Over the past month, the labour movement in Ontario has been heating things up to protect workers’ severance packages, pensions, and jobs. The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) has been playing a leading role in organizing a variety of rallies and demonstrations. Here is a report of two rallies that Fightback has attended.
On 25th March, the CAW organized a rally at Queen’s Park to advocate for severance packages. There were speeches of support from newly-elected NDP leader Andrea Horwath, Minnie Ing from the Steelworkers, and John Cartwright, president of the Toronto and York District Labour Council. In addition, Ken Lewenza (President of CAW) spoke about how the provincial government should be responsible for severance packages for all workers, regardless if they are unionized or not. The major slogan of the rally was “Save Our Severance”. Although Lewenza talked about the need to save jobs, he and the other speakers provided no leadership or slogans to protect workers from job cuts. There were about 200 workers, activists, and even students who attended. The presence of workers from Windsor who are presently occupying their factory, Aradco & Armaco, brought a sense of militancy to the rally. The Steelworkers Union has helped the non-unionized workers of the Progressive Moulded Products (PMP) plant that went bankrupt last July. Over 2,000 workers, who are predominately women and immigrants, lost their jobs with no severance packages at PMP. Although the banks bailed out the company, the workers were left with nothing. The presence of PMP workers was a powerful addition and deepened the sense of solidarity between unionized and non-unionized workers.
In the growing movement, the CAW organized another rally at Queen’s Park on 23rd April. This time, over 6,000 workers of various unions attended from across the province to demand the provincial government take action to protect their pensions. The union presence included the Canadian Labour Congress, OPSEU, CUPE, Steelworkers, Nursing Associations, and so forth. This rally was a result of Ontario Premier Dalton McGunity’s statements that the province would not be able to cover the pensions of GM workers if GM goes bankrupt. During the rally, one of the speakers spoke on the importance of the Ontario Pension Benefit Guarantee Fund; he explained how salaried workers in Ontario have driven the Canadian economy for years, and have contributed over 10 million dollars to the Ontario Pension Benefit Guarantee Fund. It is time for the politicians to give workers their premiums. Both young and old workers were angered by the reality that after 35 to 40 years of hard work, their pensions are now at risk of being clawed away. Pensions are a right for workers, especially since it is deferred wages they have put away throughout their careers.
Many workers felt frustrated with all of the political parties, but the Ontario NDP did show support by distributing flyers with the demands to protect and guarantee pensions for seniors to retire with dignity and a decent income. In addition, the NDP has said that the Ontario Pension Benefit Guarantee Fund should insure all pension obligations in Ontario. The union leaders made sure to state that the issues of secure pensions was not limited to CAW workers, but rather it impacted all workers of all sectors. In addition, pensions are an intergenerational issue that impacts both older workers who are entering retirement, as well as young workers who want to build a better future. One CAW worker explained that if her pension was cut, she would lose her house and be forced to continue working full time. She further explained that if she needed to continue working, that would limit youths’ ability to access the job market.
Many pensioners and former CAW workers joined the rally with slogans “Save Pensions: The measure of a good society is how well it treats its seniors!” If this is a true measurement of a just society, then Canada would fail miserably due to the sad reality of many seniors retiring into poverty. The automotive industry has been the backbone of the Canadian and Ontario economy and paved the way for well-paying, secure, and unionized jobs. Once again, the crisis of capitalism has proven its inability to provide full employment and decent jobs. The dramatic loss of over 350,000 auto jobs in Ontario and Quebec has a profound impact on all workers. In recent events, Canadian and American workers have been pressured by the bosses to take concessions as the only solution to saving their jobs. Concessions have not proven to be fruitful for the General Motors workers where last summer, after two weeks of collective bargaining, the bosses betrayed the workers with the decision to cut over 2,000 jobs in Oshawa. The GM workers revealed their militant spirit with decisive action by barricading the entrance of GM’s headquarters, as well as organizing mass rallies in response to this betrayal.
The leadership of the NDP and the labour movement in Ontario may not yet be using socialist demands, but the rank & file membership are becoming more desperate and are looking for new ideas. These rallies are indications of a growing workers’ movement resulting from anger, desperation, and militancy of workers across the province to improve their own well being. One PMP worker explained to Fightback that she once thought working together with the employer would help save their jobs. Now she knows that no concessions will ever be enough for the boss. Although severance packages are a right for workers, it cannot be the sole slogan from the labour movement, because today’s workers will still go home without a job. Although severances will help workers immediately, their future is still at risk. In addition, pensions must be secured and not threatened by cut backs. 40 year of workers’ labour should not then be thrown into the pockets of the bosses. Workers are not organizing for hands-out, but for justice. The factory occupations prove that Canadian workers can fight back with militant action to demand their basic rights. The numerous bailouts and broken collective bargaining agreements have proven incapable of solving this manufacturing crisis. The way to protect workers’ jobs and pensions is to demand nationalization of the manufacturing sector under democratic workers’ control!
The CAW and NDP need socialist demands to provide youth, workers and seniors a future they can believe in:
- No Concessions to the bosses!
- Nationalize the Auto-Industry under democratic workers’ control!
- Save Pensions!
- Save Jobs!
