It will take innovative thinking and putting people first to get the economy back on track, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath told delegates.
Government has a decisive role to play in using investment dollars for good jobs, green jobs, and Ontario- and Canadian-made products, she said. Despite “playing by the rules”, Canadian families are falling behind [...]

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Cupe news online, November 25, 2009

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Labour unity is the order of the day at the OFL convention where 1,000 delegates unanimously chose their new leadership team today.
High-profile and longtime labour leader Sid Ryan is the president-elect, replacing Wayne Samuelson who, after 12 years in office, decided not to seek re-election.
“This is a talented and dedicated team,” says [...]

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CLC executive vice-president Barb Byers talks about economic loss for women, Aboriginal workers, workers of colour, and workers with disability. And now, the public sector is under attack.

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It wasn’t really a debate, since no one spoke against the resolution. But it was a lively half hour of commentary that grabbed the attention of the convention.
Delegates were being asked to support a resolution to put a stop to internal conflicts, and they did. It directs the OFL and leaders of affiliated unions [...]

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The OFL’s Youth Booster Award goes this year to Debora De Angelis, a union activist who was a founding member of the OFL Youth Committee in 1997. Then a member of UNITE, DeAngelis is now a training and education representative for UFCW Canada.
De Angelis received the award for her initiative, enthusiasm and “never-take-no-for-an-answer” attitude, said [...]

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Unions have to keep defending workers’ rights and elect political leaders who will do the same, CLC executive vice-president Barb Byers told delegates this morning.
As job losses continue to mount, and private sector workers struggle with unemployment and lost pensions, corporate leaders “are setting their sights” on the public sector.
“If they can silence us, they [...]

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Outgoing OFL President Wayne Samuelson says the federal and provincial governments have dropped the ball regarding the protection of workers’ pensions. Working men and women deferred their wages in return for a decent defined pension plan, he said. Government had a responsibility to regulate and ensure that employers invested those deferred wages into pension plans, [...]

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A 12-minute video featuring faces and voices from the OFL’s Drive to Work campaign premiered at the OFL convention today. Directed by videographer Joel Thelosen, the video tells the story of job loss and devastation in Ontario communities.

At more than 100 events in 53 communities, working people, unemployed, young people, and labour and community leaders [...]

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Union delegates from across Ontario are in Toronto for the week of Nov. 23 for the OFL convention. It’s held every two years to set policy and elect leaders.

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