehumanized, we contribute to a hidden form of violence,” said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Hutchison. “Bullying can only thrive in the shadows. Each of us must expose injustice and acknowledge our responsibility to take action to defend the rights of all people, regardless of race, gender, age, abilities, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”

The Day of Pink got its start in Nova Scotia when two straight high school students saw a gay student wearing a pink shirt being bullied. The two students intervened, but wanted to do more to prevent homophobic and transphobic bullying. They decided to wear pink shirts in solidarity with their classmate and, a few days later, got everyone at school to share in this expression of support by wearing pink to class. By creating a “sea of pink” in their school, these students helped to trigger an international movement to challenge homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools. Since then, the Day of Pink has continued to spread to schools and workplaces around the world and has drawn attention to the tragic impact of bullying and related teen suicides.

During the Day of Pink this year, teachers and education workers across Ontario will engage with students and colleagues on ways to end homophobia and transphobia. Workers in many other sectors will also participate by wearing pink shirts and organizing events to celebrate diversity and to challenge bullying.

“Every worker should wear a pink shirt on April 10 this year and take action in their workplaces and communities. Together, we can put a stop to homophobic and transphobic bullying and all forms of prejudice and discrimination,” said Hutchison. “Change is only possible when we stand together.”

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.

For further information:

Sid Ryan, OFL President: 416-209-0066 (cell)

Nancy Hutchison, OFL Secretary-Treasurer: 647-403-9799 (cell)

Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) or jduff@ofl.ca *ENG/FRENCH*

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 (OFL) when it comes to declaring the premature death of retirement security.

This article on the OFL’s pension deficit showcased the same slash-and-burn approach to pension cutting that has stranded so many retirees in perpetual poverty and spells disaster for the next generation of workers. Rest assured, Ontario’s labour movement won’t be buying into the mythology that retirement security is an unsustainable pipe-dream and pension-cutting is the only path to solvency. This prescription is an employer-biased cop-out that disregards the incredible value (and profit) that workers generate for their employers through a lifetime of dedicated service. A modest cushion to help retirees live out their days in dignity must be a part of the cost of doing business.

Pension deficits are the new normal following the 2008 recession and the labour unions are not immune. Unlike many employers in the public and private sectors, however, the OFL is addressing the pension challenge head-on. It won’t be fast or easy, but jobs won’t be cut, benefits won’t be gutted and our doors won’t close in the process.

Rest assured, in challenging employers to provide pensions that ensure their workers can retire in dignity, the OFL will be leading by example.

Sid Ryan,
President, Ontario Federation of Labour, Toronto