AUT: More on Ontario Teachers

[Neil Fettes <fettesn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some supplimentary details on the teachers' strike in Ontario.

The strike was initiated by five teachers' unions in Ontario as a protest
against the government. As such it was union driven.

The interesting thing is that according to friend of mine in the Canadian
Auto Workers there was not a great deal of sympathy for the teachers.
Generally the feeling was that teachers had a sweet deal anyway and never
supported other peoples' struggles (the last is certainly true); however, as
the strike continued attitudes changed. People who were sceptical now
correctly saw the teachers' strike as part of a general struggle against the
right wing Harris government.

The strike was called off "for the sake of the children" by three of the
five unions. Seeing almost half of the teachers going back to work, the
other two unions decided to quit as well, vowing to continue the struggle.
Yeah, right

>Theoretically (we can't know if it would have been possible at that moment)
>the alternative was and is to organise the rank and file commettees in
>every school, to coordinate them through elected delegates) on town and
>national scale in order to a) decide if, how and when end the strike, B)
>calling for the "school users"' solidarity c)trying to draw the lines of a
>class-wide action. Of course, the pooint b) and c) are linked to the
>presence in the struggle of class-conscious militants.
>The experience of the italian Cobas (Rank-and File commettees) outside and
>against the union politics, has been quite interesting in this sense.
>Surely they reached point a), but the strong presence of "radical soc-dem"
>in the movement and the weakness of the class militants (the left-comm and
>some ancrhist) prevented them to reach the point b and c, and to avoid the
>(always present) risk to become, at the descending phase of the struggle, a
>new semi-burocratic little union, as it is now the so-called Cobas.

My knowledge of the Cobas movement is sketchy, so if Mauro or other comrades
could provide some info (or suggest a reference) I wouyld be grateful.

As I mentioned in my last post I'm a long way from Ontario (Alberta is 2000
miles, although the politcal terrain seems to be narrowing), so my knowledge
of rank and file teahcer movements is far from complete. I should say though
that there is still a great deal of anger among teachers (against the
governement and against their leaders)

Canada is on the verge of a national postal strike and the suggestion has
been amde that CUPW members ask teachers to support their struggle as a way
of trying to make connections.

CGs

Neil F

Calgary, AB






     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---