Ontario, Canada Chapter’s May 2013 Newsletter

Please CLICK HERE to view the Chapter’s May 2013 Newsletter, which includes links and articles. Thank you.

CBTU Chapter GMM

There will be a CBTU Ontario, Canada Chapter General Membership Meeting held on Monday April 22, 2013 at 6pm at the OFL on 4th floor. Please mark it in your calendars. We look forward to seeing you all there! If you require participation by telephone due to distance, please drop us a line for us to make arrangements.

Summit To Address Gun Violence

CBTU Ontario, Canada Chapter members joined together on March 21st with African Canadian community leaders, key government officials, representatives of major public institutions and other stakeholders in a Summit convened on the International Day for the Elimination of Racism to address the issues of marginalization and social exclusion that have contributed to the current crisis among African Canadian youth, and in particular, the disproportionate level of gun violence.
The racialization of poverty, high dropout rates, over-representation in the child welfare system and over-representation at all levels of the criminal justice system are urgent issues affecting the African-Canadian Community that necessitate an effective community-based action plan for addressing gun violence. CBTU was invited to join the Summit to reinforce Labour’s perspective on the connection between employment, economics and good jobs upon health communities. African Canadians earn on average 75 cents for every dollar a non-racialized Canadian earns. This racialized pay differential along with disproportionally high rates of unemployment and underemployment contributes significantly to the increased risk factor in a young person’s life.
A theme heard throughout the Summit was: the time for Action is Now! The Stephen Lewis Report identified the need to action over two decades ago yet the crisis continues. The Roots of Youth Violence Report and Ontario’s Youth Action plan provide a framework for targeted solutions such as community empowerment, long-term sustained funding, a focus on meaningful skills development, capacity building, prevent and intervention strategies and strict gun control.
The African-Canadian Legal Clinic took the lead in organizing the Summit and will remain an important community partner to CBTU – Ontario. African-Canadian trade unionists and community activists will continue to work together to promote the positive and healthy development of our children.

Where’s Our Obama Event a Great Success!

Over 50 people from a variety of communities and unions gathered together to have an inter generational discussion on race and racism within the Canadian political system.

Many thanks to the co sponsors of the event: CBTU Ontario Men’s Committee along with PSAC Workers of Colour Caucus coordinated and hosted the event. Co sponsors were LATUC, ACLA OPSEU’s racially visible Caucus and the OFL. Irwin Nanda, OFL VP, Marie Clarke Walker CLC VP and Sharon DeSousa PSAC REVP and Alvin Curling Special Advisor to Minister of Children and Youth Services were present.  Keynote speaker Mark Brown, a CBTU member, CUPW member and President of the Springdale NDP Riding Association presented the need for us to collectively look at the barriers to our community moving into the political arena but also motivated us to move forward with hope in an amazing presentation.

We want to take this time to especially thank Chris Wilson, Chair of the CBTU Ontario Men’s Committee , the PSAC staff and Lloyd Chair of PSAC Workers of Colour Caucus and their members for providing us with a safe venue where dialogue was open, honest, proactive and hopeful.

We look forward to the action plan results.

Mark Brown’s Speech is available here.

The event photos are also available on our Facebook Page.

Black History Month Statement

Last month a number of Trade Unionists from Canada travelled to the second inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama.  While there we attended the American History Museum where we saw exhibits about the Emancipation and the March on Washington.  What struck us about the exhibits was the connection of the two events to the labour movement and that of exploited workers.

Prior to1863 Slave labour was being used in both Canada and the United States to build the countries that many people of African descent call home.  In his inauguration address, President Obama bridged the gap between Emancipation and the March on Washington while looking at events of the day.  Making it very apparent that while some things have changed, much has also remained the same.

The Emancipation Proclamation was a promise from the government of the Day to Black Folks. One hundred years later in 1963, the March on Washington, was a message to the American government about their failure to deliver on that promise.  2013, one hundred and fifty years later and we are still looking for the fulfilment of those promises.

Here in Canada, it has been a long struggle to win positive change for our community, but an important struggle and we have made some gains. However, as a community we are still grossly under-represented in the life and structures of mainstream Canada.  An integral part of the work that the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist does is to address racism, particularly anti-Black racism faced by people of African descent in the workplace.  On a daily basis right across Canada, members of our community deal with the impact of colonialism, imperialism, slavery and the historical exploitation of our labour.

We have a long history of building the Canadian labour movement and fighting for social change which goes back hundreds of years.

As trade union members, we understand that all workers and people with little economic clout, are exploited by those with financial and political power.  We can not therefore, separate the work we do on behalf of working people everywhere from the struggles of African and African descendants.

We must therefore, remind the “powers that be” of promises not yet filled and take time to celebrate all of our achievements and successes and hold them high for all to see.

So today, we celebrate the work of Black Trade Unionists in Canada, who together with our community leaders fought for changes.

We celebrate the Sleeping Car Porters;  celebrate the establishment of Human Rights Commissions across the country; celebrate the legislative changes brought about in the 1950’s and 60’s; celebrate the battles to expose environmental racism; the fight for Employment Equity; celebrate the rights of domestic and migrant workers, the rights for healthcare sector workers; we celebrate contributions of all the people of African descent who built the labour movement.  This history must include the unpaid labour during slavery, work done by agricultural labourers and domestic workers, the work of staff and elected leadership in the labour movement.

Black History Month 2013, we celebrate our history, and hold fast to the promises of the future to fulfil the dream.

A dream where exploitation, marginalization and injustice is a thing of the past and one day our Sisters and Brothers of African Descent in the Canadian Labour Movement will be judged on their character, and be treated with the dignity and respect deserving of a people who helped to build this country and this movement.

So as we celebrate Black History Month, we look forward to the hope, promise and dream realized, right here in Canada and also for our southern neighbours.

Where’s Our Obama – Black History Month Event

In celebration of Black History Month racialized community and labour organizations (Workers of Colour Caucus – OPSEU, Racially Visible Committee – PSAC, Latin American Trade Unionists Coalition – LATUC, Asian Canadian Labour Alliance – ACLC, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists – CBTA & the Ontario Federation of Labour) are co-sponsoring an event titled “Where is our Obama?” with the objective of mobilizing racialized workers including young workers for the upcoming 2015 Federal Election.
Harper intends to win a majority government by adding additional ridings in the GTA. As one community partner put it: “We need to reflect upon and learn from what African-Americans and Latinos did in the past elections in USA. It is the right time for our communities and organizations to engage in the political struggle in a more direct way. As labour legend Cesar Chaves said ”Yes, it can be done!!! Si Se Puede!!!” A majority of workers in the GTA are now racialized and have the power to stop Harper if we mobilize. Let’s start the conversation.
Mark your calendar with the following event details:
Event: Where’s Our Obama – Black History Month
Date: February 28th, 2013
Location: Large Boardroom, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Address: 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 608
Time: 6:00PM – 8:30PM
RSVP By: February 21st, 2013 via email PSAC_Toronto_ Mail@psac.com
Mark Brown has been invited as a Keynote Speaker. Mark Brown is the President of the Brampton-Springdale NDP Riding Association, member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and CUPW Member. The poster for the event is attached; however, the poster should not circulated until I have received confirmation from Mark Brown regarding his availability which I anticipate I will receive next week. In the interim mark your calendars with the event details.
Once the poster has been approved/circulated I would suggest/recommend a conference call and/or meeting with each of the community/labour partners to discuss/review the outline for the event. More information to follow.
Thanks to everyone for your support of this exciting event.
In solidarity,
Christopher Wilson

Hand in Hand: Sisters Sharing Hope Vision Solidarity

Well here it is…..the OFL International Women’s Day March 8th pin & poster for 2013!  The theme this year is ‘Hand in Hand: Sisters Sharing Hope Vision Solidarity’.   The pin and poster reflect that theme.  We have attached a photo of the pin – it is gold tone & glazed and even more beautiful when you see it in person with the colours more vibrant than on paper.

The poster is available in French & English in limited quantities.  You will note that for Unions who order more than 500 pins they will have their logo added to the bottom of the poster. 

I encourage you to get your Order Forms in asap to ensure delivery prior to March 8th celebrations!  All the information you’ll need to order in on the form. 

Thank you so much and feel free to pass it on.

CBTU Chapter Fundraising Cruise Update

Cabins on the Fundraising cruise are selling out like hot cakes… Time to book your fantastic voyage! Please take note of the updated information in this flyer and distribute to all who are interested in helping the Chapter with this fundraising initiative, thank you!

Gender Wage Gap Presentation

Please share this link with your union’s equity groups to view this presentation. The struggle continues! The presentation also contains charts showing gender wage gaps within ethnic groups.

Title: Equal Education, Equal Pay: Closing the Gender Wage Gap Graphic: http://www.learnstuff.com/equal-education-unequal-pay/

Season’s Greetings!

The CBTU Ontario Canada Chapter wishes you a Happy and Healthy New Year!