Ontario government officials sued over privatization of Hydro ONe.

The Ontario branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has filed a lawsuit against the Liberal Premier of the Province Kathleen Wynne, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and former Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli on the grounds of malfeasance.

The suit is connected to the privatization of the provincially owned electric company Hydro One. The Ontario president of CUPE, Fred Hahn said the suit is aimed at preventing any further sale of shares in Hydro One while the province remains the major shareholder. The province earlier sold about 30 percent of the shares and is planning to sell another 30 percent. The aim is to raise money to help pay down the provincial debt and to fund infrastructure projects. CUPE had notified the Ministry of the Attorney General of its intent to launch the suit.

The CUPE suit claims that the Liberals had inappropriately held fundraisers with cabinet ministers and bankers who were to profit from the privatization process. One fundraiser even cost $7, 500 a ticket and allowed the bankers to be with Sousa and Chiarelli. Wynne claims that the provincial integrity commissioner had looked into the events and found no wrongdoing. No doubt if money had been exchanged in return for promises related to privatization the situation would have been different. However, the fundraiser sounds like the typical type of event where high government officials hob nob with important business figures and raise funds for the party in power. Nothing illegal, just business as usual with the party in power reaping rewards for being business friendly. The government maintains that it was "not aware of any action from CUPE". The union said it could not give specifics about the lawsuit until it was officially filed in November.

CUPE claims it is using the suit to argue that shares of Hydro One should remain in public hands and says that most Ontarians oppose the sale. President Hahn said: "It seems remarkable to me that a provincial government would act in a way that is so broadly unpopular." The Liberals are planning to sell up to 60 percent of the utility. The earlier sale of 30 percent of the shared brought in revenue of $3.2 billion. Hahn believes that the sale is not in the best interests of the province. Hahn said: "This is one piece of a much larger chorus of opposition that this government needs to pay attention to. We have firm belief that we can stop them."

There was criticism of the Ontario government's privatization plans from the beginning. Hydro One produces around $1 billion annually for provincial coffers. The federal Liberals also are contemplating raising money perhaps by privatizing airports. Given that these moves also produce profits for bankers and buyers of the assets, the Liberals also can expect to raise money through donations from grateful businesses.

Union protests Sask. govt. action...

This is from canadianpress. The Wall government has not wasted much time before beginning to tangle with labor carrying on the Conservative tradition.
I can imagine that MacKinnon probably does not have a very great rapport with his faculty or support workers but who knows these days. We have Buzz Hargrove negotiation no strike contracts so maybe Wall should get in touch with him and get his support.

Union alleges Sask. gov't sought support on labour bill prior to its tabling
20 hours ago

SASKATOON — An internal e-mail has prompted allegations of lying and accusations of conflict of interest involving Saskatchewan's labour minister.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says it has obtained an e-mail that suggests that the Saskatchewan government had already received support for an essential services bill before it was tabled in the legislature.

Bill 5, which was introduced Dec. 19, would force unions and employers to establish agreements on which public-service workers should be banned from striking.

"Just spoke with (University of Saskatchewan) President MacKinnon and he'll support us on this publicly so that's cool," said the e-mail from director of media services Bonny Braden to Herman Hulshof, director of communications for the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour.

"Can you just let me in on the paper prep work too if you wouldn't mind, just want to help, not interfere," it said.

The e-mail is dated Dec. 14 - five days before the legislation was made public.

Labour Minister Rob Norris, who faced a rough reception at the CUPE convention in Saskatoon on Friday, insisted he did not consult anyone outside government before the bills were brought forward.

"This is pretty categoric," Norris told convention delegates.

"I did not consult with any stakeholder prior regarding the essential legislation until after the legislation was tabled."

Labour groups throughout the province have been angry since Premier Brad Wall announced in December that the legislation would be tabled. Norris invited feedback from key stakeholders after the bills were introduced.

But CUPE president Tom Graham said Friday that the e-mail appears to indicate otherwise.

"From our perspective the issue is in fact why is the government lying?" said Graham.

"We asked the question very specifically had he consulted or anyone from his department consulted with Peter MacKinnon and he said 'no.' And then we produce an e-mail that says Peter MacKinnon was asked and would support it publicly."

"We suspected all along that they had in fact been talking to certain parties about this legislation prior to it being tabled," said Graham.

Graham also said because Norris worked at the University of Saskatchewan prior to being elected for the Saskatchewan Party in November, it was a conflict to name him as labour minister. At the time, 2,400 CUPE support workers at the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan were on strike.

Braden, reached by phone Friday evening, said she's known MacKinnon for about a decade and was aware of his position on essential services. She insisted she called him "about his take" on the issue as a possible media source.

"I was not talking to him about the legislation," she told The Canadian Press. "No one raised the legislation at all in those conversations. It wasn't about the act."

"I didn't discuss the legislation with him because I hadn't seen it."

Braden also said she had "no idea" what Hulshof would have done with the information that MacKinnon supported essential services and didn't know if he passed it along to Norris.

-By Jennifer Graham in Regina

CUPE New Year's Resolution on TILMA

This is from CUPE.
I found the syntax a bit bewildering at one place:
B.C. and Alberta must recognize each other's standards, even if they are lower.
From the passages following it is clear that this is meant: B.C. and Alberta must recognize each other's standards even if one province's standard is lower than that of the other!
This could lead to an influx of B.C. students into Alberta for teacher training. They will save a full year and will be qualified to teach in B.C.



New Year's Resolution: Stop TILMA!

January 3, 2008 04:52 PM
B.C. and Alberta's Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) is a secretly negotiated, inter-provincial trade agreement that undermines democracy in both provinces, and threatens to expand across Canada. CUPE has been working with other anti-TILMA groups to push back against this destructive agreement and pressure the provincial government to abandon it or at least allow politicians to actually debate it in the legislature.

"The TILMA was designed to eliminate some mythical trade barriers between our provinces, but the agreement's supporters cannot even come up with a list of what those barriers are," says CUPE BC president Barry O'Neill. "Inter-provincial trade barriers in Canada were estimated at one-twentieth of one per cent of our economy over 20 years ago, and even the right wing think tank, the C.D. Howe Institute, reports that they have fallen ever since."

The TILMA is also supposed to remove differences in regulations that block labour mobility between the provinces, but this creates a race to the bottom as both B.C. and Alberta must recognize each other's standards, even if they are lower. On December 17, the BC College of Teachers announced that it has become TILMA-compliant by reconciling its teacher educations standards-currently requiring five years of post-secondary training for teachers-with Alberta's standards: only four years of training. The College of Teachers claims that "parents in both provinces can be assured that their children will continue to be taught by some of the most talented and dedicated teachers in the world." The problem, of course, is that B.C.'s high teacher education standards are no longer required.

The TILMA is mostly a corporate bill of rights. It allows "investors"-businesses, corporations or individuals-to sue the provincial government if any law, bylaw or regulation from the provincial government, or any municipality, school board, health authority, crown corporation or government body limits a business's ability to make money, except for laws in a very few legitimate areas. This essentially allows businesses to veto laws that they don't like.

The TILMA is designed to let businesses veto legislation from democratically elected politicians. So it is not surprising that governments do not want the agreement itself debated. In British Columbia, many groups and individuals have been pushing back against this erosion of democracy, and after several major anti-TILMA events this past year, CUPE and our allies successfully forced the government not to pass or even debate its TILMA-enabling legislation.

CUPE bus banned from plow parade

I wonder if Tories and Liberals complained or what. It seems a bit odd the bus was banned since political parties had floats. I guess the parties floats were not political or at least not too political!

CUPE Ontario election bus banned from Plowing Match parade; CROSBY, ON, Sept. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - A provincial election campaign bus on
tour from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario has plowed too
deep into the furrows of Eastern Ontario and hit a nerve with Ontario's
Liberal and Tory parties. Organizers of the International Plowing Match (IPM)
reversed an earlier decision and banned the bus from appearing in the Plowing
Match parade this morning in Crosby, Ontario.
CUPE Ontario driver Tony Christiano was told that the bus was being
barred because of complaints that its message was 'too political,' this
despite the fact that the parade was to feature floats from the Conservatives,
Liberals and NDP. When Christiano challenged the IMP, he was told that they
were 'letting the NDP in' but not CUPE Ontario. The bus, which features
caricatures of Dalton McGuinty and John Tory on its sides with the slogans,
'two sides of the same coin' and 'vote NDP on October 10,' had been given the
go-ahead to participate by IPM organizers at 6:50 a.m. this morning.
"Obviously, the fact that we are bringing key issues to the public and
our members about how the Liberals and Tories have failed the people of
Ontario is hitting a nerve," said Fred Hahn, Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE
Ontario on hearing the news of the ban. "Our 220,000 members, their families
and communities are seeing the loss of good paying jobs, soaring tuition fees,
reduced access to social services, rising municipal taxes, lack of standards
of care for seniors in long-term care, and schools where parents have to
fundraise to pay for basics. It was these parties' policies that have created
these conditions."
Hahn says that CUPE Ontario's campaign is addressing the disconnect that
exists in what the Tories and Liberals are saying are the main issues, and
what people know from their lived experience are the things they need
government to address. "John Tory has decided that faith-based schools and
attacks about McGuinty's broken promises are 'his' campaign issues, as has
McGuinty," adds Hahn. "What Tory is not telling is how his tax cuts and search
for $1.5 billion in 'efficiencies' will cut at the very heart of those public
services already in dire straits because of his party's slash-and-burn
policies in the 1990s."
Along with injecting humour into the election campaign, CUPE's bus-with
its huge caricatures of Tory with a fistful of dollars, and McGuinty with a
Pinocchio long nose-is urging voters to put people first when they vote on
October 10 by voting for the NDP. An accompanying poster, which tracks the
three political parties' track records on 10 key issues including jobs,
poverty, equality, environment and protecting public services, has been wildly
popular with the unions' members and is now in its third printing.
"We're seeing more CUPE members than ever volunteering on the election
campaigns of NDP candidates, including the campaigns of 10 CUPE members
running for the NDP," adds Hahn. "Howard Hampton is making key commitments on
issues like the minimum wage, fixing the school funding formula and reducing
tuition fees, and that's hitting home with working families and our members."
Despite being rebuffed at the Plowing Match parade, CUPE Ontario's bus
will continue to take its message to towns and cities across the province in
the coming weeks.

CUPE Ontario calls for higher public spending

I wonder if any Green party candidates are union members? It is at least a relief that CUPE is blasting both Liberals and Conservatives and not going the route of strategic voting that would take NDP voters over to the Liberals.

CUPE Ontario calls for higher public spending
Canadian Press

TORONTO — CUPE Ontario will have its own bus on the roads during the 31-day Ontario election campaign, which officially starts today.


The bus features caricatures of Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty and Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory on its sides.


It will tour Toronto and Hamilton today, then criss-cross the province until the Oct. 10 vote.


The union calls the Liberals and Conservatives "two sides of the same coin'' for failing to invest enough money in public services.


CUPE Ontario secretary-treasurer Fred Hahn says tax dollars must be invested in public services, not private profits.


Ten members of the union are running for election as NDP candidates, including CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan in Oshawa.

The Vancouver Strike

There follows two excerpts from articles and a news release from CUPE. The first article is from the http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070725.BCSTRIKEMAYOR25/TPStory/National.
I am not sure why Sullivan would claim that the strike is not his main priority since it will be a disaster for Vancouver. I suppose it is to show that he is standing firm under pressure! There is a difference between standing firm and being stupid. The tentative settlement in Richmond just next door should exert more pressure for Sullivan to settle. Finally there is a news release from CUPE urging the city to go back to the bargaining table.

MUNICIPAL STRIKE

Labour crisis compounded by a stubborn Sullivan, critics say
LAURA DRAKE

July 25, 2007

VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan's refusal to give priority status to solving the municipal strike of more than 5,000 workers is exacerbating the city's labour crisis and making a resolution unlikely any time soon, say opposition councillors, union leaders and a former mayor.

On Monday, the mayor told The Globe and Mail that solving the civic strike was not his top priority.

From canada.com.

Richmond reaches tentative deal with workers
By Glenn Bohn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A five-year contract negotiated between the City of Richmond and its unionized staff will put pressure on Vancouver to find a solution to its labour situation, says an expert.

"Someone is going to have to find another rationale for not sticking to the 39 months," said Norman Ruff, a retired political science professor.

The City of Richmond and 1,250 employees represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees reached a tentative agreement today, averting the kind of civic strike now underway in Vancouver and North Vancouver district.


****Mayor Malcolm Brodie said management and union negotiators concluded the draft deal Monday but both parties are not releasing details until the proposed contract goes to union members Wednesday and Thursday for a ratification vote.

Vancouver urged to “bargain, not bully” as final offer rejected by CUPE 15
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Union calls city of Vancouver to table tomorrow –10:30 a.m. at 545 West 10th Ave

VANCOUVER – Today, the 2,500 civic workers at Vancouver City Hall, Park Board, Ray-Cam Cooperative Association and Britannia Community Services Society overwhelmingly rejected what the City of Vancouver is calling their “final offer” by 89 per cent. As a last resort, the Local representing the workers, CUPE 15, will be issuing 72-hour strike notice tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m.


CUPE 15 is also calling on the City of Vancouver to avert a city and escalating region-wide strike by going back to the table to negotiate, booking their meeting rooms at 545 West 10th Avenue in Vancouver at 10:30 a.m. for that purpose.

“We’re not surprised,” says Paul Faoro, CUPE 15 President, of the final offer vote results. “It shows the degree to which civic workers are aghast at the City of Vancouver and Bureau’s total refusal to engage in legitimate bargaining and sends a clear message to the City that they need to get back to the bargaining table.”

“We are always ready to negotiate,” says Faoro. “The difficulty is the City of Vancouver has refused to bargain from day one. They only want to impose and dictate their mandate, completely ignoring the concerns of city employees.”

Vancouver inside workers are seeking to improve treatment of part-time and auxiliary staff, address the serious concern of contracting out and privatization of public civic services, equal vacation time with non-union staff, and a fair wage proposal. None of these issues have been addressed by the employer at the bargaining table. Rather a number of invasive management rights and take-aways are being demanded of the workers.

Faoro points to a troubling pattern in Lower Mainland civic bargaining where employers with the direction of the GVRD Labour Relations Bureau (“Bureau”) refuse to make progress at municipal bargaining tables, force mediation, impose final offer votes and ultimately force workers on strike, potentially causing mass disruptions in vital civic services.

“We’re asking the City to bargain, not bully,” says Faoro. “If the City arrives at the table tomorrow with the intention to bargain, then a fair contract should be easily achievable.”

Like most Lower Mainland civic contracts, CUPE 15’s collective agreement expired over 6 months ago. Delta civic workers represented by CUPE 454 also voted down a final offer vote imposed on them by their employer along with the Bureau.

Contact: Paul Faoro, CUPE 15 President, (604) 202-1829

Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, (778) 229-0258

Groups welcome NAFTA victory against UPS.

The very fact that a corporation can sue the government when it thinks that the govt. may be hurting profit from their investment is a serious restriction on government policy prerogatives. It is one reason why no provincial government is likely to pursue a policy of government monopoly auto insurance such as we have in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
The process by which adjudications are made is far from open to put it mildly and that makes matters even worse.

Groups welcome NAFTA victory while decrying NAFTA rules


June 13, 2007 - 14:00



The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Council of Canadians (Council) are pleased that United Parcel Service's complaint under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been rejected by the tribunal hearing the case.

United Parcel Service (UPS) sued Canada over six years ago, under NAFTA’s Chapter 11, which allows corporations to challenge governments if they think their investments are restricted by government measures. UPS claimed that its investments were being restricted by Canada’s publicly funded network of mailboxes and post offices because this network allegedly provided Canada Post with an unfair advantage. The tribunal had already dismissed several elements of the claim.

The federal government’s media release on the final decision indicates that the tribunal dismissed allegations of unfair treatment with respect to the postal network, customs and the Canadian Heritage Publications Assistance Program. The government says that it will release the full decision within thirty days.

“We are very happy that the tribunal rejected UPS’s complaint but that doesn’t mean we think NAFTA works,” said CUPW National President Deborah Bourque. “NAFTA allowed UPS to put public postal service and jobs on trial. A secret trial.”

“The public and workers should have the right to be heard when their jobs or public services are threatened,” said Bourque.

Jean-Yves Lefort, trade campaigner for the Council of Canadians said, “Investment rules such as Chapter 11 need to be removed from NAFTA and all other trade agreements signed by Canada.”

Trade lawyer Steven Shrybman, who represents the groups, said that, victory or not, the groups believe that NAFTA rules allowing foreign corporations to sue governments are unconstitutional.

The Council and CUPW have asked the Supreme Court of Canada to hear an appeal concerning the constitutionality of NAFTA investment rules. The Supreme Court has the right to grant or deny leave to appeal.