Toronto Public Library Workers Union
Mayworks Festival Toronto May 1 May 14
[Photo: Haseena Manek]
WOMEN OF LABOUR AND THE ARTS: Congratulations to the winners of the latest Min Sook Lee Labour Arts Awards. Left to right: Maureen O’Reilly, Margie Adam, Faith Nolan, Althea Balmes and Jo SiMalaya Alcampo. Here’s the great write-up by Haseena Manek for Our Times Magazine.
The annual Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts is in full swing in Toronto (May 1 to May 14), and in Halifax (April 30 to May 16): Mayworks Halifax Festival of Working People & the Arts.
Don't miss out!
April 28 is Canada's National Day of Mourning
"Work for the Living, Remember the Dead"
Today is Canada's National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured at work. Read CUPE Ontario's statement on the significance of this annual event on April 28.
Where did this day of observance originate? Right here in Canada. The Canadian Union of Public Employees started Workers' Memorial Day in 1984. The next year the Canadian Labour Congress declared it a national day, which became law in 1990 with the Official Mourning Day's Act. Why April 28? This was the day Workers Compensation Act was passed in 1911.
Today's Headlines:
Seeking Justice for Fallen Workers Toronto Star
Day of Mourning recognizes 7 work-related deaths in Windsor CBC
International Day of Mourning: Number of Workplace Deaths on the Rise in Canada rabble.ca
National Day of Mourning: A call to keep workplace safety top of mind Canadian Occupational Safety
National Day Of Mourning: This Is How Many Canadians Die At Work The Huffington Post
Workplace deaths remembered at National Day of Mourning ceremony in High Park Inside Toronto
Joseph Maloney: We need to work harder to stop workplace deaths The Province
Cover of Our Times Magazine!
Check out the latest issue of Our Times Magazine. Local 4948 President, Maureen O'Reilly is featured on the cover (see inset) as one of the five recipients of the Labour Arts Award. Read the full story on page 31.
City Votes to Restore $200,000 Cut From Library Budget!
At the City budget vote on March 11, Councillor Sarah Doucette,Library Board member and Cllr for Ward 13, introduced a motion to reinstate the $200,000 cut from the library budget
Library Board members and City Cllrs Mary Fragedakis and Ana Bailão also strongly supported this motion, as did Councillor Janet Davis.
Cllrs Mammolitti, Campbell, and Ford attacked the reinstatement of $200,000 to the library budget for security. Nevertheless, the motion passed! It was a close vote: 23-20.
How did your City councillor vote? Here are the Councillors who voted against the motion to restore the cuts to the Library budget.
John Campbell - Ward 4
Cristin Carmichael Greb Ward 16
Josh Colle - Ward 15
Gary Crawford - Ward 36
Vincent Crisanti - Ward 1
Glenn De Baeremaker - Ward 38
Justin Di Ciano - Ward 5
John Filion - Ward 23
Rob Ford - Ward 2
Mark Grimes - Ward 6
Stephen Holyday - Ward 3
Norm Kelly - Ward 40
Georgio Mammolitti - Ward 7
Josh Matlow - Ward 22
Denzil Minnan-Wong - Ward 34
Ron Moeser - Ward 44
Frances Nunziata - Ward 11
Cesar Palacio - Ward 17
David Shiner - Ward 24
John Tory - Mayor
Jaye Robinson was absent. James Pasternak abstained from this vote.
We are very disappointed that Mayor Tory voted against this motion - a reinstatement of the library security budget representing only a 0.1% increase after years of cuts.
We are thankful to the councillors who voted to support the reinstatement of this money previously cut. Thank you to all the citizens who signed the campaign petition - your support made a difference!
The City and the Library Board received over 5,000 emails protesting the security cuts - indeed, Toronto loves their libraries and wants the cuts to end.
International Women's Day 2015
The 2015 International Women's Day March takes place on Saturday, March 7.
The Toronto Public Library Workers Union Local 4948 will be on the march - we look forward to seeing you there!
Theme: Our Territories. Our Communities. Our Bodies.
Rally: 11 AM OISE Auditorium
March: 1 PM 252 Bloor Street West
Fair: 2 PM Ryerson, 55 Gould Street
February is Black History Month
In 1946, the first Canadian trade union organized for and by black Canadians was established: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in Canada.
Explore these links to read about these Canadian workers and their couragous battle to unionize.
At Work: Historical Images of Labour in Saskatchewan: Sleeping Car Porters
Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Sleeping Car Porters
Windsor Communities: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
North American Railway Hall of Fame: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
CN Railway Porter in Saskatoon, Photo Courtesy of John Wen, University of Saskatoon Reading Room
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