THUNDER BAY - This year marks a particularly special Labour Day in the city of Thunder Bay, as a resolution to the recent labour disruption at the Port Arthur Clinic was celebrated, concerns over changes at the provincial level renewed calls for action.
On Monday, union members and the public gathered at the Current River Park for the annual Thunder Bay Labour Day Picnic, hosted by the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council and local unions.
“Labour Day is traditionally a celebration of our accomplishments and trying to get labour together to face the challenges that are coming here,” said Carlos Santander-Maturana, president of the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council.
One of the accomplishments celebrated this year was the end of the 128-day work stoppage at the Port Arthur Health Centre that saw 65 support staff on the picket line. A deal was reached August between Unifor and clinic management.
“The strike at Port Arthur clinic was an important one,” Santander-Maturana said. “It was testing the grounds to see how a small union and big unions are going to react regarding attacks against vulnerable workers.”
And while there was a lot of celebration in the air, with a free BBQ, music, and games for kids, Santander-Maturana said this year there is added seriousness to the festivities.
“This 2018 Labour Day picnic is an important one because of new realities in the politics in Ontario,” he said. “The fact that we have a PC government in place that is doing a lot to undermine worker’s rights.”
“We are very concerned regarding what is going to be the fate of employment standard legislation and the Ontario Labour Relations Act reform and what is going to be the fate of the minimum wage that is going to take place in January next year.”
Echoing these concerns was Patty Coates, secretary treasurer at the Ontario Federation of Labour, and the guest speaker at this year’s picnic.
“We are afraid that they are going to cut back on some of the gains we have made through Bill 148, changes to the Employment Standards Act, and the Labour Relations Act,” Coates said. “We made improvements for workers that took almost a generation to make those changes.”
Petitions were available for signing during the picnic urging the Ford government and local MPPs to keep the minimum wage increase the same and to not make changes to labour legislation. Both Coates and Santander-Maturana said it cannot stop there and workers and the public must continue to pressure their local representatives to ensure the rights of workers are protected.
“Talk to their MPPs, continually talk to their MPPs, saying that workers are important to our economy,” Coates said. “We know that the government is not going to implement the $15 minimum wage. But we know that with that minimum wage increased to $14, Ontario’s economy is growing.”
So while the fight for worker’s rights continues in 2018, Coates said it is important to remember that it is a fight not only for workers, but everyone in Ontario.
She cited the many strides made in the workplace, from statutory holidays, to paternity leave, the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, personal emergency days, to pay equity that have benefited everyone, not just union members.
“Unions not only fight for their members, they also ensure that the gains that they make are gains that those who are not in a union will get,” she said. “Some of these things we have gained, there is so much that we have fought for, not only for our members, but for all workers across Ontario.”
