THE RED: HAYMARKET CENTENNIAL

The history of the modern May Day originates in the center of the North American plains, at Haymarket, in Chicago – “the city on the make” – in May 1886. The Red side of that story is more well-known than the Green, because it was bloody. But there was also a Green side to the tale, though the green was not so much that of pretty grass garlands, as it was of greenbacks, for in Chicago, it was said, the dollar is king.

Of course the prairies are green in May. Virgin soil, dark, brown, crumbling, shot with fine black sand, it was the produce of thousands of years of humus and organic decomposition. For many centuries this earth was husbanded by the native Americans of the plains. As Black Elk said theirs is “the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four- leggeds and the wings of the air and all green things; for these are children of one mother and their father is one Spirit.” From such a green perspective, the white men appeared as pharaohs, and indeed, as Abe Lincoln put it, these prairies were the “Egypt of the West”.

The land was mechanized. Relative surplus value could only be obtained by reducing the price of food.  The proteins and vitamins of this fertile earth spread through the whole world. Chicago was the jugular vein. Cyrus McCormick wielded the surgeon’s knife. His mechanical reapers harvested the grasses and grains. McCormick produced 1,500 reapers in 1849; by 1884 he was producing 80,000. Not that McCormick actually made reapers, members of the Molders Union Local 23 did that, and on May Day 1867 they went on strike, starting the Eight Hour Movement… To read more go to: http://www.midnightnotes.org/mayday/red.html

For a more in depth look of worker struggles and May Day, CLICK HERE to see: “New May Day graphic novel retells old stories of struggle” — “May Day has symbolized the common struggles of workers around the globe” By The Graphic History Collective.

We wish you all a Happy and Peaceful May Day,

In Solidarity

Your Executive

This is a very urgent and regretful announcement – regretful in that this employer is once again playing the intransigent game – this time with a small group of Part-Time Librarians (nine workers) who just Unionized months ago and are still struggling to get a first Collective Agreement with the University of Guelph.

The CUPE 1334 Part-Time Library Workers at our University need our help to avert a strike.

The Strike Deadline is April 28th.

• RALLY IN SUPPORT

• TODAY – THURSDAY (Apr. 26’12)

• 12:00 NOON!

• Branion Plaza – Behind the UC.

• Brother Fred Hahn
  President of CUPE ONTARIO will be speaking.

Come with your Conscience…
Come with your Chants…
Come with your Banners…
BUT COME!

And please CLICK HERE to send a message to the University.

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

The Day of Action is less than three weeks away and the deep cuts to jobs and services tabled in the Ontario Budget are hanging in the balance. The Budget will be voted on in the Legislature on April 25, four days after the action. This means that the success of this province-wide mobilization can stop the cuts and change course of the government.

Your action is urgently needed to promote the April 21 Day of Action Against Cuts:

• Change your profile picture on Facebook and Twitter to the image on the left to promote April 21.

• Forward this image to all of your members and networks to request that they do the same.

• Add the image to your outgoing email signature.

• Promote the Day of Action on your website and through all of your online tools.

• Post at least one new Tweet or Facebook update every day until April 21 to promote the rally:

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/A21NoCuts

Twitter: #A21DOA

For more information on the Day of Action and an up-to-date list of endorsing organizations, visit: www.OFL.ca

Together, we can stop the cuts!

In Solidarity,
SID RYAN
President
Ontario Federation of Labour

Sisters & Brothers,

It feels wonderful to experience the kind of participation we all enjoyed yesterday at the AGM!  The first heartfelt thank you goes to Charlotte McCallum (GEOG) for doing a wonderful job running the Exec Elections.

The new Exec, elected at this AGM are now set to continue running this Local for 2012/2013, as always, with your help and your guidance. For a list of the New Executive, Click Here.

The members unanimously accepted the Financial Audit, presented by David Moller (CA) of RLB Chartered Accountants, and they also unanimously approved the 2012/2013 Budget as presented by the very able and committed Mykhaylo Sheremet, our Finance Officer.

The members were also informed about, and asked to take action on the plight of the nine part-time librarians at our own university.  Keep your eyes peeled for emails on how to take action and help our sisters and brothers in CUPE 1334′s Unit 2!

And last but not least, Congratulations to the winners! – Jourdan Gold (Math & Stats)  for correctly filling out the “GOOD OF THE UNION CROSSWORD #15” and winning the $100 prize; to Ahmed Al-wattar (SOE), James Jensen (HIST)), and Omar Ahmed (SOE) for winning the 5, 3, and 2 Bob’s Dogs Tickets respectively; to Ahmed Mahmood (SOE), Stephen Tully (Math & Stats), and Wade Cormack (HIST) for winning the CUPE Diaries; AND a special CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS to the Members in the School of Engineering for being the ‘Best-Represented-Department’ and thereby winning the STEWARD’S CHALLENGE with prizes for each SoE member in attendance! And the Challenge continues! 

Once again, thank you for your attendance, enthusiasm, and support.

In Solidarity,
Your Executive

SISTERS & BROTHERS,

You are invited to the your Annual General Membership Meeting.  At this meeting, among other important Union work, we will be presenting next year’s Budget; the Auditor will be presenting the 2010/11 Audit as authorized at the previous AGM; and of course the Chief Electoral Officer will be conducting the 2012/13 Executive Elections.

TODAY
THURSDAY
March 29th.
UC 103
5:30 p.m.

• Don’t forget to fill out the GOOD OF THE UNION CROSSWORD #15
  (CLICK HERE to see the March/April 2012 Local News).

• Bring it to the AGM for a chance to WIN ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100)

• And Stewards, don’t forget the Steward’s Challenge
  

• SOCIAL – Free Food & “Beverage” – Child Care Reimbursed on request.

Featuring Articles by the Executive, including:

• ‘What’s Yours is Yours’ – Jaime Brenes Reyes
  
• ‘OUWCC World Cafe – Brewing Solidarity’ – Deidre Rose
  
• ‘The Women’s Council This Year’ – Mope Ogunbowale
  
• ‘Calling for More: making the ITA experience worthwhile’ – ‘Banji Akinola
• ‘Introducing… THE STEWARD’s CHALLENGE’ – The Exec
  
• ‘Your Health & Safety Matter’ – Deidre Rose
• ‘Important – Memo from the Chief Electoral Officer’ – Charlotte McCalum
  
• ‘Seeing the Forest for the Trees’ – Zachary Arthur
• ‘Austerity? Vice Is Not A Virtue’ – Mykhaylo Sheremet
  
• The Good of the Union Crossword Puzzle # 15 for your chance to win $100 at the upcoming AGM on March 29th!

Look for your copy in your mailbox, or
Click Here for Your Local News (Mar./Apr. 2012)

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the Nomination Form.

CUPE 3913 would like to wish you all a Happy International Women’s Day and remind you, that the battle is not over.

IWD started in 1911 and in 1977, March 8th was proclaimed by the United Nations to be International Women’s Day.  The celebration of March 8th is dedicated to the observance of social progress, equality, and the significant contribution women make to the world.

Every year on March 8, women around the world mark International Women’s Day (IWD) to commemorate women’s historical struggle to overcome patriarchy, racism and oppression as paid and unpaid workers.

The original IWD call for women’s human rights was very much connected with women’s daily struggles as workers, so it’s fitting that unions around the world take part in IWD events and celebrations.  CUPE Ontario is right there with women’s groups and other organizations making sure justice and equality stays at the heart of our movement.

Some have tried to claim that our society no longer needs a women’s movement, that we live in a “post feminist” age.

This is hardly the case.  Too often, we hear personal and media stories about how women are demeaned, dismissed and marginalized by our political and economic systems, and, sadly, by the men who run them.

It shocks but doesn’t surprise when we hear stories like what happened at a committee of Toronto City Council when a young woman attempted… Click Here to read the full article by CUPE Ontario’s Fred Hahn (President) & Candace Rennick (Secretary-Treasurer).

For More Information, you may want to check out these links:
CUPE National.     Ontario Federation Of Labour.     Canadian Labour Congress.  

We hope you feel a bit more rested and are ready to get back into the grind, but gently eh!

Please remember, whether you are a Sessional Faculty, GTA, UTA or GSA1, you are most welcome to drop by the office for a chat or if you have any questions about your work, your working conditions, your benefits or any matter that is of concern to you or to your colleagues.  And if you are really interested you can become your Department’s or College’s Steward – or even the Health & Safety Rep. for your Department’s Local Health & Safety Committee – any of these is a position of trust that can be very rewarding.

We will train you and walk you through the process of what is involved and how to deal with issues that may be very important to you and/or your colleagues in your Department.  Let us know if this is something you are interested in doing.

In Solidarity,
Your Executive