08) ANTI-"RIGHT-TO-WORK" CONFERENCE HELD IN ST. CATHARINES

  

By Saleh Waziruddin

 

            The Ontario Federation of Labour's Executive Council passed a motion earlier this year calling for immediate preparations for a province‑wide general strike in the event of any so‑called "Right to Work" bill appearing in the provincial legislature.

 

            Although there are few signs of such preparations, the Niagara Regional Labour Council, which initiated the motion, held a conference of about 40 activists in St. Catharines on how this particular anti‑union attack can be fought. "Right to Work" is being aggressively advocated by OntarioConservative leader Tim Hudak, who represents the riding adjacent to St. Catharines in Niagara.

 

            The panel discussion was kicked off by two academics who pointed out that "Right to Work" undermines the very existence of unions, by allowing individuals to circumvent the democratically-decided collective action of their co‑workers. The idea has its roots in racist Southern USreaction to post‑World War II gains by labour. Both speakers singled out the Cold War attack on the Communist Party as responsible for the weak state of the labour movement today, undermining the "economic and political power" of unions.

 

            The Ontario NDP's silence on the danger of this fundamental attack was noted even by a sitting NDP MP, who told the conference "voting NDP is not necessarily the solution". One of the report‑back groups at the end of the conference echoed this by adding that they couldn't tell if the NDP was or wasn't an ally in the fightback. Speakers pointed out that "Right to Work" is but one of many points of assault of the austerity agenda, and so the fight against it can only be part of a broader common front.

 

            Some speakers objected to even using the phrase "Right to Work" as a concession to labour's enemies, suggesting instead "Radical Republican US‑Style Legislation" or "old tired policies from the racist Republican deep South". No local action or demonstration is planned coming out of the conference so far, but getting clarity on the threat ahead is a preparatory step.

 

 (The above article is from the July 1-31, 2013, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)