CANADIAN LABOUR AND POLITICS:

ANOTHER AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION:

It's a regular event now, the Premiers of the various provinces and the Prime Minister, along with assorted Ministers, aides and general boot-lickers, get together to wheel and deal and bargain at 'The Council of the Federation'. When this happens other political forces come to play to present their cases as well. Mario Dumont, head of the Official Opposition in Quebec, has suggested that the Council further reinforce the "definition" of Quebec "as a nation". How this is useful when Parliament has already passed a motion to that effect beggars the imagination. The power of "words" without any deeds I guess. Speaking of which....Phil Fontaine, head of the Assembly of First Nations which is also holding its get together in Quesbec City at the same time as the Council is meeting (which begins today) has begun to pressure the politicos to follow up the platitudes of Harper's apology for the residential school scandal with real funding. Don't hold your breath Phil. The Prime Minister is, after all, Sneaky Stevie.

Canadian labour, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) to be exact, has its own agenda that it thinks the Council should consider. The following is a portal to what CUPE is saying and and appeal to join with them in presenting this alternative agenda which would directly address the concerns of ordinary Canadians. Have a look.

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Tell the premiers to build a fairer Canada Exige que les premiers ministres agissent dans les dossiers qui importent a tous les Canadiens‏
(Le francais suit l'anglais.)

As Canada's premiers prepare to meet in Quebec City for the Council of the Federation, Paul Moist has asked them to focus on the issues that matter to Canadians. Issues like good paying jobs, affordable housing, child care, pharmacare, clean water and climate change need to be on the agenda, not to mention the price of gas and fair treatment for workers ... including airline workers.

- Visit http://cupe.ca/about/cof-priorities to read Moist's letter to Canada's premiers

- Visit http://cupe.ca/video to see a series of short videos of Paul Moist, explaining the key issues Canada's premiers need to tackle this week.

- Visit http://cupe.ca/forms/cof.php to join Moist in telling the premiers that you want action on concerns that make a difference for all Canadians.

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À la veille de la rencontre des premiers ministres du Canada à Québec dans le cadre du Conseil de la fédération, Paul Moist leur a demandé de s’intéresser surtout aux enjeux qui importent aux Canadiens – des emplois bien payés, le logement à coût abordable, les garderies, l’assurance-maladie, la salubrité de l’eau et les changements climatiques, sans parler du prix de l’essence et d’un traitement équitable pour les travailleurs, y compris ceux du transport aérien.

- Visitez http://scfp.ca/lettreauxpm pour lire la lettre qu’a écrite Paul Moist aux premiers ministres du Canada

- Visitez http://scfp.ca/cof-lettre/ pour vous joindre à Paul Moist et exiger que les premiers ministres agissent dans des dossiers qui importent à tous les Canadiens.