I had never had the opportunity to attend one of the OFL’s Aboriginal Circles before.  Well, that’s not exactly true.  I’ve been to many lots of conventions, and I’ve had the opportunity, but I never made it a priority seek it out the Circle.  Odds are you haven’t either.

This time I did, and next convention so should you.

At the outset of the circle, each of the participants was offered the opportunity to “smudge”  with sacred sage smoke by the firekeeper Ken “Two Dogs” Frazier, allowing us to cleanse our minds and our hearts so we could  come together with a good mind, and a good heart, and in a good way with one another.

Tim explained that although the circle followed the same constitutional democratic standards as all caucuses are bound to, it is traditionally the practice to avoid having a formal vote when possible.  When there are choices to be made among different candidates, the circle would talk about those choices until consensus is reached.

Tim described how each member of the circle would be offered the opportunity in turn to say anything they wanted (or nothing at all), when they were passed a feather.  Those who were experiencing a burden or a pain were invited to share it with the group.

Tim explained how the circle allowed each of us to share the burden of the others, making the load lighter for all of us.

Most chose to speak: about themselves; their lives; their jobs; their concerns and worries; their interests and their passions.  A couple did choose to share their burdens and their pains, and I genuinely had the feeling that as part of the circle, I was indeed part of lightening their burden, if only temporarily.

Although it was mentioned more than once that the Circle is not “political”, discussion didn’t shy away from issues that could rightly be called political.

Tim explained why, although they frequently addressed others as Brother and Sister throughout the convention, participants generally refrained from addressing each other that way during the circle.  Just one more tragic legacy of the residential school system is the pain that can still be evoked, when you were abused by someone called Brother or Sister.

Interspersed along the way were Tim’s teachings, traditional stories that reveal simple truths which often remain hidden.

The circle also adjourns a little differently than any other other union meeting you’ve ever been to.  After everyone had the opportunity to say everything they needed to say, Tim proceeded around the circle hugging each member in turn.  Once we had received their hug from Tim, each of us in turn joined in behind him and moved around the circle twice, until we had all both given and received a hug from each other.

Tim explained that the First Nations are a communal people who recognize the need for physical contact.  When we hug, we offer the centre of ourselves to each other, and nothing will ever come between those who have shared together in the circle.

Tim also warned that the hugging was contagious, and that we should be shouldn’t be surprised if we receive a spontaneous hug when we met again throughout the convention.

Over the past day or two I have run into several delegates who I met at the circle.  Some had been many times to the circle, some, like myself, were there for the first time.

We don’t always hug (although I actually did get one or two), but we greeted each other warmly and talked about the circle and many other things.  I’ve sensed a common acknowledgement that we had shared a special experience.

It may not be like any other union meeting you’ve ever been to, but to I saw clearly one of the teachings the Aboriginal circle is offering to the rest of the labour movement:

Often, solidarity in the labour movement means standing together at a rally, or standing together at a picket line, or standing together on a campaign.  At the circle, we were taught the very powerful solidarity of simply sitting together with each other and sharing ourselves.

I’m not sure I heard the word solidarity being used even once during the Circle, but I know I felt it in a very new, and very real way.

And Tim Brown’s “re-election campaign”?  Let’s just say that the Circle was able to reach consensus.

Let’s show them that we’re behind Vale Inco workers and the CF-61.

Let’s show them that we’re behind all the working people of this province.

We’ve talked about it all week, now let’s show them in the streets.

TD Centre Friday morning at 7:30 am

166 Wellington Click for Map

As you might imagine though, there are often long discussions and tough decisions about which target will be selected.  After all, there are no shortage of injustices to be put in the spotlight.

At OFL2009, the decision was made easier because two of the worst employers in the province, Vale Inco and Cadillac Fairview, just happen to be located right across the street from each other here in downtown Toronto.

So today over a thousand activists marched together and rallied on Wellington street in support of  CEP members  locked out and terminated by Cadillac Fairview and USW members in Sudbury, Port Colborne and Newfoundland and Labrador who are on strike against Vale Inco.

None of these workers are asking for anything unreasonable – they just want to keep what they have.

And we will stand beside them until they win their fights.

To learn more about Vale Inco

To learn more about Cadillac Fairview

Video to come

Faisal Kutty spoke to us about the dramatic changes in the human rights landscape and the impact on many people’s fundamental rights and their livelyhoods.  He spoke about the architecture of human rights in Canada being changed underneath us; including a loss of fundanemental principles of human dignity and  due process.  Kutty described the discrimination against Canadian Arabs and Muslims or those who are perceived to be Arabs and Muslim.

Suaad Hagi Mohamud gave a moving account of her ordeal of being stranded in Kenya. She  told us,  “My country abandoned me, but I did not abandon my country”.

Finally Karl Flecker, CLC Human Rights Director, spoke to us about  and the human and fiscal costs of abandoning our citizens abroad. He spoke about the actions we can take as trade unionists including exploring using tools in our collective and agreement, educating and and organizing.

Convention events actually began on the weekend with a Human Rights Forum co-sponsored by the OFL and the Colour of Poverty campaign.

The goal of the forum was to build stronger connections between unions and communities of colour  to promote our shared vision for racial equity, economic fairness, good jobs and justice for all.

Racialized workers have seen disproportionately larger increases in unemployment rates and disproportionately larger decreases in employment income.  This is in line with what we know about the labour market disadvantages that racialized workers experience, even in the best of times.

While racialized workers could achieve greater job security and better pay from unionization, they are less likely to be union members.  Participants attempted to examine why that is the case, and together, develop solutions to build communication and co-operation between the communities.

The first of many election caucuses was held last night, as labour council presidents and others elected 3 vice-presidents to the OFL Executive Board representing labour councils.  After 4 rounds of balloting John Cartwright of the Toronto and York District Labour Council, Sean McKenny of the Ottawa and District Labour Council and Donna Wiebe of the Kenora and District Labour Council emerged as the successful candidates from a pool of 6.

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