Basics Community Newsletter Bulletin
June 13, 2008
On June 12, 2008 the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) released reports regarding the police murders of 18-year-old Alwy Al-Nadhir and 28-year-old Byron Debassige. In both cases, the reports cleared police of any wrongdoing. The families are distraught and unsatisfied with the reports. Both official reports clash with the information that the families had been given prior to the reports being released. In addition, certain crucial information was missing from the reports. Nowhere in Debassige’s report does it mention that Byron was schizophrenic. Contrary to what the report says about eyewitnesses, witnesses told the family that Byron posed no visible threat and was in fact singing and laughing when he was approached by the police.
In Al-Nadhir’s case, the report says that Al-Nadhir tried to grab the officer’s gun from him. This is inconsistent with the scant information provided to the family prior to the report being released when investigators told Al-Nadhir’s family that he had tried to run away.
In both cases, the families will fight for a timely coroner’s inquest in order to find out what really happened to their loved ones. The Justice for Alwy Campaign is bringing together families like Byron’s and Alwy’s who have suffered the loss of a loved one at the hands of police. Together, families affected by police brutality are coming together to demand justice and build a formidable people’s movement to make that possible. Justice for Alwy and Byron now!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Sunday, June 01, 2008
The TTC Strike, Back To Work Legislation, and What it Means for Workers
Paulina V.
Basics Issue #9 (May 2008)
On May First 1886, more than 400,000 workers in Chicago held a demonstration during a nation wde labour strike. They were demanding an 8-hour workday and although this was a struggle that resulted in the deaths of several labour activists and leaders it lead to the eventual adoption of the 8-hour workday. From this point on, the First of May would be recognized as International Workers Day in celebration of the rights, struggles and victories of everyday workers.
International Workers Day marks the importance of workers’ fundamental right to hold demonstrations, protests and to go on strike to demand safety, higher wages, union recognition and, ultimately, justice. The purpose of striking is not only to give workers a unified voice, but also to establish social and economic equality between workers and employers. Throughout history, strikes have been a symbol of workers’ collective strength and commitment to justice.
On April 25th when the TTC’s 9,000 strong workforce rejected the contract under negotiation and overwhelmingly voted to strike, thousands of riders were left stranded and frustrated at everything ranging from fare costs, route frequency, dirty subway stations and a supposedly greedy workforce. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor David Miller reacted quickly and called an emergency session of the legislature-at which time Back-To-Work legislation was passed bringing an abrupt end to the 2 day strike.
So why do transit fares seems to rise so often and why do riders feel like they are getting ripped off? Under Mike Harris’ Conservative government of the 1990s the TTC budget, which used to receive 50% of its operating costs from the province of Ontario, was slashed leaving behind an aging and severely under-funded public transit system. Thus while the city of Toronto continues to grow and with it demands for a better transit system, inadequate funding from all levels of government have left the TTC crippled and unable to respond to riders’ needs.
As workers struggling to keep up with the ever-rising cost of living and poor working conditions, the recent TTC strike invites us to reflect on some of the key issues at stake during the demonstrations held leading up to and following the first International Workers Day. If the province refuses to provide adequate funding for public transportation at the same time that it beefs up the police’s operating budget with millions of additional dollars, what message is government sending to transit users who must pick up the tab? If 400 TTC managers earn more than $100,000/per year, who really holds power within the TTC? If workers’ right to strike can be so easily overruled without challenge from any of the main political parties, who can workers rely on to represent their interests? And if the mainstream media and politicians alike purposely and aggressively pit the public against a workforce who has a legitimate claim to better working conditions why do we so easily accept this antagonism when neither politicians nor the media represent our interests?
Preventing employees’ ability to strike over labour relation issues undermines the democratic rights of workers. Strikes are not only a key means for achieving economic justice but strikes also provide an opportunity for all workers to stand beside and support their brothers and sisters struggling for better conditions. Forcing workers to end their strike and stripping them of their right to strike on the basis that they provide an essential service isn’t justifiable and it sets a dangerous precedent that erodes the rights of ALL workers, not just those involved in the dispute.
If more than 1.5 million of us ride the TTC every weekday to get home, to school and to work, we should look for ways to build alliances with the 9,000 TTC drivers and maintenance staff that make this possble rather than divert our frustrations at them. If politicians and mainstream media are so invested in pushing an antagonism between TTC workers and the general public where there isn’t one, why should we buy it? We shouldn’t. We should work together to demand a healthy public transportation system that is well funded, well run and well supported. ∗
Basics Issue #9 (May 2008)
On May First 1886, more than 400,000 workers in Chicago held a demonstration during a nation wde labour strike. They were demanding an 8-hour workday and although this was a struggle that resulted in the deaths of several labour activists and leaders it lead to the eventual adoption of the 8-hour workday. From this point on, the First of May would be recognized as International Workers Day in celebration of the rights, struggles and victories of everyday workers.
International Workers Day marks the importance of workers’ fundamental right to hold demonstrations, protests and to go on strike to demand safety, higher wages, union recognition and, ultimately, justice. The purpose of striking is not only to give workers a unified voice, but also to establish social and economic equality between workers and employers. Throughout history, strikes have been a symbol of workers’ collective strength and commitment to justice.
On April 25th when the TTC’s 9,000 strong workforce rejected the contract under negotiation and overwhelmingly voted to strike, thousands of riders were left stranded and frustrated at everything ranging from fare costs, route frequency, dirty subway stations and a supposedly greedy workforce. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor David Miller reacted quickly and called an emergency session of the legislature-at which time Back-To-Work legislation was passed bringing an abrupt end to the 2 day strike.
So why do transit fares seems to rise so often and why do riders feel like they are getting ripped off? Under Mike Harris’ Conservative government of the 1990s the TTC budget, which used to receive 50% of its operating costs from the province of Ontario, was slashed leaving behind an aging and severely under-funded public transit system. Thus while the city of Toronto continues to grow and with it demands for a better transit system, inadequate funding from all levels of government have left the TTC crippled and unable to respond to riders’ needs.
As workers struggling to keep up with the ever-rising cost of living and poor working conditions, the recent TTC strike invites us to reflect on some of the key issues at stake during the demonstrations held leading up to and following the first International Workers Day. If the province refuses to provide adequate funding for public transportation at the same time that it beefs up the police’s operating budget with millions of additional dollars, what message is government sending to transit users who must pick up the tab? If 400 TTC managers earn more than $100,000/per year, who really holds power within the TTC? If workers’ right to strike can be so easily overruled without challenge from any of the main political parties, who can workers rely on to represent their interests? And if the mainstream media and politicians alike purposely and aggressively pit the public against a workforce who has a legitimate claim to better working conditions why do we so easily accept this antagonism when neither politicians nor the media represent our interests?
Preventing employees’ ability to strike over labour relation issues undermines the democratic rights of workers. Strikes are not only a key means for achieving economic justice but strikes also provide an opportunity for all workers to stand beside and support their brothers and sisters struggling for better conditions. Forcing workers to end their strike and stripping them of their right to strike on the basis that they provide an essential service isn’t justifiable and it sets a dangerous precedent that erodes the rights of ALL workers, not just those involved in the dispute.
If more than 1.5 million of us ride the TTC every weekday to get home, to school and to work, we should look for ways to build alliances with the 9,000 TTC drivers and maintenance staff that make this possble rather than divert our frustrations at them. If politicians and mainstream media are so invested in pushing an antagonism between TTC workers and the general public where there isn’t one, why should we buy it? We shouldn’t. We should work together to demand a healthy public transportation system that is well funded, well run and well supported. ∗
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