(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By Kimball Cariou

Buried in the business pages of your daily paper, you can find staggering figures on the explosive growth of profits and mergers.

     Statistics Canada reports that Canadian corporate profits for the first quarter of 2007 broke all-time records, hitting $63.8 billion, up 2.9% over the previous three month period. By comparison, quarterly profits have averaged about $50 billion in recent years. StatsCan says that "about half of the overall profit gain can be attributed to rising commodity prices."

     The same time period saw another economic record: 483 mergers and acquisitions involving Canadian firms worth $66 billion, the highest-ever such figure for a first quarter period.

     Most mainstream economists dismiss fears that this trend is eroding Canadian sovereignty, arguing that Canadian capital is buying firms outside this country faster than takeovers by foreign corporations are happening here. At first glance, the numbers seem to support such an argument. There were 143 cases of Canadian-based companies buying foreign firms in the first quarter of 2007, with a value of $22 billion, compared to 46 foreign acquisitions of Canadian companies, totalling $15 billion.

     But there are problems with this analysis. As a related story on this page shows, higher export prices for energy and other commodities mean bigger profits for some Canadian companies to invest overseas. But they also lead to a higher Canadian dollar, and growing job losses in the manufacturing sector. The historical tendency to transform Canada into a "hewer of wood and drawer of water" in the service of U.S. imperialism continues, with the happy involvement of Canadian capitalists in search of a fast buck. For working people, higher-paid, unionized manufacturing jobs are increasingly being replaced by low-paid, non-union service sector employment.

     Looking at the bigger picture, what we see is a global trend as capital moves from traditional domestic bases, gobbling up competitors and profitable targets with little regard for national boundaries. Canadian corporations are full participants in this process, such as Barrick Gold and GoldCorp, "our" mining companies which exploit labour and resources in many Third World countries.

     The net outcome is a loss of popular sovereignty and democracy everywhere, including Canada. Transnational corporations are increasing their penetration of the entire globe, with outstanding exceptions such as Venezuela and Bolivia, where public ownership of resources is expanding. But working people are losing their ability to control, regulate and tax these operations. Just because Canadian mining firms reap huge profits in Central America or Indonesia, that does not give Canadians more power over the U.S.-based energy giants active in our country, for example.

     In reality, the "hollowing out" of the Canadian economy is accelerating, without a word of protest from the federal government. For example, the recently announced $33 billion (U.S.) hostile takeover bid by New York-based Alcoa Inc. for Alcan Inc. of Montreal would mean that Canada's three largest mining companies, employing 91,000 Canadians, will be controlled by foreign interests.

     Falconbridge and Inco, formerly the second- and third-largest Canadian mining firms, were sold last year. Switzerland-based Xstrata PLC bought Falconbridge, with its historic Sudbury nickel operation and the Noranda and Kidd Creek base-metals deposits. Inco, which pioneered nickel production at Sudbury and in Manitoba, was snapped up by Brazil's state-owned Companhia Vale do Rio Doce.

     Alcan is the world's number two producer of aluminum, a strategic metal in the aerospace and military industries which are critical to U.S. imperialism's war machine. Alcan is Canada's eighth-largest company, and the fifth-largest Canadian-controlled firm, with 64,700 employees, annual revenues of $24 billion and assets of close to $30 billion.

     Interestingly, there are a few voices of sanity in the corporate towers. "It's a disaster for Canada," Doug Davis, money manager at Davis-Rea Ltd. in Toronto told Bloomberg News, responding to the Alcoa announcement. "Anything and everything is for sale. We'll run out of companies to invest in."

     There is also speculation that Quebec Premier Jean Charest will raise objections to the Alcoa takeover, which would be highly unpopular in Quebec.

     However, Canada has the least restrictions on foreign takeovers among the G-7 nations. As some financial analysts have noted, this is a factor in the recent spate of takeovers. Since the beginning of 2006, there have been about 600 foreign takeovers of Canadian firms, worth more than $150 billion (U.S.), including Dofasco, Hudson's Bay, and Abitibi-Consolidated.

     Dominic D'Alessandro, the CEO of Manulife Financial Corp., told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in May that "I sometimes worry that we may all wake up one day and find that as a nation, we have lost control of our affairs." He called for ownership restrictions for "sensitive" sectors of the economy similar to those in financial services, media and telecommunications.

     But the Harper Conservatives see no problem. Federal Public Works Minister Michael Fortier (who was appointed a Senator and placed in the Harper cabinet on the same day that Vancouver Kingsway Liberal MP David Emerson jumped ship to join the Tories) told the Canadian Press that Alcoa "is proposing in its offer to maintain most of the jobs in Quebec and, actually, elsewhere in Canada. So, we'll have to see."

     Yes, just like the Emperor Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By a People's Voice reader

On May 11th I attended a forum called "Manufacturing Jobs Matter," part of a Canadian Labour Congress campaign organized locally by the Toronto and York Region Labour Council. Over two hundred workers packed into City Hall for a presentation on the crisis facing Canadian manufacturing. The facts discussed by the main panelists, economists with the CAW, Steelworkers and CEP, were shocking.

     Today's news headlines talk about record corporate profits and a "robust job picture," but our manufacturing sector, an engine of the economy, is vanishing fast.

     Last year, 18,000 jobs were lost in one month, including 13,000 in Ontario. Many of the losses were in Toronto, the largest manufacturing region in Canada, home to 400,000 workers.

     Since 2002 an amazing 104,600 jobs have been eliminated in Ontario manufacturing. This has had a big economic hit, costing $22 billion in consumer spending and $1 billion in lost taxes. Across Canada, 250,000 manufacturing jobs have been killed in under five years, for an average of 150 jobs every day!

     The CAW reports that 2000 plastic and rubber manufacturing jobs, and 8000 aerospace jobs, were killed in the past five years. Canada's metal manufacturing industry lost 20,000 jobs. Wood and paper also lost nearly 20,000 jobs. Since August 2002, over 60,000 jobs have been lost in textiles and clothing. Behind every job loss is a family, and there were many impassioned examples by laid-off workers.

     In the late '80s, close to 17% of the workforce was in manufacturing. Today, it's less than 12%. "There is an inertia behind this trend that's getting harder to turn around," one speaker said, adding "Whose economy is doing well?"

     Another economist discussed the impact of the rising Canadian dollar on manufacturing. This section was very interesting, because it gave the opposite picture of what I expected.

     Recently, the value of the loonie in comparison to the US dollar has increased 44%. That's 44% less in the sales revenue of exports. The reason? The increasing value of our oil and gas exports. The Canadian dollar is now seen more as a petro dollar. We were told a graph of the price of oil and gas closely matches the increase in currency.

     With the tar sands, it's getting worse. Canada is exporting natural gas to the US at the same time as we are running out of natural gas domestically. Before the Mulroney Tories eliminated mandatory reserves, Canada stockpiled 25 years of natural gas reserves. Today, the stockpile is only seven years.

     Although oil and gas is booming, of the 120 new petrochemical refining plants being built in the world, none are in Canada. The industry has lost 3,000 jobs since 2002. Secondary processing plants in Fort Saskatchewan and Sarnia have closed for lack of feedstock.

     CEP hired an analyst to calculate how many jobs will be lost by the new Keystone pipeline, which would send 430,000 barrels a day of crude to Uncle Sam. Not refining this oil in Canada could cost 18,400 jobs, including 4,000 outside Alberta, mostly in Ontario (where the refinery equipment is made). The billions of barrels of crude going to the US from the Alberta tar sands actually kill jobs by pushing up the loonie's price.

     About half of Canada's energy industry is under foreign control. Millions go to tax breaks in that industry, where there are no restrictions on the level of foreign ownership.

     Another speaker drew the connection between a healthy environment and a healthy workplace. He said Harper wants to scare us into thinking we'll suffer big job losses due to Kyoto, but never talks about the real manufacturing jobs crisis facing our economy.

     The connections clearly expose imperialism's strategy of deep integration into the U.S., and the fuelling of Fortress America.

     The meeting closed with CLC vice-president Hassan Yusuf, who said there would be a major campaign soon. While no action plan was proposed, a rally in Ottawa on May 30th was announced.

     "We've got to find a way to get our act together and fight as a family," Yusuf said, emphasizing unity. "That is the only option we have, to fight," he added to strong applause.

     There is no doubt a serious crisis is facing Canada's manufacturing industry. Will such a powerful campaign develop, or just more highly controlled public events? Leadership would seem to be a decisive factor. What is clear is that the future of our country, and our class, is at stake.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

Special to PV

The new budget of Quebec's minority Liberal government announces tax cuts for the "middle class" and big business, but little for healthcare and education. In fact, the government proposes tuition increases for university students, and a commission to expand private healthcare.

     In the last days of the April provincial election, Premier Jean Charest promised a $950 million tax cut, which is in the budget. Goodies for the corporate sector include accelerated reduction of the tax on capital, which will be eliminated after Dec. 31, 2010, and doubling the capital tax credit for business modernization investments, from five to 10 per cent.

     The official opposition, Mario Dumont's Action democratique du Quebec (ADQ) says it will vote against the budget. The Parti Quebecois says this is not the time to decrease revenues, but will consider its options at a full caucus meeting before deciding whether to vote against the government. Unlike in the federal arena, there is no tradition in Quebec of allowing opposition parties to amend the budget.

     Finance Minister Monique Jerome-Forget also announced that Claude Castonguay, fresh from a career in the private insurance industry, will head the task force to look into a greater role for private health care. Castonguay, well-known as the "father of Quebec's public healthcare system" during the Bourassa government era, is now a strong supporter of privatization. Expected to report this fall, the commission could recommend changes to the Canada Health Act, which guarantees access to health care without extra billing. Castonguay told Quebec National Assembly hearings last year that he supports a $25-a-visit user fee every time Quebecers visit a doctor.

     Quebec has already expanded private profit health care, with legislation last year allowing private clinics to affiliate with the public system. The task force is expected to recommend further private participation.

     As for students, the government will begin phasing in a $500 hike in university tuition fees, starting with a $50 increase in September 2007.

     The budget includes more bad news for public services. Five government services will be turned over to the private sector and 3,800 public service jobs will be eliminated by attrition over three years. Quebec already replaces only one of every two retiring employees, a policy which has cut 3,400 jobs since 2004.

     Claiming that the government needs to "refocus on priorities," Jerome-Forget said that means getting out of "non essential services." Her plan is to privatize the province's highway sign production centre, its furniture and supply services unit and government copying services, affecting 457 employees.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

The left-wing Québec Solidaire party, which won about 3.5% of the vote in the March election, said it was "deeply disappointed by Charest government's May 24 budget," and that the $950 million tax cut was "irresponsible considering the dire situation of public services in Quebec."

     "A tax cut will worsen the lack of financial resources for social sectors," said Francoise David, national QS spokeswoman. "Important ministries such as Employment Quebec and the Immigration Ministry will have their budgets reduced. No important measure has been adopted to fight poverty, and only a few social housing units will be built.

     "It is particularly ironic that a government which says it wants to stake on sustainable development allocates more money to building highways than to public transportation. The mandate given to Claude Castonguay, a strong backer of private health insurance, reinforces the fear that the worst is to come: a health system in which the well-off will receive health care before other citizens. And finally, culture will again be treated like a poor relation in Quebec's budget."

     David noted that the Charest government failed to keep promises such as the creation of new places in day care centers, the recruitment of 1,500 extra physicians, and a massive reinvestment in post-secondary education.

     "For Québec Solidaire, this is the budget of a government at the service of the well-off, a government that dreams to privatize health and which grants fiscal presents to corporations without asking them anything in exchange," said QS spokesman Amir Khadir. "This is the opposite of government concerned with the environment and with solidarity."

     "The budget is an electoral one," declared Pierre Fontaine, President of the Communist Party of Québec. "The government aims to guarantee that it will receive the powerful support of the bourgeoisie, which sees this budget as the best in recent times. The government is also betting that its tax cuts will seduce so-called `middle class' voters who cast their ballots for the Action démocratique du Québec in the March 26 election. In fact, the three parties in the National Assembly are struggling more or less for the same political space. If not for the national question, this situation could even lead to the disappearance of one of the parties. Québec Solidaire now represents the only real opposition to the right."

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(The following article is from the June 1-15 ,2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

People's Voice Editorial, June 1-15, 2007

If the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (SPP) deal with the United States is crucial to Canada's future, why are the Harper Conservatives so reluctant to debate it in Parliament?

     A new study by the "independent" (read: corporate-financed) Fraser Institute claims that the SPP and other agreements are "the best way to maintain an open border with the United States and safeguard our trade relationship." The Institute's own figures disprove the argument that Canada is somehow "missing out" on cross-border trade. In 2005, the U.S. received 78% of Canadian exports, and was the source of 65% of our imports. The total value of such trade was $709 billion, about 52% of Canada's annual GDP. The Fraser Institute wants that process to accelerate towards "deep integration," leaving Canada with a flag and Parliament buildings, but probably not our own currency, and no real sovereignty over our economy, social programs or foreign policy.

     Yet the Harper Tories prefer to keep us in the dark about deep integration. On May 10, Conservative MPs shut down parliamentary hearings on the SPP, while University of Alberta professor Gordon Laxer was testifying that Canadians will be left to "freeze in the dark" under plans to integrate energy supplies across North America. The SPP commits Canada to ensure U.S. energy supplies, even though our country has no plan or reserves to protect our own supplies. But MP Leon Benoit, Tory chair of the committee on international trade which was holding the hearings, ruled that Laxer's testimony was not relevant. When opposition MPs overruled Benoit, he "adjourned" the meeting and stormed out.

     The minority Harper government is clinging to power with the goal of driving through the SPP and other sellout policies, despite the opposition of most Canadians. It's time to drive the Tories out of office, before their damage becomes too deep to reverse!

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

People's Voice Editorial, June 1-15, 2007

The June 29 "National Day of Action" by Aboriginal peoples is an important expression of the growing movement for just settlement of land claims and other demands. We urge the labour and democratic movements to give all-out support for June 29 actions being organized by Aboriginal groups across the country, from rallies and marches to direct actions.

     Solidarity is particularly important in the context of the racist campaign of threats and violence against Aboriginal peoples, such as the intimidation against the Six Nations reclamation struggle at Caledonia. The federal Conservative government and other right-wing forces are already warning of "crackdowns," particularly against actions which could interrupt the flow of corporate profits. Such warnings follow the revelation that a Canadian Armed Forces training manual includes Aboriginal resistance movements among so-called "terrorist" groups. While this reference has supposedly been removed, the Canadian state clearly regards Aboriginal activists as targets for military attack, not as members of nations resisting the occupation of their lands.

     Allies of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit people must also call for relations of equality and justice among all nations in Canada. That requires a new, democratic constitution based on an equal and voluntary partnership of the Aboriginal peoples, Quebec, and English-speaking Canada, recognizing the national rights of Aboriginal peoples and Quebec to self-determination, up to and including secession. It also means swift and just settlement of Aboriginal land claims, including natural resource agreements, and emergency action to improve living conditions, employment, health and housing standards.

     Justice now! All out on June 29!

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

"Assembly of First Nations Call on all Canadians to stand with us on June 29th, issued at Gatineau, Quebec, May 23, 2007"

The Assembly of First Nations calls on First Nations, Canadian citizens and corporations, to stand together to insist that the Government of Canada respond to the crisis in First Nations communities.

     Since Confederation in 1867, First Nations have been subject to repeated attempts by the Government of Canada to forcibly assimilate us and erase our identities.  Still, we survive today as distinct peoples.

     It is time for action.

     First Nations have put forward a reasonable plan that provides for reconciliation and begins to close the gaps between First Nations and Canadians. Working in collaboration, this plan will contribute to a more productive, prosperous and harmonious Canada.

     First Nations call on the Parliament of Canada to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to respect the decision by the UN Human Rights Council that the Declaration establishes the essential standards for respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

     First Nations call on the Government of Canada to respond in a manner that respects First Nations jurisdiction and responsibility over our lands and our peoples, and our right to govern ourselves as Nations, including:

1. Reconciliation of First Nations rights with the Federal Crown through the recognition and implementation of First Nations governments;

2. Investment in the development and implementation of First Nation governments by removing the current cap on core funding, allocation of funds as agreed to at the First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues (2005), and to establish a new formula for sustainable funding transfers based on population and inflation; and,

3. Implementation of structural changes including policy renewal to expedite resolution of First Nations land rights and Treaty implementation.

     First Nations are the original inhabitants of this land, who helped the newcomers survive and build the country called Canada.

     Since before 1867, the engines of assimilation have included federal policies, programs, laws and legislation. The most painful manifestation is the residential schools era, which plagues us to this day through its lasting and devastating cultural, social and economic impacts.

     First Nations poverty is the single greatest social injustice facing Canada. Canada is one of the wealthiest nations, all because of the generosity and land of our ancestors.  Yet First Nations endure poverty and third world conditions in their own homeland.

     This injustice is met with silence. The unacceptable is accepted.

     The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs admits it knows that First Nations face serious funding shortfalls because of a decade-long cap that has frozen funding growth at only two percent a year. This is causing serious health and safety risks to our families and children. Yet the Government of Canada fails to fix this fiscal discrimination.

     First Nations poverty is creating crisis and conflict. First Nations are denied basic rights like access to safe drinking water. First Nations suffer from chronic housing shortages and overcrowding, see their children apprehended and placed in child welfare at alarming rates, and grieve as their youth kill themselves in epidemic proportions.  These statistics are well-known, yet the Government fails to respond decisively with a real plan for action.

     Instead, the Government of Canada fuels frustration by taking a unilateral, piecemeal and scattered approach which lacks vision and ignores fundamental issues. The Government is not engaging meaningfully with First Nations, is not listening to its own recommendations and solutions as agreed to by First Nations and the Government in documents like the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996), the agreement reached at the First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues and the AFN-Crown Political Accord for the Recognition and Implementation of First Nation Governments(2005).

     The Government of Canada opposes Aboriginal rights internationally and domestically. The Government is working to defeat passage of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which affirms Indigenous peoples' collective right to self determination. The Government is undermining collective rights in Canada by trying to force First Nations to adopt legislation that prioritizes individual rights at the expense of collective rights.  The Government is actively denying First Nations the processes, resources and timelines required to foster First Nations solutions.

     First Nations assert the right to full and effective enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms - both collective and individual - including the right to self-determination, without hindrance or adverse discrimination, as recognized in international law and in section 35 of Canada's own Constitution Act, 1982. First Nations assert their right to land, life and justice.

     The Government of Canada is morally and legally obligated to undertake processes of reconciliation and to properly resource the rebuilding of our sacred languages, culture and history. This includes atonement for past wrongs and collaborative work to navigate the way forward.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

Special to PV

For the second time this year, workers at one of Canada's historic major rail companies are walking the picket line. This time it's 3200 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED), out on strike against the CPR since May 16.

     The union members inspect, maintain and build the track, bridges and structures on CP Rail. Their current collective agreement expired last December 31, and bargaining has carried on since July 2006.

     Echoing the CN strike earlier this year, wages, benefits, seniority, work rules, safety, and quality of life are the key issues in this dispute.

     As the union says, the recent rash of train accidents and derailments, some involving dangerous commodities and loss of life, reflects the reality of running trains over poorly maintained track.

     "Everyday a trained and qualified TCRC MWED member finds a defect that has the potential for disaster," says union president William Brehl. "We fix or protect these defects to insure that the right-of-way is safe. All of us are extremely worried about unskilled, unqualified and inexperienced personnel out trying to perform these dangerous and necessary tasks."

     To qualify as a track inspector requires one year minimum of working on the track itself. The TCRC-MWED represents over 1200 licensed track inspectors at CP Rail.

     The company's replacement workers will include around 150 from the ranks of front line supervisors. Other replacement workers will be taken from management desk or sedentary jobs, who have never worked on the track previously.

     "We are asking for a 4% wage increase for 2007. The company is standing firm at 3%," says Brehl, pointing out that the Canada-wide average for wage increases in contracts settled in 2007 is at 3.4% and rising. CP Rail is making enormous profits, while offering below average wage increases, and demanding "massive concessions in seniority, work rules and our health and welfare benefits," says Brehl.

     Even for employees with considerable seniority, work at CP Rail increasingly involves night and weekend shifts. Railway workers are more and more often facing work demands that clash with family time and rest breaks, as layoffs increase the burden on the remaining employees.

     Last year saw record profits of $2.1 billion at CN and $796 million at the CPR. But while investors reap these rewards, railway industry employment across Canada fell from over 54,000 in 1994 to 35,400 in 2005, a drop of 35 percent. While wages outpaced inflation during that period, the workload increased dramatically, and now the railways are fighting to block real wage hikes.

     The CN strike by 2,800 conductors and yard staff earlier this year was sparked in part by the company's drive to become a "precision railroad," boss-speak for squeezing every possible minute of work from each employee. The CPR calls it "execution excellence," a somewhat morbid term given the death toll on the rails in recent years.

     As one Globe and Mail reporter noted, "the corporate slogans refer to management's focus on forming daily schedules for rail cars, setting targets for departures and arrivals." In essence the goal is to maximize profits by transporting more freight in less time.

     As imports of Asian goods and exports of valuable commodities rise, railway companies are using technological changes such as containerized shipping to speed up the transfer of goods between rail and ships. But another corporate strategy is to dramatically increase the length of freight trains, putting even more pressure on track inspectors and train crews. Governments have been reluctant to impose proper limits on train lengths, which are widely seen as a critical factor in derailments.

     This seems unlikely to change anytime soon. Industry analysts say that as older railway workers retire over the next decade, the railways will cut labour costs even more through "natural attrition."

     In other words, the current struggle between railway workers and bosses at the CPR will be repeated in coming years, with right-wing federal governments coming to the aid of the employers every time.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By Sean Burton

It's been all over the news recently that because of federal government cuts, students looking for employment over the summer are in many cases out of luck. Evidently this is the result of changes to the funding criteria.

     In my hometown of Corner Brook, the changes mean that tourism, a vital industry in Newfoundland, will take a hit, as well as local community service groups. By way of example, the Railway Society of Newfoundland will not be able to open their museum in Corner Brook because they cannot afford guides without the annual summer grants. The same applies to a number of local food banks which are constantly busy.

     In Corner Brook's Western Star newspaper, Gerry Byrne, the Liberal MP for Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte, described this as a disaster for youth and communities in the region and the province, stating the student summer employment budget of $1.5 million for western Newfoundland would be cut in half if not more.

     Meanwhile, the Tories claim they will ensure money reaches "worthy groups". According to Monte Solberg, the Minister of Human Resources, there are sometimes examples of groups that "perhaps should receive funding," but "there are always more applications then there are resources."

     Once again, the Harper Tories show their true colours to the people of Canada. It is shameful that anything was cut at all. The government claims that funding for the non-profit sector is $77.3 million. How absolutely pathetic! The province of Newfoundland, the "poorest" in the country, could cover that and then some with this year's budget surplus alone. In fact, the Newfoundland government has since announced it will cover some of the funding gap. But if the Harper Conservatives were so concerned with "good students" getting "good opportunities," then this would not be happening. Indeed, funding ought to have been dramatically increased.

     Who, then, are the "worthy" students? Those who already have money and do not have to rely on summer employment? What are the "worthy" groups? Obviously not historic sites or food banks. The fact is quite simply that the Tories aren't interested in the future of our youth.

     And the Liberals are no better. During the debate, their leader Stephane Dion said the funding would be restored under a Liberal government. But would that mean a substantial increase in the funding? Almost certainly not. The Liberals were in power for over a decade, and they are the reason why the funding was so low to begin with.

     In conclusion, I would like to say: thank you, Mr. Harper, for making it clear how you feel about students and their communities!

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

The Alberta Federation of Labour has called for a full investigation into the death of two workers and injury to four others in Fort McMurray, as well as a public inquiry into the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. The labour movement in British Columbia is also raising sharp concerns about the program.

     Two Chinese citizens were killed on April 24 when an oil-storage tank that was under construction collapsed. The deaths happened at Canadian Natural Resources' $10.8-billion Horizon project. The contractor in charge is SSEC-Zachary, a joint venture of China's Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Co. and Zachary Construction Corp. of San Antonio, Texas.

     Last November, the Conservative government made it easier for companies in Alberta and B.C. to bring in workers because of the shortage of labourers in Western Canada.

     "Labour has consistently questioned the lack of oversight, inspection, education and enforcement of the program in the area of workers' rights," said McGowan. "Our concerns have included whether or not these workers even know their basic rights - including basic health and safety regulations and procedures. I have also asked that if the investigation does point to weakness or failings with the temporary foreign worker program we start moving very quickly to address those weaknesses and failing. Finally, we asked that labour play an integral part in any inquiry."

     Alberta Occupational Health and Safety says that a final report could take up to six months to complete. Foreign workers are covered by the same laws as Canadian citizens, but critics fear that these workers are open to exploitation because of language barriers or lack of education about their legal rights. The AFL wants the government to restrict the number of projects approved at any one time, and to make it harder for construction companies to duck their obligations for training and apprenticeship of tradespeople.

     Similar concerns have been raised in other areas, such as foreign workers brought in at low wages to work on tunnelling the Canada Line drilling project in Vancouver. The BC Federation of Labour has also demanded full protection and union wages for such foreign workers.

     The program represents "a cheap labour strategy for employers," Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C. Federation of Labour, warned last February, when it was expanded to allow employers to bring workers to Canada for up to 24 months, up from one year.

     "This Program does nothing to build our immigration system or invest in the skills training our country needs," Sinclair stated. "This says a lot about the Harper and Campbell governments. This Program is simply about driving down wages, wiping out workers' rights, and entering a race to the bottom that Canadians want no part of."

     Sinclair noted that despite numerous instances of reported abuses and exploitation of workers in Canada under this Program, nothing is being done to ensure that basic labour standards are monitored and enforced.

     "Many of these workers are afraid to complain because they know they'll be shipped home if they do," said Sinclair. "Every step the government has taken is to make it easier for employers to find and exploit cheap labour... This isn't about a labour shortage, it's about a shortage of bosses willing to pay decent wages and respect workers' rights."

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

PV Vancouver Bureau

Just two days before the May 17 National Day Against Homophobia, B.C.'s Liberal government voted against protecting students from homophobic bullying in schools. Liberal MLAs voted down an NDP amendment to include such protection in Bill 22, which sets out mandatory Codes of Conduct for schools. Lorne Mayencourt, the gay Liberal MLA for Vancouver Burrard, hypocritically voted "no" after spending two years championing his so-called "Safe Schools Bill" in the legislature and the media.

     On a second amendment to ensure Codes of Conduct conform to the spirit of the BC Human Rights Code, every Liberal except Mayencourt voted "no".

     Gay and Lesbian Educators of B.C. (GALE-BC) has lobbied the Education ministry for over a decade to include such protections for queer youth and those perceived as such. In a news release, the group said "We believe that ANY student can be a victim of homophobic harassment and that all students deserve to learn in an environment free from discrimination. The Safe Schools Task Force Report (2003) clearly identified homophobic bullying and harassment as a serious safety concern in every school district in B.C."

     "Virtually nothing has changed for students in the majority of school districts," said Surrey teacher James Chamberlain. "They continue to suffer in homophobic school environments. This vote shows a lack of leadership from the Ministry. It's simply appalling and unconscionable because it continues to place students' health and well being at risk."

     "Despite all the fine words by our BC government leaders about school safety, the legislation to be passed will be very weak, non-specific, and quite optional. Bill 22 will be utterly useless in protecting queer youth in schools," argued Vancouver educator Steve Lebel.

     Currently, only five of B.C.'s 57 school districts have policies that specify homophobic behaviour as a prohibited activity, despite a 2005 resolution by the B.C. School Trustees Association encouraging all districts to pass such policies. There is also a strong legal case for such protections. In the case of Jubran vs. North Vancouver School District, the courts ruled that school boards must respond effectively to allegations of homophobic harassment or bullying.

     "It's obvious that if we wait for school districts to voluntarily come up with these policies, it's going to be a long wait," said former Vancouver School Board trustee Jane Bouey. "Time is of the essence if you happen to be an LGBTQ student in a school district where others are threatening you.  These students can't learn to their full potential when they don't feel safe."

     Another GALE-BC member, teacher Noble Kelly, said that "This should be a great concern for all parents, especially those whose child is perceived to be gay or lesbian. This type of homophobic bullying has become more prevalent in today's school system. The Ministry of Education needs to stop playing politics with students' lives and start using politics to create laws to protect them!"

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By Darrell Rankin, Manitoba leader of the Communist Party

Despite efforts by the opposition Progressive Conservatives to hide their right wing orientation by copying the NDP platform, Manitobans elected a third straight NDP government on May 22. Growing dissatisfaction with the NDP's pro-corporate record was not reflected in the election results.

     Instead, many working class voters continue to avoid voting altogether. Voter turnout increased slightly compared to 2003, from 54 to 58 per cent (down from 68 per cent in 1999 or 78 per cent in 1978). In Winnipeg's poorest ridings, the turnout was lower still, such as 43 per cent in Point Douglas and 48 per cent in Wellington.

     The media lavished attention on the largest parties and on the 15-candidate Green Party campaign, ignoring efforts by anti-poverty and social justice groups to raise key issues. With a few minor exceptions, the corporate media failed to report the Communist Party's platform.

     Presented as pro-health care and progressive, the NDP's campaign platform was supported by business groups and the corporate media. It fully embraced the prevailing pro-corporate orthodoxy.

     The Communist campaign warned that the NDP's big business policies are causing poverty, hardship and environmental disaster.     Our platform called for higher wages, better jobs, fighting racism, ending poverty and acting to save the environment. Communist leaflets were delivered to tens of thousands of people in Brandon and Winnipeg. Five of the six Communist candidates were Aboriginal, and two were members of the Young Communist League.

     The Communist share of the vote did not change from 2003, ranging from 0.5 to 2 per cent. Several people have applied to join the Communist Party as a result of the campaign, which helped to plant the seeds of change for tomorrow. We will continue working to build the movements calling for improvements to wages, jobs and education access, Aboriginal rights and other key demands in our "People's Alternative" policies.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

Statement of the Communist Party of Canada on recent developments regarding the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, issued May 16, 2007

The May 8, 2007 decision of a Texas court to summarily drop all outstanding charges against Luis Posada Carriles for various immigration violations is but the latest indignity in this pitiful charade of justice.

     There is a mountain of evidence proving that Posada Carriles has committed the following crimes, among many others:

- he was the chief organizer of the 1976 bombing of an Air Cubana flight which killed 73 crew and passengers;

- he served as the CIA's front man responsible for running guns to the Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980s counter-revolutionary war which killed thousands of innocent civilians;

- he was the architect of the 1997 hotel bombings in Havana which killed Montreal resident Fabio Di Celmo; and

- he was a co-conspirator in plotting the failed assassination attempt of President Fidel Castro Ruiz in Panama in 2000.

     And yet despite extensive evidence pointing to his guilt, the U.S. government refused to pursue charges against Posada for international terrorism; nor would it agree to extradite him to Venezuela to face trial for his crimes. Instead, Washington chose to protect Posada while giving a semblance of judicial action against him.

     The fact that this monster is openly shielded from prosecution by the U.S. government and is now "free" to continue his terrorist activities with his gang of thugs in Miami is a shameless affront to all humanity.

     This sordid affair, taken together with the conviction and imprisonment of the Cuban Five - the five Cuban heroes whose only "crime" was to monitor and report the conspiratorial plans of anti-Cuban terrorist groups operating in Southern Florida in order to prevent future attacks on the Cuban people - pulls away the thin veil of lies behind Washington's so-called "war on terror."

     It is not simply a question of inconsistency in applying its anti-terrorism policy, or even a matter of crass hypocrisy on the part of the Bush Administration. The Posada affair proves that the entire "war on terror" is a sham, a public-relations pretext to justify the aggressive pursuit of U.S. imperialism's self-serving interests at home and around the world.

     The Canadian people also have every right to be incensed by the complete silence of the Harper government on this fiasco, given the likely guilt of Posada in the murder of Canadian resident Di Celmo in 1997. This silence, while Ottawa persecutes Canadian residents of suspected "terrorist activities" on the basis of far less evidence (or none whatsoever), is surely another sign of the Harper government's snivelling subservience to, and collusion with, the Bush White House.

     The Communist Party joins with the Cuban people and millions of democratic voices around the world in demanding that Posada Carriles be brought to justice for his crimes, and in calling for freedom for the imprisoned Cuban Five.

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By Kimball Cariou

Supporters of John Graham were in a more optimistic mood after the May 17 B.C. Court of Appeal hearing on the aboriginal activist's extradition order.

     Accused of the murder of fellow American Indian Movement member Anna Mae Aquash in South Dakota over thirty years ago, Graham was arrested in 2003 in Vancouver. In February 2005, B.C. Supreme Court judge Elizabeth Bennett ordered Graham to be sent to the U.S. to stand trial.

     At that time, Bennett said the evidence supporting the extradition request "has been presented in a most unsatisfactory manner." But she ruled that Canadian law did not entitle her to question evidence from the U.S. prosecutors, and that she had no option to block the request.

     Since then, the rules concerning evidence in such hearings have changed. In front of a packed courtroom, Graham's lawyers argued on May 17 that the Bennett ruling should be overturned.

     Terence LaLiberte and Greg DelBigio said that a July 2006 Supreme Court of Canada decision in the case of Shane Tyrone Ferras allows Canadian judges to consider the quality of the evidence before handing over an accused to the U.S. government. LaLiberte also challenged Bennett's "very, very narrow interpretation of her role and jurisdiction."

     The most revealing aspect of the morning presentation by LaLiberte and DelBigio concerned the weak and contradictory nature of the "unsatisfactory" evidence presented in 2005. The court heard details of shoddy procedures for identification of Graham, and the fact that one key "witness" had been deceased for five months.

     During the afternoon, the U.S. prosecutors argued that the extradition treaty does not require them to present stronger evidence. Observers watched as the lead judge closely questioned the prosecutors, seemingly not satisfied with their responses.

     The three-member appeal court reserved decision until September, while Graham remains under house arrest, with no opportunity to earn a living.

     Two days earlier, Graham had told a rally organized that he expected to spend the rest of his life in a U.S. jail. But the May 17 hearing raised his spirits.

     "Now the Canadian judges can't just rubber-stamp extraditions," he told the media, hugging his three-year-old granddaughter Rachel, her mother Chusia, 21, and his daughter Naneek, 29.

     One of Aquash's two daughters, Deborah Maloney, an RCMP officer from Nova Scotia, was also present in court.

     "I was 10 when I lost her and I remember everything about her," said Maloney outside the court. While the Aquash family remains convinced that Graham should stand trial in the United States, Maloney said "It's been a very lengthy process but I feel satisfied with the process occurring, and that if there is an extradition, it will be just and lawful."

     (For more information, see http://www.grahamdefense.org)

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

Commentary from the Young Communist League of Canada

It's not unusual in this day and age to hear the term "fascist" thrown around, sometimes with relevance, sometimes as a cynical jab. But what is the meaning of the word in today's context and is fascism a thing of the past or a threat in the present?

     Since September 11th there has been a marked increase in the use of anti-democratic, authoritarian, fascist methods and practices in the United States. The so-called "Patriot Act" and various other legislation has created a situation in which spying, arrests and illegal detentions and suppression are common place. Racism against Muslims, peoples of Middle Eastern origin and immigrants has been whipped up. War mongering and "regime change" have continued to be the norm in foreign policy. These realities have become well known internationally as more and more information is revealed about the attacks on democracy and freedom in the United States, the horrors of their torture camps at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and in Eastern Europe, and their brutal wars around the globe.

     What is less well known is the fact that the tendency towards increasingly fascist policies is an international phenomenon amongst imperialist countries. This comes as a reaction to growing resistance against imperialism globally in the form of revolutionary and progressive struggles on the one hand, and militant Islamic Fundamentalism on the other. Fascism, as in the past, continues to be the tactic of the capitalist ruling class desperately grappling to hold onto the status quo and history marches forward, leaving it behind for the dustbin of history. It means the unbridled rule of capital by open force and violence as opposed to under the guise of parliamentary democracy.

     In Europe, the failed Anti-Communist Motion of the European Parliament, the ban on the Czech Communist Youth Union (KSM), attacks against communists in Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia and other countries are examples of fascist, anti-communist tendencies which are proving extremely dangerous to the peoples struggles.

     Recently in Toronto 17 Muslim men and youth were arrested in an "anti-terrorism sweep". It has now been uncovered that they were trained and reported to the police by a paid police informant in a blatant entrapment operation. It would appear that the Harper regime is attempting to manufacture real or perceived terrorist activity so that they can inject fear into the minds of the Canadian people, making them more likely to complacently stand by while their rights are attacked by the reactionaries in parliament and abused by the police. At the same time Harper and company achieve the appearance of being on the "front lines" of combating terrorism, thereby further cozying up to the worlds #1 terrorist leader, George W. Bush.

     Our country has historically faced the threat of fascism and today, under the Harper Conservatives, the threat continues to be a real one. Here in Canada, we have seen the influence of the policies of Bush and his ultra-reactionary gang as the rulers of our own country take advantage of the terrorism scare to tighten their own grips. We have seen our own "Patriot Act", the "Anti-Terrorism Bill". The Harper government's reactionary social policies, the highly publicized Arar case, the growth of police state mentality and the placement of cameras on city streets in some major cities are other disturbing indicators of the direction our society is heading in.

     It may be over-dramatic and presumptuous to announce that Canada is on its way to fascism. Nonetheless, dangerous tendencies which point generally in that direction currently threaten democratic rights and freedoms, privacy and so forth are real and must be recognized and defeated. It means winning Canada's sovereignty and distancing Canada from the reactionary policies of Emperor Bush and his pack of murderers in the White House and Pentagon. This requires the defeat of the treacherous Harper government, which is deepening the process of selling Canada out to U.S. imperialism. It requires rolling back reactionary measures already in place. The YCL has always been at the forefront of young people's struggles against fascism, war and capitalism and for peace, democracy and socialism in Canada. Young people, join the struggle! Your future is worth fighting for!

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(The following article is from the June 1-15, 2007 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By Kimball Cariou

With the November 2008 civic election looming, Vancouver's Coalition of Progressive Electors opted for renewal and unity at COPE's annual general meeting on May 27. Almost 400 COPE members jammed an east-side meeting hall, giving a sweeping victory to a youthful "Group of Seven" slate for executive positions. Headed by former COPE city councillor Ellen Woodsworth, the slate pledged to focus on rebuilding the organization which has been badly divided since the 2005 campaign, and on reaching out to potential partners to defeat the governing right-wing Non Partisan Alliance. The "Group of Seven" was endorsed by all six of COPE's current elected officials and by the Vancouver and District Labour Council, and supported by the Communist Party's civic activists.

     As the new External Co-chair, Woodsworth will be the key public voice of COPE, which has been the municipal vehicle of the left and the trade union movement here for almost forty years. The "Group of Seven" also includes CUPE/Labour Council activist Donalda Greenwell-Baker (re-elected as Internal Co-Chair), veteran trade unionist Dave Ages, and youth organizers Nathan Lusignan, Rachel Marcuse, Carlo Bodrogi, and Lucas Schuller, who are involved in a wide range of labour, environmental and cultural movements.

     Ex-city councillor Tim Louis, widely regarded as the dominant force on the COPE executive over the past two years, was acclaimed as corresponding secretary. But his group elected just two at-large candidates to the executive, Sid Tan and Angelica Gutierrez. Two independents, Charles Demers and Derrick O'Keefe, both prominent members of Vancouver's broad-based StopWar peace coalition, were also elected.
 

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