Niagara News Bulletin
by People's Voice Niagara Bureau
* Lincoln County Humane Society workers of CUPE 1287 took their employer to the labour board for bad faith bargaining after a continuing impasse in their strike. Initially management was not even willing to talk to the workers who reject a two-tier contract. The union has been running a newspaper and radio campaign to pressure the shelter executive director and have been joined by the Niagara Animal Defense League as well as other unions.
* 330 St. Catharines TRW auto parts workers were able to reverse a wage freeze and two-tier pension contract after an under- 24 hour strike, with new workers now having a pension like their coworkers.
* Hundreds of workers held a candelight vigil on their last day at the Ft. Erie slots as the provincial austerity layoffs took effect, while area municipal governments have vowed to take over the business and run it themselves.
* Over 10,000 people protested on May 2 at Grimsby Secondary School against the Liberal provincial government’s reneging on reconstructing the local hospital, whose board chair wrote a new protest song “Promises Not Enough”. Although the local MPP who is also the Conservative party leader attended, he was warned by the crowd to not take the stage.
* The labour council and regional government unveiled a plaque to remember injured and killed workers as part of the Day of Mourning, while an inquest opened into the death two years ago of a 19-year old construction worker being paid under the table.
* The manager of the regional government’s chronic disease and injury prevention division announced that the price of a nutritional breakfast in Niagara has gone up 7% between 2010 and 2011 and called for politicians to ensure “adequate income levels” for all. Meanwhile two Niagara food banks laid off staff, one official explaining “our demand is up 9% and our revenue is down 5%.”
* Even though the Supreme Court of Canada’s appeal rejection has hammered the last nail into the coffin of a class action lawsuit by Port Colborne residents suing Vale Inco for polluting their land and their health, the residents vow to continue their fight by suing individually. Vale’s responsibility for the pollution was proved, but the court ruled it wasn’t violating the environmental laws of the time.
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