HUMOUR:

NEW FANS OF AMERICAN TALK RADIO:

CANADIAN POLITICS:

DON'T HIDE THE TRUTH MINISTER KENNEY:

Last November a new guide for immigrants to Canada was issued by the federal government. Significantly it omitted references to the decriminalization of gay people and recognition of gay marriage. This was despite the fact that said references had been included in previous drafts of the pamphlet. The responsibility for the omission lays with Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney who vetoed the sections.

Now no doubt Minister Kenney would like it very much if gay people had no such protection in Canada, but they do. I guess the next best thing in his mind, petty as such an action might be, is to eliminate all references to this fact in any matter that he has power over ie to lie by omission. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has a campaign to pressure the Minister to reinsert the missing sections. Here's the story.

GCGCGCGCGCGCGC
Tell Jason Kenney:

Equal rights are an important part of being Canadian
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney blocked references to LGBTTI rights in a new study guide for immigrants, which was released last November. News of the actions taken by Kenney, who opposed same-sex marriage when it was debated in Parliament, has just become public.

Documents show Kenney chose to omit references to Canada’s decriminalization of homosexual sex and recognition of same-sex marriage rights despite recommendations from his senior department officials. Both references were contained in earlier drafts of the 63-page guide.

Canada has been a leader in rights for LGBTTI persons. We guarantee same-sex spousal pensions and benefits. We have equal rights to marriage. These are hard won rights that Canadians and CUPE members are proud of and should be recognized in documents that our federal government produces.

By putting pressure on Minister Kenney, we can make sure that Canada's citizenship guide promotes the importance of the fundamental freedoms and rights outlined in the Charter.

GCGCGCGCGCGCGC

THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to Minister Kenney.

GCGCGCGCGCGCGC

I am writing to condemn your decision to remove all references to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans rights from Canada’s new guide for immigrants released last November.

The booklet provides immigrants applying for Canadian citizenship with information about Canada and why our country is a great place to live and work for everyone, especially members of the LGBTTI community.

As a representative of our federal government, you have a responsibility to uphold the rights of all Canadians as guaranteed under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Under Canadian law, all citizens have the right to freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

I demand that all references to these rights be put back into the guide and further that your department proudly promote the importance of these rights to citizenship applicants.

ANARCHIST THEORY:

VANDALISM AND DIRECT ACTION:

One thing has to be said for sure. The anarchist concept of "direct action" has been corrupted- mostly by those who claim the anarchist label- beyond all recognition in recent years, especially in North America, and, of course, beyond all measure in the USA. In its original formulation in the anarcho-syndicalist movements of Europe and Latin America and in the IWW of the 'anglosphere' it had a totally different meaning than the one it has come to assume today. In its original formation it meant action on the part of the oppressed without political mediation that would immediately correct a grievance. This meant that it was definitely not "symbolic" ie a propaganda gesture- voting with bricks rather than ballots. Neither was it "terrorist" in that it committed one act unconnected to the grievance in order to "terrorize" the ruling class into caving in on another matter. The classic such act would have been IWW walkouts at a certain hour to enforce a certain working time.

What does this mean ? It means that direct action is something that has an immediate effect, or at least the possibility of same. That it corrects an injustice or advances the interests of the oppressed not in some American psychobabble way but in a real material result. Such actions are totally disconnected from how "militant" or "violent" such actions are. They may be "militant". They may be violent". In most cases, however, they are neither. The foundation of an "infoshop" for instance is "direct action". Bombing a newspaper station because you think they 'support capitalism" is not. The former actually accomplishes something and is a direct response to correct a problem. The latter is (an invariably juvenile) expression of personal frustration that accomplishes nothing.

Then, of course, there are actions that do not result in immediate correction of a problem but gradually build towards it. Suppose, for instance, you hate the Royal Bank and its various corporate actions. You can take one approach, that of long term organizing and trying to present the evil actions of the bank to the general population. At a certain point one might hope that real direct actions (whether inhibiting the actions of the bank or building alternatives to its power) would begin to develop. Real direct actions supported by large numbers of ordinary people. On the other hand you can be lost in the incestuous world of a subculture where you cannot "read the political pulse" of ordinary people and imagine because most of the people in your friendship group hate the Royal Bank in a half-educated leftist way that the general population feels the same. Then all you have to do is plant a bomb to stimulate general rebellion. This whole scenario was played out over 100 years ago amongst anarchists when the general population was 1000 times more likely to be sympathetic. They weren't then, and they cannot be now.

Whoever did the firebombing in Ottawa may claim the "anarchist" label (assuming it wasn't a police action- if they are caught it wasn't; if they are not leave that option open) in a vague rhetorical way, but it has to be said that they don't have the foggiest clue as to what anarchism is beyond another "ism" to add to a leftist laundry list. Unfortunately it is still a minority position amongst North American anarchists in terms of understanding what "direct action" really means. Platformists and mutualists generally understand it, and the majority of educated syndicalists do as well. To others, however, it has become a synonym for either violence or militance. These things have nothing whatsoever to do with the real meaning of the term.

LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG:

POLLOCK'S YARD SALE AND GARDEN PLANT SWAPPING:

Spring has sprung with a vengeance this year here on the prairies, and Pollock's hardware Co-op are having their annual yard sale and plant sway at the end of this month. Pollock's...the Winnipeg North End alternative to the big box hardware and home supplies stores. Come on out and support your local community. Here's the announcement.

WWWWWWWWWW
CLUTTER?

Have you got household items you don’t need anymore… but not enough stuff to hold your own garage sale?
POLLOCK’S HARDWARE has a solution!


POLLOCK’S HARDWARE CO-OP
is pleased to host

Anything Grows…

A neighbourhood SWAP and SALE



Saturday May 29, 2010

Yard Sale 9 am – 3pm
and
Garden Plant Swapping 9 am – 11 am


In the parking lot behind Pollock’s Hardware
1407 Main at Atlantic




Yard Sale: FREE TO SET UP. Bring your own table. Call Mike at 582 – 5007 for more information.

Perennial and Seed Swap: To participate bring labelled plants, cuttings or seeds. You will receive a ticket for each item which can then be used to “purchase” another plant. After 11 am remaining plants will be given away.

Questions or Suggestions? Call Jodie at 221-0119.
This event would also benefit from additional volunteer organizers. If you have experience with plant swaps or an interest in gardening, please consider joining us.

ANARCHIST HUMOUR:

THE ANARCHIST PARTY RUNS FOR (FROM ?) OFFICE:

CANADIAN LABOUR-ONTARIO:

ANOTHER WORKER DEATH-WHO'S TO BLAME ?:

Last Wednesday another construction worker was killed on the job in Whitby Ontario. This is but one of the many deaths that occur in the construction industry because employers fail to provide safe workplaces. In the province of Ontario more than one worker is killed on the job every week. Here's the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) on this latest incident.

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

Young worker dies on the job - another criminal investigation needed
(TORONTO) -- A twenty-six year old construction worker was killed yesterday in Whitby when a concrete retaining wall collapsed on him. The young worker is the latest of more than 400 work-related fatalities that have occurred since 2004.

“Yesterday’s death comes in the wake of the Ministry of Labour’s inspection blitz of construction companies which clearly showed employers are not taking seriously their responsibilities to ensure workplace safety,” said Sid Ryan, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour. “Too many employers are playing Russian roulette with the lives of workers.”

“This cavalier attitude has meant that three workers die on the job every two weeks in this province,” said Ryan. “This carnage has to stop.”

Ryan has written to the Central West Division Inspector of the Durham Regional Police calling on her to ensure that the current investigation into yesterday’s death includes the possibility of charges under the Canada Criminal Code. In 2004, Bill C-45 amended the Code to provide for the criminal prosecution of employers who disregard their obligations to maintain healthy and safe workplaces.

“If there is employer negligence, we want the Canada Criminal Code and the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act to be applied to the fullest extent possible—including jail terms,” said Ryan. “In the meantime, on behalf of over one million workers in Ontario, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the young worker killed on the job.”

On April 28, 2010—the National Day of Mourning commemorating workers whose lives have been lost or injured in the workplace—the Ontario Federation of Labour launched its workplace health and safety campaign: Kill a Worker—Go to Jail.



For More Information:
Patrick (Sid) Ryan, President
p: 416.441.2731 m: 416.209.0066 f: 416.441.0722
Toll-free: 1-800-668-9138

Vern Edwards, Health & Safety Director
p: 416-443-7662 f: 416.441.0722

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-ONTARIO:

BOMBS ARE NOT THE WAY:

The recent firebombing of a Royal Bank branch in Ottawa has been headline news for the last few days. These sort of tactics come to the surface at various times and places, and they present a typical chicken and egg problem. Are they symptoms of a movement in decline, driven to desperation by its gradually shrinking relevance or are they a direct cause of such decline. The answer is actually both. I do not mean by this that "anarchism" is a declining movement. Quite the contrary. The actual anarchist movement, true to its heritage of libertarian socialism, continues to grow and develop. What is declining is the fashionable "activist culture" that has been popular over the last two decades. The rent-a-riots get smaller and smaller. The police pretty well perfected their methods of control of such things while many of the present participants were in diapers. This "culture" is "anarchist" only in the sense that anarchism is one of an almost endless laundry list of "isms and anti-isms" that participants are expected to profess their belief in. The historical heritage of organization for class struggle and a classless society is pretty well absent from the "activist" world view.

Regular readers of this blog know my opinion of this sort of petty childish attempt at terrorism. I expressed it as recently as a couple of days ago when I opined on events in Greece. I'll have more to say later. For now all that I will reiterate what a stupid irresponsible act committing arson in an urban area is. Especially when it accomplishes sweet bugger all. To avoid the deaths of innocent victims the firebombers depend on the omnipotence of the fire departments. Fire departments are certainly better than in the old days when whole cities could burn down. They are not, however, invincible, and many innocent people can be killed by arson. This sort of thing, however, doesn't seem to register in the minds of the true believers.

Well, I'll say more at another time. For now here's another opinion, from the Linchpin website of the Ontario platformist organization Common Cause, that points out the difference between real anarchism and actions such as those of the Ottawa firebombers.

@@@@@@@@@@
Anarchists scapegoats for RBC arson
May 21, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Despite widespread claims by the media, there is no indication that the recent "firebombing" of an RBC bank branch in Ottawa was carried out by "anarchists".

Nowhere in the statement or video that was published online was it claimed that those responsible were anarchists.

For the media to claim that this is the work of anarchists without any evidence is the worst sort of red-baiting and gets a F grade in basic journalism.

We have no idea what the politics of those who did this are. We also can’t rule out the possibility that this act was carried out by agent-provocateurs.

"This act should also be put in the context of the significant violence that is perpetrated on a daily basis by the state capitalist system such as the violence of war, poverty, colonialism and environmental destruction. While we seek to build resistance based on mass movements of working and oppressed peoples, we understand why people are angry at the banks”, says Common Cause Ottawa member Kyle James.

Anarchism is not about violence and chaos. Anarchism is about creating a highly organized and democratic society, free of hierarchy and exploitation.

As anarchists, we support the building of revolutionary, democratic, mass movements that will challenge capitalism directly through labour and community organizing and mass direct action such as strikes, picket lines and occupations.

We believe in the power of millions of working-class people standing together against the bankers, bosses, and their states. We need unlimited general strikes of all workers across Canada and internationally to defeat the attacks on the working class by the capitalists.

Workers, including bank workers, have nothing to fear from anarchists. Together the working class has the power to shut this entire capitalist system down and work for our own needs instead of the profits of the bosses.

Common Cause is an Ontario anarchist organization with branches in Ottawa, London, Toronto and Hamilton.

A french translation of this press release can be obtained here.

HUMOUR:

YET ANOTHER TOXIC SPILL:

CANADIAN POLITICS BRITISH COLUMBIA:

BC FEDERATION OF LABOUR AGAINST THE HST:

The campaign to put the proposed 'Harmonized Sales tax' to a referendum in British Columbia continues to gather steam, and people from both the right and left are lining up to oppose this tax grab. Here's a press release from the BC Federation of Labour about their view of the tax.

BCBCBCBCBCBCBC

Commentary: BC Fed Opposes Unfair Taxes

BY: JIM SINCLAIR
PRESIDENT, B.C. FEDERATION OF LABOUR

Published in The Province newspaper May 14.

The labour movement is not against taxes.

We understand that taxes fund important public services and programs.

But the labour movement is against taxes that are dishonest and regressive. The HST is both. And, we simply cannot accept a tax that takes $2 billion from the pockets of British Columbians, many of whom are having trouble making ends meet, and gives it to corporations, many of which are already profitable.

This is the wrong tax at the wrong time for the wrong reasons.

It might be acceptable if the money generated by the HST went into healthcare, education and building a sustainable economy. But it won't. The HST will generate another tax holiday for corporations and vague promises that the rest of us will benefit one day.

The BC Liberals have fed us this line before.

They slashed income taxes by about $2 billion a year, disproportionately to the wealthy, and told us it would make us a stronger province.

The Liberals have already slashed corporate taxes by about $1.5 billion a year. They told us this would boost competitiveness, productivity and job growth.

Having cut $3.5 billion in annual provincial revenues who feels any richer?

A real estate and construction boom in some parts of the province may have created an illusion of prosperity for a while, but the BC economy is chronically underperforming most other provinces.

No matter how you measure it, the Liberal's tax slashing has failed to deliver the promised results. Employment growth has been lower than the 1990's. Investment in machinery and equipment in BC has barely increased. Even before the recession began in 2008, the forest industry had lost almost 24,000 good jobs. BC's per capita GDP is lower than it should be, our productivity is behind Alberta and Ontario, and our wages are below the Canadian average.

Tax cuts haven't worked. Instead, they have left a legacy of chronic cuts, closed schools, underfunded healthcare facilities, angry seniors, children without proper support, declining wages and growing unemployment.

The Liberals never tire of telling us that people don't like paying taxes. But that's only a half truth. People understand value for money, and most people don't mind paying fair taxes to build a strong province.

What people really don't like is being lied to and taken for fools.

Hundreds of thousands of British Columbians are voicing their anger and opposition to the HST. The Liberals should listen. They should cancel the HST and muster the courage to begin talking to British Columbians about honest and fair taxation that makes us all stronger.

HUMOUR:

THE NIGHT SHIFT:

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT- GREECE:
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH:

The events in Greece continue along with the anarchist response there, a response that I have often characterized on this blog as "inadequate". Perhaps "immature" would be a better word. Despite the great rebelliousness of the Greek population the anarchists there generally have little to offer beyond...more rebellion. this is immensely sad. Looking across the world Greece may be the second country after Spain where anarchism is most popular on a per capita basis. Travelling through downtown Athens you might even get the illusion that anarchism was more popular than in places such as Barcelona. I've been in both. The difference, and it is a great and profound difference, an essential difference, is that in Spain the majoritarian anarchist tradition is anarcho-syndicalist. This means that anarchism has sunk deep roots amongst ordinary people, and that anarchism speaks to their concerns and not to people whose primary identification is with a subculture. This means that anarchism in Spain is inherently less "flashy" but much more profound and practical for its lack of visible "difference".

Not that I don't admire the Greeks. When visiting that country I was privileged to meet with anarchosyndicalists and members of the 'Anti-Authoritarian Movement'. The former, however, are small and marginal amongst Greek anarchists. Hopefully it will not always be so. The latter are gradually struggling towards a class based politics and a program that is detailed enough to appeal beyond a subculture of rebellion. This subculture is, it must be admitted, a considerable cut above that that is so common in the 'anglosphere', especially the USA. There is none of the usual nonsense about how to dress, what to eat, what music to listen to (more or less) nor how to talk (politically correct speech). Still, while it may be admirable in comparison it is still...an incestuous subculture. Many Greek anarchists recognize this, and they also know that what has been offered so far is simply not enough to draw the ordinary person to their side.

The problem in Greece is that this evolution towards a "popular anarchism" is inhibited by a form of anarchism, "autonomism" which actually derives from Maoist roots and is under the great illusion that one can precipitate some sort of libertarian revolution without either organization nor program by simple violent actions. Autonomism is a particularly European example of the decay of Maoism 9and the idea of "peoples' war" applied to urban settings) that has very little echoes today outside of Greece, Italy and Germany. It is in Greece that it is most prominent.

This "deviation" (to use an old commie term) has always inhibited the Greek movement insofar as its addiction to mindless violence has both disgraced anarchism in the view of the average person and also diverted the majority of the movement into something resembling a "competition of militancy" whereby they hope to compete with the firebombers.

Firebombers !!! Arson in an urban setting is pretty well always a very stupid idea. Here in North America the stupidity is compounded by the fact such arsons are pretty well inevitably connected to nothing more than the desire of the perpetrators to prove how committed and "enlightened" they are. Even when there is a "real" issue that doesn't involve arrogance bordering on psychopathology such as "hating porn stores" (Canada) or the people who drive SUVs (USA) arson very rarely (never ???) accomplishes anything. Even if you are making a "class point" against the ruling class - such as firebombing banks- it accomplishes nothing.

It is also very bad propaganda. What it says very plainly is that you don't give a shit about what has euphemistically called "collateral damage" which is always a possibility when fires are started in urban areas. Don't depend on the fire departments to be omnipotent. In Greece this possibility has become a reality as three bank workers were killed by a fire started by protesters in recent demonstrations. There have been all sorts of "excuses" for this. Some "anarchists" have echoed the commies and the vague leftists of the Coalition of the Radical Left by trying to blame the incident on agents provocateurs. This is nonsense. Others have tried to shift the blame to the management of the bank who (literally) locked the workers in. This, at least, has some truth to it, but it avoids the ultimate question. EVERY TIME when you start a fire in an urban area (and often in a rural area) there is the possibility of the death of innocent people. Greece has certainly seen enough of this sort of arson (with deaths) in recent years carried out by people who intend to redevelop land. It's a sad commentary on the "anarchism" of some people that they should imitate the actions of the lowest and most criminal of the business class.

No doubt there are some who are hardened ideologues, once more particularly in the USA, who call themselves "insurrectionist anarchists" who do their damnest to excuse such actions-or at least to argue against how atrocious they are. In Greece this "struggle for the soul of anarchism" has been going on for many years. Those who think that terrorist options are the best way to proceed have not been sparing in also physically attacking attacking other anarchists who disagree with them, and once more arson has been one of their methods.

What should be made plain here and now is that the semi-religious devotion to "a diversity of tactics" here in North America can result in obvious disaster. The demand that there be no criticism of any action no matter how foolish is preliminary to physical attacks on those who dissent. Such attacks have already happened in Canada and the USA.

Quite frankly it hardly matters in the cosmic scheme of things if totalitarians disguised as anarchists want to attack those who disagree with theatrical "mini-riots" involving a few dozen people. Nor if they physically assault somebody who has dissented from the "vegan cult". The world moves on. It does, however, matter when important issues such as those in Greece are in play.

The great point that I want to make here is not to those who are ideologically convinced that one riot after another will lead to a libertarian society (or at least convinced for 5 1/2 years until they either mature or find a way to make money out of the nonsense). I speak here to those who have been convinced by the rhetoric of "diversity of tactics". Such suspension of disbelief may be all well and good when an action will have no visible consequences ie all "anti" protests so favoured by the "travelling anarchist rent-a-riot". It is a totally different matter when the destiny of a nation is being determined. People in Greece are desperately attempting to make anarchism relevant for ordinary people. You have two choices for your "solidarity". You can be in solidarity with the Greek anarchists who want to make anarchism a living and practical reality or you can be in "solidarity" with those who have both frustrated their project in the past and also physically attacked them. The choice is clear.

The following , from the Anarkismo website, is one out of many self criticisms from within the Greek anarchist movement about the events that led to the deaths of the three workers. What is significant here is that the criticism comes from within, and it proposes the question of "who" you are in solidarity with. It's obvious what side I have chosen. To echo Martin Luther..."here I stand, I can do no other".
@@@@@@@@@@
An anarchist comrade from Athens:
Enough is enough

Let us shout it out loud and if they do not hear it let us show it with our actions: Enough is enough.



On the 5th of May, we lived the chronicle of three pre-destined deaths. Unfortunately, the belief that we had for the longest time that it is only a matter of time before we mourn the first victims of indiscriminate violence, came true. Unfortunately, lives had to be lost in order to hear or read from some of the collectives of the movement, albeit timidly, albeit vaguely, the first allusions of criticism for the nihilistic culture of violence. Unfortunately, some still continue to hide behind their finger, focusing on those that bear the moral instead of the actual responsibility, on the results of the murderous act and not the reasons behind it.

Let's show the courage and the sincerity that (must) characterize a revolutionary/liberating movement and let's talk about the gist of the matter. If the death of the three people was proven to be the result of a targeted action by the far right, would they focus on the - anyway criminal and inhuman - stance of the management of the bank? But even if this was the case, the below are fully in effect.

The tolerance that has been shown for the longest time by a part of the anarchist movement to the proponents of indiscriminate violence is the beginning of any (self-) criticism. All those that, for many years, acted virtually undisturbed, in the same monotonous, dangerous, destructive and provocative ways, next and inside our blocks, should have been isolated, instead of being described on hindsight, generally and vaguely as "agents provocateur" or "gang-members", without any analysis whatsoever on how we ended up in this situation accompanying those characterizations. This can still take place though and work as a kind of catharsis. All these years when anyone tried to distance themselves from phenomena of indiscriminate violence, or from mass - armed or not - violence, was thought as setting themselves apart, was jeered or attacked. So is it not positive that even now, even vaguely, voices against the practice of violence for the sake of violence are being heard? Maybe it is and maybe it isnʼt. Only time will tell.

The more our critique of the phenomenon remains hazy and without supporting evidence, the less persuasive it becomes. The effortless characterization of "agents provocateur" is insufficient mainly because it is too general. With this general condemnation you do not expose the crux of the matter. You only avoid to answer questions such as those that follow, ones that we need to answer with clarity and also look into the results of a sterile "insurrectional" oratory and the even more sterile and dangerous practices that originate from this oratory. As agents provocateur can act not only a sad gang of ego-centric malcontents, but a state-sponsored gang on designated duty as well, if we judge the acts only in relation to their results. But is such a judgment suitable for us to adopt? No, because the revolutionary expression is rational, clear, acute and examines the causes of each phenomena. No, because at this point we need to be direct and act accordingly. No, because such a critique characterizes Authority and the crutches that prop it up. They are the ones who are used to give a fuzzy explanation and leave it at that. But if you are indeed seeking to prick the boil of violence, your discourse against blind violence needs to be concise and consistent at all times. Your actions, even more so. Otherwise, any abstract verbal distance one may try to keep from those gangs and their actions will not be believable. And moreover, they do not help in the spreading of the anti-authoritarian word. Even if one is not diachronically consistent, the change of attitude and course - if it is sincere - has to be followed with arguments and self-criticism, to avoid becoming opportunism. The questions we talked about earlier are many. If they were a state-sponsored gang, why did we not break them up during the rally? Were we caught with our pants around our ankles? Obviously not, since they act the same way for years on end. But then the question becomes why we have not done so all those years. Our reflexes against state gangs and secret policemen have not been blunted that much, so our inactivity is not justified. Perhaps the reflexes of some of us have been blunted towards gangs that hijack anarchist and anti-authoritarian ideology to play their little games to our detriment.

Let's dispense with the jokes, the convenient excuses and reasoning. We watch the same play for years on end. A part of the movement was accepting for many years the brainless partisans of violence for violence's sake, the proponents of window-smashing, providing them with an ideological basis for their actions. The rest either reacted spasmodically, or put up with them, or awaited a fateful event in order to react. Let it be understood that their murderous stupidity has cost human lives. We are not talking anymore about immaturity and ideological fixations; we are talking about a crime. They are the perpetrators. The anarchist and the social movement in general has paid dearly the fad and the autism of a few cowards and those that supported their actions with their so-called 'insurrectionist' oratory, believing that the social struggle against the State and Power is undertaken by a few insurrectionary types in society's absence and is limited to broken glass or whatever mobilizes the police for a stone-throwing war. With them and their practices, anarchy has nothing in common. Enough discredit, enough backward steps. The conflict will be multi-level and massed. Targeted and conscious.

The very moment that an entire square demanded furiously "Burn this brothel, the parliament", the very moment that hundreds of thousands were on the streets to clash with totalitarianism, the very moment that life is taken away from us, this moment the anti-violence to the violence of Power must at all costs shed this weight. This though, from now on, even belatedly we need to prove that it is a fact. For starters, we can do what people are talking among themselves: organize immediately a rally and protest march against indiscriminate violence. This will act as a rallying beacon for the movement, will make known our position towards society and maybe become the starting point of setting the score straight with the aforementioned autism.

Let us shout it out loud and if they do not hear it let us show it with our actions: Enough is enough.

HUMOUR:

HOW TO DRAW THE POPE:

CANADIAN LABOUR- SASKATCHEWAN:

RALLY AGAINST BILL 80:

Bill 80 is a proposed bill now before the Saskatchewan Legislature that would gut the right to collective bargaining for construction workers in that province. The governing 'Saskatchewan Party' (read Conservatives in drag ) have introduced legislation that would basically allow employers to chose which union would represent "their" workers. Tomorrow there will be a rally at the Regina legislative building to oppose this attack on Saskatchewan construction workers. Here's the story from the CEP Union Blog.

SLSLSLSLSLSLSL
Rally Against Bill 80

There will be a rally against Bill 80 on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at noon at the Saskatchewan Legislative building 2405 Legislative Drive Regina.

If you can not make the rally you can show your support in a number of other ways.

Join the face book group.

" kill bill 80 "


A petition out side of face book

Stop Bill 80's Amendments to the — Construction Industry Labour Relations Act

Find out more information at the Say No to Bill 80 Website

If you're a CEP member ask why would CEP support such a bill?

CANADIAN POLITICS - ONTARIO:
DAY OF ACTION FOR THE SPECIAL DIET:



This Thursday the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) will be holding a day of action to pressure the Ontario government to keep the 'Special Diet'. Here's the details from OCAP.
◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘


Thursday, May 20th: MPP Day of Action!‏

TELL YOUR LOCAL LIBERAL MPP TO LEAVE THE SPECIAL DIET ALONE AND RAISE THE RATES INSTEAD
Day of Action at Local Members of Provincial Parliament Offices:
Thursday,
May 20th
*See below for a list of confirmed locations*
See below for sample letter to MPP’s
*Email ocap@tao.ca for a copy of the May 20th Flyer (or soon to be uploaded to the website)

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is challenging the decision to eliminate the Special Diet for people on welfare and disability. We are demanding this vital benefit be left alone and that the Government Raise the Rates now. Coming out of the momentum of April 15th, we are organizing a series of actions to build up resistance to the attack on the Special Diet.

To ensure that the fight is taken into as many communities as possible, we are calling for a day of action at local Liberal MPPs' offices on Thursday, May 20.

Want to participate on May 20th but don’t know how? Get involved in one of these locations OR organize your own in your area – get in contact with us. Locations that are confirmed so far: *Toronto Centre: 11am on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ Gerrard and Parliament (Pigeon Park) Liberal MPP Glen Murray
*Etobicoke North: 11am on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ Food Basics at Albion and Thistledown (near Islington) Liberal MPP Shafiq Qaadri’s
*Etobicoke South: 1pm on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ 701 Evans Ave (Just south of Sherway Gardens, Queensway and The West Mall ) Liberal Minister of Children and Youth Services and Women’s Issues, Laurel Broten
*Davenport: 4pm on Wednesday, May 19th @ Davenport and Dufferin Delivering messages from the community to Liberal MPP Tony Ruprecht’s Office
*York-West (Jane and Finch): TBA
*St. Pauls: Join Health Providers Against Poverty @ Liberal MPP Dr. Eric Hoskins Offfice TBA *Peel/Brampton: TBA
*St.Catherines: 11am on Thursday, May 20th @ 2 Secord Dr. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, James Bradley
*Ottawa: 1pm on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ Park at the corner of Montreal Rd and Begin St (Vanier) Liberal Minister of Community Social Services: Madeleine Meilleur
*Hamilton: Demonstration on Thursday, June 17th (TBA) +More to come soon!

We leave it up to people to decide the kind of event that is right for them. Some may choose to occupy an office. Some may think it better to rally outside. Others may want to bring a delegation and call for a meeting. Please let us know what ideas you have for ways to drive this issue home at Liberal offices so we can share them with people in other communities.

Whatever tactic you think is possible and works best for you, we are calling on people across this Province to make May 20 a day when the cut to Special Diet is put before the Liberals in a way they can't ignore. The loss of the Special Diet means people will not have a healthy diet. Some will be made homeless, many will suffer ill health and lives will be shortened. We don't just want to protest this attack but intend to defeat it. If you want to be part of this fight back and the May 20th Day of Action, email us at ocap@tao.ca or call us at (416) 925-6939
---------------------------------------------
*SAMPLE LETTER TO MPP’s May 20th, 2010
Dear Ontario Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament,
We, the members of your community, are disgusted by the decision of your Government on March 25th in the 2010 Provincial Budget to scrap the Special Diet Allowance. The Special Diet is money that people on Welfare (OW) and Disability (ODSP) rely on in order to buy healthy food and pay the rent.For years people have been forced to choose between two essential needs: housing and food, as a direct result of inadequate OW and ODSP rates.

On March 25th, 2010, this Government put forth the most anti-poor budget since Harris in 1995. In cutting the Special Diet you have chosen to be only the 3rd Government in Ontario’s history to CUT Social Assistance. This is a brutal move that will make hundreds of thousands of people hungry, sick, homeless or at risk of being evicted.

In 1995 the Tory Government cut Welfare by 22% and froze Disability rates.Today, that cut in income is equivalent to approximately 55% with inflation and cost of living increase for the last 15 years. The Liberal Government campaigned against the Tories on a platform of ‘Poverty Reduction’ and reversing the Harris cuts. But since 2003, little has been done to account for inflation let alone reverse the Harris cuts, and in fact people on Social Assistance today are worse off than they were in 1995.

This is shameful. Today we have visited your office to say loud and clear: how dare politicians like you knock on doors in this neighborhood, asking for our votes and then take away the money we need to eat and feed our families. It is a disgrace that you can force families to turn to food banks and send kids to bed hungry yet maintain a public office in the very community you are inflicting misery on.

We are here to demand that you give back the Special Diet Allowance immediately, and that you finally reverse the 1995 Harris cut by raising OW and ODSP rates to where people can live with health and dignity.
Sincerely,
Your constituents.

HUMOUR:

OBAMA'S PLAN B:

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-MONTRÉAL:
THE ANARCHIST CABARET:




Coming up soon as part of the Montréal Festival of Anarchy...The Anarchist Cabaret. Here`s the promo.
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫


CABARET ANARCHISTE (avec Micros Armés, Dramatik et plus!)
Start Time: Friday, May 28, 2010 at 8:00pm
End Time: Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 1:30am
Location: Il Motore
Street: 179 rue Jean-Talon Ouest
City/Town: Montreal, QC

Description.
CABARET ANARCHISTE
a night of music, hip hop and dancing
dans le cadre du Festival d’anarchie de Montréal

VENDREDI/FRIDAY 28 MAI
à IL MOTORE
179 rue Jean-Talon Ouest
(métro: Parc ou de Castelnau)

ouverture des portes/doors: 8pm
5$ ou contribution volontaire/pay what you can
accessible aux fauteuils roulants/wheelchair accessible

Parmi les artistes:

* MICROS ARMÉS: hip hop/trip hop
http://www.myspace.com/microsarme

* DRAMAT!K (avec un cas): hip hop
http://www.myspace.com/dramatikmuzion

* CHAOTIC INSURRECTION ENSEMBLE: fanfare anarchiste
http://chaoticinsurrectionensemble.org

* EMRICAL: rythme et poésie rap
http://www.myspace.com/emrical

* PLEASE DON’T PUT CHARLES ON THE MONEY: punk

… et plus! This year’s Cabaret highlights local Montreal acts and friends of the Bookfair.

Party d’ouverture du Salon du livre Anarchiste de Montréal/A kick-off and benefit for the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair: les 29 et 30 mai, 10h à 17h au CEDA (2515 rue Delisle, métro Lionel-Groulx). Curious about anarchism? Check us out!

INFO: 514-679-5800 – info@salonanarchiste.ca
www.salonanarchiste.ca

No gods, no masters! No bosses, no borders!

HUMOUR:

THE BOSS:

CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-WINNIPEG
ANARCHISM AND NON-VIOLENCE WORKSHOP:




Coming up soon here at the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre, 91 Albert St...a workshop on anarchism and non-violence. Here's the details.
@@@@@@@@@@


Anarchism & Non-Violence Workshop
Date: Sunday, June 6, 2010
Time: 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre
Street: 91 Albert St. - 3rd Floor above Mondragon
City/Town: Winnipeg, MB


Description.
Please join us at the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Center for an exciting and timely workshop this coming Sunday, June 6th, on an interesting (and perhaps controversial) topic and an important topic to Winnipeg: Anarchism and Nonviolence followed by Urban Ecologies and Homeless Geographies.

We will be welcoming activist and socio-political scholar Randall Amster, who has generously offered to share his knowledge and expertise of Anarchism and Nonviolence with us, in the spirit of finding commonality and practical balance between these two important, grassroots-based, and often misunderstood philosophies. Randall is an author, activist, and educator in areas including peace, ecology, homelessness, and anarchism, and he puts on a great workshop — you will leave his talk entertained but also informed. The early part of the day will be focused on Anarchism and the second half will lead into a discussion of homelessness and activism.

to RSVP please email eton11@hotmail.com

HUMOUR:

VOTING:

CANADIAN LABOUR- WINDSOR:

WILDCAT WINS VICTORY:

Quite often it is not only advisable but also necessary to step outside of the well trodden path. An example of this from the Windsor Star follows. The astute reader will note that the "unauthorized" strike- the wildcat- won its demand. The sacked worker is back at the job. Point proven.

The dismissal was probably a trial balloon on the part of the company to see how many workers they could bounce off the list of those they have to pay out when the plant closes. The other workers have spoken...everyone. Now if the talk of the floor was about workplace occupations if the company's offer isn't fair I can see victory in that case as well. Here's the story.

☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼
Fabco workers walk off job
May 12, 2010 WINDSOR, Ont. — A wildcat strike erupted at Windsor's Fabco plant Wednesday afternoon in support of a worker the union says was inappropriately suspended.

About 70 employees walked off the job just as the afternoon shift was beginning, said Gerry Farnham, president of CAW Local 195, which represents the workers.

Police said the employees briefly blocked access to the plant, but they quickly dispersed and there were no injuries.

The action was organized to support a 24-year veteran of the plant who was indefinitely suspended on Friday. Farnham said the company issued the suspension after determining the worker was not meeting production goals. But the employee had not received a verbal warning about his productivity, Farnham said, and the company didn't take the appropriate disciplinary steps before issuing the suspension.

The worker was back on the job later Wednesday. The union plans to file a grievance against the company over the suspension.

Farnham said the wildcat strike revealed tensions at the plant, which is scheduled for closure on June 30. "With the plant being prepared to close, the membership is already not in the best frame of mind. The reality of it is, you discipline someone with an indefinite suspension and the possibility of termination, obviously the membership got together and said, ‘We're not going to take that.’"

Farnham said the union will continue to fight the plant closure.


Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/Fabco+workers+walk/3020133/story.html#ixzz0o8466F2z