Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 09:23:34 +1000
From: Neil Fettes <benn-AT-idirect.com>
Subject: Ontario Labour's Day of Protest in Peterborough



Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 07:26:08
To: aut-op-sy-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
From: Neil Fettes <benn-AT-idirect.com>
Subject: Ontario Labour's Day of Protest in Peterborough

********************************************************************************

The following are some impressions I jotted down after today's "Day of
Protest" in Peterborough, Ontario against the policies of Ontario's
Progressive Conservative Premier Mike Harris.

********************************************************************************

The fact that it was pouring with rain didn't seem like a good omen for the
fourth "Day of Protest" against the Progressive Conservative (PC)
government's so-called Common Sense Revolution. Earlier demonstrations had
been held in London, Hamilton and most recently Kitcher-Waterloo,. Now
Peterborough was the focus. Peterborough is a city of aproximately 70,000
people about two hours north-east of Toronto. The city has some light
manufacturing and is home to Trent university, but the big employer in the
area is General Motors in Oshawa. A reasonable turn-out was expected.

The labour movement had chartered a series of buses to take people to
Peterborough and I took one hired by the Metro Toronto Labour Council. The
bus was about three-quarters full and it seemed as if everyone on the bus
(except me) had gone to the New Democratic Party's leadership convention in
Hamilton over the past weekend. People seemed to be in a especialy jubilent
mood as they expected new leader Howard Hampton, to re-unite the party and
lead them out of the wilderness. During their term in office the NDP had
bowed to defecit reduction mania and in a piece of legislation mis-named the
Social Contract, had re-opened Public Sector Union Contracts and imposed
unpaid vaction days and wage freezes on union members. The Social Contract
split the party's supporters including those in labour (traditionally the
party leadership's most loyal supporters) and helped contribute to the
party's humiliating finish in the last election. The fact that Hampton was a
part of the previous NDP government and had voted for Social Contract
legislation seemed not to register on my travelling companions.

When I arrived at the site of the rally I was struck by how few people were
there. Approximatly 5,000. In addition the crowd was very quiet. There were
the usual series of newspaper sellers, information distributors and
"feelgood" speeches from the front but not much else happening. As I walked
around the park looking for people I knew I did see the usual union
contingents such as the CAW, the United Steelworkers, the various teachers'
federations, as well as OPSIU, who had recently fought a major strike with
the Ontario government. The other thing that struck me was the composition
of the crowd. It was an older crowd and less ethnically diverse than
previous demonstrations. Earlier demonstrations had much greater numbers of
young people as well as a more multi-cultural component.

Earlier in the morning union militants had shut down a number of business.
Picketers blocked the entrances to Trent University and some Federal and
provincial offices. The local canal was also closed by picketers. Local
business leaders piously complained that the protest had cost Peterborough
over $100,000.

The march got underway about eleven thirty, winding through the city's
downtown and ending up at a park on the other side of the city. In all
honesty it didn't feel much like a demonstration, more like a sunday stroll.
The only two chants I heard were "Save the Tuna; Can the Tories" and "Hey
Hey Ho Ho, Mike Harris Has Got To Go." The people I was marching with did
try a few chants but if the rest of the crowd can't or won't pick them up it
isn't easy.

By the tide the crowd reached the rally site it had grown to somewhere in
the region of 12,000 people. Once they had settled into the park, the
demonstrators were treated to music by the "Rank & File" band (who seem to
be entirely composed of ex-members of the Communist Party) and speeches by
some of the big guns in Canadian labour: Buzz Hargrove of the CAW, Sid Ryan
of CUPE, and Gord Wilson from the OFL among others.  Although the speeches
contained the usual mix of empty rhetoric and Canadian nationalism one stuck
out in my mind: OFL leader Gord Wilson threatened that "if necessary" the
labour movement would stage a general strike to halt the Tory government.
"If necessary" ? Of course every other options would be exhausted first, but
the notion I heard most often stated was "we have to get out there and
re-elect the NDP." Not particularly appealing. The OFL broke with the NDP
over the Social Contract legislation, they are now right behind the party.
Hardly surprising since some unions, such as the united Steelworkers, were
opposed to any such break in the first place.

Perhaps the final comment on the sincerely of the labour leaders in fighting
the Harris agenda is reflected in the final words of the rally. "See you in
Toronto in October." The next such action is planned for Toronto on October
23-24. Almost four months away! and if that doesn't work they'll have an
even bigger one in the Spring... or not.

It was a strange feeling being at the rally today. On the one hand I felt
that every one of these demonstrations is a little more under the control of
the labour bureaucrats, a little more sedate. The first rally in London last
December (which was actually billed as a General Strike, a term no longer
used) was very militant. Perhaps because no-one really knew what would
happen. I was on a Ford picket line in Talbotville at 6:30 in the morning in
-35 C weather and no-noe was crossing that line. It was an amazing feeling.
Today's events lacked that spark. And yet on the other hand there is a real
anger out there. Among the union rank and file, the poor, the seniors, the
womens' orgnanizations, the unemployed, and all the others effected by this
monsterous government. If only that anger can be set loose.

Neil Fettes




     --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---