Ontario Teachers Strike Special CANOE November 1997

APEC Special CANOE November 1997

October:

"12,000 Teachers Rally for Education"

October 4, saw the largest demonstrationby teachers in Alberta, demanding wage increases and increased funding for schools.

Teachers came from across the province, with one of the largest contingants from Calgary Public Schools. Calgary public teachers have been in a strike postion for the past month.

The teachers were joined by parent groups, CUPE members who represent custodial, maintanence and support staff in schools and members of the CUPW, the Canadian Postal Workers Union.

Teachers held the rally despite the fact that the Klein government has promised to increase funding to schools, as a result of reccomendations coming from its recent growth summit (see article below). The ATA has demanded the government return the $245 million it cut from education, while the government has only offered to return $110 million.

AFL Holds Alternative Summit

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) held a counter summit September 18 through 20 one week before the government held its own so called gowth summit.

The Klein Government summit was announced during the spring election and was to focus on reinvesting billions in surpluses the government has accrued over the past three years of cutbacks and attacks on public sector seervices and wages.

The AFL boycotted the government summit calling it elitist. Only 90 hand picked delegates were invited. Instead over 250 people attended the AFL Counter Summit. The Counter conference called for increasing the minimum wage, abolishing the debt & deficit act, and that spending should be seen as investing in social capital.

Students,members of STORM (Student Organized Resistance Movement), organized a demonstration to protest the summit as anti-democratic and dominated by business interests.

For more articles on the Growth Summit check out the Edmonton Journal index of articles.

WCB Chairman steps down, with golden handshake

Dr. Cowell the chairman of the Alberta Workers Compensation Board (WCB) stepped down this month. The WCB became 'profitable' under Dr. Cowell's chairmanship, giving rebates back to businesses while forcing injured workers to appeal continously for support.

Pam Barrett, leader of the NDP called Dr.Cowell's reign at the WCB as a 'scorched earth policy' against injured workers.

Dr. Cowell earned $350,000 a year as WCB chairman.

"Expect A Workers Revolt Across This Province"
Labour Day Message
From Audrey Cormack,
President Of The Alberta Federation Of Labour.

Who will lead the Ontario Federation of Labour into a General Strike?

Will the Ontario Federation of Labour lead a general strike against the Harris goverment and its attacks on public sector unions, or will the Pink Paper private sector unions maintian the course of using the OFL to rebuild the Ontario NDP? Read about it here.

Dinning Joins Finning

Former Alberta Government Treasurer, and long time Progressive Conservative, Jim Dinning has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Finning and to TransAlta Utilities. The appointments have caused some controversy since Dinning failed to complete the six month cooling off period, for Government Ministers, before joining private companies.

Dinning was the Treasurer from 1993 till this year when he resigned. He oversaw the downsizing and privatization of government services and crown corporations. Dinning also promoted wage roll backs of 5% for all public sector workers in the province. Those departments he didn't cutback had their budgets frozen. He declared the province was in 'desperate times' then ended up with budget surpluses.

Finning is the largest Catepillar distributer in Alberta. Cat USA is notorious for union busting, downsizing, contracting out and raking in huge profits.

Finning is owned by Fletcher Challenger which is one of, Tory bag man and Calgary millionare businessman, Ron Southern's companies. Southern was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Southam Newspapers. He is also a long time member of the Trilateral Commission.

Finning workers went on strike last year over attempts by the the company to contract out their jobs. Finning used scabs and and an anti-union Security company during the strike, which acted as a provocation to striking workers and their supporters.

Several local Trade Union leaders including Dan Comrey of the Canadian Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) and Les Steel, Secretary Treasurer of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) were arrested and charged for attempting to stop scabs who were being trucked in to the Finning plant under guard of the private security company.

Bible beliefs win union exemption

A Seventh Day Adventist wins complaint with Alberta Labour about paying union dues to CEP, July 1997.