BY JOHN STEELE
TORONTO - The labor movement scored a major victory here September 18, when Ontario labor minister Elizabeth Witmer announced in the provincial legislature that the government was caving in to almost every demand of the Ontario Federation of Labor (OFL) in relation to the government's impending antiunion legislation, Bill 136. Thousands of hospital, municipal, and others of the 400,000 government workers targeted by the legislation were due to begin a series of rotating strikes September 22, leading to a possible province-wide strike in defense of union rights and against hospital closures and other cuts to social services. The walkouts would have been illegal under Bill 136.

The next day Education Minister John Snobelen offered similar concessions to the province's 126,000 teachers, who are also threatening a province-wide strike to defend their union rights and the education system against massive cuts.

Bill 136, and the companion legislation for teachers, which the government intends to pass by the beginning of October, is part of a package of laws forcing the amalgamation of municipalities and school boards. The government aims to "download" the costs of social services on to local government as a means of cutting the social wage of working people. The move would also allow the government to take into its hands the power to set education standards and working conditions for teachers, previously controlled by local school boards and the teachers' unions.

Left unamended, Bill 136 would have banned government workers from striking for up to four years during the "transition" and would have made their wages and working conditions subject to the rulings of a government-appointed commission.

Last July 28 the OFL held an emergency convention in Toronto to map out plans to defeat Bill 136 and the companion legislation targeting teachers.

Despite the government announcement, the labor movement remains on "strike alert." To date the government has refused to meet with union officials to show them in writing the exact nature of its proposed amendments to the legislation, which it says won't be revealed until September 29. In the meantime, the government has announced sweeping changes to the provincial education system that the Ontario teachers' federation says will result in the firing of over 10,000 teachers.

Strike votes among government workers are continuing. In the Canadian Union of Public Employees union there have been strike votes with majorities as high as 94 percent in major cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, and Windsor.

"We're seeing evidence that when people stand up to the school-yard bully, the bully backs down," said New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton.

"This is a victory for all working people to celebrate and build on," said auto worker Joanne Pritchard, the Communist League candidate for Mayor of Toronto in the November 10 municipal election. "We need to keep up the pressure and drive the government back further. Working people need to get up to North Bay for the September 26-27 Days of Action against the Harris government."

North Bay is the home constituency of Ontario premier Michael Harris. Thousands of government workers, teachers, students, and others are expected to take part in the two days of work stoppages, and demonstrations.

John Steele is a member of International Association of Machinists Local 2113.  
 
 
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