RELIGION- IRELAND:

JUSTICE FOR THE MAGDALENE SURVIVORS:

Canadians might be forgiven for thinking that our residential schools atrocities are unique, and in some ways they are. The plan to eliminate native cultures by the government turning over "care" of the children to various religious boarding schools was unique in that it was premeditated plan of cultural genocide. From that point forward, however, the methods employed by the various churches were hardly confined to aboriginal Canadians. Canada has had a hint of this by such scandals as the Mount Cashel boys in Newfoundland and the 'Dupleissis Orphans' in Québec. It is , however, in Ireland where the Church was nigh to omnipotent that the largest number of new atrocities are coming to light. The Catholic Church sex scandals are now receiving more and more press across Europe, but the Irish case is special. It gives proof to the presumption that religious sects are benign only insofar as they are powerless, and the more powerful they become the more they grow into evil.

One of the scandals rocking the Irish Church is that of the 'Magdalene Laundries'. These were originally touted as "houses of refuge" for so-called "fallen women" ie anyone who got pregnant without the clergy taking its financial cut. What they were in fact were brutal workhouses, and the financial profit that the nuns who ran them made from their inmates - slave labour in all but name- was so delicious that they began expanding their catchment (a modern slave trade) more and more widely. Conditions were atrocious. Pay for the labour was non-existent. Promised education never happened. And just like some residential schools in Canada the nuns had a habit (pun intended) of burying those who died in their "care" as quietly as possible (see article below).

Survivors of these workhouses have banded together to demand an apology and redress from both the Irish state and the Church. The basic story of the Justice for Magdalenes is told below in the article from the Care2 site. The story of these unfortunate victims of organized religion was told in the 2002 film 'The Magdalene Sisters'. Also, lest anyone think that such atrocities are solely the purview of the Roman Catholic Church (they certainly weren't in Canada's residential schools), top article for today at the Justice for Magdalenes website is a memorial for 40 babies buried in unmarked graves in a Dublin cemetery, victims of a protestant residential school.

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Justice For Magdalene Survivors
posted by: Megan Susoeff 3 days ago

For decades, women and children endured abuse and poor labor conditions in Ireland's Magdalene Laundries. The laundries were originally institutions for "fallen women," but they soon grew to include developmentally challenged women and abused girls.

Although there is nothing we can do to take back what happened, survivors and their loved ones are pushing for Irish government officials to formally apologize and recognize survivors of the Magdalene Laundries. This Care2 petition asks that people worldwide add their signature, demanding justice for survivors.

Member of Justice for Magdalenes (JFM), Mari Steed, was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

What is the main goal of Justice for Magdalenes?

Justice for Magdalenes primary goals are (i) to bring about an official apology from the Irish State and the Catholic Church and (ii) the establishment of a distinct redress scheme for survivors of Ireland's infamous Magdalene Laundries.


How long have you been fighting for this cause?

Justice for Magdalenes sprang from a group founded in 1993 (Madalen Memorial Committee) after the discovery of 155 buried bodies at High Park Convent, Dublin. We actively formed around 2000, with individuals from the Irish adoption community, taking over the reins from the original MMC founders, Patricia McDonald, Bláthnaid Ní Chinnéide and Margo Kelly. In one shape or another, our core committee has been working on this issue in an advocacy capacity for some 12 years.

Does it affect you or anyone you know personally?

Yes, several of us on the committee have mothers who spent time in the Laundries. My mother worked for 10 years doing intricate sewing (embroidery, etc.-- the hand-smocked dresses, tablecloths sold for commanding prices in Dublin and even at places like Harrod's in London, and to the American tourism market) at the Waterford laundry, St. Dominick's.


Our mothers also experienced the mother-baby homes of Ireland, which although not as bad as the Laundries and at least regulated by the State, were no walk in the park.

What are your hopes for this petition?

We hope to bring a loud global voice and pressure to bear on Prime Minister Cowen (and members of his government) to stop waffling and provide clear leadership on this issue. We want him to legislate/pass our draft redress proposal and provide justice for these women, as the government did for survivors of residential institution abuse under the terms of the 2002 Redress Act.

Although JFM has had very successful and productive meetings with the departments of Education, Justice and Health, along with the formation of an ad hoc committee, we still continue to hear back-sliding from these departments who were complicit in remanding girls and women to Laundries.
Is there anything else you want readers to know about this cause?

This is very much an international human rights issue. The Irish diaspora is, as we know, quite large. And there is every likelihood that somewhere in the world there is a first- or second-generation Irish citizen whose mother, granny, auntie, sister or other female relations may have spent time in the Laundries (including members of the Irish government!)

There is also a common misconception that the Laundries are a relic of the distant past. Not so -- the last laundry closed its doors in 1996 and there are many living Magdalene survivors, a good number of whom are now in elder care, still with the nuns for whom they worked.


Those not still in the care of the nuns tried to make their own way in the world. But they still bear the scars of their incarceration: failed relationships (as they are unable to trust or build bonds with others), lack of education (they were performing slave labour when they should've been getting an education), lack of financial support (most have no family to turn to or were spurned by their families) and a general institutional scarring that's left many unable to cope in 'outside' society. And of course, in many cases, there was physical, sexual and mental abuse which has never been properly dealt with or healed.

TAKE ACTION

Very few survivors have computer skills or access to the Internet, but you can sign this Care2 petition to honor those who cannot add a signature themselves.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to add your voice to the following petition to Brian Cowen, the Irish Taolseach (equivalent of Prime Minister- loosely translated from Irish Gaelic as "great green cheese") demanding justice for the Magdalene survivors.
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Leadership needed on Magdalene Laundries

Target:An Taoiseach of Ireland, Mr. Brian Cowen.

Sponsored by: Justice for Magdalenes.

Urge Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen to call for State acknowledgment of its complicity in remanding women and children to Magdalene Laundries, and to (i) offer an official apology to and (ii) establish a distinct redress scheme for victims and survivors of these abusive institutions. We also have a direct e-mail form which can be sent to An Taoiseach at http://www.magdalenelaundries.com/an_taoiseach.htm .

Dear Taoiseach,


We, the undersigned, as concerned global and Irish citizens, write to you to appeal for justice and to add our voices to the call for Irish State acknowledgment of its complicity in remanding women and children to Magdalene Laundries. We urge you to (i) offer an official apology to and (ii) establish a distinct redress scheme for victims and survivors of these abusive institutions.


Your recent assertion that there is a distinction between "children in the residential institutions" and "women in [Magdalene] laundries" is appalling in the extreme. Justice for Magdalenes has proven beyond doubt that there were children in the Magdalene laundries. The Department of Education acknowledged its awareness of this fact when Justice for Magdalenes met with senior officials on 2 February 2010. Your response signals the State's primary concern is to limit liability with respect to anticipated claims for compensation. You and your government should be focused on providing justice for women and children denied their constitutional rights. Do you believe that the State, and in particular the Department of Education, did not have a moral and Constitutional obligation to protect every child from the exploitative work conditions in the laundry institutions?


We urge you to pursue the cause for justice for these women and children, to cease trying to pass the burden solely on the religious orders that ran these institutions, and to exert the utmost pressure on those same orders to also find, as Cardinal Sean Brady himself promised, a 'just solution' for these citizens, whose rights were so grievously violated.


To do less brings shame on yourself, Ireland's government and the nation as a whole.

CANADIAN LABOUR- MISSISSAUGA:

RED CROSS BOSSES ARROGANCE PUSHES WORKERS TO STRIKE:

There are bosses, and then there are bosses. One thing that Molly has observed over the years is that bosses with a presumed "ethical mandate" are the worst of all. This was demonstrated to the tune of close to 100 million deaths under communist dictatorship in the 20th century. But the petty world of charities and NGOs gives ample evidence of this even if their power is (mercifully) restricted. Down Ontario way the bosses of the Red Cross have pushed their workers into a strike position by their arrogance. Here's the story from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

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Red Cross threats, intimidation push drivers to strike
MISSISSAUSAGA, ON – More than forty drivers for Red Cross Mississauga-Halton have decided to exercise their right to strike following an employer campaign of threats and intimidation. Picket lines will go up Monday morning unless an agreement is reached.

“Our members have been in a legal strike position since midnight last Friday,” said CUPE National Representative Helen Gibb-Gavel. “Knowing how important their service is to people who have serious medical needs, others with disabilities, and seniors, they decided to continue working while holding information pickets between shifts.

“The Red Cross has responded with threats and intimidation of a group of low-paid workers who are trying to achieve their first collective agreement.”

Employees received voice messages at their homes threatening termination if they picket during work time. However, said Gibb-Gavel, the drivers work split shifts and have held information pickets between those shifts. As well, on Wednesday a man who identified himself as a Red Cross manager threatened to have picketers’ vehicles towed from a parking lot next door to Red Cross headquarters.

“Instead of being able to spend our time productively at the bargaining table, trying to negotiate a fair first contract, we will be on the picket lines and at the labour board with a charge of intimidation,” said Gibb-Gavel. “More importantly, people who need assisted transportation are going to see their service disrupted.”

The union is ready to meet at any time before Monday to try to achieve a fair collective agreement and avert a strike, said Gibb-Gavel. If there is no agreement, picket lines will go up at 4:45 a.m. at the Canadian Red Cross office, 5700 Cancross, Mississauga, and 6:30 a.m. at Region of Peel TransHelp, 3190 Mavis Road.

For more information, contact:
Helen Gibb-Gavel
CUPE National Representative
Tel: (905)568-4664; cell 905-242-4207

HUMOUR:

LOOKING CLOSELY:

LOCAL EVENTS- WINNIPEG

PUBLIC SERVICE, PRIVATE PROFITS:

Coming up next Tuesday at the Mondragon, 91 Albert St the book launch of 'Public Service, Private Profits'. All about the dreaded P3s. There's much plunder to be taken in this new frontier. The answers to questions you were afraid to ask. As mentioned below especially appropriate for Winnipeg as agreements for private participation in water management is pushed through city council when even our beloved Mayor 'Sneaky Sammy' claims that he doesn't know the details of what is being agreed to. If you believe that then I have a Salisbury House bridge that I'd like to sell to you. Meanwhile see Fernwood Publishing for more details on the book.

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Public Service, Private Profits Book Launch
Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Location: Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse
Street: 91 Albert St.
Winnipeg, MB

Description.

Join us for the launch of Public Service, Private Profits, Prof. John Loxley's latest book from Fernwood Publishers. Timely book, what with our water services being sold down the river.

HUMOUR:

BROTHERS IN ARMS ?:

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.

HUMOUR:

THE AXLES OF EVIL:

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-OTTAWA:

ORGANIZED ANARCHISM AND ANTI-CAPITALISM:

The Ottawa branch of the Ontario platformist organization Common Cause has produced a new booklet on 'Organized Anarchism in the Anti-Capitalist Struggle'. Long overdue in my opinion because of the prevailing illusions amongst anarchists about the effectiveness of protest after protest at various ruling class summits, a tactic that leads to no conclusions in the end. And also the idea of depending upon "spontaneous enthusiasm" as a long term strategy. Here's the notice from the Common Cause website. Now Molly has to admit that the pamphlet leaves much to be desired in the way that it written. To a large extent its audience is restricted to the 0.2% of the population who actually believe in leftist politics after having endured 4 years of social sciences course in certain North American Universities in the last two decades and living in the real world five years afterwards or to others who are familiar with anarchist rhetoric. In other words it is not a pamphlet that one would present to the average person without more than a hint of embarrassment. Yet it is good polemics within this small world. No doubt this is part and parcel of the restricted arguments that consume the anarchist movement in North America, and the authors are arguing "within their gunsights" so to speak. Still, it is a very good pamphlet for presentation to a certain audience, though I have my doubts about its "universal appeal" or even its appeal should anarchism in North America finally break out of its self-imposed "ghetto". I await the anarchist pamphlet that presents the good case for anarchism in simple English for those whose exposure to the idea comes via the mass media.

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Booklet: 'Organized Anarchism in the Anti-Capitalist Struggle'

Members of Common Cause Ottawa have come up with a booklet entitled 'Organized Anarchism in the Anti-Capitalist Struggle: Why we need organization - and principles to follow'

It is based on a presentation given by two CCO members at a conference in March 2010 ('Capitalism and Confrontation')

There are two versions of this booklet in pdf form. Both are on 8.5x11 letter-sized paper, 3 double-sided pages (or 6 single-sided).

One is for straightforward printing ('not folded' version): can be printed single- or double-sided

The other is to create a booklet ('folded' version): needs to be printed double-sided

When printing double-sided, choose the 'double-sided / flip on short edge' option if you have that capability, otherwise print pages 1,3,5 and then figure out how to feed those papers back into the printer so that pages 2,4,6 will print on the reverse side with the proper orientation


Attachment Size
http://linchpin.ca/system/files/organarchist_bookletfolded.pdf 219.77 KB
http://linchpin.ca/system/files/organarchist_bookletnotfolded.pdf 219.8 KB

HUMOUR:

GOOD DREAMS:

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-MEXICO:

INDEPENDENT UNION IN PUEBLA:

The struggle for independent real unions in Mexico has been a long and difficult one, pitting workers against not just "yellow dog" unions but also, bosses and the corrupt political class of the state. Here's a story about a recent victory in this struggle from the Maquila Solidarity Network.

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Johnson Controls Interiors workers win independent union
June 3, 2010


A three-day strike by workers at a Johnson Controls auto parts plant in Puebla, Mexico, backed by an international solidarity campaign, has won the workers the right to be represented by a union of their free choice.

The Johnson Controls Interiors plant employs about 450 workers and produces seats and seat parts for major auto companies, including Ford and Mercedes-Benz.

On May 29, representatives of the striking workers and the company signed an agreement that recognizes the workers' decision to be represented by the National Union of Mine and Metal Workers (SNTMMSSRM or Los Mineros).

A company-controlled "protection union" linked to the Puebla State PRI government has held title to the collective agreement at the factory, but the workers have never received a copy of that agreement nor been consulted about whether they want to be represented by that union.

Precedent-setting agreement
The agreement sets an important precedent in Mexico where employers often sign "protection contracts" with corrupt unions without the workers' knowledge and/or consent in order to prevent those workers from organizing or affiliating with a democratic union.

In addition to recognizing Los Mineros as the workers' union, the agreement also includes the following provisions:

•No reprisals against the workers for participating in the movement;
•No legal action against those who participated in the strike;
•Payment of full wages for time lost do to the strike;
•An annual profit-sharing payment of US$100 per worker (20 times the $5 originally offered by the company); and
•Direct employment and union membership for all workers currently employed through a third-party employment agency.
In Mexico, the workers have received support from the Puebla-based Worker Support Centre (CAT), the Mexico office of the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center, and the Project for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ProDESC). Organizations mobilizing international solidarity included USW, CAW, UAW, USLEAP, the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF), and MSN.

Dispute at FINSA plant continues
Meanwhile, the lengthy dispute continues at the company's FINSA plant, also in Puebla, where workers are attempting to rid themselves of another "protection union."

The workers at that factory have formed a Temporary Coalition of Workers in order to negotiate with the company. To date, Johnson Controls has refused to recognize or negotiate with the Coalition, and has fired many of its leaders.

On April 28, two members of the CAT team supporting the workers, Enrique Morales Montaño and Coral Juarez Melo, were visiting Johnson Controls employee in the community of Santo Toribio, Tlaxcala when Enrique was physically assaulted by the 17 year old son of Magdaleno Texis, a local leader of the CROM, the corrupt union that signed a "protection contract" with management at the FINSA factory.

Building international solidarity
FINSA workers are currently touring the United States, seeking solidarity with their struggle to be represented by an independent union.

MSN is joining with counterpart organizations in Mexico and internationally in calling on the company to meet with the Coalition of Johnson Controls Workers, reinstate workers who have been unjustly fired for supporting an independent union, and respect the workers' right to be represented by a union of their free choice.

HUMOUR:

WHY THE INTERNET BEATS WORKING EVERY TIME:

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-HAMILTON:

THE HAMILTON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR:

It's coming up this weekend, the third Hamilton Anarchist Bookfair in Hamilton Ontario. Here's the announcement. Drop on down if you're in the area.

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Join us for the 3rd annual Hamilton Anarchist Book Fair!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

10:00am - 4:00pm

Westdale High school

700 Main St. West

Hamilton, ON

It is time again to join us for our third edition of the Hamilton Anarchist Book fair. Please come in big numbers. Vendors from across Ontario and beyond will be present again providing a variety of literature. We will hold several workshops this year with the main theme being the G8/G20 summit and links to local struggles.

Again this year free childcare and free food will be provided. The space is ramp accessible with all events on the main floor and a bigger bathroom is available. A gender neutral bathroom will be available. The event will be advertised as a scent-free space. We do try to make this event as accessible as possible for everybody so if you have any specific needs, please contact us at hamiltonanarchistbookfair@gmail.com.

Come learn about anarchist ideas for the first time or deepen your knowledge. Meet local organizers and connect with local struggles. Stick around for the after party!

Organized by Common Cause - Hamilton

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Workshop Schedule:

11am-12pm

1. Insurrectionary Anarchism vs. Mass Anarchism

with Peter Gelderloos, author of How Non-Violence Protects the State

The debate has been going on a long time, and it doesn't look like it's going to be solved any time soon. This talk and discussion will look at ways different, often opposing anarchist approaches to revolution can be complementary, what are the common misunderstandings between these perspectives, and what useful critiques have they developed that others can stand to gain from.

2. Within and Against in the Public Sector

When the G20 leaders meet in Toronto the World Bank and World Trade Organization will be at the table. These institutions call for "open markets, the reduction of trade barriers and the promotion of global competitiveness". For those in the public sector how does G20 World Bank and WTO policy impact our workplaces and the work we do with our clients/students. Can we maneuver around institutions that only want "globally competitive workers" or worse to shut down the public sector completely.

12-1:00pm - Free Lunch!

1:00-2:00pm

3. Introducing the Greater Toronto Workers Assembly

with Sarah Declerk, organizer with the Greater Toronto Workers Assembly

In October of 2009, community and union activists met in Toronto and formed what is now the Greater Toronto Workers Assembly (GTWA). The Assembly calls on anti-capitalists to join together in a democratic process to create a new politics. Since the first Assembly, there have been two others. Membership in the new organization is over 200 people with many members active in various committees. Each Assembly has been attended by a number of Hamilton activists. Come to this workshop to learn about why and how the assembly came to be, some of successes and some of the challenges involved in the process, and to talk about what it would look like to initiate such a process here in Hamilton.

4. Know Your Rights

A workshop with legal professional Leah Henderson

What rights do you have when confronted by the police?
What "rights" do the police have that you don't?
What rights do "citizen journalists" have?
What do you need to know and say if you are arrested?
What are your rights at a protest or rally?
What do you need to know about the law to protect yourself, your
friends, and your community?

Come learn from experienced activist, legal professional, and
organizer Leah Henderson, who will run through a basic "Know Your
Rights" workshop as well as answer questions.

5. Creative Class Struggle

We are a Toronto-based collective who are organizing a campaign challenging the presence of Richard Florida and the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto, as well as the wider policies and practices they represent.

http://creativeclassstruggle.wordpress.com/

2:30 -3:30pm

6. Aerotropolis

Hamilton City Council's economic vision includes the development of an "aerotropolis" - an air transport-centred development strategy that aims to turn hundreds of hectares of farmland into warehouses, trucking depots and industrial parks on the assumption that goods will continue to move with increasing ease around the globe, and that Hamilton's projected increase in population can in part be employed through this plan. Don McLean - former chair of Friends of Red Hill Valley and Environment Hamilton co-founder - will chronicle the unfolding of this plan, the shaky predictions it is based upon, and efforts to oppose it.

7. Gord Hill, author of The 500 Years of Resistabce Comic Book.

The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book is a powerful and historically accurate graphic portrayal of Indigenous resistance to the European colonization of the Americas, beginning with the Spanish invasion under Christopher Columbus and ending with the Six Nations land reclamation in Ontario in 2006. Gord Hill spent two years unearthing images and researching historical information to create The 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book, which presents the story of Aboriginal resistance in a far-reaching format.

Gord Hill is an activist from the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation in British Columbia. A long time organizer for indigenous sovereignty, he organizes with the Native Youth Movement (NYM) based in Vancouver and runs Warrior Publications.

For more information, contact commoncauseontario@gmail.com

Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/eve ... 6520919549

HUMOUR:

ALL THE NEWS THE TORIES WANT YOU TO HEAR:

CANADIAN POLITICS - TORONTO:

SATURDAY EVENTS IN TORONTO:

Like in many other cities people will be protesting the recent Israeli attack on the 'Gaza Flotilla'. In TO this happens this Saturday, the same day as the 'G20 Teach In'. Here's news about both events from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP).

TOTOTOTOTOTOTO
Saturday: Solidarity with Gaza and G20 Teach-in‏
This coming Saturday, June 5th, 2 Important Events:

1) Emergency Demonstration in Solidarity with Gaza: 1pm

2) Toronto vs. G20 Mass Teach-in

*all details below

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1) Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Global Day of Action:

Saturday, June 5

On Saturday, June 5, human rights and community organizations will mobilize to join an emergency Global BDS Day of Action called by the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC). In Toronto, join us to protest the fatal attacks by apartheid Israel on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip (please see full BNC call-out below).

R A L L Y & M A R C H

Date: Saturday, June 5

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Location: Israeli Consulate, 180 Bloor Street West

June 5 also marks the 43rd anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Our action aims to draw the world’s attention to Israel’s continuing illegal occupation, its refusal to abide by international law, and its massacre of innocent humanitarian workers.

Please join us, and stand with Palestine! Tell your friends and family. Bring Palestinian flags. Organized by:

Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid

Palestine House Community Centre

Canadian Arab Federation

Toronto Coalition to Stop the War

Canadian Peace Alliance

Find us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/dBPiGY

To endorse, please email endapartheid@riseup.net.

______________________

2) Toronto vs. the G20

Community action for global justice

Saturday, June 510:30am-6pm

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

252 Bloor Street West

What are we protesting, again? It’s a good impulse to feel contempt for the G20. It’s a better impulse to want to talk about it. Join student and community activists to learn about the G20 and current social and environmental justice campaigns in Toronto, and to get involved. Free citywide teach-in. Lunch included!

PROGRAM

10:30 WAKE UP. COFFEE.

11:00 INTRODUCTION: What is the G20 and why should we care about it? OISE Auditorium 11:30 OPENING PLENARY - OISE Auditorium Economic Justice in Ontario: Poverty, Disability, and Workers’ Rights The theme of this G20 summit is “recovery and new beginnings.” But the G20 isn’t pursuing anything new. The G20 has used the economic crisis to reinforce the myth of its own legitimacy, on the backs of poor and working people around the world. In Canada, austerity measures have already provoked outrage and opposition. Why should poor and working people pay for a crisis that capitalism imposed ? Hear from anti-poverty activists,union organizers and workers.

1:00 FREE LUNCH Join the *Free Gaza Flotilla Rally* directly after the opening plenary outside the Israeli consulate (180 Bloor St West, one block from OISE). Lunch will be extended by 30 minutes in solidarity with this action.

For information: http://www.caiaweb.org/node/1476 .

2:15 SESSION ONE (choose one)

Migrant Justice, Imperialism and the G20 – Room 5260

Food and Water Security – Room 5180 At Home and Beyond: Gender Justice in a Neoliberal World – Room 5170

G20 and the University – Room 5280

3:45 SESSION TWO (choose one)

Climate and Environmental Justice – Room 5170

Indigenous Sovereignty and the G20 – Room 5280

Apartheid and the G20: Palestine Solidarity in Canada – Room 5260

5:15 CLOSING PLENARY - Room 2214

On the Ground in June: Know your rights! Massive demonstrations, black blocs, human chains and nonviolent resistance, police brutality, tear gas, and mass arrests. Sound dramatic? Romantic imagery of protests and demos can obscure the realities of the work that goes into making them happen and the range of skills and knowledge that make them successful. From Seattle WTO to Quebec FTAA; from Pittsburgh G20 to Vancouver anti-Olympics; and finally in Toronto this June, prepare for what’s coming by learning from the past.

Join us for an historical workshop on demos, a primer to your legal rights on the street,and an overview of possibilities for participation, presented by the Toronto Community Mobilization Network. [[ All events are wheelchair accessible. Regrettably, ASL interpretation is not available. ]]

FULL PROGRAM AVAILABLE AT http://g20.torontomobilize.org/torontoVSG20 .

ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111541778889778&ref=ts

RSVP to toronto.vs.g20@gmail.com

Sponsored by University of Toronto Students’ Union * Ontario Public Interest Research Group * Toronto Community Mobilization Network * Sierra Youth Coalition * Science for Peace * Canadian Youth Climate Coalition *University of Toronto Graduate Students' Union * Health Studies Students' Union * Diaspora and Transnational Student Union * Native Students' Association * Caribbean Studies Students' Union * Equity Studies Students' Union * Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3902 * No One Is Illegal- Toronto * Ontario Coalition Against Poverty * And others!

LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG:

DEMONSTRATE AGAINST ISRAELI PIRACY:

Since the vicious attack on the 'Gaza Flotilla' last Sunday demonstrations against this act of Israeli piracy have erupted across the world, and Winnipeg is no exception. Here's the notice for a demonstration that will be held at the Legislative Building corner late tomorrow afternoon.

WGWGWGWGWGWGWG
Protest the brutal attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla!
Date: Friday, June 4, 2010
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Osborne and Broadway

Description.==========
THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2010
4:00PM - 6:00PM
CORNER OF BROADWAY & OSBORNE
==========

On Sunday, May 30, 2010, in international waters, Israeli commandos attacked a flotilla taking humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. The cargo included toys, medicine, wheelchairs, books, stationery, building materials, and other supplies. Israeli forces boarded the ships illegally and opened fire on the 600 human rights campaigners on board, killing at least 9 people, injuring many others, and arresting the rest.

This latest crisis is not over: another ship, the Rachel Corrie from Ireland, with Irish and Malaysian human rights activists and parliamentarians on board, is heading to Gaza with more humanitarian aid. Israel has not agreed to let it pass.

The urgency of this aid is unquestionable. For three years, Gaza has suffered under a brutal siege that has caused a humanitarian disaster. The last major assault on Gaza in January 2009 lasted over three weeks, left more than 1400 Palestinians dead, including 431 children, and left thousands of families homeless.

Israel has repeatedly acted, unchallenged, in violation of international law. Now, its willingness to mount an illegal and murderous attack on a humanitarian mission in open waters confirms the loss of all restraint and connection to reality. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to Canada. In spite of the growing international outcry and condemnation of Israel's actions, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not yet taken action to defend human rights and international law.

We urge you to contact Prime Minister Stephen Harper at pm@pm.gc.ca and to call your Member of Parliament to insist that Canada condemn Israel's violation of international law, join the international call for a full, independent inquiry, and demand that Israel end the crushing siege of Gaza.

Stay informed by visiting these Web sites:
Free Gaza Movement http://www.freegaza.org/
Electronic Intifada http://www.electronicintifada.net/

Canada-Palestine Support Network-Winnipeg
Independent Jewish Voices
Peace Alliance Winnipeg

HUMOUR CANADIAN POLITICS:

G8 G20 BILL:

LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG:

GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST VIOLENCE:

After yesterday's March Against Violence in Winnipeg's West End another event is coming hard on its heels. Winnipeg has long held first place amongst Canada's cities over half a million as the "gang capital of Canada". Last week this became national news as two different shootings (only one death) occurred. The victims in one case were two young girls who mercifully survived. In response people in one neighbourhood most affected- the West End- have organized to try and put an end to this violence. Here is the report of an event coming up tomorrow, organized by native elder women. It should be noted that their intent to "go into the jails" is "direct action" in the truest sense of the word.

WWWWWWWWWW
Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council Pray for Peace
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2010
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: Directly across 542 Victor St. (the location of one of the shootings-Molly )

Description.WINNIPEG — The Kookum Gaa Na Dam Ma Waad Abinoojiig (Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council) — together with Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council Pray for Peace Ka Ni Kanichihk, Southern Chiefs’ Organization and Onashowewin, are calling upon ALL community to gather on Thursday June 3rd, 2010 at
12 noon directly across from 542 Victor Street.


The Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council is calling upon all Sacred Pipe Carriers to bring their pipes to pray for healing and peace in the community.

The Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council will speak to the hearts and spirits of those individuals who have experienced the most recent violence directly or indirectly, and, to those individuals contributing to the violence in the community.


The Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council will promote a message of peace, safety and urgent need to identify real and transformational solutions rooted in human rights, justice, cultural reclamation and self determination.

The Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council will also be going into the Province’s correctional institutions to meet with those individuals involved in gangs and ask that they support the work the Grandmothers are undertaking and work together toward identifying solutions leading to a decrease in violence.

The Grandmothers Protecting our Children Council will be calling upon Premier Greg Selinger and Minister of Justice Andrew Swan to convene an emergency Stakeholders Summit, which includes, and must be lead by, Aboriginal community leadership, to work in confirming a comprehensive, community based strategy that would begin to acknowledge and change the conditions in which gangs and its violent manifestations emerge and flourish.

“Going into the jails has not been done before,” Velma Orvis, a Grandmother Council member asserts. “We cannot keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results.”


As Ka Ni Kanichihk Executive Director, Leslie Spillett, affirms “we will asking our Grandmothers to also speak to those who hold power and resources in the Province to bring all stakeholders to the table to address this most critical issue, especially Aboriginal community groups who work with little or dwindling resources on this issue.”

Grand Chief Morris Swan Shannacappo maintains, “The violence has to stop, and we all have a responsibility in ensuring the safety and well being of the community, and I support the Grandmothers’ call for the Government of Manitoba to bring all stakeholders in Summit to address this critical issue.”

-please forward this event to your contacts-

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-INDIA:

SUPPORT NOWERA NUDDY TEA WORKERS:

Tata-Tea Limited is the second largest manufacuturer and distributer of tea in the world. It markets under brands such as Tata Tea, Tetley, Good Earth Teas and JEMCA. It is te largesy brand in India, Canada and Britain and the second largest in the USA. To maintain this dominance the company squeezes its workers as hard as it can. In the Indian state of West Bengal the company has obtained the collusion of the state government in issueing arrest warrants for 12 union activists on the estates of its subsidiary the Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate. The following call for solidarity with these workers comes from the international union federation the IUF.

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Tata Group Escalates Repression Against Bengal Tea Workers
Leaders of a West Bengal tea plantation workers' protest last year against the abusive treatment of a pregnant 22 year-old tea garden worker could face prison sentences of up to 7 years, if India's powerful Tata Group has its way. Tata is lashing out against nearly 1,000 tea plantation workers and their families living and working on the Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate in West Bengal, India. In the latest developoment, arrest warrants have been issued for 12 workers on the estate - including the woman whose abusive treatment sparked the protests leading to a crushing 4-month lockout last year when she was refused maternity leave and forced to pluck tea while 8 months pregnant. Tata's wholly-owned Tetley Tea, the second largest global tea brand, sources tea from the company which operates the Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate, Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited. And Amalgamated is majority owned by...Tata.

The Nowera Nuddy workers, together with other tea workers in West Bengal and elsewhere in India, are challenging their harsh and oppressive living and working conditions. The arrest warrants are a clear message that this challenge will not be tolerated. Far from Nowera Nuddy, meanwhile, consumers continue to be targeted with 'initiatives' and 'sustainability' exercises designed to mask the reality of tea workers' lives and struggles.

You can support the Nowera Nuddy workers' struggle for rights, dignity and justice - send a messsage to Tata/Tetley.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the management of the Tata Tea Group.

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To Mr Peter Unsworth, CEO, Tetley Group
Mr. Ratan N Tata, Chairman, Tata Tea Ltd/Tata Global Brands
Mr Percy T. Siganporia, Managing Director, Tata Tea Ltd/Tata global Brands

Dear Sirs,

I am outraged to learn that 12 workers on the Nowera Nuddy Estate owned by Amalgamated Plantations, a company which supplies tea to Tata and to Tetley, now face criminal charges and lengthy prison terms in retaliation for their protest against the mistreatment last year of Mrs. Arti Oraon. Mrs. Araon, who was denied maternity leave and forced to pluck tea while 8 months pregnant in violation of the law, is among the twelve. I call on you to act to ensure that the complaints behind these criminal charges are dropped; that all workers suspended for taking part in the related protests be immediately reinstated at their jobs with full back pay and the so-called 'domestic enquiry' dropped; that an apology be issued to Mrs. Oraon; and that the management enter into immediate good faith negotiations with the estate Workers' Action Committee, whose members are now part of the Progressive Tea Workers Union, to resolve these issues and ongoing problems stemming from substandard living and working conditions on the estate.

I will be closely following developments on the Nowera Nuddy estate.

Yours sincerely

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS-PALESTINE/ISRAEL:

ISRAELI PIRACY AND THE 'BESERKER CARD':

It's hard to describe the recent Israeli attack on the 'Gaza Flotilla' as anything but piracy. The legality of the Gaza blockade is disputed, but what is not disputed is that the attack too place in international waters (reports vary as to how far out it was). It is entirely possible that some of the Turks on board fought back against the assault, but the difference between Israeli pirates and Somali pirates can be seen in that the Somalis usually don't kill anyone even if the crews of the ships they attack also fight back. Reports on the total death toll vary, but it included at least nine people with many others wounded. Reports that are beginning to trickle out from people released from Israeli detention are, of course, wildly different from the claims of the Israeli military. The latter would be more believable if it wasn't sticking to its wild story that the soldiers boarding the ships began by "firing paintballs". Oh...I am really sure ! Perhaps forewarned by its intelligence services that the ships' cargoes had been thoroughly verified by independent observers Israel has not even tried to "plant" weapons in the seized goods. This, at least, would have been a more plausible lie than "paintballs". Once a silly claim has been made of ten enough , however, you have to stick to it no matter how absurd it is.

The world reaction has been immediate and vehement with demonstrations across the globe and condemnation from governments usually accustomed to toe a soft line with Israel. Those with residual sympathy for the Israeli government have reacted by claims that the military action was an ill-conceived mistake. Others have opined that the Israeli government is "insane".

I think both opinions are wrong. There are two countries in the world who have attacked US Navy ships and "gotten away with it". One is North Korea in 1968. The USS Pueblo is still held captive in North Korea. The other was Israel which sunk the USS Liberty in 1967- ironically in the same general area as the attack on the Gaza flotilla. Both Israel and North Korea have a long standing reputation for erratic and seemingly irrational actions, especially as they involve twisting the tail of the tiger. The only difference between world opinion of the two nations is that North Korea has no apologists (outside of tiny Stalinist sects- bizarrely enough most common in the USA). Nobody thinks North Korea makes "tragic mistakes".

Are Israel and North Korea "insane" ? Far from it. Crazy like a fox is a much better term. What both regimes want to project is the appearance of insanity, to give potential foes (and wavering friends !) the impression that they will lash out unexpectedly and violently with none of the usual considerations of costs and benefits. I call this the 'Beserker Card'. During the Middle Ages Norse warriors had a reputation for "going beserker" ie falling into a demented state where they would wildly attack without consideration of self preservation - or even of who was friend or enemy. They were certainly not the first to cultivate such a reputation. 'Celtic Fury' predated the Norse by almost a millennium. One has to wonder just how often this sort of thing really occurred and how widespread it as during military encounters because....the reputation of having such behavior is probably (certainly ?) a much more effective weapon in demoralizing an enemy than the act itself.

That is what I think is behind the Israeli actions during their recent act of piracy. I know it is impossible to prove, but it is a distinct possibility that the IDF were sent in with a deliberate tactical plan of creating an atrocity. It is at least more probable than paintballs. Whether such an action will backfire against its perpetrators is for the future to determine. To date the Israeli state has operated on a principle of "massive retaliation" ( or sometimes "massive aggression" )against its Palestinian foes. The relative death tolls say it all. This has failed to cow the Palestinians into submission. What the effect will be when the victims are internationals and the acts are group murder rather than individual murder I really don't know.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS:

BOTTLED WATER "BUGS" ME:

The world is full of scams. One only has to look at American religious TV to get examples that are so blatant that it's a wonder anybody falls for them. But most people aren't theologians. Neither are they nutritionists. The oft-quoted figure that 95% of "diets" are either ineffective or harmful is actually a "success" rate that equals the best legitimate medical diagnoses. People keep buying nonetheless. Hope springs eternal and bottomless money pits remain bottomless. One of the multitude of scams is that of bottled water, and this scam has the cachet of ersatz elitism attached to it. There are literally restaurants that offer a "selection of waters" like others offer a wine selection. Somehow the various waters are supposed to "taste different" or have some magical health benefit. Homeopathy in drag ??

Most of the bottled water on the market is actually simply tap water from somewhere else, but the very process of bottling it, storing it and shipping it elsewhere adds risks other than that to your pocket book. Here's an interesting article from the Montreal Gazette about just one of the problems, the bacteriological content of bottled waters. Now, applying that highly complex, ultra-high tech sensitive instrument known as common sense, this stands to reason. What can water shipped across a continent and stored on shelves be other than stale water, and the staler the water the more bugs it will have. It's nice, however, to see common sense verified by scientific studies. Here's the article.

BWBWBWBWBWBWBW
Bottled water worse than tap: lab
Very high bacteria count; Some brands had levels 400 times higher
By ALLISON CROSS, Canwest News Service May 26, 2010

Canadian researchers say they've discovered some bottled water in Canada contains more bacteria than what comes out of the tap - although they won't reveal which brands are the culprits.

Researchers from C-crest Laboratories in Montreal bought and tested several popular brands of bottled water, and found many of them had heterotrophic bacteria counts that were "surprisingly high."

Heterotrophic bacteria require an organic carbon source in order to grow.

More than 70 per cent of popular brands they tested did not meet the standards set out by the United States Pharmacopeia, a non-governmental agency that sets safety standards for medications and health-care products.

No more than 500 colony-forming units (cfu) of bacteria per millimetre should be present in drinking water, according to the USP.

"Heterotrophic bacteria counts in some of the bottles were found to be in revolting figures of (100) times more than the permitted limit," said Sonish Azam, a researcher on the study, in a news release. Some brands had as much as 70,000 cfu per millilitre - or 400 times higher than tap water - Azam said.

The average number of colony-forming units in tap water samples they tested in order to compare results was 170 per millimetre, she said.

"Despite having the cleanest tap water, a large number of urban Canadians are switching over to bottled water for their daily hydration requirements," Azam said. "The consumer assumes that since bottled water carries a price tag, it is purer and safer than most tap water."

This kind of bacteria doesn't normally cause any disease in healthy people, but could make pregnant women, infants and the elderly sick, she said.

Although researchers didn't actually find any pathogens - or germs - in the bottled water, they said the high bacteria counts mean Canadian regulations should be stricter, just in case.

According to Azam, Health Canada hasn't set an allowable limit for heterotrophic bacteria in bottled water, and neither has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Their intention is to change Canadian regulations, said researcher Ali Khamessan, and not point the finger at specific companies.

Health Canada points out that bottled water is already regulated under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. "Under these regulations, bottled water is required to be free of disease-causing organisms. Like most foods, bottled water may contain naturally occurring bacteria which typically have little or no health significance," it said in a statement.

It contends that a recent World Health Organization study concluded "heterotrophic bacteria counts in drinking water are not a health concern to the general public."

Researchers presented their results yesterday at the general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.


Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Bottled+water+worse+t%20han/3071292/story.html#ixzz0pYg5Egs7