September 7, 2012 - No. 49

September 6 Ontario By-Elections

Voters Reject the Neo-Liberal Anti-Social
Austerity Agenda

September 6 Ontario By-Elections
• Voters Reject the Neo-Liberal Anti-Social Austerity Agenda
• By-Election Results

Labour Day 2012
• Tens of Thousands of Workers March Against Austerity

September 6 Ontario By-Elections

Voters Reject the Neo-Liberal Anti-Social
Austerity Agenda

The working people of Ontario reject the austerity agenda which private interests are imposing on them. The Liberals and Progressive Conservatives thought they could use the Ontario by-elections on September 6 to get this agenda approved but they were soundly defeated.

Ontario Political Forum congratulates the 18,566 electors who cast their ballots in the September 6 by-election in the Ontario riding of Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W) to elect the NDP in that riding. This objectively defeated both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, the frontline political representatives of the neo-liberal anti-social offensive in the province. The K-W by-election result is a clear statement that the people reject the course of the McGuinty Liberals and its even more strident promotion by the Hudak Conservatives. The result of the Vaughan by-election where only 26 per cent of the electorate voted was not a ringing endorsement of their anti-social offensive either. It merely showed the absence of the independent politics of the working class which won the election for the NDP in K-W, nothing more.

The by-election in Kitchener-Waterloo was also used to try to further marginalize injured workers. McGuinty appointed the former Conservative MPP Elizabeth Witmer to chair the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) to further privatize the compensation system and force injured workers to fend for themselves. This is what triggered the by-election.

This was then compounded when both Liberals and Conservatives used the by-election to depict teachers and education workers as public enemies in a despicable attempt to divide them from other workers. They wanted and expected to use teachers and education workers as scapegoats, as if this could win them another seat in the legislature. This contempt for the polity was rejected! They expected people in Ontario to follow in step but the people refused. The overall name of the game was to make all parties accountable to the rich and to enforce their "roadmap" for the destruction of all pro-social aims but the people said no!

The participation of injured workers, teachers and education workers and their supporters, especially Local 1005 USW, to end the marginalization of the injured workers and defend the rights of all was decisive in the K-W by-election. People united regardless of their opinion about the NDP to show their rejection for the neo-liberal policies. By defeating both the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives they did just that. Hurray for the people who rose to the occasion to express the opinion of all the people in Ontario who are opposed to the direction in which the Liberals are taking society!

The by-election has shown that it is the independent politics of the workers and people that can and will defeat this agenda. It is only when workers and people themselves oppose the neo-liberal agenda in an organized way that the stranglehold on political power which the political parties in the legislature exercise can be challenged. Only the organized political force of working people can make headway to establish a regime which looks out for and affirms the rights of all.

By-Election Results

With the victory of the NDP and defeat of the Liberals and Conservatives in Kitchener-Waterloo and the victory of the Liberals in Vaughan, the Liberals have lost their bid to achieve majority status in the Legislature. The Conservatives are down one, from 37 to 36 seats in the 107-member legislature. A minority government as determined by the October 2011 election remains. Both ridings are held by the Conservative Party federally.

The McGuinty Liberals, who had hoped to have their majority so as to implement whatever legislation they choose, have to now continue seeking the support of one or the other of the political parties in the Legislature.

Kitchener-Waterloo

The NDP has been elected in the riding of Kitchener-Waterloo. Unofficial results indicate that NDP candidate Catherine Fife received 18,559 votes or 39.8 per cent of the vote, followed by Progressive Conservative candidate Tracey Weiler with 14,823 votes (31.8 per cent) and Liberal candidate Eric Davis with 11,204 votes (24.0%). The figures show a turnout of 47.4 per cent of the 98,268 electors deemed eligible to vote in the riding of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Vaughan

The Ontario Liberal Party took the seat in the riding of Vaughan with 51.2 per cent of the votes. Steven Del Duca, director of public affairs for the Carpenters' District Council of Ontario will replace Greg Sorbara who retired but remains co-chair of the Liberals' election campaign and head of their fundraising arm.

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party came in second with 33.4 per cent of the votes, the New Democratic Party received 11.3 per cent. The voter turnout was only 26 per cent of the 121,154 voters deemed eligible to vote in the riding.

Labour Day 2012

Labour Day Events in Ontario

Workers across Ontario organized to take part in Labour Day events on September 3 which this year took on added significance given the attacks on different sections of the working class by the McGuinty government and their supporters as part of the neo-liberal "austerity" agenda. The events revealed in particular the attempts by teachers and education workers, as well as other public sector workers, to oppose this agenda that is thwarting their rights. Participants at all the events included those who distributed the Ontario Political Forum Labour Day statement and the September issue of Workers' Forum, both of which were well-received. (For the Ontario Political Forum Labour Day statement click here.)

Toronto

In Toronto, 30,000 workers participated in the annual Labour Day Parade which has been independently organized by Toronto workers' organizations every year since 1876. The lead organizer of the parade was the Toronto and York Region Labour Council (TYRLC), with the support of the unions representing workers in the Greater Toronto Area and the trade union centrals. Following the TYRLC colour guard came the workers from the broad public sector who have been under attack by the austerity agendas of governments at all levels. This was in honour of the battles these workers have been waging in the past year and the theme of this year's parade -- Unite Against Austerity!

First among the broader public sector workers were members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Included in the CUPE section was a large delegation of City of Toronto workers (Local 416 and 79) who have been under fierce attack this year by the hooligan Ford regime and delegations of workers employed by other municipalities in the GTA and by other employers in the broad public sector. The CUPE force also included many CUPE 4400 members who work as education support workers for the Toronto District School Board education workers of other education worker locals.

Marching next to the CUPE section were thousands of teachers and education workers from the elementary, high school and post-secondary sectors. Teachers and education workers turned out in high numbers to demonstrate their opposition to the draconian anti-worker Bill 115, the Putting Students First Act, cooked up by the McGuinty Liberals and the Hudak Conservatives to strip teachers of collective bargaining rights.

Workers in the private sector also participated in the parade from the service sectors, industrial sectors and the building trades. One of the last sections to join the parade was made up of 1,000 workers from auto and other sectors who are members of the Canadian Auto Workers. Immediately before the CAW section joined the parade, CAW hosted a rally at City Hall where its forces were gathered.

This rally included speeches by TYR Labour Council President John Cartwright, Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan, Canadian Labour Congress Secretary-Treasurer Hassan Yussuf and CAW President Ken Lewenza. United Federation of Danish Workers General Secretary Per Christiansen spoke on behalf of a solidarity delegation of Danish workers attending the Labour Day events. Other speakers were Sonja Grant on behalf of the environmental advocacy initiative Power Shift 2012 and Member of Parliament Peggy Nash.

Ken Lewenza denounced the Harper government for the major transformation it is trying to impose on Canada. "The Conservative Party government," he said, "is seeking to turn Canada into a low-wage economy. The Conservative government is supporting multinational corporations to move their jobs from one jurisdiction to another." He said that turning Canada into a low wage economy is threatening pensions and other social programs.

This issue was taken up by Sid Ryan, "The theme of this year's parade is Unite Against Austerity! We have governments at every level saying that working people have to take less, that the next generation has less value, that they have to take two-tier wages, no benefits and no pensions. And our movement is saying NO!"

When Per Christiansen spoke, he said that last year Danish workers were successful in getting rid of a government with the same neo-liberal agenda as the Harper government and urged Canadian workers to do the same.

A contingent of activists from the Workers' Centre of CPC(M-L) were also amongst the participants in Labour Day in Toronto. They distributed hundreds of copies of the September issue of Workers' Forum containing the Party's Labour Day statement, as well as hundreds of copies of the Labour Day statement from Ontario Political Forum, which were eagerly received by the workers.

Hamilton

Workers from different sectors of the economy also organized and attended events in other cities. In Hamilton, 10,000 workers took part in the annual Labour Day March. There was a large contingent of elementary and high school teachers. Local 1005 USW, which has fought to defend the rights of its workers and retirees, took part in the march with about 500 of its workers and retirees.

Kitchener-Waterloo

In Kitchener-Waterloo, about 300 people participated in the annual Labour Day picnic and celebrations which this year took place just days before the September 6 by-election in the riding. Many teachers and other public sector workers participated at this event which was organized by the Waterloo Regional Labour Council.

Barrie

More than 1,000 workers and their families attended the third annual Labour Day event in Barrie. Among the workers' organizations participating were the Barrie Injured Workers' Group). Copies of Justice for Injured Workers, the newspaper of the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups, were distributed and were well received. The unions participating included the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, York University Faculty Association, the Ontario Nurses Association, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Union of National Defence Employees, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada from Camp Borden. The Barrie District Labour Council, the Confederation of Canadian Unions and the Barrie New Democratic Party Association also participated. The focus of discussion at the event was: How can we stop the neo-liberal agenda of the international monopolies being pushed by their political representatives McGuinty, Hudak and Harper? What practical political action can we take to turn the situation around?

Ottawa

Labour Day in Ottawa was marked by a march of hundreds of people, representing public sector workers including teachers, postal workers, scientists, electricians, janitors, paper workers, injured workers, First Nations, students, cultural workers and many more. The march, organized by the Ottawa District Labour Council, began at City Hall and made its way down Bank Street and Gladstone Avenue, before concluding at McNabb Park for a family picnic.

Windsor

Labour Day in Windsor was marked by a spirited march, this year led by teachers and education workers who are on the front lines of the anti-social offensive in a battle to defend their rights and the rights of all. Large contingents of active and retired autoworkers also marched upholding their dignity in the face of the ongoing blackmail by the auto monopolies in the context of the Big Three negotiations. Autoworkers were joined by workers from all sectors of Windsor's economy as well as social and political organizations from the broader Windsor community. Speakers emphasized that the Harpers and McGuintys of this world do not reflect the values of the working class of Canada and called on everyone to prepare for bigger battles in the coming year. In particular a representative of the Public Service Alliance of Canada explained the union's fight to uphold the health and safety of Canadians by opposing the anti-social cuts being made by the Harper government in the context of its Strategic and Operating Review.

Kingston

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