CYBERPICKET the CLC Convention
Cyberpicket the CLC Convention
To the Canadian Labour Congress and its affiliated unions:
As you kick off your exclusive Convention this week in Vancouver, consider yourselves PICKETED!
Yes, you heard that right, union democrats like those who are a part of our on-line community of workers are sending you a strong message: Change or get out of the way.
We have had it with what you are passing off as unionism. We are no longer prepared to tolerate business unionists, bureaucratic unionists and elitist unionists who increasingly resemble our bosses in their lifestyles, in their values and in their lack of respect for working people. We are outraged at the absence of democracy in our unions, at the economic terrorism that some CLC affiliates inflict on workers who dare to speak their minds, at the back room wheeling and dealing between our bosses and their union partners, at the squandering of our resources by our representatives and at the lack of vision, commitment and talent among our leaders. We are fed up with being treated like property.
After years of being told to sit down and shut up while our representatives bargain backwards and tell us we should expect nothing more, we are angry and restless. We refuse be to be spectators in our own lives any longer. You and your organization will either lead us to where we want to go or we'll find our own way there.
It's nice that President, Brother Ken Georgetti, is making it possible for us to hear his opening remarks by webcast this coming Monday, but here's what you're not getting: We are no longer content to listen. We want to speak, to be heard, to be engaged in dialogue about the future that we want. We want you to know that and we especially want to tell Bro_Ken to know it.
Since very few union members qualify for admission to your big event, we are going to get our message out from here - our inclusive, always open, on-line community of free-speaking, forward-looking, democratic unionists.
We invite all of our contributors, visitors and anyone who is supportive of the community of workers to join us in our cyberpicket of the Canadian Labour Congress Convention. Post your on-line message to CLC President, Bro_Ken Georgetti, here. We will post your cyber-placards on the front page daily for the duration of the Convention.
The overall general impression amoung people is that unions are corrupt and full of greedy mobsters who strip workers of their right to self determination. That workers are better off on their own. Your actions and that of your affiliates over the past several years have only strengthened that argument and your numbers will continue to decline until their is little left outside the heavy industrial and public service sectors of the economy. I would think it's in your best interest and that of the labour movement itself to stop talking and start listening to the people who truely and rightfully are the union movement. The power source.
GIVE BACK OUR RIGHTS OR GIVE BACK OUR MONEY!
Hey Bro_Ken, tell your friends at the UFCW to:
STOP SLAPPing US AROUND!
quote:
Unions have always sought the best way to represent their members. We have done this through many means including collective bargaining, demonstrations, representations to government, working with groups with similar objectives, and supporting candidates/parties at elections. The CLC wants to take a look at the whole spectrum of labour's political involvement.
By Ken Georgetti
I don't know what planet you are on Ken, unions may have sought in principle to represent members, but we can not even get our unions including Cupe, the largest in Canada to file grievances or to negotiate fair contracts.
Newly elcected UAW President Ron Gettelfinger recently said:
quote:
We need to feel the passion of the union movevment in our heart.
How can we possibly feel the passion of the union movement when in my political opinion, the CLC and labour leaders are all practicing kissing cousins and all collaborating for the same relief. Wether you want to practice safe sex or not is up to you people, but there should be no reason for true unionsists to have to be part of the bum sex that is happening to our brothers and sisters.
If you really want to make a difference KEN, LET THE WORKERS REALLY HAVE A SAY IN THEIR FUTURES.
We are all tired of being led by Union CEO's to the slaughter house.
NO MEANS NO!
quote:
GIVE BACK OUR RIGHTS OR GIVE BACK OUR MONEY!
by Siggy
Ditto for me
Yo conventioneers, everytime you have a drink or chow down on something tasty just remember that we're the ones paying your freight. Enjoy. I hope its the last time you all have the gall to feast and party at our expense.
My slogan,
Stop the back room boogie!
You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool the Power Source anymore. Get with OUR agenda or get lost.
SOME UNIONS DESERVE A GOOD RAIDING!
Hi Shadow: You stated-
quote:
posted by Shadow:
You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool the Power Source anymore. Get with OUR agenda or get lost.
Where is the democracy in that statement. The CLC convention and the union members attending thereto is governed by the CLC constitution. Read section (4) of this document and you will find rank-and-file union members will be the voting majority at this convention. If you want your agenda heard at these conventions get the support of the majority and make a difference instead of making threats.
I wonder if Alexa McDonough will still be the keynote speaker, on Wednesday afternoon at the CLC Convention, after this recent statement: 
quote:
Mr. [Buzz] Hargrove has been so destructive to the relationship between the NDP and organized labour, she [Alexa McDonough] said, that a strong relationship that has endured decades is now "virtually on the skids" and the Canadian Labour Congress has been rendered "dysfunctional."
Source story:Union chief 'gutless'
For those of you that can't make it I have provided some pictures from the convention centre....
Here is a shot of one of the dining areas...
and here is a pic of the delegates arriving...
Uh-oh! Seems a "reformer" parked in a delegates private parking space... 
Thats OK...Membership dues will cover it... 
quote:
Where is the democracy in that statement. The CLC convention and the union members attending thereto is governed by the CLC constitution. Read section (4) of this document and you will find rank-and-file union members will be the voting majority at this convention. If you want your agenda heard at these conventions get the support of the majority and make a difference instead of making threats.
Geez, you're awfully touchy there Fisher. I don't think there's anything in that statement that's a threat. It's just what a lot of union members are thinking. So if they aren't exactly thrilled with the Canadian Labour Club, what's wrong with that? They're entitled to an opinion aren't they or is that against the CLC rules?
As far as the "rank and filers" at the convention, from what I've heard these people aren't always elected by the rank and file. In some cases that I've heard of their hand-picked favourites of local presidents and national brass and they vote the way their told or poof! No more trips!
Tell me something: What's the CLC accomplished for workers lately? Never mind lately. What have they accomplished in the last 20 years? It's just another old boys club as far as I'm concerned. If you think otherwise, tell us why.
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...and the CLC has been rendered "dysfunctional."
Alexa McDonough June 2002
aboutunions
EDUCATION not adjudication
Representation or RESIGNATION
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The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement
Speak for yourself.
You surely don't speak for me.
I am the labour movement.
EXODUS (Rank and File's 1st Chapter)
For if you do not free our members, I will let loose swarms of reformers against you and your courtiers and your people and your houses; the houses of the officials, and the very ground they stand on, shall be filled with swarms of reformers.
WORK HARD, OR GO HOME !
I have been a member of both the PEI Federation of Labour's executive council and executive committees/boards in the past and I have found that relationship to be frustrating to say the least. The politics involved in multi union affairs seams to take precedence over the day to day job of improving the working lives for all Canadians. The agendas of the public and private sector unions are at odds most of the times and in a small province with some fifteen thousand union members with the majority in the public sector the concerns of the private sector unions gets shuffled to the back most of the time. This doesn't eliminate the fact that the CLC conventions gives the rank-and-file members the opportunity to be heard and their concerns aired at the national level. There is a lot of work needed to be don in the Labour movement to once again bring it back to the grass-routs but I am working from within the system to achieve that end. Knowing your rights and demanding that they be upheld is a positive action for all union members, standing ones ground in the face of overwhelming opposition to see those rights carried out is also positive. We as labour are a strong group with the power to effect positive change if only we learn the internal systems of our individual union and use it to that end. I question the wisdom of attacking the only voice we as workers have against multinational companies, governments, and interest groups who feel the value of currency outweighs the value of the work needed to create a commodity. Without the products of our labour money would only be worth the white squares of paper we use in our rest rooms. If you feel your voice is not being heard, find the obstacle and work your way around it, your coworkers will benefit as a result of your efforts.
In Solidarity
Fisher 
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If you feel your voice is not being heard, find the obstacle and work your way around it, your coworkers will benefit as a result of your efforts.
Fisher
This is exactly why I joined www.ufcw.net. I felt my voice was not being heard. I found the obstacle to be the present self serving union hierarchy. I believe my co-workers and others will learn more about unions as a result of my efforts at www.ufcw.net.
aboutunions
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This doesn't eliminate the fact that the CLC conventions gives the rank-and-file members the opportunity to be heard and their concerns aired at the national level.
As I understand it, rank and file members are neither welcome nor admitted to the convention. A union member just showing up and wanting admittance would be shown the door. Is that not right?
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I question the wisdom of attacking the only voice we as workers have against multinational companies, governments, and interest groups who feel the value of currency outweighs the value of the work needed to create a commodity.
I doubt that the MNC's, the governments and the anti-worker interest groups pay any attention to a word that comes out of the CLC. If you think that any of them do, tell me why?
STIFLE CORRUPTION NOT INFORMATION
Freedom of speech for union members NOW!
Bro_Ken, if our questions are too tough, take your name out of the hat.
Power Source need a leader not a bleeder.
The truth is out HERE
THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE
Unions of the PEOPLE
By the PEOPLE
For the PEOPLE
You're three C-days in Bro_Ken and not even a tidbit for the Power Source has leaked. How many press left to oust?
PLUG_IN THE POWER SOURCE!
Fisher said:
"Where is the democracy in that statement. The CLC convention and the union members attending thereto is governed by the CLC constitution. Read section (4) of this document and you will find rank-and-file union members will be the voting majority at this convention. If you want your agenda heard at these conventions get the support of the majority and make a difference instead of making threats."
Hey Fisher, some of the UFCW members hanging out as delegates weren't sent as delegages. They showed up as guests and Mike Fraser saw to it that one of the Vancouver locals coughed up the dough to buy them entrance to the floor as delegates.
When people were asked to stand if this was their first convention, about 85% of the people stood up. All these newbies are taken to caucus rooms and told how their "union" is going to vote and therefore how they are expected to vote.
It's pretty obvious that 15% are there to control the vote of the other 85%. This whole convention is a sham, but tomorrow's party should be a hoot.
What many thought was an exercise in democracy has proved to be little more than one hell of a vacation.
Party on!!!!