“The Cdn Labour Movement is at a crossroads. We need to build resistance to Harper from coast to coast. We need a change in direction,” wrote Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), in a comment on Twitter on Wednesday (April 30).
Representing more than a million unionized workers in Canada’s most populous province of Ontario, Ryan is concerned about which direction Canada’s largest labour federation will take next week at its convention when members vote on the presidency of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).
Faced with conservative, some would say anti-union attitudes and polices, from the ruling Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ryan feels the Canadian labour movement must become more militant, particularly because of the federal election in 2015.
Meanwhile in Ontario, the province’s Liberal government faces a defeat over a budget presented Thursday (May 1). There is a possibility that the social democratic NDP might join the province’s Conservative party in defeating the government. What concerns Ryan is that the Conservatives are high in the public opinion polls and have an extremely anti-union platform among its policies.
Although Ryan admits that unions in Canada have been less militant over the last few years, he’s hoping that will change. He’s also discovering that the rank and file is now more militant and ready to mobilize then some of the union leadership in the country.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda spoke to OFL President Sid Ryan on Wednesday, the day before May 1st, International Workers’ Day.
ListenMore information:
Ontario Federation of Labour website – ofl.ca
Canadian Labour Congress website – canadianlabour.ca
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.