SUPPORT STRIKING CUPE 3903 AGAINST BACK-TO-WORK LEGISLATION

After months of CUPE 3903′s earnest attempts in bargaining, York University has refused to budge. Instead, York University has chosen to wait it out until the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty has stepped in to legislate the workers back to work. This is an unprecedented attack on the collective bargaining process, an attack on organized labour, an attack on workers in Ontario and Canada. Please help striking workers at CUPE 3903 in standing up against back-to-work legislation that will have consequences for the entire labour sector — not just CUPE 3903, not just educators, but everyone in a union. If we don’t stop this now, it will undermine attempts to stop it later.

1. Reinforce CUPE 3903′s Picket Lines on Monday, January 26
2. Mass Rally against Back-to-Work Legislation on Tuesday, January 27
3. E-mail your MPP now: http://demandastance.com/cupe/

1. REINFORCE CUPE 3903′S PICKET LINES
WHERE: York University
DATE: Monday, January 26
TIME: Three shifts: 7am-11am, 10am-2pm, 1pm-5pm

In a bid to undermine the strike of CUPE 3903, York University has reopened several classes for 5,000 students out of 50,000. Not only does this violate the picket lines of workers, it discriminates against 45,000 students left out in the cold by York University’s refusal to bargain.

We are calling on all allies and supporters to sign up for a shift: 7am-11am, 10am-2pm or 1pm-5pm. To sign up for a shift, please e-mail Jordy Cummings at jordycummings@gmail.com.

2. MASS RALLY AGAINST BACK-TO-WORK LEGISLATION
WHERE: Ministry of Labour (South of Dundas St at University Ave)
DATE: Tuesday, January 27
TIME: 10am

We will march from the Ministry of Labour to Queen’s Park and express to the provincial government that we stand behind the rights of workers to strike and to fight for better working and living conditions. We stand against back-to-work legislation. Please help us mobilize a strong showing by informing your lists, friends and members. If you are interested in speaking or performing at the rally, please contact Noaman Ali at noaman.ali@gmail.com.

3. E-MAIL YOUR MPP: http://demandastance.com/cupe/

We have made it so far with your considerable support. We need it now, more than ever, to promptly settle this strike with a fair and meaningful settlement. Please, join us.

In solidarity,
Members of CUPE 3903

RALLY AT QUEEN’S PARK: Sunday 25 January at 12 noon

Published on 24 Jan 2009

EMERGENCY ACTION AGAINST BACK TO WORK LEGISLATION
All 3903 Members, CUPE Locals, students, friends, and allies urged to come out

When: Sunday January 25, 2009 at 12pm
Where: Outside of the Provincial Legislature building at Queen’s Park

Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced Back to Work Legislation for
CUPE 3903, that has been on-strike since November 6, 2008. The
provincial government parliament is meeting on Sunday January 15, 2009
at 1pm to discuss Back to Work legislation for CUPE 3903.

We have two demands:
1) That the Provincial government NOT enforce Back to Work legislation;
2) That the Provincial government place pressure on the York
bargaining team to negotiate in collective bargaining

• The York bargaining team has made NO EFFORT to collectively
bargain during this round of negotiations
• The Liberal party and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty have
done nothing to pressure the York Admin’s bargaining team to
collectively bargain
• The latest move to enforce Back to Work Legislation is an
unprecedented attack to labour rights to collectively bargain in
Ontario
• CUPE 3903 has maintained that it is willing to bargain until a
negotiated settlement is reached
• CUPE 3903 urges the members of provincial parliament to allow
collective bargaining to continue and refrain from interference
• Back to Work legislation is an attack on labour unions in the
province of Ontario

WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!

Members of CUPE 3903 will receive picket pay for attending the rally.

This rally is endorsed by the CUPE 3903 Executive.

Please Join Us at a Coalition Meeting to Condemn Gaza Attacks

attacks against Palestinian academic institutions.

Recognize the system as flawed and transform it!

What: Solidarity rally with the Greek uprising

When: THIS Friday Jan 9 at 12 NOON

Where: Outside the Consulate General of Greece at 365 Bloor St. E (at Sherbourne)

Sponsored by: Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students, Common Cause, CUPE 3903, CUPE 3907, No One Is Illegal Toronto and Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

Why: Privatization of education, corporatization of campuses, barriers to immigration, police repression, poverty and institutionalized racism all led to the current uprising in Greece. We are struggling here with the very same issues! This is why we stand with our brothers and sisters in Greece.

Racist and Classist Police Brutality

Police murdered unarmed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Dec 6 in Athens, the latest outrage in a long string of brutality. His death sparked an uprising by thousands of Greeks fed up with police controlling their communities. In Toronto we also see police brutality and impunity. Racial profiling is common practice and police actions disproportionately target youth, racialized and poor people. Toronto police regularly cover up and bury cases of brutality and corruption while obstructing the complaints process. The police will not yield their power or behave responsibly unless we fight back.

Unequal Access to Education

For many years in Greece, students have successfully fought off attempts to end universal access to higher education by organizing themselves, protesting and occupying their schools. In Canada, undergrad tuition fees have almost doubled over the last decade. This makes higher education impossible for many working class people without taking on crippling debts. Schools like U of T and Queens are moving towards self-regulation, allowing them to charge whatever they want.

Unemployment

Anger in Greece is fuelled by lay-offs and increasing rates of unemployment among young graduates accelerated by the global financial crisis. In Canada, we’re feeling these effects as we slide deeper into recession. The unemployed and those at risk of eviction will find gutted social assistance programs while banks and corporations, whose greed caused this crisis, get bailouts. The government, banks and corporations must be held accountable.

Attacks on Non-Status People and Union Organizers

In Greece, migrants and immigrants experience daily humiliation at the border and even murder by police and vigilantes. In December they took to the streets demanding justice and dignity. Organizers of predominantly immigrant and migrant unions face threats, assaults and death from company thugs. The rail company office has been occupied in response to the violent acid attack on Bulgarian union organizer Konstantina. Non-status people and migrant workers in Canada often face deportation if they stand up for their rights. Immigrants and migrant labourers face overwork, substandard accommodations, unsafe conditions, unliveable pay and overt racism.

Charges and restrictive bail conditions imposed on the Fight Fees 14
(FF14) are finally starting to be withdrawn after months upon months
of delayed court processes. Nine of the fourteen activists have had
their charges completely rescinded, while the remaining five expect
complete vindication in due course.

The FF14 are a group of University of Toronto (UofT) students and
community members who were criminally charged for allegedly taking
part in a peaceful sit-in against fee increases and unaffordable
student housing on March 20, 2008. The sit-in ended after police
exercised aggression against the demonstrators on the orders of the
UofT administration. In addition to criminal charges, 12 students
were threatened with university investigations that could lead to
suspension or expulsion under the Student Code of Conduct. A number
of students still face possible Code of Conduct Investigations at this
time.

The Crown’s failure to provide timely and complete disclosure in court
over the last eight months, and the lack of compelling evidence as
well as the immense pressure of public scrutiny are likely both
responsible for the withdrawal of the charges. The withdrawals have
exposed the bogus charges for what they were – a disturbing
politically-motivated crackdown on student dissent stoked by David
Naylor and his administration.

While strict bail conditions of the accused served to restrict and
discourage political activity against inaccessibility on campus,
mobilization was galvanized. An organization called the Committee
for Just Education (CJE) was formed in response to student repression
and an open forum was planned on April 7th where the CJE approved
three demands: the elimination of tuition fees, student, worker,
faculty parity on university decision-making bodies, and an end to the
repression of dissent on campus. Two demonstrations took place outside
Simcoe Hall on March 25 and April 10 to protest for the three demands.
Following the arrests in April, CJE mobilized supporters and
organized an emergency meeting that was attended by over 120
supporters at Steelworkers Hall. On May 21, students made their
presence felt once more at Simcoe Hall, where a meeting of the
University Affairs Board was finalizing the details of tuition hikes.
On June 3rd a rally was held in support of the 14 and to demand that
all charges be dropped and over 300 supporters marched from Simcoe
Hall to Old City Hall courthouse for the first of many court dates.

The successful legal defense campaign thus far comes at a time when we
see the university falling further out of reach for the vast majority
of students, especially those from racialized and other marginalized
communities. In the face of chronic government under-funding, students
have been burdened with skyrocketing tuition fees and debt loads.
Rather than pressure the provincial and federal governments to
increase funding for accessible, high quality public education, the
UofT administration is lobbying for full deregulation of fees and has
embraced a corporate model of education that caters to private
interests.

The CJE would like to thank the many supporters who came out to
meetings, demonstrations, and court dates in support of the FF14. The
political pressure that was placed on the university had significant
effects on the development of the case, and has ultimately played a
large part in the revocation of charges. With your continued support,
we are hopeful that full exoneration will be achieved for all of the
FF14 and that we can continue in our fight for accessible education.
Please continue to sign the petition and send letters of support
condemning the actions of the University of Toronto and calling for a
public statement that all criminal charges and Code of Conduct
Investigations are to be dropped.

For further information: Gabi Rodriguez 416-529-8755
gabriela.rodriguez.tyc@gmail.com (Committee for Just Education)