Re: 1-day gen.strike London,Canada

[Jim Jaszewski <jjazz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 5 Dec 1995, Spoon Collective wrote:

> A one-day General Strike in the city of London, Ontario is planned
> for Monday December 11, 1995.  This move is led by Canadian Auto
> Workers union, as the most powerful private sector union in Ontario,
> and is said to be well supported by public service unions and by the
> rank and file generally.
>
> It is said that there are 65,000 union members in London, which is
> a city of about half a million population (I'm guessing).  At least
> 100 busloads of union members and supporters from other parts of the
> province are planning to be there for the rallies and mass pickets.
>
> This London strike is planned as the first in a series of rotating
> one-day strikes in different cities.  Support actions will occur
> in other places.

        People are going from Hamilton, Ontario -- London is in Ontario
too -- but our group will be staying here and picketing a local Tory MPP
office -- and it's leading to disagreements already, which I'll cover
below:

9 bK#vmz`_0\AX1RF_!kSS*Oi.US.|\40{.t||Jo;DW2}:eB<
US~cNv,a
> These rotating strikes
are supported by most of the union leadership
> in the province,  as a means to protest government anti-labor laws,
> layoffs, and undermining of wages by cutting of social programs.
> The urban general strikes are the strongest action seen here in
> many years by trade unions.
>
> It is said that the leadership of United Steelworkers and United
> Food and Commercial Workers are opposed to general strikes, and
> are focusing on the next election (1998?) and the NDP party as
> the solution.

        The stupid reformist crap is starting already.  Our group has
ALREADY been criticized by some of those reformist types for `undermining'
the effort in London Ont. (we're expected to only hop on a bus and do as
we're told) -- a TOTAL misreading of the situation (so _early_ on too! :)

        We've ALSO been accused of undermining the QUITE successful rally
against the bastard Premier of Ontario, when he came to Hamilton 2
,eyE"}|weeks
ago...  Not a Tory I saw at the fundraiser wasn't shitting their
pants/panties..!  :> The reformists almost blew the rally by calling it
too early and at City Hall, instead of in front of the hotel where the
cocktail event was being held.


>
> Health and daycare workers unions, facing large cuts, are mobilizing
> with large public support.
>
> CAMPAIGN FOR A (BIGGER) GENERAL STRIKE
>
> Meanwhile, rank and file union members and supporters are growing
> a movement for a larger provincial or national general strike
> with larger demands.
>
> Several thousand signs, buttons and leaflets have been distributed
> in Ontario in recent weeks calling for an indefinite shut down to
> roll back the cuts to social programs and improve benefits for
> workers.  Activists are spreading the campaign to other union
> members, student activists are also involved as well as unemployed.
>
> The campaign is mostly self-financed as picket signs and buttons
> are sold for $1 each,  indicating the widespread support for the
> idea.
> The trade union leaders, however, are not yet supporting the call
> for a larger general strike.  A CUPE Health union local in Ottawa
> has endorsed it  (CUPE has more autonomy for local groups than
> most trade unions.)  Ottawa IWW branch is supporting the campaign.
>
> ___
> CLM/Ottawa
> ###
>
>
>
>
>
>      --- from list marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---
>



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