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 with four out of five of them living on less money than they had a generation ago.

Governments have abandoned the middle class and encouraged a growing gap between “the fortunate few” and working women and men, she said.

Economic recovery must include good jobs and other supports, including pension security, training and education, and employment insurance that “really covers you from job to job”.

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath enters convention hall to address delegates.

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 Samuelson. “Once these three announced their candidacy, it didn’t take long for a consensus to develop that they were the right people for the job.”

Steelworker Marie Kelley was acclaimed to the position of secretary-treasurer and will take over from Irene Harris, who has also been in OFL office for 12 years, the first

eight as executive vice-president.

Re-elected to the executive vice-president’s office is Terry Downey, who was an OPSEU executive board member and regional vice-president before her first OFL term in 2005.

Delegates clearly welcomed the leadership team’s message of unity and commitment to building a new economy that serves the needs of working people, their families, and communities.

In his acceptance speech, Ryan cited his labour background in Canada with the Steelworkers union and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The president of CUPE Ontario for the past 17 years reserved special mention for the guidance he received from his father, who told him: “Have the courage of your convictions to stand up and be counted. And those words ring in my ears.”

Leading off nominations for Ryan was Pearl Sawyer, executive vice-president for the province-wide UFCW Local 1000A.

Ryan is the one to lead the OFL at this time, Sawyer told delegates.

“Sid has shown himself to be a formidable voice for working people and their families,” she said.

“He is committed to labour unity. He’s engaged in the search for a progressive strategy to build the new economy and social solidarity. And I believe he is bringing to Ontario labour what the movement needs at this time to make Ontario work.”

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 to sign a pledge to organize the unorganized, not to take members from other unions.

Steelworker Don Fraser is president of Hamilton and District Labour Council, which submitted the resolution.

“Union members want their dues to go to organizing the 70 per cent of workers who don’t have unions, servicing existing members, and mounting political fightback,” said Fraser.

Resolution 69

Submitted by Hamilton and District Labour Council

WHEREAS union density is around 30%; and

WHEREAS there are millions of workers who want

and need to be organized;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the

Federation and the leaders of all affiliates sign a declaration

agreeing not to raid or liberate other legitimate unionized

workers and to concentrate their efforts on organizing the

unorganized.

De Angelis received the award for her initiative, enthusiasm and “never-take-no-for-an-answer” attitude, said OFL executive vice-president Terry Downey.

De Angelis was the OFL’s youth vice-president from 1997 to 2003. She has also been the UFCW’s youth coordinator.

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 will have removed the first and the last lines of defense that many of our members and our community allies have,” said Byers.

She talked about the need to change the employment insurance program and pensions. Workers and communities across the country are suffering, and things are getting tougher for equity groups.

“The gains of women, workers of colour, Aboriginal workers, and workers with disabilities over the past 20 years are being wiped out by the effects of corporate greed,” she said.

At more than 100 events in 53 communities, working people, unemployed, young people, and labour and community leaders shared their own stories behind the statistics.

Videographers, photographers, writers, and bloggers chronicled the 3,000-km trek. Musician Steve Sinnicks did double duty, driving a motor home and entertaining at stops. Music for the video, Tied Down, is an original tune (Sinnicks Hutchinson Petzelt).

Lyrics: Tied Down

I was born union

And I’ll die union

And I’m here because a union

Was strong when I was younger

When it’s ‘eat what you kill’

Or steal from your brother

And I guess I believe in something other

Something better

Still believe in welfare

Still pay my taxes

And any other measure

That’ll even out the classes

And I guess I believe in somethin’ other

Somethin’ better

So keep it tied down

Keep it tied down

Keep it tied down

Keep it tied down

For somethin’ better

Somethin’ other