CANADIAN LABOUR SASKATCHEWAN:

RALLY TO SAVE REGINA WELFARE RIGHTS CENTRE:

You can be assured that something like a 'Welfare Rights Centre' wouldn't be of top of the popularity list of people such as Saskatchewan Party (conservative) Premier Brad Wall. After all the idea that anybody on welfare has "rights" is enough to double the necessary dose of blood pressure meds for such as these. That's all fine and good, but then the employees of this centre had the effrontery to actually unionize in Local 4973 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). When a campaign of harassment and selective dismissals failed to bend the workers involved it was time to close the centre entirely which is happening this month. What follows is a news story from CUPE about a demonstration held on the 24th of January to demand the centre stay open.

The government has replied to a continued campaign for the centre with a stony silence, but no doubt there is a certain amount of smug glee amongst conservative ideologues in Molly's old home province. After 35 years of operation there is suddenly no longer any need for an ombudsman-like agency to advocate for the poor ? Now that a bright new day of free enterprise has dawned the poor are at last free to go out and get jobs...or perhaps free to starve to death silently.

Now I must say that I am not a great fan of the welfare system. Even without some almost miraculous change to a new and freer society, however, there are better ways to handle the actual problems than what has been created by decades of bureaucratic empire building. Better for both the recipients and for society in general. If, however, we are stuck with the system as it is, or with only minor tinkering with it, then the existence of an outside advocate for people trapped in the system is essential. It's the old "division of power" and "checks and balances" idea that is actually one of the better inventions to come about in politics. Without such an advocate welfare recipients are reduced to little more than helpless toys in the hands of a bureaucracy.

But enough editorializing. Here's the story. You can follow the story more as it develops at the website of the Saskatchewan division of CUPE or at the 'Support Welfare Rights Workers' Facebook page.

WRWRWRWRWR

Regina Welfare Rights rally

“Who is going to care for our clients? How will they cope?” asks Theresa Poness, a staff member at the Welfare Rights Centre in Regina.

Speaking at a rally in downtown Regina on January 24, Poness said she and her co-workers, members of CUPE 4973, are worried about how Regina’s most vulnerable citizens will manage when the Centre’s doors close next month.

The Welfare Rights Centre has provided advocacy and support services for people on low incomes for 35 years. But the government plans to terminate the Centre’s funding on February 25.

That doesn’t sit well with CUPE and anti-poverty activists. They have been trying to arrange a meeting with Social Services Minister June Draude for months, but have received no response. Yesterday, they took their concerns to the front door of the Social Services building.

“Silence is not an appropriate response from a Minister,” CUPE National President Paul Moist told the rally. Moist attended the rally with National Secretary-Treasurer Claude Généreux and CUPE staff. “People on low-incomes in this city need these services and our members need these jobs.” He urged the Minister to arrange a meeting.

Anti-poverty activist Peter Gilmer told the crowd, “The city desperately needs to maintain the valuable work of the Welfare Rights Centre,” noting other anti-poverty groups don’t have the capacity to handle the extra workload.

“Advocacy is a critically important service,” Gilmer said. “Those with wealth and power can protect their own interests. We need more people, not less, to defend those who cannot. We must ensure these services continue,” he told the rally.

For more information, check out CUPE’s facebook page Support Welfare Rights Workers

CANADIAN POLITICS:
FURTHER CROSS COUNTRY EVENTS ON THE G20 FALLOUT:


The repercussions of the police riot during last summer's G20 summit in Toronto continue to echo, as do the issues raised by the demonstrators there. The following is a compilation of upcoming events in Toronto and elsewhere relevant to this issue. It comes from the Toronto Community Solidarity Network.
G20G20G20G20G20G20


A Call for Court Support + Upcoming G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers & Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events

A: Call for Court Support in Toronto:

November 30-December 2 - G20 “conspiracy” bail challenge - Jaggi Singh

B: G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers:

Toronto:

November 30 -PWYC DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS. @ SOYBOMB!
December 3 - Radical Movie Night
December 18 - AntiCapitalist Holiday Bash!

Saskatchewan:

November 29 - Regina: Lessons from the G20 Protests and State Repression
December 3 - Saskatoon: Building Movements of Resistance: Lessons from the G8/G20 Organizing
Radical Cookbook Callout - Your Recipes Needed!

C: Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events in Toronto:

December 1 - Give Rob Ford the Welcome He Deserves!
December 4 - People’s Assembly on Climate Justice

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A: Call for Court Support in Toronto:

-G20 “conspiracy” bail challenge continues at Ontario Superior Court
-Defendant to ask that all bail conditions are rescinded, including ban on demonstrations

When: Tuesday, November 30, 10am
Where: Ontario Superior Court at 361 University Avenue
between Dundas & Queen Street
(for exact courtroom location, look for “Singh, Jaggi” on the court roll)

If you oppose the restrictive bail conditions imposed on all G20 “conspiracy” defendants – ban on demonstrations, house arrest, non-association, ban on passports and cellphones, and more -- we ask that you attend court in large numbers this TUESDAY.

The bail review might continue on Wednesday and Thursday, but we’ll provide more details after the Tuesday hearing, which this time is expected to last most of the day. We are hoping as many people as possible can attend the beginning of the hearings on Tuesday from 10am to 1pm (approx) and then again from 2pm-4:30pm (approx).

BACKGROUND:

This week, starting on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, one of the 19 remaining co-accused in the G20 conspiracy case will be challenging all bail conditions imposed as conditions of release from prison.

These restrictive and onerous conditions include house arrest, non-association with various individuals and groups, the inability to possess a passport or to use a cell phone, and more. Other co-accused face even more restrictive curfews and house arrest conditions. In sum, the bail conditions are meant to keep defendants isolated and marginalized from their communities of support.

The conditions themselves constitute punishment of fellow community organizers before they’ve even had a trial.

Significantly, the bail conditions include a ban on participating, organizing or attending “any public demonstration.” These restrictive conditions have been used to jail co-accused Alex Hundert for simply speaking at a university panel. Alex remains in detention, and is expected to remain in detention until at least January/February 2011.

Jaggi Singh, a member of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC) and No One Is Illegal-Montreal, and a co-accused in the G20 conspiracy case, has been under house arrest conditions for four months. This Tuesday, with the support of Toronto lawyer Peter Rosenthal as well as other allies, he will ask that all conditions be rescinded.

Jaggi’s court application is supported by various witnesses and affidavits. Part of the application includes an extended affidavit by Bryan Palmer, an historian of labour and social movements.

PEN Canada will also be intervening in the case in support of rescinding the “no demonstration” condition. In their words: “Preventing someone from participating in a public demonstration does nothing to ensure the safety of a single Canadian.”

The Ligue des droits et libertés from Québec also issued a public statement in support of Jaggi’s challenge. They describe the bail conditions as "draconian" and "an abusive interpretation" of the Charter, "contrary to the presumption of innocence.”

We strongly encourage you to “demonstrate” (pardon the word) in court and to the public that there is a community of support that rejects the bail conditions that have been imposed on our friends and allies. So, if you can, please attend court this TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, whether for 30 minutes, or the whole day.

[NOTE: There is a compulsory search before entering the Court building; the search includes emptying your pockets, going through a metal detector, as well as a x-ray scan of any bag or package you’re bringing into the building.]

TO STAY IN TOUCH, and for updates:
La Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes, CLAC (Montreal): blocampmontreal@gmail.com - www.clac2010.net
Community Solidarity Network (Toronto): community.mobilize@resist.ca - http://g20.torontomobilize.org/

SUPPORTERS AND MEDIA can get updates about what’s happening at court by phoning Jessica Denyer (Community Solidarity Network) at 416-708-3195, Craig Fortier (No One Is Illegal-Toronto) at 416-735-0409, or Blandine Juchs (La Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes, CLAC) at 438-838-8498.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B: G20 Legal Defence Fundraisers:

TORONTO:

PWYC DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS. @ SOYBOMB!

Date: November 30
Time: 8:30-11:30pm EST
Location: SOYBOMB! (156 Bathurst St., Toronto ON)

Exploring Forgotten Urban Spaces
This week we look into forgotten urban spaces, the people who explore them for fun, and the people who live in them.

Dark Days (2000)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235327/
"A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City. "

Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1249189 /
"A documentary about abandoned, neglected, or otherwise "off limits" places...and the people who explore them."

-----------
This is a pay-what-you-can series of documentary screenings every Tuesday @ Soybomb, and all the proceeds will be donated to the G20 Legal Defence Fund. for more info check: http://g20.torontomobilize.org/support

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126316160763227
FB Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117635874952714

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Radical Movie Night

Date: December 3
Time: 7pm-midnight EST
Location: Bike Pirates (1292 Bloor St W., Toronto ON)

On Friday December 3rd we will be hosting a radical movie night to raise funds for our friends and allies facing G20 related legal charges.

Come join us for an amazing night of movies, drinks, board games, snacks, hanging out, and all around rockin good times.

Newly designed G20 Legal Defence Tshirts & patches will also be for sale.

7pm – 9pm: Land and Freedom (Tierra y Libertad)

Directed by Ken Loach, this 1995 film narrates the story of David Carr, an unemployed worker of the Communist Party of Great Britain, who decides to fight for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. A heart wrenching portrayal of the attempt by ordinary people to build an anarchist society, and its subsequent betrayal. The movie won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.

10:30-midnight: What to do in Case of Fire (Was tun, wenn’s brennt?)

Directed by Gregor Schnitzler, this 2002 film tells the humorous and touching story of six anarchist friends living as squatters in Berlin in the 80s, when they leave a handcrafted bomb in a mansion. Only thirteen years later the bomb explodes, wounding two people, forcing the group to reunite and, ultimately, come to grips with the reason they separated years ago.

Free popcorn!

Pay what you can (suggested $5-10). Come for one or both movies.
All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118997408162612

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AntiCapitalist Holiday Bash!

Date: December 18
Time: 6:30pm-1am EST
Location: U of T Grad Students' Union Gym (16 Bancroft Ave., Toronto ON)

Does the hyper-consumer craziness of the holiday season have you feeling down? Amidst the twinkle lights and the insidious calls to shop, shop and shop some more, are you spending your spare moments plotting the eventual demise of capitalism?

If so, you should join us for the Anti-Capitalist Holiday Bash! On Saturday, December 18th the Community Solidarity Network Fundraising Committee will be throwing the anti-capitalist event of the season to fundraise for our friends and allies facing G20 related charges.

Join us for a community dinner (vegan and vegetarian options will be served), followed by an evening of low key musical performances, workshops, games, prison letter writing, and a ‘really really free market’ exchange.

Tickets: $10-15 sliding scale, or PWYC (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

All proceeds go to the G20 Legal Defence Fund.

If you have anything to donate for the free exchange, would be interested in helping with food preparation, or would like to help out in any other way please email us at events.g20solidarity@gmail.com .

Hope to see you there!

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SASKATCHEWAN:

Regina: Lessons from the G20 Protests and State Repression

Date: November 29

Time: 7:30-10:30pm CST
Location: The Hookah Lounge (2115 Broad St.,Regina SK)

This past June, the world's attention was drawn to the streets of Toronto, where thousands of demonstrators protesting the G20 summit were met with violent repression and the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. While the media frenzy has now subsided, activists continue to be targeted by police, and scores of community organizers have been shackled with far-reaching bail conditions and the prospect of extensive jail time. The need for support and solidarity in the face of this ongoing repression continues, as does the responsibility to carry on the work of building movements of resistance to the G20 agenda.

Sharmeen Khan, a spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, will be speaking in Regina on the lessons learned from organizing in the lead-up to the G20 protests, as well as the criminalization of dissent surrounding the Summit. Khan will discuss the broad-based opposition to the G20 and the reasons why thousands of demonstrators came together in Toronto this past June, as well as the aftermath of police repression and ongoing legal battles.

Admission to this event is free, though we are asking participants to donate what they can to go toward the G20 Legal Defense Fund, which is seeking to raise $500,000 to go toward the legal expenses of those facing charges from the protests. For those who wish to donate, but cannot attend, please go to G20.torontomobilize.org for details on how to make a contribution.

~~~

Sharmeen Khan grew up and became politicized in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she contributed to Briarpatch Magazine and the Prairie Dog. She was active in the women's movement in Victoria and Vancouver before moving to Toronto to complete her MA in Communications. Sharmeen now works for the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University, and is also an editor with Upping the Anti: A Journal of Theory of Action.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176713215675033

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Saskatoon: Building Movements of Resistance: Lessons from the G8/G20 Organizing and the Repression of Dissent

Date: December 3
Time: 7:30-9:30pm CST
Location: Grace Westminster United Church (505 10th St E., Saskatoon SK)

2010 SASKATOON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR KEYNOTE ADDRESS

In this talk, Toronto-based community organizer and independent media activist Sharmeen Khan will speak about her experiences and insights into the resistance to the G8/G20 summits which took place in Toronto in June of 2010.

The summits are now infamous for the massive scale of the security operation which cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $1 billion as well as the size and violence of the police crackdown on dissent. By the end of the weekend, nearly 1100 arrests had been made (the largest mass arrests in Canadian history) and stories began to emerge of widespread abuse of arrestees and the trampling of civil liberties.

In the talk, Sharmeen will cover a range of topics related to the G8/G20 protests including:

- the broad-based organizing efforts that took place in the lead-up to the summits (which built links between diverse communities and strove to empower people living in marginalized communities to speak with their own voices about the issues facing them in their day-to-day lives),

- the police repression targeting key community organizers and the sweeping arrests which saw thousands of police round up protesters, bystanders, journalists and legal observers alike,

- the ongoing legal support of the 100 or so people still facing charges,

- and the overall impact that the event and its aftermath have had on organizing efforts for grassroots social change.

Please join us to listen and discuss this timely and important issue in the struggle to build a more just and sustainable world.

~~~

Sharmeen Khan was a media spokesperson for the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, the main network organizing the resistance against the G20. She now works at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129482140443512

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Radical Cookbook Callout!

Deadline: January 1st 2011

Calling all radical cooks and activist bakers- we need your help!

The Community Solidarity Network's Fundraising committee is in the process of putting together a cookbook to sell as a fundraiser for the G20 legal defence fund, and are seeking recipe submissions.

From dinner dishes to desserts, and everything in between we want your recipes!

To submit a recipe, or if you have any questions email us at:
g20cookbook [at] gmail.com

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168121463200994
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

C: Community Solidarity Network Endorsed Events in Toronto:

Give Rob Ford the Welcome He Deserves!

Date: December 1

Time:12pm EST
Location:Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St W., Toronto ON)

Mayor Ford: Respect People!

On December 1, Rob Ford becomes Mayor of Toronto. In his campaign speeches and his public statements, Ford has called for cuts to fair wages, a dismantling of the already inaccessible public transit system, supported Toronto's police brutality during the G20, and repeatedly expressed racist anti-immigrant sentiments and outright hatred for poor people.

While claiming to speak on behalf of the 'majority', Ford actually believes in a Toronto for the few. He believes in a Toronto divided into suburbs and the downtown. A Toronto divided into streetcar riders, bikers and drivers. A Toronto divided into immigrants, refugees and citizens. A Toronto where the homeless are driven out of sight as social housing is sold off to developers. A Toronto where police budgets grow and cops act with impunity. A Toronto that is open for business, but closed for the public.

This is not our Toronto. Our Toronto is about justice, dignity, and respect for immigrants, precarious workers, poor people and unions.

On December 1, at 12noon, a public, family friendly demonstration is being called outside City Hall as Rob Ford becomes Mayor to remind him what the people of this city need, expect and demand.

Please invite all your friends. Keep visiting http://ocap.ca/ and http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/ for updates.

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136768189707239

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People’s Assembly on Climate Justice

Date: December 4
Time: 9:30am-5pm EST
Location: Sidney Smith Hall - rm 2118 (100 St George St., Toronto ON)

On June 23rd 2010, in advance of the G20, Toronto held its first People’s Assembly in community response to the climate crisis. Now on December 4th, 2010, activists, groups, community organizers and neighbourhood participants will gather for the second Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice.

Faced with the illegitimate and false solutions promoted through the UN climate talks, La Via Campesina has called for the creation of a thousand Cancuns to counter the next round of negotiations in Mexico from Nov. 29th to Dec. 11th. For Dec. 4th, the Global Climate Campaign has initiated an international day of action, and the national call-out by the Council of Canadians to hold countrywide assemblies on the same day has been answered by communities across Canada. The second Assembly, as a manifestation of these calls to resistance, will serve as the launching point for a series of regular Assemblies in an effort to build a united movement for Climate Justice in Toronto.

The challenge of the climate crisis can only be met with a coordinated response that will bring forth our power in numbers. It also requires that we confront the root causes of the crisis and not just the symptoms. Through a horizontal people’s process, the Assembly will seek to create a space where we can work together to share experience, knowledge, and resources in order to build a local response to a global crisis. The Assembly hopes to work towards this objective through channels of collective dialogue and community empowerment.

Our goal is to generate new possibilities and new hopes in order to bridge the gap from separately operating groups, communities, and individuals, to converge into one diverse, united movement. We must equip ourselves with the tools we need to fulfill our potential as an effective Social and Climate Justice community.

For More information:
The Toronto People’s Assembly on Climate Justice
http://www.torontopeoplesassembly.wordpress.com/
peoplesassembly.toronto@gmail.com
647-869-6496

Sponsors: Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, OPIRG-Toronto, Toronto Climate Campaign, Toronto Bolivia Solidarity

Endorsers: Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, Canadian Animal Liberation Movement, Community Solidarity Network, Community Solidarity Response Toronto, Earth Rangers, ecoSanity, Environmental Justice Toronto, Indigenous Environment Network, Kairos-Toronto, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Polaris Institute, Science For Peace, Toronto Vegetarian Association

FB Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107327446002085

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Support all those still facing charges. Donate to the G20 Legal Defence Fund:

http://g20.torontomobilize.org/

CANADIAN LABOUR REGINA:

WORKERS AND MANAGEMENT STILL FAR APART AT CASINO REGINA:

Molly blogged about the strike at Casino Regina last June 25, and to date their has been no agreement between management of the province's cash cow the striking workers represented by the PSAC and the RWDSU. Here's an item from the Regina Leader Post about the "state" of contract negotiations and news of a rally at the Legislature to be held today. Note that no matter how "generous" management claims they are being their demand to reduce full time workers to part time is a great step backwards for the people involved.

SLSLSLSLSL
No deal yet for gaming workers
By Pamela Roth,

The Leader-Post July 6, 2010

Frustration is mounting for gaming employees with Casino Regina after a meeting last week with their employer, the Crown-owned Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., failed to strike a new deal.

Communication between Sask. Gaming and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents about 425 gaming employees at the casino, has been minimal since the strike began more than a month ago.

Both parties had high hopes an agreement could be reached when the corporation arranged the meeting last week, but Robin Benson, regional executive vice president of PSAC, said they now seem even further apart.

She said the corporation is willing to increase wages, but not without scaling back some positions to part-time.

"We had really hoped they were serious about us coming back to the table. We are nowhere close to an agreement," said Bensen.

"You can't take from one hand and give to the other. A wage increase, but no full-time hours, is just not possible. If you are never going to be more than a part-time worker, how is that a career?"

On June 3, more than 400 gaming employees walked off the floor and went on strike after failed attempts to reach a new contract with their employer.

Food and beverage employees also are on the picket line in support of PSAC's decision to strike, leaving the casino operating with limited services and shorter hours.

The union members, which include dealers, cashiers, security guards and slot attendants, have been without a contract since May 2009. Wage increases, family leave and night-shift premiums are the outstanding issues.

Members of PSAC, along with the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, will be hosting a rally outside the Legislative Building on Thursday, and have also been in contact with local MLAs to step in.

Blaine Pilatzke, vice-president of human resources for Sask. Gaming, said he was hoping the meeting would spark further discussions, but was disappointed when nothing further materialized.

He said Sask. Gaming presented a fair offer that included 5.5 per cent in total increased compensation over a three-year period and a realignment of existing provisions within the collective agreement to address some of the union's priorities.

The offer also included improvements to health care benefits.

"We presented a couple of options to try to address some of their priorities, but those were rejected," said Pilatzke.

"It's been more than 30 days and the corporation recognizes it's difficult on the picketers, but it's also difficult on our out-of-scope staff who have been asked to perform additional functions as well. I would hope that at some point in the near future we can get back and have some further discussions."

Sask. Gaming owns and operates Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw, which are regulated by the provincial government.

The gaming corporation was the Regina-area winner of the 2010 Top Employers for Young People competition conducted by Mediacorp Canada (the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers).


Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/business/deal+gaming+workers/3240123/story.html#ixzz0t4EUtcu3

CANADIAN LABOUR - SASKATCHEWAN:
BETTING ON THE UNION:




Employees at Casino Regina in Regina Saskatchewan have been without a contract since May 2009, and early this month they decided that enough was enough. The first to walk out were members of the PSAC on June 3, and they were followed by others from the RWDSU on June 4. The casino, of course, is a great cash cow for the provincial government, but despite this they have been unwilling to part with a little of it for the employees.



There is a strike support Facebook Page and also a Strike Blog. Look there for more info. All that Molly can say of the government is that it is a more than one armed bandit. It takes the taxes with one hand, the gambling revenues with another, and puts its third hand behind its back when its employees ask for decent wages and working conditions. Sounds like a game you can't win.



Here's an item from the Regina Leader Post about how some of the regulars at the Casino sympathize with the strikers.
RCRCRCRCRCRCRC



Casino Regina regulars on side of striking workers
By PAMELA ROTH, Leader-Post

REGINA — It's getting harder each week for some regular patrons of Casino Regina to cross the picket line in front of the building.

Ever since more than 400 gaming employees went on strike almost three weeks ago after failed attempts to reach a new contract with their employer, the Crown-owned Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., Maryanne Burst would like nothing more than to see both sides get back to the bargaining table.

She doesn't mind having to serve herself a beverage while she's playing the slot machines, but said other casino patrons have been complaining about the lack of employees.

Aside from that, Burst said it's been business as usual for her at the casino slot machines, and she doesn't blame the gaming employees for demanding a raise.

"I think they have to fight for their rights like everybody else," said Burst. "This just allows the high-rollers to save their money."

The casino was active with patrons on Tuesday afternoon, even though all gaming tables are temporarily closed due to the strike, and food and beverage services are limited.

Food and beverage employees are also on the picket line after the decision to strike by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) — the union that represents Casino Regina gaming employees.

The union members, which include dealers, cashiers, security guards and slot attendants, have been without a contract since May 2009.

Wage increases, family leave and night-shift premiums are the outstanding issues.

Edie, who did not want to use her last name, visits the casino to gamble once a week and hasn't been disrupted by the strike.

So far, she's pleased with how the casino has handled the scale-back in a number of services, but admits it's getting harder to drive through the picket line.

"We go in there with an understanding we are not going to get the same services," said Edie. "I feel badly for them (the employees). We hear how much profit the casino makes. They can afford to pay a bit more,"

Since the strike began, PSAC and Sask. Gaming have had limited contact with one another.

Last week, a spokesperson for the Sask. Gaming Corp said the corporation is eager to get back to the bargaining table, but so far no meetings have been arranged.

Fran Mohr, spokesperson for PSAC, said spirits on the picket line are still high.

"We'd had a lot of donations of food and stuff like that," she said. "Even in the rain, everybody is still happy to be here."

Sask. Gaming owns and operates Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw, which are regulated by the provincial government.

proth@leaderpost.canwest.com


Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Casino+Regina+regulars+side+striking+workers/3187723/story.html#ixzz0ruxj8muh

CANADIAN HISTORY:

THE 'ON TO OTTAWA TREK' 75 YEARS ON:

Tomorrow, June 6, will be commemorated as the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the 'On To Ottawa Trek' in Vancouver BC (the trek actually began on June 3). At the height of the depression in 1935 unemployed men were housed in "relief camps" in remote areas of western Canada under the aegis of the Department of National Defence. In these camps workers laboured for 20 cents a day on public works, and the conditions were so atrocious that the Relief camp Workers' Union began a strike in April 1935 demanding such basic things as the provision of first aid equipment in the camps and the abolition of Section 98 of the Criminal Code that essentially made being unemployed a crime.

Eventually the strikers decided on travelling to Ottawa en masse to present their grievances to the federal government. This was known as the On To Ottawa Trek, and the hundreds who hopped freight trains in Vancouver to head east had swollen to three thousand after passing through various prairie cities by the time they reached Regina Saskatchewan on June 14. By this time the federal government had become a little nervous especially as the major population centres lay further east from this gathering throng. They invited 8 leaders to travel on to Ottawa to negotiate with the government providing the mass of the trekkers stayed in Regina.

While the protesters remained camped at the Regina Exhibition Grounds the 8 leaders met with Prime Minister R.B. Bennett on June 22. It didn't go well in Ottawa as the meeting degenerated into a shouting match before the 8 strike leaders were evicted from the premises. meanwhile back in Regina the government had chosen its battleground well as the city was the site of the major RCMP training grounds. Not only were the rail lines blocked to the trekkers but roads were also occupied by RCMP roadblocks determined to keep the protesters in Regina. Like most people in Regina to this very day the trekkers were desperate to get out of Regina (hey I used to live there).

The strike leaders arrived back in Regina on June 26. The protesters were essentially imprisoned in that city with no way forward and no way back, living in the open at the Exhibition Grounds. A public meeting was called for July 1 (then Dominion Day and now Canada Day) at the downtown site of what is now the Regina City Police Station. Only about 300 trekkers showed up, but they were supported by up to 2,000 local people. The meeting went peacefully enough until 8:17 pm when hidden squads of RCMP and Regina City Police came out of hiding and charged the crowd. The crowd fought back, and the battle continued for four hours in the downtown area. The police began using live ammunition. The final death toll was one plain clothes policeman and one striker. The striker died in hospital, and the hospital files were deliberately altered to conceal the cause of death, but this was later exposed. The police claimed 39 injuries in addition to their one death, but denied that they were responsible for the death of the striker.

In the aftermath the Exhibition Grounds were surrounded by police officers with machine guns, and a barbed wire stockade was erected around the area. The inmates of what had now become a prison camp were denied any food or water. The provincial government of Saskatchewan meanwhile was none too happy that the feds had chosen their capital city as the battleground. They invited strike leaders to negotiations. The negotiators were briefly arrested by the enraged police but released under pressure from the Province. Premier Gardiner sent a telegraph message to the federal government accusing the police of "precipitating a riot" while the Province had been negotiating with the strikers. In the end the Province got its way, and food was delivered to the strikers and arrangements were made to transport them back west free of charge to whatever destination they chose.

Meanwhile in Ottawa fantasy ruled supreme as the government claimed that the strikers rather than the police had opened fire. Prime Minister Bennett summed up the view of his Conservative government when he stated that the Trek was "not a mere uprising against law and order but a definite revolutionary effort on the part of a group of men to usurp authority and destroy government". It would be nice if this was true, but it wasn't. Because of their actions during the Trek- and for many other reasons of gross mismanagement and callousness during the depression- the federal Conservatives were reduced in the election later that year from 139 seats to a rump of 39, and the Liberals became the new government with a large contingent of the 'Progressive Party' from the west acting s allies on the left. The work camps were soon dismantled and replaced by seasonal camps operated by the provinces who paid more to the men.

For more on the On To Ottawa Trek and the Regina Riot see the website of the On To Ottawa Historical Society and the Wikipedia entry on this episode in Canadian history. Meanwhile from the National Union of Public and General Employees is the following item about how the beginning of the trek will be commemorated out in Vancouver.

CHCHCHCHCHCHCH
Rally Sunday marks the famed ‘On to Ottawa Trek'
Thousands of young men rebelled in 1935 against Depression era relief camps and helped bring about a national unemployment insurance system.

Vancouver (9 June 2010) - Workers will mark one of the most important anniversaries in Canadian labour this Sunday in Vancouver - the 75th anniversary of the On to Ottawa Trek. The British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) is encouraging members to join in the celebration and commemoration.


The 1935 'On to Ottawa Trek'

A rally will be held at 1 p.m. in the city's Crab Park to raise awareness about modern-day poverty and to remember what happened to poor young workers 75 years ago. Crab Park is located at the north foot of Main Street where the trek began in 1935. The rally will feature speakers and the dedication of a plaque to mark the historic site.

Following the ceremony, a delegation will make a modern journey On to Ottawa to talk to the government about homelessness issues and the need for a national housing program.

The original trek began on June 3, 1935, when legions of young men, rebelling against poor working conditions and low wages in Depression era relief camps, boarded boxcars in Vancouver and headed for Ottawa to deliver an historic protest message to the federal government.

Hundreds of 'Trekkers' boarded Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) boxcars near the foot of Main Street and left the city. By the time they reached Regina, their numbers had swelled to more than 3,000.

Sadly, they were met in Regina by a wall of RCMP officers dispatched by R. B. Bennett, the unsympathetic Conservative prime minister of the day. The intervention prevented the Trekkers from continuing onto Ottawa. Only one of their leaders was permitted to travel on and meet with Bennett.

When the meeting proved fruitless, the remaining Trekkers in Regina rebelled on July 1 (then known as Dominion Day) in an uprising that was put down by arguably the most infamous and oppressive police riot in Canadian history.

But there was a price to pay for Bennett in his coldness and indifference to the plight of the working people. His Tory government was crushed in the next election, reduced from its 134-seat majority to a paltry 39 seats in the House of Commons,

The Liberal government that replaced the Conservatives then set about addressing many of the concerns raised by the Trekkers. Relief camps were abolished and the first steps were taken to set up what eventually became a national unemployment insurance system.

CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:

SPENDING MONEY FOOLISHLY:

Here's a great switcheroo. Unions representing City of Regina workers are criticizing the City of Regina for needlessly wasting money on a consultant to develop a new symbol. The cost - $320,000 for a little bit of internet design work that would cost about 50 or 60 dollars outside of "Consultantland". Never let it be said that the right wing is right when they try and blame the unions for the waste of public monies. Government is well able to do it on its own, thank you very much. especially when it involves doling out money to corporate friends. The consulting industry is, of course, one of the greatest scams ever developed, and they are always on the lookout for a willing victim. I mean it-5o to 60 dollars. Any kid in the basement could have done as much in 20 minutes. In this case the unions stand as the guardian of the public purse.Here's the story from the Regina Leader Post.

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Local unions concerned about Regina's 'Infinite Horizons' strategy:
By Joe Couture, Leader-Post February 19, 2010

REGINA — The heads of three union locals that represent City of Regina workers noted their concerns Friday about the city’s recently introduced “Infinite Horizons” branding strategy.

“I struggle with the need to brand ourselves or create an image, especially with something as obscure as a stylized ‘R’,” said Marvin Meickel, president of CUPE Local 7, which represents inside city workers.

He noted the old logo, which had a rendering of the city skyline, and the logo that came before it, which included a crown, were sufficient to represent the city.

Both Tim Anderson, president of CUPE Local 21, which represents outside city workers, and Mike Ehmann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 588, which represents transit drivers, said Friday they, too, thought the previous logo was fine.

Meickel said he gives credit to Mayor Pat Fiacco for his efforts to make the city’s image more positive, noting that is important. But he said he doesn’t understand why city needs to keep spending money on its image when the existing image seems to be well-received.

“We seem to be riding a fairly high tide of city growth and province growth,” Meickel continued. “Were we really lacking as far as that particular brand or logo? I would say, ‘No’. Could the money have been spent in other areas? I would say, ‘Absolutely’.

“There’s all sorts of challenges that the city continues to face that would involve a financial commitment, but they’ve decided to take this particular direction.”

The cost is at the centre of the concerns of the other two union leaders, too.

Anderson said he expects the final price tag for the branding initiative will be significantly more than the $320,000 paid to the advertising firm that developed it.

“We have a number of issues facing the city,” he said. “With the provincial government reneging on their promise to share revenue, we’re looking at a mill rate increase, I would assume. I think the timing of the logo could have been postponed until we can afford it. At another time, it wouldn’t have been that bad.”

Anderson said he thinks spending on the brand now shows a lack of fiscal responsibility.

“I think it comes down to wants and needs,” he said.

Ehmann said, “The money could have been spent better elsewhere,” noting the transit department’s recent well-publicized fleet challenges. “They could have bought a bus.”

Meickel questioned whether a public-sector corporation such as the city even needs to have a style of brand like a private-sector company. The new branding appears to be of such a style, he added.

“I think some people, including myself, just don’t quite understand it,” he said. “Maybe time will give me an opportunity to be more comfortable with it.”
jcouture@leaderpost.canwest.com

CANADIAN POLITICS:

FOUR STORIES-VERY LITTLE PRESS:

As the Olympic Flame made its way across western Canada in the past two weeks it was met by demonstrations in four prairie cities. The stories of each stop are given below, three from the No2010 website and a fourth from the Regina Leader Post. A few commonalities can be seen. One, the obvious, is that they are all about demonstrations against the upcoming Olympic circus. Another is that all the demonstrations were peaceful. What is most striking, however, is that the demonstrations attracted hardly any mainstream media reportage. This may have been because they were indeed peaceful and therefore "not entertaining". It may also be because they just weren't weird enough. The press seemed to have no hesitation about reporting all of the antics of PETA in each and every stop. PETA, of course, provides the necessary daily dose of weird in a daily newspaper. Something about "seals and the Olympics" I think, however they may connect. Here in Winnipeg the PETA circus was duly reported. The other demo attracted no notice in the Winnipeg Free Press, while the Winnipeg Sun reported that "another demonstration also took place, but nobody was sure what they were demonstrating about". I kid you not. The demonstrations in Regina and Saskatoon attracted the attention of the Regina Leader Post (but not, insofar as I am able to determine the Saskatoon Star Phoenix), and even there the PETA clowns were given more prominence.

So here, as a public service, are the three stories that have only been reported on the No2010 site and in a few internet forums, and the other Regina story that hasn't shown up in such forums.

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Winnipeg: Olympic Torch Protested & Briefly Delayed:
January 7, 2010 - 09:04 — no2010
January 5 - The Olympic torch relay was successfully disrupted in Winnipeg this evening. The torch and parade were blockaded for fifteen minutes, after which time the relay was forced to extinguish the torch, and the torch and relay team were transported forward in a truck.

The demonstration began when approximately 50 people assembled at the Forks and handed out literature to people attending the torch event.

The demonstration marched from the Forks down Broadway on the sidewalk, and then on the boulevard, to meet the torch relay from the opposite direction, posting "No Olympics on Stolen Native Land" stickers along the way.

Five people were dressed as Olympic rings and carried torches that were lit as the demonstration approached the official Olympic torchbearer.

Each ring represented an issue associated with the Olympics: Homelessness and the criminalization of the poor, massive police spending and the criminalization of dissent, environmental destruction, missing and murdered women, and the theft of native land.

When the demonstration reached the torchbearer, protesters took the street and blockaded the torch parade for fifteen minutes, chanting slogans and distributing leaflets.

The torch was extinguished and transported forward in a truck. Demonstrators were pushed out of the street by the Winnipeg Police Service.

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Saskatoon Protests Olympic Torch Relay:
January 14, 2010 - 01:48 — no2010
Protesters peaceful at rally
By Jeremy Warren, Saskatchewan News Network, January 12, 2010

http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/2010wintergames/Protesters+peaceful+rally/2430999/story.html
While thousands of supporters at Kiwanis park waved flags and chanted encouragement for the 2010 Olympics, a small group of protesters had their slogans and flags that denounced the Olympic industry.

About 30 protesters, part of a national movement demonstrating against the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, took their grievances to Saskatoon's Olympic torch relay event Monday.

"True Sport or Corporate Opportunism?" read one protester's sign.

Homelessness in Vancouver has worsened since the city's successful bid, which lead to the elimination of low income housing, and there's been much ecological destruction from construction and renovation of Olympic sites in B.C., said demonstration organizer Ashley Budd.
The corporations -- from Coca-Cola to Royal Bank of Canada, both of which had significant presence at Monday's event with company giveaways and booths -- are using the games to push product, not sport, said Budd.

"They're influencing these kids," said Budd, a University of Saskatchewan student. "This isn't an education. It's a corporate takeover."

Event organizers bused in more than 1,000 students to Kiwanis Park to watch the torch relay and lighting of the Olympic cauldron. Attendance was between 5,000 and 7,000 people, said organizers.

Spectators were handed free bottles of Coke products and flags and RBC tambourines.

Commercials played on a large screen above the performance stage. The entertainment MC spliced in corporate slogans in chants to rouse the crowd.

"Are you happy?" said the MC, to cheers from the crowd. "I can't hear you! Are you happy?"

The crowd cheered again. Then the MC revealed the Happiness is sponsored by Coca-Cola.

"Are you ready to open happiness, Saskatoon?" Then the Coca-Cola-sponsored performers took the stage.

The crowd was urged to cheer to "create a better Canada," (perhaps one without Coco-Cola-Molly ) to which again the crowd responded with cheers.

"Are you ready to create a better Canada? Let's do with RBC," said the MC. ( it obviously got stranger and stranger as the night wore on-Molly )

Saskatoon Olympic Torch Relay Organizing Committee chair Jill Cope said corporate sponsorship is necessary for the event.

"Putting on a torch run of this magnitude, you certainly need corporate sponsorship," said Cope. "(The advertising) wasn't blatant. (cough, cough-Molly ) I think the kids, and adults too, had fun."

While demonstrations disrupted torch relays elsewhere in Canada, the demonstrators in Saskatoon were peaceful. They drummed and stood silently and burned sage. When approached, they answered questions or distributed leaflets.

"We're not trying to stop the Olympics," said Budd. "We're trying to bring education to the Games."

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Edmonton Protests Olympic Torch & Tar Sands:
January 15, 2010 - 21:57 — no2010

No Torch, No Tar sands

Edmontonians stand up against capitalism

by Dawn Paley

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/2463
EDMONTON-- Dozens of people protested the official Olympics ceremony in downtown Edmonton this evening, an island of resistance in a sea of people out to see the big show.

Those standing together against the torch drew attention to social and environmental issues that they argue are exacerbated by the Olympics.

"Capitalism just makes me feel gross," said Megan Heather, who was leafletting in the crowd gathered at Churchill Square. "It's sort of at the backbone of what is really fucking humans up," she said. (I'm sorry to criticize my "own side", but I just have to cringe at this sort of thing-Molly )

Activsts chanted slogans including "Homes not Games," and "No Olympics on Stolen Native Land."

They also drew a clear link between the tar sands and the 2010 Olympics, but the connection wasn't clear to bystanders.

"Most Edmontonians don't agree with it, they know where the bread and butter comes from," said Ed Dykstra, referring to a banner reading "No tar sands, No Olympics on Native Land."

As for why activists would be concerned about the tar sands, Dykstra also had no idea. "The tar sands is a very minuscule part of the greenhouse gas problem," he said. "As far as mining the ground is concerned, there is nothing growing there in the first place."

"The greenest games that are supposed to be carbon neutral are heavily sponsored by the companies active in the tar sands, the fastest growing contributor to climate change," said Macdonald Sainsby, who also organizes an an annual conference about the tar sands. This year's conference will focus on the Olympics as well as the tar sands.

Three people were handcuffed and detained on the torch route for allegedly swearing at the torch. They were later released without charge.

Audio from yesterday's actions in Edmonton:

http://www.mediacoop.ca/audio/2464

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Finally, here's the article from the Regina Leader Post about the demonstration in Regina, the one not reported by the No2010 people. Once more, like in Winnipeg, the PETA people get prominence, or in this case equal play. All this for the sake of three paid staffers for the donation sponge that is PETA who travel from town to town following the Olympic Torch. I'd rather not get diverted into a full fledged attack on these people, but I would suggest that they are the lefty equivalent of tele-evangelists, and I'd suggest that nobody give them a penny.

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Reginans stage protests before arrival of Olympic torch:
By Josh Campbell, Leader-Post

January 7, 2010
REGINA — Not all Reginans want to hold the Olympic torch high this Saturday evening as it makes its way through the city.

Some would rather not see it at all.

Mere blocks apart in downtown Regina on Wednesday, two rallies took place, organized (by-Molly )groups that support the Olympics as a friendly international competition between athletes, but not as a means for corporations and countries to wash their hands of "dirty oil" and seal blood.

The first rally, outside the downtown Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) building, was spearheaded by the Council of Canadians (COC). It questioned RBC's sponsorship of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, saying this is a "greenwashing" tactic to get the public to believe the bank is environmentally friendly.

"They want to make themselves look better than they really are," said Jim Elliott, head of COC's Regina chapter.

A pamphlet COC distributed Wednesday read: "RBC is providing $15.9 billion in funding to coal and oil companies, including the tar sands. The 'make a pledge, carry the torch' campaign allows RBC to use the 2010 Games to market itself as a 'green' corporation and support tar sands development at the same time."

RBC representatives were contacted, but had not responded by late Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, at the corner of Scarth Street and Victoria Avenue, a giant inflatable seal was providing shelter to three shivering protesters.

One was Norfolk, Virginia, native David Shirk, a full-time employee with PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). Shirk is travelling ahead of the torch and carrying his 10-foot-high inflatable seal with him to raise awareness about the annual seal hunt off the coast of Newfoundland and P.E.I.

Of the estimated 5.6 million seals off the coast of Atlantic Canada, the government allowed 280,000 to be hunted in the 2009.

According to Shirk, only three per cent of the overall seal kill is for Aboriginals. The rest is done by large corporations.( Love those "large Newfie corporations"-Molly )

"Just as China had a bad human rights record, so, too, should Canada be under scrutiny for the amount of seals they allow to be hunted," said Shirk. "I am horrified that people are still allowed to club baby seals over the head."

Shirk's belief in the cause has enabled him to handle the Canadian cold. "It's pretty cold up here," he said, "but it's nothing like getting skinned alive like baby seals do."

CANADIAN LABOUR/INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

CAN STARBUCKS BE UNIONIZED?:

Since the recent certification of the Starbucks Union, a branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), as the official union for one Starbucks outlet in Québec City it appears that the coffee giant is not as invulnerable as was once thought. Previous attempts, on the part of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) in British Columbia failed back in the 1990s. As far as Molly can determine there is only one other unionized Starbucks in the world. This lone example is in Regina, Saskatchewan where the workers are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union- Saskatchewan(RWDSU). This particular RWDSU has no connection with the RWDSU International with whom it split back in the 1970s. Since that time the RWDSU has gained a reputation as one of the most progressive and militant unions in North America. In the past they have used workplace occupations as part of their strike tactics.

Both the RWDSU and the IWW ,which has spearheaded recent drives to unionize Starbucks, are small unions. The RWDSU has the advantage of geographical concentration over the dispersed IWW, and it is more effective for that. The major unions and union federations won't touch Starbucks, or any related workplace such as fast food joints, unionization with a ten foot pole. In the days when the CAW attempted their drive in BC they were a much different union then they are today. Having split from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) they were willing to take on every possible organizational effort in what was a quest to become a multiindustry alternative to the CLC. They are a much quieter beast today, and it would be hard to imagine them attempting organization in such places as Starbucks at the present time.

Which leads us to the most recent question in Molly's Polls; "Is It Possible to Unionize Places Such as Starbucks?". See our sister site to register your opinion. There are immense difficulties that any union that attempts to organize in places such as Starbucks have to overcome. This is even more so in fast food joints such as McDonalds. If there are only two unionized Starbucks in the world that is still 200% better than the zero McDonalds that are organized. Molly is agnostic about the prospects insofar as I think that such organization is possible , but only in certain locations where both the laws and the local culture are such as to facilitate such efforts.

Québec today has a long standing tradition of militant unionism far greater than almost anywhere else on the continent. In Saskatchewan unions such as the RWWDSU thrive in the lengthening shadows of what was once the most left wing community on the continent. Saskatchewan socialism has, today, been corrupted beyond all recognition, but the populist tradition still lingers. Should young workers there be privileged to have known their grandparents or grand uncles/grand aunts about 50% of them would have had a family member who was a convinced socialist, one not shy of stating their views. Presented with the option of unionization- with a radical rhetoric thrown in- the old "lefty genes" have a tendency to reactivate. Perhaps many parts of Newfoundland, Minnesota and Wisconsin are the same.

One thing that I do think is that such vague radicalism is insufficient for unionization to take a general hold outside of isolated branches of such enterprises as Starbucks. In order for the efforts to expand beyond isolated instances a community as well as a workplace mobilization has to occur. The example of a large proportion of the population of a city, even one so small as Québec City (or even Regina-much smaller), organizing a boycott of recalcitrant companies would bring the bosses to heel much faster than simple organization of workplaces, one by one, could do. Such a campaign would also reverberate worldwide and make unionization much easier in other locations.

Am I too pessimistic in my assessment that unionization in places such as Starbucks will proceed very slowly in the foreseeable future ? Time will tell. In the meantime visit Molly's Polls to express your own opinion. I hope to comment more on this matter over there.

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-REGINA:

ROCKING THE BOAT BOOKS NEEDS HELP:

Molly has received the following appeal from Turning the Tide Books in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for support of their sister organization Rock the Boat Books in Regina. Seems that this infoshop start-up has run into difficulties ie a theft. Help them out if you can.

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Dear Friends,

Rock the Boat Books (Regina’s sister organization to Turning the Tide) was the victim of a most unfortunate turn of events recently. The book project which operates only in a book-tabling capacity and has no store front, had their storage space broken into and the money in their cash box stolen. The amount of money that was stolen was significant and enough to set back the fledgling book project in their efforts in establishing themselves and move towards opening a store.

As many of you recognize the need for alternative voices and viewpoints in the world of books and media, I am asking you to consider supporting this important progressive book project in getting back on its feet. To that end, Turning the Tide will be accepting donations in the form of cash or cheque in the Saskatoon area for Rock the Boat. Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the address below. Please make the cheques out to Rock the Boat Books.

If you are outside the Saskatoon area, please send cheques directly to:

Rock the Boat

2138 McIntyre Street

Regina, SK

S4P 2R7

Thank you for your consideration.

In solidarity,

Peter Garden

Turning the Tide Bookstore

525 11th St. East

Saskatoon, SK

Treaty 6 Territory

S7N 0G1

(306)955-3070

http://www.turning.ca

COMMUNITY POLITICS-REGINA:

TENANTS VERSUS LANDLORDS AND THE CITY IN REGINA:

Here's a little item from the Act Up In Saskatchewan website about community politics in Molly's old neighbourhood there, the 'Cathedral Area'. It seems that some things never change.

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Condo conversions proceed - mayor dismisses tenant concerns:

Written by Trish Elliott
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Landlords tell the truth, while tenants and community associations make unfounded allegations, seems to be the message from a recent City of Regina planning commission decision. The commission voted to approve three condo conversions last night, despite the city staff's recommendation that the applications be denied.

In a presentation to the commission, Paul Dechene and Aaron Murray of the Cathedral Area Community Association outlined renters’ complaints about intimidation and unfair tactics during the conversion application process, and called on the city to follow its own condo conversion rules regarding vacancy rates and due process.

In remarks to the press following the meeting, Mayor Pat Fiacco referred to the complaints as “hearsay" and said it was unfortunate they had been brought forward.

Murray and Dechene said the CACA was not opposed in principle to conversions at first, but became alarmed when tenants began to tell stories of undue pressure from Nicor, the property management company. According to the rules, 75 per cent of tenants must agree to the conversion when city vacancy rates are less than three per cent.

“At a summer meeting at Connaught School between tenants, Nicor and the city, we listened to the testimony of many tenants who expressed deep mistrust of Nicor and who indicated that the hardships they would experience from their buildings being converted was not being satisfactorily remedied,” Murray said.

The community association felt the concerns had been addressed when the city administration, after further investigation, recommended on Nov. 5 that the applications be denied.

“We are surprised, then, to find ourselves at Council faced with a recommendation for acceptance of the conversion applications.”

The CACA also took issue with the landlord’s statement that the slumlike condition of the buildings would only be remedied by condo approval.

“We have a situation where a landlord has come before planning commission and confessed that their properties are dangerously decrepit. In such a situation, for the sake of the tenants still residing in these buildings, shouldn’t the first step be an inspection from Public Heath and City Bylaw Enforcement, not a condo conversion approval?”
Trish Elliott is a CACA board member

CACA PRESENTATION
CATHEDRAL AREAL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PRESENTATION BEFORE REGINA CITY COUNCIL
RE: REPORTS RPC 08-57, RPC 08-60 AND RPC 08-61

The Cathedral Area Community Association is here to urge council to accept the original recommendations of city staff in reports RPC 08 57 through 61 as presented to Planning Commission on November 5, and deny the three condo conversion applications: 2060 Lorne, 2358 Rae and 2125 Lorne. Also, we’d like to note that we are not in favour of approving the applications for the conversions of 2121 and 2141 Rae which have been tabled and will be considered at the Dec 3 Planning Commission meeting.

When the possibility of these condo conversions was brought to our association’s attention, we were somewhat concerned. However, we are not opposed to development in the Cathedral Area, nor are we in principal opposed to apartment blocks being converted to condominium dwellings. We do, however, want to ensure that when such conversions are being considered, the process that developers have to go through is fair both to them and to tenants, and that issues such as the availability of rental accommodation in our area be considered.

After discussions with city staff, we became convinced that the process they were going to enter into with Nicor in this case seemed to address most of our concerns. We opted to wait and see how the situation would develop.

Over the course of the process, we began to worry that all was not well with these conversions. And there seems to be a disconnect between the process that was laid out to us and the result.

Once it was underway, we began to hear complaints that Nicor was not conducting itself professionally and may in fact have been placing undue pressure upon tenants to get them to agree to the conversions. Moreover, at a summer meeting at Connaught school between tenants, Nicor and the city, we listened to the testimony of many tenants who expressed deep mistrust of Nicor and who indicated that the hardship they would experience from their building’s being converted was not being satisfactorily remedied.

We heard how Nicor meddled in the second tenant survey even though they’d been requested by city staff not to. If this is the case, then the survey system appears deeply flawed and open to abuse. This must be rectified or we cannot expect the public to have any faith in the process. The applicant should not have any impact, whatsoever, on the survey process. And we should not reward their interference at the end of the process.

The original, November 5 city staff reports, addressed our concerns. They seemed thorough. Their recommendations to deny the applications based on the problems that arose during the process seemed sound.

We are surprised, then, to find ourselves at Council faced with a recommendation for acceptance of the conversion applications.

Planning commission, we feel has failed to ask some important questions about these applications.

For instance, Nicor claims that many of their tenants are in support of the conversion. Many, however, may or may not meet the city’s policy minimum that 75% of tenants must support such an application. Also, all five staff reports seem to suggest that information coming from Nicor about tenant attitudes has not always been reliable --- this was the reason for the second tenant survey. We would think, then, that a vague suggestion from Nicor that some number of tenants are in their corner would not be sufficient for Planning Commission, and some burden of proof would be shifted onto the applicant.

Also, Nicor has suggested repeatedly that these conversions must go through because these five buildings are “slumlike” and in need of millions of dollars worth of repairs. To our knowledge, no breakdown of this figure has been requested of Nicor. Is this “millions of dollars” the amount necessary to get these buildings up to condo-resale condition? Might a reasonable maintenance investment be less costly? We simply don’t know.

Also, we have a situation where a landlord has come before planning commission and confessed that their properties are dangerously decrepit. In such a situation, for the sake of the tenants still residing in these buildings, shouldn’t the first step be an inspection from Public Heath and City Bylaw Enforcement, not a condo conversion approval?

Again, the CACA is not in principal opposed to condo conversions and we want to see smart, sustainable development in our community.

But, as was to our satisfaction demonstrated in the staff reports, in this case the applicant has not acted up to a level of professionalism that we would think is acceptable. Because of this, 20 other condo conversion applications have been languishing in a queue. We feel that such behaviour should not be rewarded and council should deny these applications. They should be put at the end of the line, and staff should be allowed to proceed to other applications that have been sitting in limbo.

In addition to all of this, we are concerned about the effect that approving these applications will have on the range of housing alternatives available in the Cathedral Area. If we are to have a sustainable rental market in the central zone, we wonder how much closer to a 3% rate we can skirt and what effect taking these 3 buildings off the market will have.