The CAW is turning 25 this year and what better way to celebrate our two and a half decades than by a song?
Many talented CAW members from across the country submitted their original work. Congratulations to all participants, especially all finalists!
Now votes have been tabulated and the winner is in!
Congratulations to Glen MacNeil of Local 2027 in Windsor who has won the 25th anniversary song contest with his tune "Stand up for what you believe."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUBoB__CvxI
Glen will perform the song at the CAW Joint Council in Montreal, Quebec - August 27-29.
BTW- Glen is half of the duo called ReGael. Please visit their myspace. They have a new CD out.
http://www.myspace.com/regael
www.myspace.com/glenmacneil
  In Solidarity,
Mark Bartlett
CAW Local 444
Community Environment Representative
CAW Regional Office
2345 Central Ave., 2nd Floor
Windsor, Ontario, N8W 4J1
Ph.- 519-974-5341
Fax- 519-944-5248
Cell- 519-982-8115
mdmbartlett@aol.com

Census long-form debacle; G20 austerity measures repeat mistakes of 1930s

Dear Friends and Members,
 
The federal government refuses to yield on its decision to end mandatory census long-form data collection, despite an unprecedented Canada-wide backlash that includes doctors, religious groups, academics, city planners and economists.
 
The CCPA's Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan has been amongst those leading the call for a reversal of the new long-form policy. Her criticism began two weeks ago with an open letter to the Honourable Tony Clement, Ministry of Industry and Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada and Munir Sheikh, Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada.  Click here to read it.
 
Armine has continued her critique in a series of blog posts and a CBC radio appearance, all listed here:
 
Listen to Armine appearing on CBC radio's As It Happens. [July 5]
An account of the growing backlash to the policy, in Rolling Thunder Census Review. [July  9]
A media roundup of the latest top news stories and editorials on the issue. [July 12]
Christian and Jewish groups join the debate in this New twist on census story [July 15]
Armine comments as The Fraser Institute Weighs In on the Census [July 16]
Make sure to check our website reuglarly for the latest on this debacle.
 
Also, in the wake of the G20 and the agreement by its leaders to cut deficts in half by 2013, I write in a recent editorial that the austerity measures required to do so are a mistake. The Harper fiscal austerity plan repeats mistakes of the 1930s by cutting government programs before the recovery is complete.  Click here to read the full commentary.
 
 
All the best,
 
 
Bruce Campbell, Executive Director
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
205-75 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7
tel: 613-563-1341 fax: 613-233-1458
email: info@policyalternatives.ca
http://www.policyalternatives.ca

MESSAGE FROM LABOUR COUNCIL
Communications
 
    * Rally for Civil Rights
    * City Council Rejects Selling Toronto Hydro
        * Support Massey Centre Workers
    * Star Op-Ed on Corporate Tax Cuts
 
RALLY FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES
Over two thousand people came out on Saturday, July 10th to Queen’s Park to demand an independent inquiry into the events around the G20.  Many organizations have now joined the Canadian Labour Congress and Canadian Civil Liberties Association in calling for this inquiry into the largest mass arrest in Canadian history.
 
While most news  from June 26/27 focused on the vandalism and arrests, the  headline  story  should have been the G20 adoption of an austerity agenda the will result in deep cuts to public services and workers standards in many countries. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom is supposed to guarantee the rights to freedom of speech, freedom to assembly and freedom to exercise our right to peaceful and lawful protest. To read the full statement endorsed by Labour Council delegates click here. To sign a petition calling for the inquiry go to www.ccla.org
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CITY HALL CHAMBERS PACKED FOR VOTE ON TORONTO HYDRO
The gallery at Toronto City Hall was packed on July 6th for the vote on Toronto Hydro. A staff report to the City Council Executive recently recommended asking the provincial government to cancel any taxes that would be paid if the city wanted to sell off its public utility. Instead, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone moved a motion explicitly calling for keeping Toronto Hydro in public hands.
 
After hours of debate, his motion passed overwhelmingly with a vote of 30-6. The unrepentant privatizers who opposed Joe’s motion included Karen Stintz and John Parker, but for once they were not joined by Rob Ford. He didn’t say a word . Maybe he read the opinion polls and understood that the public overwhelmingly wants to keep hydro public. Congratulations to CUPE Local 1 and their many allies who organized a great turnout.
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JOE FOR MAYOR!
On July 6th, the Labour Council officially voted to endorse Joe Pantalone for Mayor in the 2010 municipal elections. As Deputy Mayor, Joe is the only candidate for mayor who is determined to defend a progressive Toronto where workers rights are respected and the crucial role of strong public services is understood.  Check out our choice for Mayor at www.mayorjoe.ca 
 
The Council also voted to support a number of sitting progressive Councillors for re-election, as well as Council candidates Cadigia Ali in Ward 2 and Kevin Beaulieu in Ward 18. Ten candidates for Toronto District School Board were also endorsed. The full list is on the Labour Council website. 
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SUPPORT MASSEY CENTRE WORKERS
Labour Council delegates heard from two of the SEIU members on strike for seven weeks against the Massey Centre for Women. Their picketline on Broadview Ave. north of Mortimer, has seen lots of union solidarity, including a BBQ earlier that day and CUPE Local 3902 bringing lunch to the strikers every week.  Any time you have half an hour to spare, come by and bring some encouragement to those on the line for dignity and respect. www.seiulocal1.org
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STAR OP-ED – CANCEL CORPORATE TAX CUTS
Opinion Editorial by Labour Council President John Cartwright.
We are told that the G20 leaders left Toronto agreeing on one main thing – an austerity agenda to reduce deficits within three years. We have all heard about the government budget deficits in Canada. The feds and the province have massive shortfalls because of the global recession and money for infrastructure stimulus. Both finance ministers have appeared numerous times to sternly warn that belts will have to be tightened, and spending reduced if we are to tackle the new fiscal reality.
But there is a disturbing other side to the picture that politicians seem to feel is impolite to mention in mixed company. That is that both the federal and Ontario governments are implementing a series of corporate tax cuts that deplete public revenues by billions of dollars every year. So while ordinary Canadians are being told there isn’t enough money for transit, or education, or healthcare, the wealthiest companies are getting bonus tax cuts. Read more click http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/834317--opinion-cancel-corporate-tax-cuts-to-deal-with-deficit   
 
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