LABOUR COUNCIL DELEGATES MEETING
Thursday, October 6, 7:30 p.m. OFL Building-Auditorium, 15 Gervais Dr.
Thursday, October 6, 7:30 p.m. OFL Building-Auditorium, 15 Gervais Dr.
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Organizing Trump Towers
From 1871 ...
LabourCouncil History 
Labour Action Summer 2016
Labour Action Spring 2016
Labour Action Winter 2016
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CLICK ON IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD FLYER REGISTER TODAY for the Scarborough Demands Decent Work townhall & tell you friends, family, colleagues to do so also. For more information email ababbington@labourcouncil.ca STEELWORKERS JOB ACTION CENTRES under threat of closure by Dec 31, 2016
Job Action Centre services mostly older workers around 55-60 years old who have lost their jobs after 30-35 years of employment. Many of these workers are difficult-to-place people who require training and considerable support. These industrial jobs are often lost through no fault of the workers themselves, but as the result of unfair free trade deals, outsourcing, and plant closures. In a time when Ontario’s unemployment rates are rising and the employment landscape continues to change, Ontarians need these services more than ever. Sign and Share the petition to stop the closure!  click image to download
CHANGING WORKPLACES - CHANGING THE RULES?
At the end of July, the Government of Ontario released the long-awaited report from the Changing Workplace Review looking at the role of Labour Law and the Employment Standards Act in the modern workplace. At 320 pages, it is an impressive examination of the new realities of work in the province that was once Canada’s industrial heartland. From a time when a quarter of all jobs were in the well-paid industrial sector, today that number is down to just over 10%, while the service sector has grown dramatically. More than 13% of the workforce is now involved in temp work, while unionization has slowly eroded to provide only 14% of private sector employees a voice at work. It is a sobering reminder of the kind of jobs the next generation will be finding when they graduate. Read Labour Council's summary of the report What’s Next? The next stage in the Review is for feedback from unions, employers, workers and community groups on the specific options they want to see turned into reality. Business is now starting to organize across the province to pressure the Liberals to do as little as possible - so labour needs to ramp up the fight for positive change. This really is a fight for the next generation. The status quo will not be an acceptable option. Do we want our sons and daughters to be living a precarious existence with low wages and few benefits? Or should work be respected, with clear rules to support decent jobs and workers’ rights? The Changing Workplace Review may be about legislation, but what’s at stake is fundamentally about the kind of Canada our families will live in for decades to come. Ontario Ministry of Labour has invited input by October 14, 2016 - submissions on all other options in the Interim Report More info on submissions... Read the Full Interim Report & send your thoughts to kkulendiren@labourcouncil.ca Read the Press Release from Labour Council on Changing Workplace Review Interim Report Take a moment to fillout the Precarious Employment (involuntary part-time, casual, contract, temporary, unsafe work) survey and share your experiences. Find out about the province wide campaign to Make It Fair! www.makeitfair.ca Read Labour Council's submission to the Changing Workplace Review click here. Click to watch stories about organizing Trump Towers and contract flipping. 
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EQUITY COMMITTEE STATEMENT on POLICE KILLING OF ABDIRAHMAN ABDI The Toronto and York Region Labour Council’s Equity Committee sends its condolences to the family of Abdirahman Abdi. The 37-year old Mr. Abdi is the latest addition to the list of names of unarmed disproportionately Black males and females who have had fatal interactions with police. Adding to the indignation is Mr. Abdi’s reported struggle with mental health issues. As such the name Abdirahman Abdi now takes its place alongside the names of Toronto’s Andrew Loku, Lester Donaldson and others. Each of these lethal police interactions involve Black males with mental health challenges and calls into question why de-escalation techniques were not used. Many will agree that addressing the issue of sanctioned police violence has become almost routine for the Labour Movement. We write statements, call for reform yet the violence continues and the casualties continue to rise. Studies are done, reports are issued then shelved by those in position to implement the change and therefore violence continues. Read entire statement Read "Black Lives Matter Toronto solidifies support for Somali Canadians" PRIDE magazine article by Mark Brown (Co-Chair of Labour Council Equity Committee) Standing Together Against Hate
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), a prominent civil liberties & advocacy organization, was joined Monday by community leaders and elected officials in six cities across the country to endorse the NCCM Charter for Inclusive Communities to condemn all forms of Islamophobia. John Cartwright signed on behalf of Labour Council at the Toronto event. The Charter for Inclusive Communities affirms the dignity of every person and calls for a concerted effort to counter prejudice and hate and to develop programs and policies specific to the reduction and elimination of Islamophobia in all its forms. The NCCM’s call for action comes as an increasing number of Islamophobic incidents occur across the country, and as a new survey indicates that an “epidemic of Islamophobia” exists in Ontario. Across the country, discrimination and stereotyping of Canadian Muslims is growing in frequency and intensity. Labour Council Submission on Canada Post Review - Read Statement
The Labour Council submission on the future of Canada Post, focuses on one specific theme in the review mandate: “viable options and the associated implications for ensuring that Canada Post provides quality service to Canadians at a reasonable price and in a sustainable fashion.” The main elements of transforming Canada Post into a sustainable and accessible public service are:
145th ANNIVERSARY of TORONTO & YORK REGION LABOUR COUNCIL
One hundred and forty five years ago a small group of workmen came together to give life to an idea – the creation of a collective voice for working people in Toronto. On April 12th, 1871 the Toronto Trades and Labour Assembly was founded by representatives of the emerging economy – barrel-makers, shoemakers, printers, bakers, cigar-makers and metalworkers. They were soon joined by other occupations. It was a time of rising for workers across the world, from the nine-hour day movement to the Paris Commune. Within a year the fledging labour movement in Toronto would be tested. Printers at the Globe newspaper went on strike and were jailed for criminal sedition. Ten thousand people took to the streets demanding the printers’ freedom and labour rights. The call for justice echoed throughout the country and the federal government passed the first Trade Union act... Click to read a QUICK HISTORY of the LABOUR COUNCIL KEEP HYDRO PUBLIC
Read Labour Council's statement on Public Hydro Add your name to the Change.Org petition, share on facebook & twitter too! CALLING FOR MILLION CLIMATE JOBS
The Toronto and York Region Labour Council calls on governments and employers to take decisive action on Climate Change and create one million new jobs within the next decade. The Labour Council is calling on every political and corporate decision-maker to commit to policies and programs that will achieve the COP21 goals. Read the EarthDay press release. There are effective initiatives that could help meet the goal of reducing our carbon footprint as Canada’s largest urban centre. Read more Labour Council's statement here. EMPOWERING WORKER NETWORKS
Labour Council supports the development of networks of union members in diverse communities – Chinese, Filipino, Tamil, Somali and Ethiopian/Eritrean. If you are interested in getting involved you can sign up HERE or contact Kiruthiha Kulendiren at kkulendiren@labourcouncil.ca 416 441-3663 x 221. Click for the Chinese Network flyer click here, Filipino flyer click here and Tamil Flyer. 
STRENGTHENING OUR UNIONS THROUGH EQUITY
In September 2014, Labour Council released its latest contribution to the equity work in our movement. Entitled “A Leader’s Guide to Strengthen Unions: Moving Beyond Diversity… Towards Inclusion and Equity” the document is designed to be a tool for activists and leaders who want to build more powerful unions in greater Toronto, and across Canada. It is written by Jojo Geronimo, veteran labour educator former Executive Director of the Labour Education Centre. It's time to take the next step in advancing equity in every union's work. Click on image to download guide |
