Who asks that a street be named after themselves? Or gets one of their employees to ask?
Earlier this year a UNIFOR National Representative sent a letter to the Mayor of Oshawa asking that street be named after UNIFOR President Jerry Dias.
The members of Unifor in Oshawa were never informed of this egotistical effort, and when they found out they were enraged that Oshawa was being asked to honour a union leader who is associated with:
⢠Two-tier agreements that have newly hired workers starting at 65% of regular pay, and not getting equal pay until after 8 years.
⢠The elimination of defined benefit pensions.
⢠Five contracts in a row with no increases in pensions for retirees.
⢠Dividing the Canadian labour movement by raiding other unions and pulling out of the CLC.
⢠Cozying up to pro-corporate politicians like Trudeau, Wynne and Kellie Leitch and joining Chrystia Freelandâs NAFTA team.
Union members pointed out that it would be far better to honour people who had demonstrated real union principles like Bev McCloskey, founder of the Local 222 Womenâs Committee who led the fight to amend the Ontario Human Rights Code to end discrimination on the basis of sex, or Cliff Pilkey, former Local 222 President, City Councillor and NDP Member of the Provincial Parliament.
The Oshawa Council was bombarded with angry emails from members of Unifor Local 222, and as a result they turned down the request by a vote of 9-2.
Taylor Report on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thetaylorreport/
Taylor Report on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/taylor-report
Interview with Tony Leah
Click on the Red Circle with the White Arrow in order to Listen to the Interview