CANADIAN LABOUR:
ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR CALLS ON HEAD OF TORONTO POLICE UNION TO "COME CLEAN":


The following news item comes from the Marketwire news service. Since the revelations from the Ontario ombudsman that the powers granted police during the G20 summit were excessive and probably illegal and that there were "massive violations of rights" the Ontario Federation of Labour has called on the head of the Toronto Police Union to deal effectively with what has been exposed. Here's the story from the OFL.
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Union Leader to Union Leader:
Ryan Calls on McCormack to End the Code of Silence on G20 Beatings

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 8, 2010) - OFL President Sid Ryan is urging Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack to call upon his members to own up to the beatings of innocent members of the public during the G20.

"I'm calling on McCormack, in his role as president of the association, to take action to actively advocate for the identification of the officers involved. As a union leader, it would be important for him to use his authority to disassociate reputable police officers from the actions of the few," says OFL President Sid Ryan.

"When police remove their identification, hide their faces, and use brute force to terrorize citizens, they become an illegal paramilitary force. This constitutes such a serious threat to democracy and the safety of citizens as to warrant the full cooperation of McCormack and his members."

The OFL notes that any action to the contrary is a subversion of union principles: criminal behaviour of members warrants criminal action.

"We do not accept that in a democratic state, the illegal behaviour of rogue police officers carrying guns and other deadly weapons and overwhelming the citizenry should be protected by a 'code of silence'," says Ryan.

The Ontario Ombudsman André Marin's report, the Toronto Star's investigation, hundreds of hours of available footage, and the sophisticated technology available for identification would, under normal circumstances, make identification easy.

The OFL organized the largest demonstration of the week that brought 30,000 people together for family-friendly events. Some of those people were intimidated and interfered with by police actions.

"Both McCormack and Police Chief Bill Blair should use their full authority to support the public demand for accountability," says Ryan.



For more information, please contact

Ontario Federation of Labour
Sid Ryan
President
416.209.0066 (mobile)
or
Ontario Federation of Labour
Lynn Simmons
Communications Director
416. 668.7480 (mobile)
www.ofl.ca