(The following article is from the November 1-15, 2009, 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, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)
PV Ontario Bureau

Close to 5,000 employees of the bankrupt Nortel Networks arrived on Parliament Hill October 22, to protest the loss of their pensions and to demand government action to protect workers' pensions and severance in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings.

     Specifically, they wanted the federal government to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act to put employees and pensioners at the top of the list of creditors, instead of the bottom after banks and corporate creditors have taken out all the cash and remaining assets.

     Supported by unionized workers, including Local 1005 of the Steelworkers at US Steel in Hamilton who went through bankruptcy courts when Stelco was first liquidated, the demonstrators carried signs - many of them home-made - to demand action. Many had worked for years at Nortel, investing their pensions in company stocks, leaving them with nothing but anger and fear of an impoverished future.

     "Nobody is safe, unless you are working in there, I guess," Bob Dowson, who retired from Nortel's Brampton office after 32 years, told media as he pointed to the Parliament Buildings behind him.

     Unlike severance, pensions are deferred wages and are a debt the company owes to its pensioners and employees, along with accrued interest.

     Hundreds of thousands of Ontario workers in workplaces big and small have to fight to secure their pensions, benefits, and severance, often winning partial settlements which end dreams of a secure and happy retirement.

     The Nortel demonstration on Parliament Hill followed an earlier demonstration at Queen's Park. Only the NDP speakers called for a national public pension plan covering all workers, guaranteed by the government.

     This is a demand which the Communist Party also makes, along with the demands for an immediate, substantial and across the board increase to pensions, and to reduce the voluntary pension age to 60. The Communist Party and People's Voice were also present at the demo, and the CP banner got a friendly reception from surprised Nortel workers who hadn't expected the Communists to support them. For many it was the first time they'd met the CPC.

     On the other hand, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was booed when he spoke about his party's concerns about pensions (but no plans or demands on Harper), and again when he told demonstrators they'd done their civic duty and it was now time to go home and leave things to Parliament.

     Nortel workers might have been demonstrating on Parliament Hill for the first time last month, but it doesn't look like it will be the last - Ignatieff's patronizing and unwelcome advice notwithstanding.