Author: Paul Kellogg

JANUARY 21, 1996 – Saturday January 13, the New Year picked up where the old year left off in Ontario – with a massive mobilization against the Tories. Organizers were anticipating a turnout of 20,000,[1] which would make it the largest anti-Tory demo to date. On the day, it was at least that large. Marilies Rettig, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) which called the demo, said: “We’re out here, 20,000 strong, to tell this government that their cuts will decimate education as we know it.”[2] The police estimate – 25,000 – was even higher.[3] Some put…

JANUARY 8, 1996 – In London, Ontario on December 11, 40,000 unionized workers stayed away from their jobs illegally in a coordinated protest against Mike Harris and his Tory cutbacks agenda. It was a labour mobilization on a provincial scale that we have not seen since the 1983 strikes against the Social Credit government in BC. The last national mobilization was in 1976 when Canadian workers led by the Canadian Labour Congress organized a one-day strike against Pierre Trudeau’s wage controls policy. In weather that was minus 40 with the wind chill, 16,000 marched through the streets of London, Ontario…

DECEMBER 5, 1995 – The speed with which support for the December 11 shutdown of London built has been fantastic. The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) say that they have 25 to 30 buses to carry workers from plants in the area into London itself on the day. Another 25 to 30 busloads of supporters are being organized through the Labour Council of Metropolitan Toronto and York Region. Contingents are being mobilized from Oshawa, Hamilton, Kingston and Ottawa. Students are organizing in solidarity at York, University of Toronto and Ryerson in Toronto, from the University of Guelph and of course from…

NOVEMBER 14, 1995 – The Ontario Federation of Labour executive has called for a one-day general strike in London Ont., December 11, to protest the Tories’ anti-worker policies.[1] The Tories were quick to turn to threats and intimidation. Harris warned workers to “think long and hard” before participating in such an action.[2] In fact, workers have for months now been thinking “long and hard” about the scale of the Tory attacks. It is the responsibility of every unionist, every community activist, every student to throw themselves into making the one-day strike a success. But our leaders must commit the resources,…

SEPTEMBER 17, 1995 – September 27 will see the biggest demonstration yet against Mike Harris and the Tory government in Ontario. On the 22,000 strong Toronto labour day march,[1] hundreds of workers carried signs calling for unionists to join the protest. More than 10,000 flyers announcing the demonstration were distributed to union contingents. Since the election of the Tories on June 26 of this year we have seen the slashing of welfare payments, a 20 percent cut to transfer payments to municipalities, and over two million dollars taken out of Wheel Trans (the public transportation system for the disabled.) But…

AUGUST 7, 1995 – Rumour has it that Ontario has rolled over and died since the election of the Tories. According to Bob Rae, there’s nothing to be done for the next four years, just sharpen your pencil, put it on your bedside table, pull the covers up over your head and wait till the next election. But it seems a feisty layer of people haven’t yet heard that bright idea. Instead, they’ve been out there an average of once a week fighting back against this government. Judge for yourself: when has an incoming government been so rapidly met by…

JULY 24, 1995 – Mike Harris has joined Ralph Klein and Paul Martin in the war against the poor. Within days of taking office, Harris announced cuts totalling $1.9-billion. Fully $500-million of these cuts come right out of the pockets of the poorest in the province, through a 21% cut in social assistance (welfare) payments. Harris is accumulating a war chest from the pockets of the poor to give to the rich next year. He intends to cut taxes 30%, and those tax cuts will disproportionately benefit the richest in the province. There is a concerted attempt by governments across…