At our last meeting, Stewart introduced the idea of forming a Political Education Committee.

The purpose of this committee would be to educate our members about political issues and legislation at all three levels of government: federal, provincial, and municipal.

Federal

One example is federal labour legislation, such as Bill 39. If passed, this legislation would give the federal Minister of Labour broad unilateral authority to end legal strikes and impose binding arbitration, thereby reducing workers' bargaining power. This would affect federally regulated workplaces. The goal would be to educate our members and encourage them to lobby their local Members of Parliament to oppose legislation that gives employers the upper hand in collective bargaining.

Provincial

At the provincial level, there is concern that similar legislation could be introduced in Ontario. Most of our members work in provincially regulated sectors. In addition, the Ford government has underfunded public health care and public education, creating additional stress for workers in those sectors. Our Local represents many health care workers who are directly affected. Continued underfunding can also lead to increased privatization, which may result in the public paying for services that should be covered under OHIP.

Municipal

By the time the committee is established, the municipal election will likely be over. Therefore, the committee's focus would be on monitoring municipal council decisions. Some councillors vote based on the wishes of their constituents, while others may be more influenced by the interests of developers. For example, council may vote to allow a developer to add additional storeys to an already approved project, even when residents in the ward oppose the change.

Committee Goals

The goal of the Political Education Committee would be to educate members, encourage political engagement, and mobilize support for issues that affect working people and their communities. This could include lobbying elected officials, participating in rallies and campaigns, supporting picket lines and strikes, and defending the rights and gains that unions have fought for over many years. The committee could also work closely with the London District Labour Council and other community organizations to advance shared goals.

Meeting dates, times, and locations have not yet been finalized and will be determined based on the level of interest.

If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please email Stewart at gmwiseone@gmail.com