> From: Raymond Chase <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Protest by 35,000 Workers in North Bay, Ontario > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Saturday (September 27, 1997), 35,000 workers marched=20 > through the streets of North Bay, Ontario in a show of force. =20 > North Bay is city of 56,000 and gateway to Ontario's Near=20 > North mining region. Chanting workers carrying union banners=20 > and picket signs flowed into Thompson Park where they were=20 > addressed by Canadian Labour Congress president Bob White=20 > and other union millitants. Workers were demonstrating against=20 > cuts in public sector jobs and social spending by Mike Harris's=20 > neo-liberal Conservative government. The North Bay protest=20 > was another in the series of Days of Action which have taken=20 > place in cities across Ontario, including a general strike which=20 > shut-down Toronto last October. > > Unionised teachers made up a leading component of the=20 > demonstrators. 180 buses brought in supporters from across=20 > Ontario. A province wide illegal teachers' strike is expected=20 > this week. Teachers fear thousands of jobs being cut. School=20 > boards have been issued an "Illegal Strike Guide" which=20 > recommends using scabs and withholding the salaries of=20 > teachers who walk picket lines. > > Ontario labour recently forced dramatic concessions from=20 > Harris. He backed down on provisions of Bill 136 which were > to withdraw the right to strike of a wide range of public sector=20 > workers for a two-year period. Eliminating the right to strike=20 > was to facilitate the cutting of jobs of hospital workers, municipal=20 > workers, and teachers.=20 > > In Quebec City, at least 8,000 unionised municipal workers=20 > demonstrated against the Parti Qu=E9becois government. Qu=E9bec=20 > has down shifted $500-million in its costs to municipal=20 > governments. Union leaders believe Premier Lucien Bouchard=20 > will legislate a 6% wage clawback to cut municipal payrolls. Eight=20 > unions representing 82,000 workers are threatening illegal strike=20 > actions if a clawback law is passed. > > reported by Raymond Chase >
