EDI TORI AL GENRE

A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET

ORGANIZED LABOUR
YOUR BALLOT IS
YOUR VOICE
Who will you choose on June 12? The provincial election
will decide the fate of Ontarios labour force.
Featuring
A COLLECTIVE VOICE
Hassan Yussuff speaks for
Canadas labour movement
ONTARIOS EDUCATION
How the vote will
affect our children
POWERING THE PROVINCE
How the election will
impact your utility bills
P
H
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B
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unionizedlabour.ca
O N T A R I O E L E C T I O N S P E C I A L S E C T I O N
A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET
2 UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA
On Thursday, June 12, Ontarians will head to the polls and vote
for the party they wish to represent them, deciding the future
of our province.
CHALLENGES
How provincial elections impact
organized labour in Ontario
W
e are speak-
ing out in
this election
campaign be-
cause we be-
lieve that the
labour movement has a positive role
to play in society. Most Canadians
agree that unions should advocate
for better laws,safe workplaces,good
health care,and better pensions.
Tim Hudak has recklessly used
this Ontario election campaign to
gamble with your future. He wants
you to believe that by killing jobs he
can create jobs. He claims that more
corporate tax cuts will somehow cre-
ate jobs when that model has proven
faulty in the past.
New research
He believes that the two-thirds of
Ontario workers who do not have a
company pension plan do not need
better public pensions.The people of
Ontario deserve better than a mind-
less repetition of numbers plucked
out of the air without the benet of
any serious research.
There is new research to show
that Hudaks proposal to cut
100,000 public sector jobs would
have devastating efects on many
communities.London,for example,
would face the loss of an estimated
7,116 public and private sector jobs;
Ottawa could lose 11,159; and Toron-
to,a whopping 62,892.
Job cuts
Ontario was hit hard by the Great Re-
cession of 20082009, and we have
not yet fully recovered. Hudaks pro-
posed cuts would deepen economic
hardship by driving unemployment
up by an added 2.5 percent in Niag-
ara and 2.4 percent in Windsor.Both
of these communities have already
been hit hard by the loss of good
family-sustaining jobs in manufac-
turing and other sectors.
Hudaks cuts would mean hospital
bed closures and fewer supports in
schools for children.The cuts would
result in longer waiting lists for
child care, developmental services,
and long-term care beds. It goes be-
yond that, however, because throw-
ing teachers and others out of work
means they will have less money
to spend in the local community
buying furniture, vehicles, music
lessons for their children, and even
groceries. As a result, local econ-
omies will sufer.
Our communities are much
more than bricks, mortar, and as-
phalt.They are home to individuals,
young and old, and families, large
and small. Hudaks proposed cuts
would devastate individuals and
families who are already struggling.
This is true especially for smaller
and medium-sized communities
outside Toronto.It would take years
to recover from this kind of slash-
and-burn.
Corporate taxes
Hudak claims that after he cuts
100,000 jobs, many more than that
would be created through him pro-
viding even deeper corporate tax
cuts.Yet Ontario is already one of the
lowest-taxed jurisdictions in North
America for business.Ontarios basic
corporate income tax rate dropped
from 14 percent in 2010 to 11.5 per-
cent in 2014. Over the same per-
iod, the federal tax rate fell from 18
percent to 15 percent. If lower busi-
ness taxes were going to create large
numbers of new jobs, that would al-
ready have happened.It hasnt.
Credible independent research-
ers and even business leaders say
that companies choose their loca-
tions based on many factors,includ-
ing a workforce that is well trained
and educated, good transportation
infrastructure,health care,schools,
and cultural amenities and the
value of the Canadian dollar rela-
tive to other currencies. We need a
wise policy of public investment
in valuable assets. What we do not
need is an promise to take a wreck-
ing ball to them.
The labour movement is advocat-
ing for an improved Canada Pension
Plan (CPP) as the best way to guaran-
tee retirement security for all work-
ers. This has become even more ur-
gent as many established companies
ditch their pension plans and newer
companies dont even ofer them.
The Hudak Conservatives and the
Harper government in Ottawa have
opposed a better CPP at every turn.
Ontarios government has long been
a strong CPP supporter, but due to
Hudaks and Ottawas lack of com-
promise, the province has decided
to create its own pension plan as an
added alternative to the CPP.
Labour advocacy
We do this advocacy in the interest
of creating fairness for everybody
whether or not you belong to a
union. We are proud of the contri-
butions that we have made to build
a stronger and more secure econ-
omy for everyone in Ontario. We
cannot allow anyone to recklessly
threaten the gains that have been
so painfully won.
ORGANIZED LABOUR
THIRD EDITION, JUNE 2014
Account Manager: David Lilleyman
Managing Director: Joshua Nagel
Production Manager: Laura Shaw
Lead Designer: Matthew Senra
Designer: Scott Dixon
Contributors: Patrick Bissett,
D.F. McCourt, Joe Rosengarten,
Hassan Yussuff
Special Thanks
Benson Kua, photographer
Send all inquiries to
editorial@mediaplanet.com
Photo Credit: All images are from
Thinkstock.com unless otherwise
accredited
Distributed within:
The Toronto Star, June 2014
This section was created by Mediaplanet
and did not involve the Toronto Star or its
Editorial Departments.
Mediaplanets business is to create new
customers for our advertisers by providing
readers with high-quality editorial content
that motivates them to act.
Hassan Yussuff
PRESIDENT CANADIAN LABOUR
CONGRESS
Our
communities
are much more
than bricks,
mortar, and
asphalt. They
are home to
individuals,
young and old,
and families,
large and
small.
AFFECTING US ALL
Everybody from commuters, to public
transportation workers, to those that
maintain the travel grid will feel the
effects of the June 12 decision.
HASSAN YUSSUFF
editorial@mediaplanet.com
The top reasons Canadians did
not cast a ballot to decide who
their Prime Minister would be in
2011 were a lack of interest and
being too busy.
June 12 will mark Ontarios turn
to cast a ballot and decide their
leadership for themselves. De-
spite these being results for the
Federal election, the numbers
echo Ontarian sentiments as well.
Why are Canadians
not voting?
BY THE NUMBERS
Source: Statistics Canada
Ontarios unions:
Heading in the right
direction
FOR MORE ON
ORGANIZED
LABOUR
Page 4
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Not interested
Religious beliefs
Too busy Forgot to vote
Not on voter list Other
27.7% Did not like candidates or issue 7.6%
1.3%
Transportation issues 2.9%
11.4%
?
3.8%
3.7%
22.9%
Out of town or away 10.1%
Illness or disability 8.5%
We need
all levels of
government
to be seized
by the issue
of worker
safety.
I NSI GHT
A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET
UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA 3
O
ntario has an excel-
lent education system
its something that
we should all be proud
of. Over the past ten years there has
been a sustained focus on imple-
menting practical strategies to the
system that benet those who mat-
ter most: the children. This focus
on education has been reected by
a signicant improvement in stu-
dent success stories. This was noted
in the Ministry of Educations Prog-
ress Report 2014: Education, which
stated that, in 20032004, only 68
percent of students graduated from
high school. Today, that number is
83 percent.
A time for change?
If we continue on the path were
on, that number could increase,
and even more young people could
leave high school equipped with
the skills they need to become
prosperous, successful adults. Un-
fortunately, the upcoming prov-
incial election has the potential
to halt this progress. A new party
in power, with a difering focus
on education, may not provide our
children the level of schooling that
they deserve.
We currently have one of the
best education systems in the Eng-
lish-speaking world, but if the Con-
servatives are able to massively
change the direction that our sys-
tem is going by taking money out,
it would have a seriously detri-
mental effect, says President
of the Ontario English Catholic
Teachers Association, James Ryan.
That would negatively afect our
children and their futures.
The issues
The Liberal governments move to
make full-day kindergarten avail-
able at every public school by Sep-
tember 2014 is a bold and ambitious
approach to the early education of
Ontarios children. The policy states
that junior and senior kindergarten
students are to attend school all day,
where specialist early childhood
educators (ECEs) would teach a play-
based curriculum.
The scheme has been running
for four years and analysts are now
able to track the progress of the rst
children to have graduated full-day
kindergarten. There has been some
data published that questions the
efectiveness of full-day kindergart-
en, but the President and Spokes-
person for the Ontario Public School
Boards Association, Michael Bar-
rett, believes that four years is too
short of a time frame to truly judge
an educational experiment.
I look overseas to Holland, Fin-
land, and Denmark, where full-
day kindergarten has been a part of
the educational system for 30 and
40 years, and see the spectrum of
the full education results which,
in those countries, have been im-
proved, says Barrett.
The Liberals see full-day kinder-
garten as one of the most signi-
cant changes in the education sys-
tem over the past decade and will
stick with the plan if re-elected. The
NDP will also run with the model,
but the PCs will not: theyll either
implement The Comimission on the
Reform of Ontarios Public Services
(nickednamed The Drummond Re-
port), which will see 20 young chil-
dren being taught by only one teach-
er, eliminating the assistance of an
ECE, or adopt a model in which chil-
dren will spend half of the school
day with an elementary teacher and
the other half with an ECE.
That decision will disadvantage
our children in terms of imagina-
tion and creativity as they enter
grade one, says Ryan. Building a
strong foundation in kindergarten
is essential to childrens education
attainment in school and, also the
type of life they lead and their in-
come levels as adults.
Classroom sizes
When the Liberals came to power in
2003, they began a strategy of cut-
ting classroom sizes in an attempt
to improve student achievement.
Since the 20082009 school year, 90
percent of classrooms in Ontario
have had no more than 20 students,
and the remaining 10 percent have
been capped at 23.
Tim Hudak and the PCs propose
to boost classroom sizes, despite On-
tarios improved results over the past
decade. Under a PC government,
class sizes in grade one to three will
rise from 20 to 23 students, from 24.5
to 26 students in grades four to eight,
and high school classes from 22 to 24.
It isnt the child who sits in the
middle of the bell curve thats go-
ing to be impacted by having an-
other three pupils in the classroom,
explains Barrett. Its going to be
the children at the fringe of the bell
curve, those children who dont re-
ceive enough stimulus, that are se-
verely impacted, he says. Those
children who need a teachers atten-
tion most our at-risk, high-needs
students are going to be the vic-
tims of making education cheaper.
If elected, by increasing classroom
sizes and preventing the expansion of
full-day kindergarten, Hudak would
be cutting 9,000 teaching positions.
He would also reduce non-teaching
positions by 9,700 meaning schools
will have fewer secretaries, youth
outreach workers, caretakers, and
educational assistants to call on.
This will have a direct and detri-
mental effect on children, says
Ryan. Laying of that many teach-
ers and education workers is going
to lead to huge costs for our society
down the road.
Speak for Children.ca
Authorized by
the CFO of OECTA.
GETTHE FACTS
BEFORE YOU VOTE ON JUNE 12
JOE ROSENGARTEN
editorial@mediaplanet.com
What is the future of Ontarios
education system?
The Ontario election on June 12 could have serious ramifications
on how the education system in the province is managed and funded.
Did you know? In 20032004, only
68 percent of students graduated
from high school. Today, that
number has risen to 83 percent.
BUILDING OUR FUTURE
TOP: A strong education system is the foundation of our society.
BOTTOM: Government funding and support is necessary to ensure our
childrens success.
PHOTOS: LIAM SHARP
I NSI GHT
A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET
4 UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA
From guaranteeing that
members get paid properly
to defining progressive
tactics for employee
discipline, unions lay the
groundwork that help
keep workers engaged,
employers satisfied, and
projects running on time.
To ensure that our provinces work-
ers remain safe, prosperous, and se-
cure in their jobs, we need to main-
tain support for unions and the work
that they do.
Rates of pay
Getting paid the going rate for your
position should be a reasonable ex-
pectation, but the reality is that
without unions, many Ontarian
workers wouldnt be compensated
at the level they deserve.
Theres been numerous stud-
ies that show unionized workers
earn more than their non-union-
ized counterparts and, in 2012, the
1.6 million Ontarian workers who
were union members earned, on
average, $6.11-per-hour than non-
unionized workers.
Unions negotiate collective agree-
ments on behalf of their workers
which stipulate that employers
must pay wages that reect the level
of skills and training ofered by that
worker. Employers can be subject
to penalty clauses if they dont pay
workers a fair rate on an agreed date.
Job security
Unions give workers an increased
level of job security, allowing them
to fully concentrate on the job at
hand without the stress of wonder-
ing where their next pay cheque
might be coming from. In turn, this
helps keep workers focused,and pro-
jects running on time and to budget.
In some cases, such as in con-
struction, when a job or project
reaches completion, a unionized
workers details will be immediate-
ly entered into the workforce pool.
This allows them to be dispatched
to their next job with little to no
down time in between.
Unions have also fought to get
regulated grievance processes inte-
grated into collective employment
agreements, which protect work-
ers by binding employers to fair and
neutral practices when resolving
workplace disputes. These griev-
ance processes, which are adjudi-
cated by bodies such as the Ontario
Labour Relations Board (OLRB) and
the Workplace Safety and Insurance
Board (WSIB),make it more dif cult
for employers to re workers with-
out just cause.
Working conditions
Thousands of Ontarians go to
work each morning knowing that
theyre going to be putting them-
selves into a dangerous or hazard-
ous situation. Unions have fought
for the belief that each worker has
the right to work in a safe, con-
trolled environment. Yet even with
the signicant health and safety
improvements that trade unions
have secured for all workers, much
more remains to be done, explains
Don MacKinnon, President of the
Power Workers Union.
In 2012 the latest year for
which we have numbers over
245,000 lost-time injuries and 977
workplace deaths were recorded in
Canada, says MacKinnon. Sadly,
those numbers are about the aver-
age over the last decade, and we
know that the real numbers are
higher because many more die from
under-reported illnesses and occu-
pational diseases that arent recog-
nized by the workers compensa-
tion authorities.
The safety of workers is about
more than just statistics, explains
MacKinnon.It is about the families
that are afected by these senseless
tragedies, he says. We need all lev-
els of government to be seized by the
issue of worker safety.
Pensions and benefits
Its the role of unions to ensure that
its members and their immediate
families receive medical, dental, op-
tical, and any other essential bene-
ts that they might require.On top of
helping to ease a familys economic
situation,this type of comprehensive
coverage gives every family member
good peace of mind,contented in the
knowledge that everybody is covered.
Pension security becomes an issue
for all of us as we get older, and for
unions its a top priority.Retirement
pension plans have been negotiat-
ed into most collective employment
agreements, meaning that when a
unionized worker is employed by a
unionized employer, that employer
is legally required to pay money into
the pension plan pot.
Voice of the workers
Unions make sure that every single
worker is heard that nobody falls
between the cracks without getting
the representation that they need
and are entitled to.They give a voice
to the workers who do some of the
most important jobs in our province.
Ontarios unions have a massive
role to play in making sure that our
future economy is strong and sus-
tainable. With a strong union pres-
ence our future looks bright with our
development being led by a focused,
protected and productive workforce.
Without the regulation and stan-
dards that unions enforce, Ontarios
workers would have nobody ghting
their corner. Large numbers would
become disenchanted with their
working situation, and that would
have knock-on-efects for the future
of the provinces economy.
Ontarios unions play a crucial role in keeping
the province heading in the right direction
A strong union for a strong Canada
Unions in Canada are often portrayed as disruptive and self-centred groups, focused solely
on improving the circumstances of their members. But how fair is this representation,
and what is the true story behind the labour movement?
U
nions are often seen as a
polarizing inuence and its
not dif cult to see why.Media
coverage of union activity rarely
shows a complete picture.It is an un-
fortunate consequence of the com-
mercial realities of mainstream media
that news coverage frequently casts
unionized labour in a negative light.
Wherever there is a union protesting
or picketing in defence of workers
rights, there is media present.
Conversely, wherever there is
arbitration,understanding,and mu-
tual agreement, the media is other-
wise engaged. News stories about
unions and employers working
together to resolve issues tend not to
make the front page,or any page,for
that matter.
Organizing of workers
Unions serve a variety of functions
to members; for example, the or-
ganizing of workers into unions
helps ensure safe working condi-
tions for employees, fair and equal
pay,as well as a guarantee that em-
ployers will respect worker rights.
The nature of media coverage
means that the public does not always
see the good work that unions do.
Historically speaking, unions in
Canada have done much not only
for their members,but for Canadian
society as a whole. Unions fought
to make unemployment insurance
a reality, helped to bring about the
40-hour work week, unions brought
child labour to an end, and success-
fully campaigned for the minimum
wage. The minimum wage is still a
major cause today with Canadian
unions campaigning for a rise in the
minimum wage to $14-an-hour.
Canadian economy
Indeed, the Canadian economy has
been a major beneciary of organ-
ized labour. Despite the global re-
cession in 2008, Canada remains
one of the wealthiest countries in
the world with one of the highest
rates of unionization; 30 percent of
Canadian workers are union mem-
bers. This proliferation of union
membership means that work-
ers make and spend more money,
which then nds its way back into
the wider economy. Many unions
ofer extensive health benets to
members. This results in health-
ier families and less strain on the
health system.
This is a pattern that is discern-
ible not only in Canada,but in other
countries around the world with
strong union movements, such as
Scandinavian countries. The evi-
dence, then, is clear: a strong union
makes for a strong country.
Despite the
global recession
in 2008, Canada
remains one of
the wealthiest
countries in
the world with
one of the
highest rates of
unionization.
PATRICK BISSETT
editorial@mediaplanet.com
JOE ROSENGARTEN
editorial@mediaplanet.com
MANY ROLES, ONE GOAL
Unionized labour is the foundation of
our labour force and keeps societys
wheels in motion.
LEFT AND TOP MIDDLE PHOTO: POWER WORKERS UNION
We need
all levels of
government
to be seized
by the issue of
worker safety.
FAIR REPRESENTATION?
The media often portrays unions in a harsh light, especially
when they exercise their legal right to a work stoppage.
PHOTO: PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF CANADA, ONTARIO
A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET
PB CAMPAIGNURL.CA UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA 5
I NDUSTRY PERSPECTI VE
Voters should ask themselves
if they want another PC Govern-
ment thats further right than
the Mike Harris Government of
the 1980s and 1990s. Tim Hud-
ak has said he will cut 100,000
public sector jobs and then cre-
ate 1,000,000 new jobs in other
sectors. To create these jobs, he
will give the money to the cor-
porations. Despite having one of
the lowest corporate tax rates in
North America, there is no clear
evidence that these breaks have
created any jobs.
We want to encourage excite-
ment about voting! This election
will determine whether we select
a government thats willing to in-
vest in our future or one that will
slash programs and services.A lot
is at stake,including an improved
education system, quality health
care, efcient public transit, up-
grading our infrastructure, and
an economy built on well-paying
jobs. A growing economy is built
around making Ontario a place
where companies want to do busi-
ness, but also where people want
to live and raise families. We can-
not have one without the other.
In these uncertain and hostile
times for workers its our collect-
ive action that can make a difer-
ence in defence of fair wages and
benets,and to protect good jobs.
On June 12, acting in concert, we
have an opportunity to inuence
the body politic to protect and
preserve public services while en-
suring that they remain publicly-
funded and operated.
Every vote counts, so dont just
read headlines know the facts!
Privatization of services such as
education, community services,
and health care is not a wise solu-
tion. While short-term cuts may
appear scally prudent, in the
long-term it costs Ontarians more.
Voters need to know that Tim
Hudaks agenda is austerity and
the slow elimination of the mid-
dle class. He is also very against
unions and is trying to push a 1:1
ratio for apprentices to Journey-
men as opposed to the 3:1 ratio
that is currently being enforced
by the Ontario College of Trades.
This isnt sustainable because
once a ve year apprenticeship is
over,a Journeyman will be strug-
gling to nd work for 40 years
due to the saturation of jobs.
Once young people gure this
out, they may be deterred from
joining the trades.
The rst thing that suffers with
the loss of 100,000 well-paying
jobs is the economy.These people
are ordinary working citizens that
spend their money in the com-
munities where they live. They
dont have ofshore accounts in
the Caymans or other tax havens
whereby money is syphoned out
of the economy to the benet of a
very few but signicant elite.
For every public sector job
lost, we lose half a job in the pri-
vate sector. That means we will
actually be losing 150,000 jobs in
Ontario. Losing this many jobs in
two years will raise unemploy-
ment levels to over 9.5 percent
worse than the economic col-
lapse of 2008. We need a govern-
ment that will commit to creat-
ing jobs,not devastate the lives of
a hundred thousand families,and
the ripple efects this will have
on all their communities.When a
job plan starts with ring people,
then its time to come up with a
new plan.
Eliminating 100,000 jobs
means a diferent Ontario, com-
promising the quality and deliv-
ery of public services. This mis-
guided plan would erode On-
tarios strong social and civil so-
ciety. Walkertons tragedy was
the result of such short-sighted
layofs. This would not only be
an economic mistake, but its a
cynical, divisive attempt to tar-
get public sector employees to as-
sume a decit they didnt create.
The result would be a devas-
tating impact on families and lo-
cal communities which are sup-
ported by the hard-earned wages
of professionals. Ontario has the
leanest public service with lowest
per capita spending in Canada
investments,not cuts are needed.
Its hard to fathom... with
schools,government services,and
hospitals so overcrowded, I dont
want to think of that future. In
the end, if public sector workers,
sufer then we all sufer,whether
its your kids ability to learn, the
length of time you wait to process
government-issued documents,
or the quality of health care you
receive while sick or injured.I be-
lieve that Hudak should focus less
on cutting down hard working
taxpayers and go after those in his
own party who take advantage of
the system and us.
Young people should be very
concerned about their future
and one of the easiest ways to
have their say is to vote. Youth
unemployment is staggering
not just in Ontario, but in many
other Provinces across Canada.
The right wing austerity man-
tra is all about expanding the gap
between the rich and the poor.
When I was young, there was op-
portunity to obtain a good career
with pensions, benets, and de-
cent wages. Now those oppor-
tunities are very limited as em-
ployers are able to exploit young
people by hiring them on a part-
time or short-term contract with
no security net.
Young people have the abil-
ity to greatly shape Ontarios fu-
ture. If more young people voted
they would be the deciding fac-
tor in who gets elected. Issues
like mounting student debt,
youth unemployment, afford-
able housing,and the lack of good
jobs would become priorities if
more young people got involved
in the political process.These are
the reasons young people should
vote, so that their issues become
priorities.By voting,young people
take charge in shaping their daily
lives, a power that every voter ex-
presses by casting a ballot.
While its easy to feel discon-
nected with electoral politics,the
provincial government has a dir-
ect impact on your current and
future life.Voting can make a dif-
ference. In the last election some
candidates won by a few hundred
votes. I encourage all to vote be-
cause the Ontario government
makes decisions afecting fund-
ing and the cost of post-second-
ary education, determines the
minimum wage, allocates tran-
sit funding,and implements laws
and regulations that govern your
rights and freedoms. When you
do not vote or engage in the pub-
lic discourse,you relinquish your
right to afect change. Dont let
others decide for you!
We are the future and we need
to make apparent the issues
that are afecting us. Take a look
around, its easy to see nothing
will come easy for us, especially
with the price of living, lack of
well-paying jobs, and the trend
of companies not ofering bene-
ts or pensions. So make your
voice heard.Change isnt just go-
ing to come about without any
efort from us all.With that being
said,get educated on each partys
agenda and make an informed
choice, the beauty of democracy
is that we all have a say!
Tim Hudak says he isnt going
to pursue right-to-work legisla-
tion anymore,but that labour laws
need to be modernized, as they
are outdated. Thats double speak
for we know it could cost us the
election so we better re-message
right-to-work and well get the
same result some other way. He
cannot be trusted on this issue.
Right-to-work is an American
phenomena that has been enact-
ed in 26 States in an efort to weak-
en the unions and thereby lower
wages for all workers. Strangely
enough, those 26 States make up
most of the poorer States.
Workers have already seen
their jobs become more insecure
over the years. Many of the jobs
now available are contract, part-
time or casual that often do not
pay a living wage.We need a gov-
ernment that is willing to ofer
a plan that will create well-pay-
ing jobs, jobs that can support a
family.To do this,the government
needs to ofer tax incentives only
to companies that hire workers,
not across-the-board corporate
tax cuts.We also need to raise the
minimum wage to a living wage,
which will help all workers by re-
ducing poverty and stimulating
our economy.
There is a trend among many
employers, including the gov-
ernment, to hire more employ-
ees on short-term contracts and
to both outsource and in-source
work to costly fee-for-service
consultants. This afects overall
staf morale and, ultimately, the
quality of public services. One of
the Ontario political parties has
questioned the right of profes-
sional public servants to have
union representation. The HR
policies of public sector employ-
ers have established a bench-
mark for other employers, so we
see an ongoing need to challenge
attempts to diminish the job se-
curity of public sector workers
and in doing so, preserve the
quality of public services.
If the PCs are elected in a ma-
jority you can expect many of
those making a decent wage to
lose their jobs and see a rise in
low-paying jobs.When that hap-
pens, families disposable in-
come shrinks.
Local businesses sufer and it
becomes a snowball efect. The
end picture is a recession and
thats the last thing this prov-
ince needs at the moment. We
need more of the 99 percent to
get paid well as opposed to the
1 percent getting richer year in
and year out.
John Grimshaw
Executive Secretary Treasurer,
International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers,
Construction Council
of Ontario
Sharon DeSousa
Regional Executive
Vice-President,
Ontario Public Service
Alliance of Canada
Gary Gannage
President, Association of
Management, Administrative
and Professional Crown
Employees of Ontario
Edward Alves
Electrical Apprentice,
International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, Local 353
What do voters need
to know before the
June 12 election?
1
How can workers
expect their jobs to
change?
2
What would losing
100,000 public
sector jobs look
like for Ontario?
3
Why should young
people vote in this
election?
4
MANY CHOICES, NOT A LOT OF ANSWERS:
THREE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
I
n an election season set against
a backdrop of soaring unemploy-
ment, the leaders of all three ma-
jor political parties are assuring On-
tario that jobs are priority number
one.But with such a short lead-up to
election time,informed voters must
quickly cut to the core of what each
party means by that.
A million jobs forward,
two million back
The Progressive Conservative plan
promises a million new jobs for On-
tarians, but economists who have
taken a detailed look at the Million
Jobs Plan say the numbers add up
to more like 75,000. Given that Hud-
ak has promised budget cuts in the
form of union wage freezes and the
elimination of 100,000 public sector
jobs, the PC plan boils down to out-
right job cuts with good branding.
The leftward drift
The Ontario Liberals have drifted fur-
ther and further to the left over the
last two years as they have sought
NDP support to help them survive
the fallout of the 2012 gas plant scan-
dal. This policy shift culminated in
the 2014 budget, which some NDP
insiders have called the most pro-
gressive budget in recent Ontario
history. The budget would increase
provincial debt, but promises new
incentives targeted at job growth in
infrastructure and public services,
especially in the north. Wynne has
promised to reintroduce this same
budget if the Liberals win this June.
Pro-labour, anti-corruption
The primary rallying cry we have
heard from the NDP on the cam-
paign trail and in the recent prov-
incial debate has been end the cor-
ruption. In many ways, the NDP
plan is similar to that proposed
by the Liberals, though it can be
argued that most of those poli-
cies came from the NDP in the
rst place. Fresh ideas to help or-
ganized labour in the NDP plan in-
clude a job creation tax credit for
small businesses and expansion
incentives for Ontario manufac-
turers.This will be paid for primar-
ily through increased nancial ac-
countability. Most importantly,
according to Horwath,an NDP gov-
ernment could be trusted to ac-
tually deliver on these promises.
A tough choice for
unionized labour
Ontarios unions,as well as any indi-
vidual citizen who values jobs in this
province, are left with a difcult de-
cision on who to support.The choice
between the Liberals and the NDP
will come down for many to one of
local candidates and willingness to
believe that Wynne truly represents
a new day. Although, the one thing
thats clear is that the labour move-
ment is not going to fall for Hudaks
smoke and mirrors.
D.F. MCCOURT
editorial@mediaplanet.com
Ontarios unions, as well as
any individual citizen who
values jobs in this province,
are left with a difcult
decision on who to support.
A SPONSORED FEATURE BY MEDIAPLANET
6 UNIONIZEDLABOUR.CA CAMPAIGNURL.CA PB
BY DON MACKINNON
President
Power Workers Union
Sometimes we get so used to our
institutions we forget how impor-
tant they are to us. We take
democracy for granted in Canada,
but a moments thought about life
in countries without it should be
enough to convince you of the
importance of a democratic polit-
ical system. Absent democracy,
might makes right tyranny and
inequality prevail. If our demo-
cratic institutions arent pre-
served, we risk falling back into a
state of affairs where people live
politically impoverished lives.
Trade unions have been around
longer than representative democ-
racy in this country. Its easy to
take them for granted and, par-
ticularly now when they are
under persistent public attack, to
forget why they are important for
all of us. Heres a reminder.
First, trade unions transformed
workplaces for the better. Before
trade unions, working conditions
were often deplorable and work-
places dangerous, and this in the
most prosperous countries in the
world. Twelve or even sixteen
hour workdays without breaks in
workplaces that were literally a
threat to the lives of workers were
not unusual. There was no mini-
mum wage, medical coverage,
insurance, or workers compensa-
tion. A worker could have wages
cut, be laid off or fired without
warning or explanation. Women
were paid less than men doing the
same job and children were put to
work in dangerous conditions.
Once working people formed
trade unions, however, workplace
conditions improved. Unions
struggling to achieve these gains,
which we now take for granted,
had to fight against many employ-
ers and governments, who
claimed that any improvement to
the lives of workers was unaf-
fordable and would render indus-
try uncompetitive. Unions perse-
vered, however, to the point
where people came to see their
benefits for everyone and govern-
ments decided to acknowledge
and regulate their existence by
legislation. Unions, traditionally
democratic organizations, were
now required to be democratic by
law and to represent all workers
fairly. By the same token, all
workers in the workplace were
required to pay dues to the demo-
cratically selected trade union
because they all got the equal
benefit of the unions representa-
tion (the Rand formula). But
the benefits of union activities
went beyond the workers they
represented to all workers: mini-
mum wage rules, health and
safety laws, eight hour workdays,
mandated breaks and paid time
off are all the direct or indirect
result of the union movement and
its commitment to better the
lives of all working people,
whether or not they are union
members.
Even more, the union movement
benefited the economy as a whole.
One reason for the establishment
of labour laws in the early part of
the 20th century was to promote
economic expansion by increas-
ing the purchasing power of
workers. What ensued was a long
period of great prosperity through
to the late 20th century in which
the middle class expanded, shar-
ing in the wealth it helped create,
but also spending its new income
and so driving economic expan-
sion. The expansion of unioniza-
tion parallels the expansion of the
middle class and the reduction of
income inequality, the improve-
ment in private pension and ben-
efits plans, and the better treat-
ment of women and minorities in
the workplace.
The last 20 years or so have seen
a rapid increase in the income of
the wealthiest people in the coun-
try and a decline of the middle
class. Its not a coincidence that
this has been a period of sustained
attack on trade unions, culminat-
ing in right to work laws in
many US states. Unions tend to
equalize wages among workers
and ensure that fewer people are
left in low paying jobs. They pro-
tect the vulnerable and ensure
that workplaces are safe and that
workers are treated fairly. As long
as there is unionization in an
industry, non-unionized employ-
ers cant afford to fall too far
behind in the treatment of their
workers. In the short run, some
might believe that reducing wages
and benefits will increase profits,
but this ignores the long run:
lower paid workers have no
money to spend in the economy
and as the middle class disap-
pears, so does prosperity for
everyone, including business.
Those who live through a period
of history often dont reflect on it
while its happening, and dont
realize what theyve got until its
gone. This is why it is important
to look back and understand.
We are again hearing that busi-
ness cant afford good wages and
working conditions, pensions and
benefits. It wasnt true a century
ago and its not true now. Right
to work laws do not create jobs
they diminish the quality of
existing jobs by stripping workers
of the benefit of trade union rep-
resentation. In a race to the bot-
tom, the worker and society as a
whole always lose and income
inequality returns. Just as a coun-
try that attacks its democratic
institutions courts political pov-
erty, one that attacks the demo-
cratic institution of trade union-
ism courts economic poverty.
So what have trade unions done
for you lately? Theyve protected
good jobs, wages, benefits and
working conditions for you and
your children. Theyve ensured
that all people, including women,
minorities and the disabled you,
your friends and family, are
treated fairly in the workplace.
Theyve fought against growing
income inequality and for the
preservation of the middle class
the only sure way of guarantee-
ing economic prosperity for all of
us in the future.
What Have Trade Unions
Done For You Lately?
Trade unions have
been around longer
than representative
democracy in this
country. Its easy to
take them for granted
and, particularly now
when they are under
persistent public
attack, to forget why
they are important
for all of us.
U.S.