August 30, 2013                                             

                                                                                                                                                     Suzanne MacNeil

SYDNEY — There are some changes coming for the Canadian labour movement and the president of the Cape Breton District Labour Council said the time is right to relight the fires of union activism across the country.

“Many in labour today are looking towards building a stronger movement in knowing individual unions can’t go it alone anymore,” said Suzanne MacNeil.

In addition to strengthening alliances among union groups, MacNeil said it is equally important that all union members get more involved in their locals.

“Many (workers) just go to work in a bid to take care of their families and secure some kind of good life. Union activism is a lot of work, but we just can’t leave it to the keeners anymore,” she said.

This Labour Day weekend marks the launch of a national campaign by the Canadian Labour Congress to encourage more unionized workers to get involved along with improving the ties that bind unions together.

Ken Georgetti, Canadian Labour Congress president, said the campaign themed Together Fairness Works will be unveiled across the country and will highlight, among other things, the labour movement’s contributions to local communities.

“I do detect a real sense of urgency in the work we do,” said MacNeil.

She said while Cape Breton has been hit hard over the years with the loss of major union groups representing steelworkers and coal miners, there remains a commitment to protect worker rights.

“There has been a loss of morale here, but there is still a fire in the belly to protect workers and the collective bargaining process,” she said.

The national campaign’s objective of unifying the union voice and building a stronger union movement are already two key elements of the local council’s work in representing some 8,000 unionized workers in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The Strait Area Labour Council represents the interests of union workers in eastern Cape Breton.

A freelance writer by trade, MacNeil is a member of the Canadian Freelance Union and her position with the local labour council is voluntary.

She says that many workers’ rights are now under attack and the effects are being felt locally, especially with the recent qualification changes to employment insurance benefits.

MP Mark Eyking recently held a public meeting in Bay St. Lawrence where residents of the small fishing community have been tagged with a repayment bill of more than $170,000, while others have been denied benefits entirely.

She said governments usually have assumed the role of mediator between the unions and companies. MacNeil said that role has changed as governments are now directly attacking unions and rewarding bad faith bargaining by companies.

Some examples, said MacNeil, include the federal government ordering union groups back to work after they have exercised their right to strike. Ontario and British Columbia have imposed or frozen contracts for certain workers, including teachers.

There are an estimated 3.5 million Canadian workers now involved in unions and MacNeil said harnessing such power won’t be easy, but will produce tremendous benefits.

As for this year’s Labour Day celebrations, MacNeil said all unionized workers should prepare themselves to become more involved in their locals and extend a helping hand to other union and non-union groups.

“If the last couple of years are any indication, the fight for worker rights is far from over,” she said.

Membership to the Cape Breton council is open to unions affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress. The local group mets the first Wednesday of every month at the Grand Lake Road fire hall beginning at 7 p.m. The meetings are held between September and June.

MacNeil said the local council’s projects include hosting the annual day of mourning for workers killed on the job, organizing Labour Day celebrations, hosting a labour school for union members and co-ordinating with other unions to help locals grow and develop.