Messages from the President & Secretary-Treasurer

For everyone who believes their vote doesn’t matter, take a look at that number: 4,640,538. That’s how many registered voters didn’t take part in the 2014 Ontario election. Image if they had shown up.

To give you a bit more perspective. Here was the breakdown for the three major parties:

• NDP - 1,144,822

• Liberal - 1,863,974

• PC - 1,508,811

It’s been said many times that democracy is messy: It’s imperfect and fragile. But without the participation of its citizens, democracy becomes just another way for the powerful to stay powerful.

And I know many people are tired. Tired of having unimpressive candidates from which to choose. Tired of politicians who seem to be all the same. Tired of being sold a bill of goods by a candidate only to have them run away from those promises once elected.

But the process is in all of our hands. So, we must show up and exercise our right and our responsibility to vote. We may not always like our options, but our system generates the candidates that we allow and it’s still our choice to make. Voters must scrutinize the promises and platforms put forth by every single candidate. Their words have been tested with focus groups, turned into statistics, and churned through a public relations machine to tell candidates exactly what to say to satisfy their voting base and entice others for their votes.

No matter who you elect, they are accountable to the citizens in their riding, their province, and their country. Ultimately, the goal for many politicians is to be re-elected. To achieve that, they need your vote.

And our role in our democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box. Merely checking a box and walking away with fingers’ crossed until the next election isn’t enough. While they’re in office, if your elected candidates actually hear from the voting citizens in their riding, they will listen.

So, vote. And after you vote, stay involved. Sometimes that might mean a protest. It might mean signing petitions and writing letters. Many people get involved in social media movements too. It might even mean running for office yourself.

If you dislike what you see from your elected representatives then you need to do something about it. Speak to your friends, family, and neighbours about your concerns. Form groups to lobby your Municipal, Provincial, and Federal representatives. Be professional about it and be willing to sit down and discuss your concerns in person.

Your vote does matter and it can make a difference, but only if you use it. Recognize your power as a voter and show up on June 7.

We don’t all agree on the best path forward for our province, I know that. But we have to start down that path with a first step – and that first step is your vote.

In Solidarity, Shawn Haggerty

This year’s International Women’s Day, celebrated worldwide on March 8, came at a time of great progress and upheaval in the status quo.

Since the incredible Women’s Marches in 2017, through the #Me- Too and #TimesUp movements of recent months, to this year’s marches and more. We are witnessing a movement that is long overdue. Staff and members took part in several marches and events in January including Kitchener, Hamilton, Toronto, Muskoka, and Windsor too.

Even recent legislation recognizes the importance of this momentum. Bill 148 includes emergency leave plus specific 10-day job protected leave for those who experience or are threatened with domestic or sexual violence – the kind of violence that overwhelmingly affects more women.

The movement is evolving constantly and change is happening. The progress isn’t perfect but it’s dangerous to expect it will be because we’re also human. The stories that are emerging have ignited a worldwide spark. We can use this fiery momentum to create change in the systemic inequities that affect other minoritized bodies and groups too.

Many people face deeply entrenched barriers throughout our society, our systems, and our institutions that we must confront. We must take up the torch of everyone who fought before us for equality and justice. It’s why I was happy to see Viola Desmond chosen as the Canadian to be featured on the $10 bill.

Viola is the first woman to appear on the $10 bill and an African Canadian woman who fought against racism and segregation. Her battle against the government and ideology of the time began in Nova Scotia in 1946. She was strong, tenacious, and an inspiration, and recognizing her contributions and those of other leaders like Viola is long overdue.

the conversation and the solutions forward. Your Union bargains strong anti-harassment and anti-discrimination language into our Members’ contracts.

The local union policy against harassment and bullying is also very clear. We read it at every conference and convention the Union holds. We take the policy and every complaint seriously. But language is only as powerful as you make it.

That means speaking up when you see something happening that shouldn’t be happening. It means finding someone you trust to tell when something happens to you so that you can take the steps toward coming forward and reporting incidents. The process can be difficult and frightening for victims but coming forward is the only way we can move forward.

So, I urge you to read the stories being told. Seek out the hashtags like #MeToo, #TimesUp, and the International Women’s Day tag #Press- ForProgress. Read the histories of powerful women and change-makers like Viola Desmond as well as those that came before her, and the many that have followed.

We will continue the fight for justice and equality as Union Sisters, Brothers, and Friends as we move toward a better future for all.

In Solidarity, Kelly Tosato