The Grey Bruce Labour Council issued a press release today after yesterday’s events involving the Province and CUPE.
In it the Council says that the house of labour may have witnessed acrimony in the past but Kevin Smith, Council President says that like any family, when they are faced with a common foe or attack on all workers, the Labour family comes together.
He adds that the government grossly underestimated how much workers and their unions care about their rights, and to that end, how forcefully the Labour movement would ensure that it was understood the fightback within the millions of workers that in an act of courage and commitment did not and will not ever back down.
They add that labour has come together in a way not seen in a generation or maybe in a lifetime.
The full text is available below.
Grey Bruce Labour Council-For Immediate Release
November 8, 2022
Celebrating Labour
The Grey Bruce Labour Council adopted “Celebrating Labour” as the theme for Labour Day. “Improving the lives and working conditions of all workers for over 100 years is what Labour does” says Grey Bruce Labour Council Sergeant at Arms and retired OECTA local president, Anna Morrison. Over the last one hundred years, Labour and allies of Labour have advanced the well-being of workers vastly. Mentioning only a few of the highlights, Labour and its allies have established recognition of unions and collective bargaining rights, the Rand formula, and Occupational Health and Safety law. Amongst these profoundly important advances, Labour and allies also have pushed back against seminal, some might say generational or once in a lifetime attacks and threats such as those embedded in the deeply disturbing and regressive Harris government manifesto and what seems like the bottomless pit of regressive social and Labour policy of the Ford government in Ontario.
As Labour did today and over the last days, standing together is a continuance of what we have come to know and celebrate over these one hundred years, but with a difference. Kevin Smith, Labour Council President, has witnessed acrimony in the house of Labour, but as Smith says, “like any family, when we are faced with a common foe or attack on all workers, this family comes together. Ford and Lecce along with the spineless Conservative caucus and despicable staff advisers grossly underestimated just how much workers and their unions care about their rights, and to that end, how forcefully the Labour movement would ensure that Ford understood the fightback within the millions of workers that in an act of courage and commitment did not and will never back down”.
Labour Council VP for Grey, Chris Stephen, recognized today and the last few days as living a moment in history. Talking about Canada’s largest union, Stephen describes his home union, CUPE, as a “bedrock of social democratic and Labour activism”. As Stephen says, “the fight with Ford is between CUPE and Ford”, but never forgetting the words, an injury to one is an injury to all, Stephen has never been prouder of more optimistic about all of Labour and being the catalyst for ensuring that nothing is taken away while ensuring that progress will be made.
Labour has come together in a way not seen in a generation or maybe in a lifetime, and Ford and all those with their ideological antagonism towards unions and workers better take notice. In perhaps his last media interview before failing health silenced him, the late Bob White was told that some people say unions are no longer necessary or perhaps they have outlived their usefulness. In classic style his reply was “they would be wrong”. Dave Trumble, Labour Council VP for Bruce and PWU member points to all the times Labour has stood up to bullies and governments intent on weakening workers’ rights saying, “today was another example of this. In fact, today, Ford, with the ultimate derailing of the ill considered actions of Ford and Leece has witnessed the opposition that workers can and will come back with on any occasion where the depth of Conservative myopia attempts to strip rights from workers.”
The Grey Bruce Labour Council has been a voice of workers in our region for over sixty five years. “Every time and for every occurrence the Grey Bruce Labour Council and affiliated unions will stand firm and be counted on to do all we can to aid the fightback and hopefully push the change to progressive policy in government” says Labour Council Secretary and ETFO member, Amy Stephen.
Smith says, “Labour is not about to stand down, but we will stand by. Should Ford choose to revert to the demands of the worst elements of his caucus, advisors and handlers, Labour will be prepared to stand up and in unyielding fashion, jam all these attempts into the trash bin of history”.
The Grey Bruce Labour Council welcomes all media inquiries.