In his parting address to convention delegates, OFL president Wayne Samuelson focused on the economic crisis, unresponsive governments, and the pressing need for the labour movement to lead working people to better days.

Business and government leaders are blaming the crisis for fallout that’s actually caused by their own actions, and using it as an excuse for more anti-worker action, he said.

“In communities across the province, we are seeing the carnage of free trade agreements, tax cuts, privatization, and constant deregulation,” he said.

“And how does the government respond? They respond by saying we need more of what’s caused the problem in the first place.”

The labour movement has the ability and the obligation to make the economy and governments serve the needs of working people, their families, and communities, he said. He went on to say that to be as effective as possible, the labour movement has to restructure itself.

As powers have devolved from the federal government to the provinces and local governments, union membership has become more concentrated at the provincial and local levels.

“Our movement is at an incredibly important crossroad,” said Samuelson, who is stepping down after 12 years in office. “We have a structure that doesn’t recognize the changes that have taken place in this movement.

“We need to restructure this labour movement so we can be a force on the ground.”

The labour movement has led the way on critical issues that affect people’s daily lives, and must continue to do so, he said.

Key challenges include improving pensions and protecting public services, according to Samuelson.

Sixty-two per cent of people have no workplace pension plan, and many of those who do are faced with reduced pensions because their employer-controlled plans are underfunded.

Ontario’s Liberal government is threatening to attack jobs and earnings of public sector workers when it should attack its own revenue problem by doing something about corporate tax cuts and “the $5 billion they’re about to shift over to corporations in their HST scheme,” said Samuelson.

“This is a game of fear and threats,” he said, and Ontarians have to remember “the problems aren’t caused by providing health care, education, retraining and support, or long-term care for our grandparents.”

Samuelson said he’s leaving the OFL presidency with the firm belief that the OFL will continue to grow and that the affiliated unions and their members have the strength and solidarity to build on strong foundations.

“We will elect a strong team of leadership for the coming years,” he said. “We’ll collectively set a path for the years ahead.”

Spirit and strength were evident during the OFL’s Drive to Work campaign which held over 100 events in 53 communities in June.

As hard as it has been to hear the stories of job loss and devastation in communities across Ontario, Samuelson says he was heartened by the commitment of labour councils and activists who have helped people get their stories out.

The “bosses” who have so much money “can never match the passion of each and every one of you,” he said. “And the other thing we have that they’ll never have, is that there will always be a helluva lot more of us than there are of them.”

economic crisis, labour movement, Pensions, public services, Samuelson, unions