By David McLaren, Labour Rep The summer must be nearing its end if Labour Day is around the corner. I can’t help but note a couple of things that’ll make this summer a little harder to forget.
Summerfolk in Owen Sound was bigger and better than ever. It’s always good to see the arts celebrated, if only because they contribute hugely to the economy of a place (more even that sports, if you can believe it). But the arts themselves, never mind the economic spinoff, are something no country should be without, for artists in a myriad of ways reflect us to ourselves – all the good, the bad and the ugly.
Speaking of ‘hugely’ the Donald is slipping in the American election race and Ms Clinton’s chances are improving (the New York Times says she now has an 88% chance to win). Those who are horrified at the thought of hearing ‘Hail to the Chief’ being played for President Trump can breathe a little easier. But those who know that Ms Clinton, like our own Liberals, campaigns left and will rule from the rightare worried. For myself, I miss the Bern.
The Olympics are always an inspiration – at least the athletes are … well maybe not Ryan Lochte. I only wish the Olympics were as good as the athletes. You have to ask yourself … an indebted city(Montreal lost $1 billion, Rio is privatizing water to pay for its Games), forced evictions, the raising of whole neighbourhoods, sewage treatment plants still not built … is a 2-week blow-out really worth it?
An awful lot of money is spent by the host country, money that might be better spent on housing, social programs and environmental cleanup. We didn’t even do that well, compared to other countries our size.
I hope you can join us for the annual Labour Day parade in Port Elgin this year. If you come, look for the orange BGOS NDP banner and walk with us. It’s one of he biggest parades in Ontario now: pipe bands, union members from all over are bussed it, lots of flags. Labour Day is not a celebration of jobs, it’s a recognition for what unions have fought for over the past century: workplace safety, a 40-hour work week, a middleclass wage, vacation time, sick time, bereavement leave. The actual list is longer. We take a lot of this for granted now and we hate to see these gains erode as they are indeed doing under successive Conservative and Liberal governments.
To walk for labour on September 5th, rally in the parking lot of Home Hardware on the way into Port Elgin (924 Goderich St) at 10:30 am. After the parade, Unifor is hosting a BBQ at their Family Education Centre. Buses will shuttle people there and back to their cars.
Summerfolk in Owen Sound was bigger and better than ever. It’s always good to see the arts celebrated, if only because they contribute hugely to the economy of a place (more even that sports, if you can believe it). But the arts themselves, never mind the economic spinoff, are something no country should be without, for artists in a myriad of ways reflect us to ourselves – all the good, the bad and the ugly.
Speaking of ‘hugely’ the Donald is slipping in the American election race and Ms Clinton’s chances are improving (the New York Times says she now has an 88% chance to win). Those who are horrified at the thought of hearing ‘Hail to the Chief’ being played for President Trump can breathe a little easier. But those who know that Ms Clinton, like our own Liberals, campaigns left and will rule from the rightare worried. For myself, I miss the Bern.
The Olympics are always an inspiration – at least the athletes are … well maybe not Ryan Lochte. I only wish the Olympics were as good as the athletes. You have to ask yourself … an indebted city(Montreal lost $1 billion, Rio is privatizing water to pay for its Games), forced evictions, the raising of whole neighbourhoods, sewage treatment plants still not built … is a 2-week blow-out really worth it?
An awful lot of money is spent by the host country, money that might be better spent on housing, social programs and environmental cleanup. We didn’t even do that well, compared to other countries our size.
I hope you can join us for the annual Labour Day parade in Port Elgin this year. If you come, look for the orange BGOS NDP banner and walk with us. It’s one of he biggest parades in Ontario now: pipe bands, union members from all over are bussed it, lots of flags. Labour Day is not a celebration of jobs, it’s a recognition for what unions have fought for over the past century: workplace safety, a 40-hour work week, a middleclass wage, vacation time, sick time, bereavement leave. The actual list is longer. We take a lot of this for granted now and we hate to see these gains erode as they are indeed doing under successive Conservative and Liberal governments.
To walk for labour on September 5th, rally in the parking lot of Home Hardware on the way into Port Elgin (924 Goderich St) at 10:30 am. After the parade, Unifor is hosting a BBQ at their Family Education Centre. Buses will shuttle people there and back to their cars.