tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61334082449373811072024-03-20T05:11:51.293-05:00Left HookThe official blog of Kevin Rebeck, President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-41701933789302692912012-05-09T18:26:00.000-05:002012-05-09T18:26:25.564-05:00Honouring the memory of the 26 workers killed on this day 20 years ago<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA">Today marks the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary
of the Westray mine disaster that killed 26 workers in Nova Scotia<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>. The public inquiry into the Westray story called the
deaths “predictable” and concluded management, “starting with the Chief
Executive Officer,” had failed in its responsibility to design and operate a
safe mine. It recommended federal legislation “to ensure that corporate
executives and directors are held properly accountable for workplace safety.”</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">It was these 26 deaths and that
recommendation that led to Parliament unanimously passing in 2003 what has come
to be known as the “Westray Bill.” Under that law, employers responsible for
workplace deaths can face criminal charges, and if convicted, can be sentenced
to time in prison. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Unfortunately eight years later, despite
thousands more workplace deaths, only a handful of criminal prosecutions have
proceeded in Canada; no charges have been laid in Manitoba to date. Workplace
safety activists who worked so hard lobbying for passage of the Westray Bill
are frustrated and demoralized. Parliament was clear that the criminal code
should be used to hold employers accountable for ensuring safe and healthy
working conditions for workers they employ. Yet there has been virtually no
enforcement.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">To find out why, the Canadian Labour
Congress organized a Westray bill symposium last fall, bringing together
police, prosecutors, workplace safety regulators and health and safety
activists. At the symposium it quickly became clear that, without the political
will to enforce it, the Westray law would remain a largely unenforced “paper
tiger.” Participants identified a number of barriers to enforcing the Westray
law:</span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Police indicated that criminal
investigation of workplace deaths was part of neither their training nor their
operating protocols. They cited lack of access to specialized expertise about
workplace safety. They said evidence collected by government regulators without
a warrant may not be admissible in criminal prosecutions.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-CA" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Not all prosecutors have
closely followed implementation of the Westray law and cases to date.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Health and safety regulators indicated
their investigative procedures were oriented towards gathering evidence
required for criminal prosecutions.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA">Everyone in attendance agreed that proper
enforcement of the Westray law will require a deliberate and collaborative
effort on the part of everyone present. Investigative procedures for police and
regulators need to be revised. Police, prosecutors and regulators need to be
trained or updated on the latest developments. Provincial officials need to
show leadership by bringing all these players together to work through these
challenges.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Families of workers who fall victim to
workplace tragedies deserve to know that these deaths are all investigated
through the lens of the Westray law. Employers need to know that there will be
tough criminal consequences if they act irresponsibly with the health and
safety or workers they employ. This is how we can truly honour the memory of
the 26 workers killed 20 years ago.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-20906314026795360152012-04-16T16:46:00.001-05:002012-04-16T16:59:36.218-05:00Exaggerating the Size of Manitoba’s Public Sector<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3EmBrfyYq_biKFvc8WoQXzz3R12zjiTCIxH1ABwCKS_j1QOtTvmFhWy_L2z8gKpMjMsrGo73G7aiEYWrj3wbsYg41qEca_BgGE170tmk6FGYaI4wiNu6D96kH4wCE2hFGU7BNTw4fWZ_/s1600/exaggerate.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3EmBrfyYq_biKFvc8WoQXzz3R12zjiTCIxH1ABwCKS_j1QOtTvmFhWy_L2z8gKpMjMsrGo73G7aiEYWrj3wbsYg41qEca_BgGE170tmk6FGYaI4wiNu6D96kH4wCE2hFGU7BNTw4fWZ_/s200/exaggerate.gif" width="200" /></a>As Manitoba’s provincial budget gets closer, we have heard
repeatedly from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation the claim that Manitoba has a
“bloated” public sector. The claim has been based on a recently published piece
of propaganda from the Frontier Centre: <a href="http://www.fcpp.org/publication.php/3882" target="_blank">“The Size and Cost of Manitoba’s PublicSector.”</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The lead claim from this document is that Manitoba has a far
higher proportion of its jobs in the public sector than other provinces: “26%
of jobs in Manitoba are in the civilian public sector (all levels of
government). In the country as a whole, just 20% of jobs are in the civilian
public sector.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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That sounds like a big gap, doesn’t it?</div>
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<br /></div>
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However, if you look more closely at the data, you quickly
find that the “analysis” is not comparing apples to apples. To achieve the 26%
and 20% figures the report includes employment at crown corporations and other
government business enterprises. This has the effect of exaggerating public
sector employment for provinces that have more public ownership and less
privatization. For example, Manitoba’s public sector employment figure includes
all the staff at MPI, one of Manitoba’s larger employers, whereas (most)
provinces that have private auto insurance will have no public sector workers
for this service. </div>
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<br /></div>
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To get a fair, apples-to-apples comparison of public sector
employment rates, you need to look at public sector workers without including
workers at crown corporations. If you do that, you find that Manitoba has 20%
of its total employment in the civilian public sector, compared to 19% for
Canada as a whole (Statistics Canada, CANSIM Tables 183-0002 and 383-0009). </div>
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<br /></div>
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That’s not much of a gap. What’s bloated is
the claim that Manitoba’s public sector is too large.</div>Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-16713323314455543662012-03-30T10:14:00.000-05:002012-03-30T10:14:25.697-05:00Federal Budget Drops the Ball on Jobs<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Federal
budget finally appeared – two days before the end of the Federal Government’s
fiscal year.<b> </b>I guess they wanted to put off the bad
news for as long as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We were
looking for a budget that emphasizes job creation and the needs of working
families: a budget that would support the fragile economic recovery by
continuing with job-creating stimulus investments in infrastructure; a budget
that doesn’t put the economic recovery at risk by making deep depending cuts to
services; and a budget that protects the services that working families rely on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, what
did we get?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead we
got a budget that makes deep cuts to the front-line services that working
families count on. It closes every youth
jobs centre in Canada (the $6.5 million savings are about half the $12 million
that the Harper government is spending to advertise this budget); it will cut
the number of centres that process Employment Insurance claims from 120 to 20;
and within 5 years, front-line health care will begin to suffer from the
budget’s commitment to slash federal health transfers to the provinces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How will
this budget impact working families? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This budget
means the middle class will continue to shrink as almost 20,000 good,
family-supporting jobs are cut. It will
hurt the middle class that has been the engine of our economic prosperity since
the Second World War. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This budget means
working families will be more on their own in saving for retirement. People 53 and younger will have to wait two
more years before they become eligible for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed
Income Supplement. Federal civil servants will have to make up for cuts to
their pensions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The budget
also means more injuries in federally regulated workplaces. The Harper government has already cut the number
of inspectors who enforce workplace health and safety rules by 15%. That’s why federally regulated workpalces are
the only workplaces in Canada where the average injury rate is actually getting
worse. This will just get worse with
federal job cuts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Harper the
Vindictive reappeared in this budget. During
the last election Conservatives insisted they had no plans to cut the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation’s budget. But a
media outlet that actually does its job and looks beyond the government news
release and points out the reality of what’s going on is just too tempting a
target for Conservative cuts. There’s an
easy $115 million to pluck and the bonus for Harper is that it will silence one
of the few reliable media voices that doesn’t swallow Harper’s guff holus
bolus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m glad to
see there are going to be new investments in running water and education for
First Nations communities. That’s a good
step forward but it’s not nearly enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clearly the
deficit needs to be addressed, but let’s be sensible about it. The approach in this budget could actually
make it worse. As we have seen in recent months, the global economic recovery
is very fragile and leading economists have cautioned Canada not to put it at
risk by making deep cuts in federal spending. Just look at Europe where country after
country is slipping back into recession because they took their foot off the
stimulus pedal too soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The best way
to restore balance is to get Canadians working again. When the economy is
operating on all cylinders, tax revenues go up and spending on services comes
down. That’s how you get back to balance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Deep cuts
will only hurt the recovery and reinforce the economic pressures that caused
the deficit in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our top
priority should be economic recovery and getting Canadians back to work. With
the global economic recovery at risk I would have expected a renewal of the
federal stimulus program to invest in job creating infrastructure projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead of
deep cuts to front-line services, I would have closed tax loopholes and breaks for
corporations and high-income Canadians.
When Canada’s highest paid CEOs cash in stock options, they should be
taxed at the same rate that other working Canadians are taxed. This loophole costs
the federal government $750 million/year. We can’t afford that anymore and it’s
not fair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We need to
put a stop to Canada’s failed corporate tax cut experiment. Canada’s corporate
tax rate is now far below the US rate, yet instead of reinvesting their tax
savings into job creating investments, Canadian corporations have stockpiled
more than $500 billion in cash. We could support public services and stay
competitive by letting the corporate tax rate rise to at least the US rate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Canada
needed a budget that prioritizes jobs and services for working families.
Instead we got front-line service cuts and layoffs that will put the fragile
economic recovery at risk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-73931209532506853952011-05-18T09:33:00.002-05:002011-05-18T09:54:32.197-05:00Stepping up for Lake Winnipeg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUVvfBhhZc0uuX_AMCO-zdroVAnQh26OHQGn2C_ECY1m8ZkJKx4Qt79sZ2CiVgd6O0__GSu-mkodhnmmxPpBF7qVn8iQ91sDlA7T5y39agw_Gyp850cEn5lS-ayZF82kINaIwN0dK7KjB/s1600/pier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUVvfBhhZc0uuX_AMCO-zdroVAnQh26OHQGn2C_ECY1m8ZkJKx4Qt79sZ2CiVgd6O0__GSu-mkodhnmmxPpBF7qVn8iQ91sDlA7T5y39agw_Gyp850cEn5lS-ayZF82kINaIwN0dK7KjB/s1600/pier.jpg" /></a><br />
After the 1997 "flood of the century," concerns about the impact of large-scale flooding on the health of lake Winnipeg were a catalyst for the establishment of the <a href="http://lakewinnipegresearch.org/">Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium</a>.<br />
<br />
The Consortium, best known for operating the research ship M.V. Namao, coordinates and promotes independent scientific research on Lake Winnipeg. The Consortium's work helps determine what needs to be done to restore the health of Lake Winnipeg.<br />
<br />
With Manitoba once again experiencing flooding larger in scope than we have ever seen before, the importance of the Consortium's research has once again been underscored.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I had the honour of participating in an announcement of new support for the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium. Manitoba's labour unions have decided to support the Consortium because the working families we represent have told us they are concerned about water quality issues in general, and the health of Lake Winnipeg in particular.<br />
<a href="http://www.mgeu.mb.ca/news/article/1715">The Manitoba Government and General Employees Union is contributing $20,000 over 5 years to a new scholarship fund that will support graduate student research on the Lake.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mfl.mb.ca/11/lake-wpg.shtml">The MFL and other unions are also making contributions to the scholarship fund and joining the membership of the Consortium.</a><br />
<br />
We hope others in our community will join the effort to save Lake Winnipeg and support the important work of the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium.Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-45248558062342344962011-04-27T06:46:00.001-05:002011-04-27T06:47:16.179-05:00Your vote and the safety of 1 million working Canadians<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1YD5dFgZNgGOkDuSCPCemmphlhyFHnWywzj8nMhwSsfndRORxXhrAF7Uxfp-ijCCPyf8MemWYTDBvBJPHjOzbaj_RjT7rjfoApL8xaz1g3B_U8fLZbnWvQKdcLuWl0A0PET8NGiWwAIU/s1600/safety+first.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1YD5dFgZNgGOkDuSCPCemmphlhyFHnWywzj8nMhwSsfndRORxXhrAF7Uxfp-ijCCPyf8MemWYTDBvBJPHjOzbaj_RjT7rjfoApL8xaz1g3B_U8fLZbnWvQKdcLuWl0A0PET8NGiWwAIU/s320/safety+first.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Earlier this month, I had the honour of joining with 150 workers committed to safer and healthier workplaces at the <a href="http://mfl.mb.ca/11/hs-conf.shtml">30th Annual MFL Health and Safety Conference</a>. <br />
<br />
While I was there I learned something very surprising and disturbing. While disabling injury rates in provincially regulated workplaces are falling, they are actually rising in federally regulated workplaces. The gap is shockingly stark. <a href="http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/reports/docs/Success%20Is%20No%20Accident_0.pdf">Over the past 5 years, disabling injury rates in provincially regulated workplaces have seen an average decline of 25%, while federally regulated workplaces have seen a 5% increase over the same period.</a> <br />
<br />
A recent <a href="http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/reports/docs/Success%20Is%20No%20Accident_0.pdf">report by David Macdonald</a> shows very clearly that this depressing statistic is no accident. It is the direct result of two conscious decisions by the current Conservative government.<br />
<br />
First, he shows that the federal government is scaling back enforcement of the rules meant to keep workers safe and healthy. The number of federal enforcement officers has been cut, significantly increasing the number of workers per officer.<br />
<br />
Second, an announcement buried in the 2007 federal budget required the benefits of any new federal regulations over the private sector to be balanced against the cost to business. That's right, the Harper government now requires regulators to balance saving workers' lives and preventing injuries against potential profits for employers! Once again, we see the "war on red tape" for what it really is - a move <a href="http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/reports/docs/Success%20Is%20No%20Accident_0.pdf">"to redefine the problem of injured worked as a cost of doing business."</a> <br />
<br />
These moves have been very bad news for the <u>more than 1 million workers</u> in federally regulated workplaces.<br />
<br />
Manitoba has shown how a government that cares about workers and their families can make workplaces safer and healthier. By doubling the number of health and safety enforcement officers and by quintupling the number of workplace inspections, Manitoba's NDP government has reduced the workplace injury rate by 40% over the past decade.<br />
<br />
Jack Layton and the NDP have also shown a strong commitment to safer workplaces.<br />
<br />
On May 2nd, let's vote to make federally regulated workplaces safer and healthier so that workers can make it home safely to see their families when the working day is done.<br />
<br />Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-34562946181079772042011-04-23T16:44:00.001-05:002011-04-23T20:46:05.169-05:00Reflections on spilled oil ... and blood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvgXnEEvfcJfh9PMUkvVhwAxjLjm6e87WdV5EmPPEt7dTnECZASQqSNz_vBqAa9Qf9vP6oW3q0-kQWA907ziR01OXgMYB9cYLXAjeDD4CKkOpp4JPTXmTZK-hFHNitvRveRd6yZsBWTi8/s1600/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-rig-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvgXnEEvfcJfh9PMUkvVhwAxjLjm6e87WdV5EmPPEt7dTnECZASQqSNz_vBqAa9Qf9vP6oW3q0-kQWA907ziR01OXgMYB9cYLXAjeDD4CKkOpp4JPTXmTZK-hFHNitvRveRd6yZsBWTi8/s320/Deepwater-Horizon-oil-rig-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Many media outlets gave significant attention to an important anniversary this week - the one year anniversary of the horrific Deep Water Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.<br />
<br />
The stories reminded us of the tremendous damage that was done to the environment. They reminded us of the outrage and shock we felt when we learned that, despite the advanced technologies that allow for deep water drilling, nothing could be done for months and months to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf.<br />
<br />
The stories were also depressing because they underscored the degree to which so little has changed over the past year. Despite the horrors of the explosion and the subsequent spill, the appetite for offshore drilling appears to be as strong as ever. The public outrage of last spring and summer appears to have dissipated.<br />
<br />
But what really struck me was that most media coverage completely ignored the significant fact that 11 workers were killed in the Deep Water Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010. These 11 workers never made it home from that job site:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Karl Kleppinger, 38, of Natchez, Mississippi, who left behind a wife, Tracy, and a 17 year-old son, Aaron.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Adam Weise, who was mourned at a vigil attended by
hundreds of people in his community of Yorktown, Texas, last week. “Adam
was my baby, just 24 years old,” the man’s mother, Arlene Weise told
reporters.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Aaron Dale Burkeen, a 37-year-old resident of
Neshoba County, near Philadelphia, Mississippi. A local paper reported
that Burkeen was responsible for getting the other crew members to
safety before leaving, but was unable to get off the rig in time. He is
survived by a wife and two children, ages 14 and 6.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, Louisiana, was scheduled to leave the rig on April 21, the day after the explosion.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">•
Roy Kemp, 27, Jonesville, Louisiana, leaves behind two daughters, one
three years old, the other three months old, and his wife, Tracy.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Jason Anderson, of Bay City, Texas, also leaves behind two children.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">•
Stephen Curtis, 39, of Georgetown, Louisiana, is also survived by two
children. He had been working in the oil industry for 17 years,
following in the footsteps of his father, Howard, who worked as a
diver-welder for 34 years.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Gordon Jones, 28, of Louisiana, leaves behind a son and a pregnant wife, Michelle.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">•
Blair Manuel, 56, of Gonzales, Louisiana, worked as a chemical engineer
on the rig. He had three daughters and was engaged to be married.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_761686650">• Dewey Revette, 48, from State Line, Mississippi, worked for Transocean for 29 years as a driller, and was also a father.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/may2010/oilr-m01.shtml">• Shane Roshto, 22, was from Franklin County, Mississippi and left a widow, Natalie Roshto.</a><br />
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And this carnage was not an isolated incident. <a href="http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/may2010/oilr-m01.shtml">Another 69 workers have been killed on offshore oil drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico since 2001. Another 1,349 workers have suffered injuries on these rigs</a>.<br />
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I am telling you this because workers continue to die needlessly at workplaces across the world. In Manitoba last year, 15 workers died on the job, and countless others died from occupational disease. <br />
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Next week, on April 28, we will mark the <b>International Day of Mourning</b> for workers killed or injured on the job. I encourage you to take some time to mark this important day when we mourn the dead and pledge to fight for the living.<br />
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Events planned for Winnipeg include:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">MFL Day of Mourning Candlelight Memorial Service </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6:00pm, April 28, 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Room 2C, Union Centre, 275 Broadway,
Winnipeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Contact: Manitoba Federation of
Labour, 953-2563</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A candlelight service to remember
those who have lost their lives earning a living, and those who have become
disabled from work.</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SAFE
Workers of Tomorrow Annual </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Day of Mourning </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Leaders’ Walk</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">11:45am, April 28, 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Depart from Union Centre entrance, 275 Broadway, Winnipeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Contact: Allan Beach, SAFE Workers of Tomorrow, 992-2988</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Join labour and community leaders in
the Annual Leaders’ Walk to the Legislature to honour the National Day of
Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job.</span></i></div>
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<br />Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-87957763088027617142011-03-25T11:33:00.003-05:002011-03-25T16:02:17.464-05:00Time to Act on Accessibility Rights Legislation<br />
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Approximately 40% of complaints to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission relate to the rights of Manitobans with disabilities. That's a clear sign that the 170,000 Manitobans with disabilities are facing far too many barriers to full participation in our communities.</div>
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The Manitoba Federation of Labour supports the campaign by <a href="http://www.barrierfreemb.com/home">Barrier Free Manitoba</a> for accessibility rights legislation in Manitoba. Modeled on the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2005, such legislation would:</div>
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1) Establish a deadline for Manitoba to become barrier free for Manitobans with disabilities. Ontario’s law provided 20 years to achieve full accessibility.</div>
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2) Identify areas in which accessibility standards must be implemented. These would include customer service, transportation, the built environment, information and communications, and <u>employment</u>.</div>
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3) Establish a process by which recommended accessibility standards would be developed. That process would be led by cross-sector committees, involving all stakeholders, including members who are persons with disabilities or their representatives.</div>
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4)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>Make government responsible for determining which standards are implemented to achieve full accessibility.</div>
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5)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>Establish a pro-active enforcement mechanism that includes regular reporting on compliance. This is in contrast with the current complain-driven system. </div>
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<b>The time to act is NOW. Barrier Free Manitoba has organized a postcard campaign urging the Premier to introduce accessibility rights legislation in the upcoming spring session of the Manitoba legislature. Please support this campaign by sending in your message of support <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MSZVH8N">HERE</a>. </b></div>
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<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/mbseniors"><br /></a></div>
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For more information about Barrier Free Manitoba and accessibility rights legislation, click <a href="http://www.barrierfreemb.com/home">HERE</a>.</div>
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To read the Province's discussion paper on accessibility rights legislation, click <a href="http://www.gov.mb.ca/dio/">HERE</a>.</div>Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-92207469355669419652011-03-11T13:40:00.000-06:002011-03-11T13:40:45.227-06:00Asset Building to Fight Poverty - Spread the word!<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uRWblQfaqG_STN72UxMocl9EP7dcqkyAlpebT_oD5pldTO3hc3ESyUs6c2W73dBy3xCHeRgKhWGiscfTNc9ed_5b1aJcW0ALbVAl3gYs4lJV3iCLg-Wugh9pk2OMioomDn9s2A2BRsby/s1600/32284249Asset+Building_TETE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uRWblQfaqG_STN72UxMocl9EP7dcqkyAlpebT_oD5pldTO3hc3ESyUs6c2W73dBy3xCHeRgKhWGiscfTNc9ed_5b1aJcW0ALbVAl3gYs4lJV3iCLg-Wugh9pk2OMioomDn9s2A2BRsby/s320/32284249Asset+Building_TETE.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">On Wednesday I Co-chaired the <a href="http://www.wprc.ca/">Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council</a>’s Asset Building Committee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The goal of our committee is to increase the availability of asset building programs for families on low or limited income.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">I can best illustrate what an asset building program is by giving some examples.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Asset Building Programs</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">One of the reasons people on low incomes face difficulties trying to get ahead financially is that they lack assets which can be leveraged to improve their finances. Paying for skills training, having a computer, or improving your home's energy efficiency to reduce your utility bills are all examples of investments that can help low income families get ahead, but that require an up front investment that low income families often cannot affford. Asset Building Programs were developed to address this problem.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">"Get $500 of Free Money for your Child’s Education"</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Canada Learning Bond is probably the best known asset-building program. It makes it easier for low income families to save for their children's education by providing significant matching dollars to money invested in an RESP. </span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">You can <a href="http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/saving/clb/index.shtml">learn more here. </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">SEED Winnipeg is offering a workshop to help families <a href="http://www.seedwinnipeg.ca/documents/SEEDCLBposterMarch2011.pdf">learn how to access the Canada Learning Bond.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Asset Building Programs in Winnipeg</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">SEED Winnipeg's Asset Building Programs assist low-income participants to save for productive assets or household necessities. </span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://www.seedwinnipeg.ca/asset-building-program.htm">Learn more about SEED Winnipeg's asset building programs here. </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council is working with Red River Community College to develop a program for future students and is working with the Assiniboine Credit Union to create a program that would be available for their staff. Once these new pilot projects are launched we hope other Winnipeg Businesses will explore setting up similar programs for their employees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Identifying Barriers and addressing them.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">The Committee also spends time looking at the challenges that low income people may face and explores ways to overcome them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Something as simple as obtaining identification can be a real challenge if you don’t have the money to get your birth certificate or social insurance number. The committee has worked with Government and SEED Winnipeg to streamline and financially support people to make this easier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">There is a lot more to be done.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">There are many initiatives being taken to try and address poverty. The biggest challenge is making people aware of what is available and how they can access support. I commend the many organizations that work hard every day lending assistance to those who could use it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">I hope you all make some time to talk about some of the supports and organizations out there to help spread the word. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-44494781313689814402011-03-07T11:01:00.008-06:002011-03-07T13:29:22.530-06:00Scapegoating Public Sector Workers - Food for Thought<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbk-A49Mu-og2s0sfm2ZB3KYQdaSb9vD1yOfUN9VmoyqMbEdVt9BbSvjmgt4ag256q_QtpmZMwkYhF_I8NlM0LEixhJ-A79RkzEQCGpwpAOyJAj7BnkASPtOii5p5kz_dYRuwGcbXShor/s1600/unions++america+needs+em.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbk-A49Mu-og2s0sfm2ZB3KYQdaSb9vD1yOfUN9VmoyqMbEdVt9BbSvjmgt4ag256q_QtpmZMwkYhF_I8NlM0LEixhJ-A79RkzEQCGpwpAOyJAj7BnkASPtOii5p5kz_dYRuwGcbXShor/s1600/unions++america+needs+em.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">T</span>here has been a spike in recent Canadian commentary attacking public sector unions. See for example <a href="http://www.winnipegsun.com/comment/editorial/2011/03/02/17470031.html">last Thursday's Winnipeg Sun</a>, Dan Lett's <a href="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/public-sector-unions-not-exactly-in-a-heyday-116459738.html">February 18 opinion piece</a>, or <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/article1924313.ece">Margaret Wente's rant last week in the Globe and Mail</a>.<br />
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These articles take it for granted that there is political advantage to be gained by any politician who chooses to fan the flames of resentment against public sector workers and their unions.<br />
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As I noted in <a href="http://mfl.mb.ca/11/rebeck-lett.shtml">my response to Dan Lett's column</a>, Canadian public attitudes towards unions remain very positive. The pollster we work with, Viewpoints Research, regularly surveys
western Canadians on their views towards unions and consistently finds
85% agreement with the statement that “employees should have the right
to choose to join a union without any interference from the employer.”
It finds that 2/3 of the general population agrees that “overall, unions
are beneficial for working people.” In 2010, a major national poll,
found that 60% of Canadians approve of labour unions while 67% of
non-union members agreed that despite inconvenience, strikes are part of
democracy. It is not clear at all how Lett can credibly assert that, <i>“unions, public sector ones in particular, have become vilified institutions,”</i> or that unions are <i>“less and less popular.” </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
But the biggest fly in the ointment for those who think public sector unions are an easy mark for politicians is the reaction to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attempt to remove the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers. To put it mildly, Walker's bold attempt to blame public sector workers for his state's problems has backfired. Right across America, not just in Wisconsin, the public has taken the workers' side in the Wisconsin dispute. <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/01/polls-more-support-for-unions-in-wisconsin-labor-battle/">The polls show it</a>. Ongoing rallies against Walker's union-busting bill have been massive, including 12,000 people this past weekend in a rally that spanned 20 Madison city blocks:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqOwiUGLhyphenhyphenRznymeSDnw_fJ69gX73bU2lsLEwdj38dTx0gjYGFTy7VIsdeTWIfBu_AhNmFC5CTWEheRcZ3hBshWG1ICP5-uwTR-nFe3UoZ96luJD_E_NHm03UQ4UssT1avKAek3faBpAb/s1600/5501375586_de8dc0950d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqOwiUGLhyphenhyphenRznymeSDnw_fJ69gX73bU2lsLEwdj38dTx0gjYGFTy7VIsdeTWIfBu_AhNmFC5CTWEheRcZ3hBshWG1ICP5-uwTR-nFe3UoZ96luJD_E_NHm03UQ4UssT1avKAek3faBpAb/s320/5501375586_de8dc0950d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/03/04/gov-scott-walker-has-lost-the-war/">Even Forbes magazine, a bastion of conservative thought, admits the union-busters are losing</a>.<br />
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The point isn't that workers and their unions are scoring a moral victory. The point is that picking on public sector workers is hurting the Republicans politically. <a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/07/6210669-reversal-of-fortune-in-wisconsin">Check out this morning's polls, which show a clear turn away from the union-busters</a>. Public sector workers, the so-called easy targets, appear to be turning the political tide in the US, a tide that had been ebbing strongly to the right for more than a year.<br />
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If Mayor Katz or other Canadian politicians are considering the pundits' advice to scapegoat public sector workers and their unions, they might want to have a closer look at what's really going on in Wisconsin.Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6133408244937381107.post-74841301836732193462011-03-03T17:58:00.009-06:002011-03-04T16:42:31.477-06:00Solidarity, Canadian Style!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Solidarity in Wisconsin:</b></div>
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<b>Solidarity in Canada:</b></div>
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<br />
What the heck is Brother Rebeck talking about? That's surely what you're asking yourself.<br />
<br />
At the Manitoba Federation of Labour Executive Council meeting this week, the MGEU advised us that their <a href="http://www.mgeu.ca/159/255/1680">sister union in New Brunswick represents the Moosehead Brewery workers who are locked out. The company has a limited stock of Moosehead beer in inventory. So, the union wants to create an environment where the workers are needed back at work now. Our solution: let's ensure those workers are needed back at work by drinking up all available Moosehead beer</a>!<br />
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In Wisconsin, the labour movement is under attack in an unprecedented way. The Governor is proposing to strip away the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers. <a href="http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/03/03/solidarity-in-action-check-out-this-new-video/">Workers across America have been angered, joining Wisconsin workers in protest.</a> <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/dailyglean/2011/03/03/26287/national_poll_shows_heavy_support_for_collective_bargaining">In poll after poll, Americans are saying they're on the side of workers' rights, by a two to one margin</a>. I'm proud of the collective actions being taken by Wisconsin workers and citizens, and send them a message of solidarity.<br />
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In Winnipeg, I plan on doing my part for the New Brunswick workers too.... Cheers!<br />
<br />Kevin Rebeckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18067277245660854576noreply@blogger.com