Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly pamphlet series no. 6
On a bitter cold London, Ontario day on December 11, 1995, tens of thousands of trade unionists and community activists converged in the first of the celebrated Ontario Days of Action. Workers struck employers in a one-day general strike against the attacks on working people by the Mike Harris Conservatives. There was a mass demonstration, feelings of excitement, and a new confidence in a movement that told the government and employers that working people would not allow the province to continue business as usual until the government backed off its horrendous policies.
How Toronto city workers can win in the fight against Ford.
According to certain superstitions, the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012. While 2012 will certainly be chaotic, one need not look to the stars: there are much more earthly battles ahead. Forget about December 21st, 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar. The date to keep an eye on is December 31st, 2011, the end of city contracts. Our longest winter begins January 1st.
In 2012 workers in Toronto face a large coordinated attack on jobs and services. We must resist, again, as workers have resisted throughout history. In order to develop creative, innovative resistant strategies as we fight to win, we can look to our own history - and present - of class struggle to see what others have done and how we can learn from them.6:00pm
GTWA Winter Assembly: Strategy Sessions: Solidarity! Resistance! Change! 2012
NB - rescheduled to the 27th.
In 1981, Ronald Reagan took on and smashed PATCO, the Air Traffic Controllers. The American labour movement expressed outrage but did nothing. This sealed the fate of American workers for over three decades. Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford, has declared war on city-workers. He intends to smash unions. This is our PATCO moment.
It is important for us to engage in discussions about the goals, plans and politics of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly in between General Assemblies. The hope is that resolutions about future action will come from this GMM as motions to be proposed at the next General Assembly in January (14th).
Until further notice the general assembly of the Occupy Toronto movement will happen daily in the north side of Nathan Phillips square at 7pm.
The police started clearing the park early this morning. Some occupiers chose to stay. Some have chosen to go. All have agreed that the movement will continue. No matter happens there will be future regular general assemblies to discuss how to continue to build and spread the movement. Every day at 12 noon and 6 pm there will be a Occupy Toronto General Assembly either in the St. James park gazebo or at City Hall.
What are some of the forces that are driving the current crisis? How is it pushing forward the agenda of business and governments to get working people and our organizations to tighten our belts and accept their calls for austerity? What forms is resistance taking around the world – what are the strengths and limitations of that resistance and what can we learn from it?