By Stephen Gray
“The surest thing about belonging to a union is that you are never alone.”
(Ken Georgetti, president, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
Hello Sisters and Brothers of the unionized collective; happy Labor Day to you all. Are those not uplifting words from Big Brother Ken? I hope you are ALL proud of your unions? What other organizations are funded by compulsion? What other organizations make political, social and moral decisions for their members? What other organizations use their memberships compulsory funds for non work related issues? Don’t you love being called an “indentured servant” by union boss Buzz Hargrove? Where would the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) be without the “wisdom” of Buzz?
Mr. Hargrove speaks for the CAW members on a multitude of non-work related issues. One recent example is same-sex marriage where Brother Buzz took time out of his busy schedule to write the prime minister on behalf of all his members on this issue. Here is part of his letter:
“Dear Prime Minister: Clearly the debate around same-sex marriage is heating up. I am writing once again to offer the support of our union, the Canadian Auto Workers, and to encourage you to hold strong on protection of minority rights through the Charter and press forward with same-sex marriage legislation….”
http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/pride/letters/martin_jan05.asp
Wow! Buzz surely spells it out: “the support of our union” on “same-sex marriage legislation.” The “indentured servants” at the CAW must be really, really proud of Buzz who never even polled all his compulsory members on this issue. But hey, this is “democracy” in the union of the proletariat. One would think any mature and sensible adult would want to make their own decisions on supporting and funding social, moral, political and charitable issues. The CAW, however, does not seem to view it this way. On the contrary, it has a lot of pride and likes to go marching.
“The CAW presence in the Toronto pride parade grew again this year. We marched as part of a contingent of about 20 other social action groups, united against war, capitalism, globalization, under the banner "People Not Profits". We joined with a strong Queer Muslim group, South Asian AIDS activist groups, Council of Canadians, Amnesty International, Chinese Lesbians of Toronto, and the Canadian Federation of Students . We marched alongside our (fabulous) float, handing out whistles, 'CAW: Know Your Workplace Rights' pamphlets, and CAW pride magnets and balloons. CAW members from London, Oshawa, Halton, Windsor, and Winnipeg and Vancouver attended the Toronto pride parade. Many thanks to Locals 199, 222, 1285 and 707 for all your contributions!”
http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/pride/prideinprint/fall02.asp
Still, Buzz Hargrove is not the only union boss claiming blanket support by all his members on numerous non-work related issues. The biggest union boss of Canada is Ken Georgetti, President of the Canadian Labor Congress CLC), he solicited funds for abortion clinics when he was president of the B.C. Federation of Labor. (BCFL). Now he has graduated to the CLC. The CLC is involved with numerous special interest groups and has given money to them over the years. The CLC had this to say on same-sex marriage:
“With the passage of the federal equal marriage legislation, Canada has taken an important step forward.
The labour movement - from local activists to national leadership - stood united with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community and played a critical role in persuading the Canadian government to pass the same-sex marriage law….
The Canadian Labour Congress was a founding member of the broad-based coalition, Canadians for Equal Marriage which led this struggle.”
http://www.canadianlabour.ca/index.php/pride_sol/Its_Time_to_Celebrat
All you employed workers and laid off workers out there, struggling to pay rent and mortgages and who have paid compulsory union dues for years must be happy to know that the CLC “was a founding member” of “Canadians for Equal Marriage.” In fact, Big Brother Georgetti of the CLC wrote the prime minister on your behalf and said this:
“Dear Prime Minister:
I want to express my personal support as well as that of the Canadian Labour Congress for your strong stand in support of the extension of human rights to the area of marriage….If there is anything I can do to support you and your stand on this question, please do contact me.
Sincerely,
Kenneth V. Georgetti
President”
http://www.canadianlabour.ca/index.php/pride_sol/CLC_Supports_Samesex
Now Big Brother Georgetti of the CLC, - who is an inveterate letter writer - in his latest missive from the lofty heights of the big trade union tax free headquarters is critical of the taxpayer funded Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) for having an agenda insulting to workers. Imagine that! Many people out there thought the CBC was a propaganda promoter for the proletariat and all the politically correct causes. Ah, things must be going awry when the Big Boss of Labour criticizes the CBC. He had this to say: “The last budget gave the CBC new funding to put towards better service. Rather than using that money for better programming, it’s being wasted on advertising at the competition! It’s being used to promote an agenda that insults its workers.…” http://www.canadianlabour.ca/index.php/august_2002/cbc_advertising_offe .
Well, well, well, talk about the kettle calling the pot black as the saying goes. Georgetti says CBC money is being used, “to promote an agenda that insults its workers….” Yet Georgetti and the CLC have been using workers compulsory union dues for years to promote agendas that are insulting to union members. The latest being so-called “same-sex marriage.” Hypocrisy and hypocrites reign supreme at the CLC. So Brothers and Sisters of the labour movement as you are supporters of numerous special interest groups and causes, and counted as members in some of these groups; now you know what Big Brother Ken at the CLC means when he says: “The surest thing about belonging to a union is that you are never alone.” Have a Happy Labour Day 2005!
Stephen Gray
Sept. 1, 2005.,
graysinfo@yahoo.ca website: http://www.oocities.org/graysinfo
Some info on the Author: Stephen Gray is a writer and researcher on various topics. He published a newsletter for 11 years exposing the misuse of trade union time and money.