BY ROBERT SIMMS
TORONTO - Some 7,000 people demonstrated here September 27 at the opening session of the Ontario legislature to protest the actions of the new Conservative government in Ontario, led by Premier Mike Harris.
The government, elected June 8, is slashing welfare rates by 21.6 percent and embarking on a series of major cuts to health care and education. It has announced its intention to act soon to repeal Bill 40, passed by the previous New Democratic Party (NDP) government, which banned the use of replacement workers in strikes. The new government also plans to repeal the NDP's Employment Equity Act on affirmative action.
All these issues became the focus of the demonstration, which was principally organized by the Labour Council of Metro Toronto after being initiated by the Embarrass Harris Coalition. More than 40 local antipoverty and antiracism coalitions, women's groups, labor unions, community groups, and political organizations endorsed the action.
At least 17 busloads of protesters came from outlying cities in Ontario. Unions such as the Canadian Auto Workers and local labor councils provided the buses for the most part, even though organizers had not issued a call for a province-wide action. A minivan filled with members of the Regoupement des chomeurs et chomeuses du Quebec (Quebec Coalition of the Unemployed) came from Montreal with their banner.
Health-care workers used their lunch hour to come to the rally amid reports that several hospitals are slated to be closed. Scores of building trades workers also participated. Chris Thurott of the Toronto-Central Ontario Construction and Building Trades Council spoke to the rally, explaining how repealing Bill 40 and legalizing the use of replacement workers in strikes would encourage the bosses to step up their challenge to unions, and pointed to the current strike by 4,000 drywall workers.
Many in the crowd were unemployed workers. Linda Douglas, living on welfare with a young daughter, said, "I'm willing to work but there's nothing." Another woman on welfare explained, "I don't care how strong the unions are, they can be privatized. They're trying to get people like us to go get their jobs."
Native people also participated in the action, in part to protest the Ontario government-approved police raid last month on Chippewa Indians occupying Ipperwash Provincial Park. Dudley George, a Chippewa Native, was killed by police in the cop action. Jay Mason, of the Canadian Alliance in Solidarity with Native People, demanded an independent inquiry of George's killing. "We want the OPP (provincial police) charged with murder," he said.
Many students from high schools and colleges also participated, with Heather Bishop of the Canadian Federation of Students addressing the protest.
Police attack demonstrators
At the end of the rally, some in the crowd surged passed
the barricade and started to climb the steps of the
legislature. At that point, 80 policemen started swinging
clubs and spraying the protesters with pepper gas. Maria
Frangos explained that as the group got near the top, police
warned them to leave. "Before we had a chance to react, they
took their batons and just randomly started hitting us. We
weren't being violent, we just wanted to get in."
The government reaffirmed its intention to repeal the Employment Equity Act and Bill 40 during the legislative session that day. They are also considering a proposal from an employers group demanding that part-time workers set up separate bargaining units from full-time workers.
The government also reaffirmed massive cuts to health care and education. Two days later a government advisory body released its report recommending 12 hospitals in the Toronto area be closed or merged with others. At least 3,000 health-care workers would lose their jobs.
In addition to the 21.6 percent cut to welfare, the Harris government promised to introduce "workfare," under which all recipients except the disabled, seniors, and single mothers with young children would be required to perform uncompensated community service or enroll in training programs.
In numerous comments to reporters, both Harris and his community and social services minister, David Tsubouchi, said those facing cuts should get a part-time job to make up the difference between the old and new rates. At one point, Tsubouchi said that if parents complain that their kids are going hungry, then the Children's Aid Society might have to remove them.
Harris later disavowed those comments but when pressed on whether the new rates will allow recipient families to feed their children, Harris alternately said, "I hope so," "I don't know," and "I'm sure it will be enough."