OFL convention: Samuelson passes featherduster to Ryan D and the tightening noose of labour concessions,
2009 2009-12Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 8 →
The words are the paper's own, from its digital file; the division into articles was made by machine, so a box or caption can end up inside the article next to it.
Scan page 8
Despite dire threats to public services and jobs, it appears to be mostly business as usual for a major component of the workers’ movement in English Canada—with only the faintest hint of a much-needed change of direction.
Nearly 1000 delegates to the tenth biennial convention of the Ontario Federation of Labour, whose affiliates encompass over 700,000 public and private sector unionized workers, gathered for a five-day lacklustre talk fest that acclaimed two new OFL executive officers, and re-cycled some ‘progressive’ policies.
Wayne Samuelson, who for 12 years spoke with a loud voice but carried a featherduster, did not seek re-election as OFL President. He passed the baton to Sid Ryan, Canadian Union of Public Employees’ (CUPE) Ontario president since 1992. Ryan is portrayed in the corporate media as “controversial” and “a polarizing figure” for his outspoken opposition to labour concessions and his solidarity with oppressed nationalities, including Palestinian victims of Israeli apartheid.
Steelworker Marie Kelley was acclaimed to the position of secretary-treasurer. She takes over from Irene Harris, who also served as an OFL executive officer for 8 Socialist Action DECember 2009 12 years, the first eight as executive vice-president. Re-elected vice-president was Terry Downey, who was an OPSEU executive board member and regional vice-president before her first OFL term in 2005.
Samuelson presided over the untimely termination of the Ontario Days of Action, combined with the unfulfilled 1997 OFL mandate for a province-wide strike to halt the Conservative Mike Harris government’s vicious anti-worker offensive. That default led to a lack of effective OFL response to the hundreds of millions of dollars in education cuts; the undermining of public health care (especially home care); de-regulation of environmental and work place standards; additional anti-labour laws, anti-human rights rules (criminalizing beggars), and a big push of ‘Work Fare’ slavery into the private sector.
The 57-year old Ryan tried immediately to assuage concerns at the Ontario legislature. He said he “comes to Queen’s Park in peace” and seeks to work with the Liberal government to build a green economy and repair the gutted manufacturing sector. In a bid to hasten the Canadian Auto Workers’ return to the OFL, Ryan softened his criticism of CAW concessions to the Big Three. To some, these words and gestures appear to be