June 23, 2011

Ottawa – At 9:30am today, supporters of locked out Postal Workers began an occupation of Conservative MP John Baird’s constituency office, located at 2249 Carling Avenue, Suite 418. The occupation aims to draw attention towards back-to-work legislation currently being debated in the House of Commons.

The individuals occupying the office are not members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. They are all residents of Ottawa who wanted to speak up in support of the 48 000 locked out CUPW members.

“The contract Harper wants to force on CUPW will short-change postal workers even more than Canada Post would have,” says James Meades. “By passing back-to-work legislation, the Harper government is attacking every worker in the country, both private and public, union and non-union. Harper is wants us all to feel we never have the right to demand better working conditions, fair wages, or job security. We won’t let Harper silence us.”

The community members occupying Minister Baird’s office are also concerned about the wider implications of cutbacks desired by the Harper government, particularly the two tier wage system central to both the current CUPW dispute and the recent Canadian Auto Workers strike at Air Canada.

“There isn’t a two tier system for grocery bills or rent,” says James Meades. “This is just one more sign that Harper wants to help the already wealthy at the expense of poor and working people.”

In the last few days there have been occupations of Conservative MP offices by Postal Workers in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Fredericton.

Media Inquiries: James Meades – 613 784 9932

–The Alternative Federal Budget is released to day by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

–Join the Canadian Federation of Students’ in the streets of Nova Scotia for their Day of Action to reduce fees and drop debt on February 2nd!

Tell the Dexter government that the people of Nova Scotia deserve affordable post-secondary education — for the future of the province and its people.

–Graduate students, university academic staff, and workers all agree: post-docs deserve the right to unionise as workers.

OTTAWA–A wide range of civil society, students’, faculty and labour unions have signed an open letter condemning the curtailment of civil liberties and excessive use of force leading up to and during the Toronto G20 Summit, and calling for a public inquiry into police actions.

“The rights of assembly, association, and freedom of expression are vital for a healthy democracy,” said David Molenhuis, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “The excessive use of force, pre-emptive detention, and unreasonable search and seizure carried out against peaceful protestors and innocent by-standers during the G20 undermined these fundamental rights.”

The letter stated that, “the only way for Canadians to understand exactly what transpired during this Summit is through an independent public inquiry into security during the 2010 Canadian G8 and G20 Summits, held jointly by the Ontario and Federal governments. Such an inquiry must include opportunities for public input and participation, and produce findings that are released to the public. The inquiry should consider the impact of security measures on the Charter rights of citizens to freedom of assembly, association, expression, and due process.”

“Although there have been wide-ranging reports of police abuses, Prime Minister Harper, Premier McGuinty, and Toronto Mayor David Miller have refused to hold the Toronto police and other members of the Integrated Security Unit accountable for their actions,” added Molenhuis. “Canadians are quickly losing faith in our governments. A public inquiry is the only way that we can get to the bottom of what happened at the G20 and restore public confidence in our government and police.”

The statement was endorsed by Canada’s national students’ union, the Canadian Federation of Students as well as a number of labour organisations including the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, CUPE-Ontario, and the Ontario Federation of Labour, and a wide range of civil society organisations and coalitions including Amnesty International Canada, Make Poverty History Canada, Greenpeace, the Ad Hoc Coalition for Women’s Equality, the Indigenous Environmental Network, Alternatives, the Council of Canadians and many others.

The letter, along with a full list of signatories, is available for download at www.cfs-fcee.ca/g20police .

Founded in 1981, the Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s oldest and largest students’ organisation, uniting over one-half million students from all ten provinces.

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The Graduate Students’ Union Executive is shocked and appalled at the actions of the Integrated Security Unit this weekend when they raided our building and arrested two of our valued executive members and billeted demonstrators. It is legal to provide accommodations to those who exercise their democratic right to participate in a legal protest.

The student movement has a long and honorable tradition of supporting legitimate constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms, including the right to free assembly, free speech and peaceful protest. The GSU appeals to all members of the Canadian public to help us protect those rights.

As a matter of course, the GSU has billeted individuals in the past for many events, as have other student unions and universities. The University of Toronto was aware of our plans to remain open.

In preparation for the G20 summit, our university collaborated with police and closed the campus, canceled academic events, obstructed access to basic services, and transferred students out of their dormitories. All three student unions and other campus and labor organizations at U of T condemned the administration’s decision to close, as should the public.

We believe that a key value of a university education is the right and obligation to criticize the accepted order. Academic freedom was trampled this weekend when two members of our executive were summarily arrested while carrying out their duties protecting our public right to dissent. The GSU categorically denies any involvement in any undemocratic activity and we call on university officials, the public and the media to support our collective freedoms and to release our innocent executive members with appropriate apologies.

For more information, please contact Anton Neschadim, GSU Executive member.

–National Graduate Caucus of the Canadian Federation of Students responds to Budget 2010.

–Canadian Federation of Students respond to Budget 2010.

“Six journalists have been killed this year, with four journalists the apparent victims of targeted assassinations. Two foreign journalists, Canadian Amanda Lindhout and Australian Nigel Brennan, are still being held for ransom nearly a year after they were abducted on a road south of Mogadishu.”

“Emails secured through a recent Freedom of Information request revealed that Conservative MP Peter Kent, MPP Peter Shurman, and senior York University administrators were interfering in this year’s general elections of the York Federation of Students (YFS). … Earlier this year, Conservative MP Peter Braid was secretly recorded addressing students in Waterloo as part of a day-long workshop designed to counsel Conservative students on how to set up front groups on campuses to siphon away money intended for student activities in order to advance the Party’s agenda under false pretenses.”

Please join CUPE 2745 on Tuesday June 9th at 12:30pm – at the Legislature – Mourning the death of Education. The Liberal Government along with Minister of Education, Kelly Lamrock decided to cut Educational Support Staff as part of their provincial budget. The $2.9 million dollar cut is a tiny part of the entire Education Budget, but means hundreds of job cuts and will impact literally every child in the Education System. These cuts will mean the closure of most School Libraries, fewer School Intervention Workers and Teacher Assistants. This is the death of the Education System, as we know it in New Brunswick.

TONIGHT – Tuesday, June 2 at 7:00 pm
Renaissance College, 811 Charlotte St.

Adil Charkaoui, a Montreal teacher and father of three children, has been at the forefront of an important struggle for justice in Canada for over six years.

Don’t miss his story. Read more here.

“Individual lifestyles choices are often incorrectly blamed for high community cancer rates. Health officials still can’t accept that occupational and environmental exposure to industrial pollutants are major causes of cancer, not only for workers directly exposed but those living in communities beyond the factory gates,” said Inka Milewski, the Conservation Council’s Health Watch Director.

What about our native bumblebees? It was the dramatic decline in pollinators in New Brunswick wrought by the spruce budworm spray program which catalyzed world-wide interest in the state of insect pollinators.

The Fredericton Peace Coalition, University Women’s Centre, NBRebELLEs and CUSO-VSO have surpassed their donation goal and raised a total of $2,362.10 for the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Most of those donations were raised at the 2009 3rd Annual RAWA Benefit in Fredericton (Photos, Gumbooting Video) while other donations were sent to us from folks far away as British Columbia. Thank you all who donated your money, time and energy to this year’s contribution to RAWA.

We would like to make one final appeal before sending our donations to RAWA. We are extending the deadline for donations until Friday, May 15. We will be sending the donation on Monday, May 18.

The reason for extending the deadline stems from recent tragic news involving women in Afghanistan. Women of Afghanistan are under attack for courageously fighting the new rape law. Sitara Achazai, a women’s rights activist and politician in the Kandahar Provincial Council was murdered in a target assassination on Sunday, April 12. On March 8, 2009, International Women’s Day, Sitara led a nationwide sit-in of 11,000 Afghan women in seven provinces who gathered to pray for peace.

When RAWA formed in 1977, RAWA was focused on involving an increasing number of Afghan women in social and political activities aimed at acquiring women’s rights and contributing to the struggle for the establishment of a government based on democratic and secular values in Afghanistan. Despite the suffocating political atmosphere, RAWA very soon became involved in meeting the basic needs of Afghans. RAWA runs schools, literacy courses, orphanages and health clinics. They help prostitutes and refugees. They take part in reconstruction of villages and aid in food distribution and income generation. RAWA is featured in the film A View from a Grain of Sand. You can order a copy online or borrow a copy from the Fredericton Peace Coalition.

If you would like to send a donation before May 15, please reply to this email or send an email to info@frederictonpeace.org and we will let you know how to drop off/send your donation.

MiningWatch Canada and Ecojustice are hailing a landmark decision from the Federal Court of Canada released late yesterday that will force the federal government to stop withholding data on one of Canada’s largest sources of pollution – millions of tonnes of toxic mine tailings and waste rock from mining operations throughout the country.

Fredericton Book Launching:

Blowback – A Canadian History of Agent Orange and the War at Home

When: Thursday, April 16, 7pm
Where: Renaissance College, 811 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, NB

Join author Chris Arsenault, the Conservation Council’s David Coon and the Fredericton Peace Coalition’s Gloria Paul to discuss the book Blowback.

Blowback is the story of a war coming home; a story of the military and economic currents that allowed Agent Orange to blow through trees and into rivers in New Brunswick. More than anything, it’s a story of soldiers, civilians and local residents who blew back against the government and companies who poisoned them.

* Book signing will also occur at Westminster Books on Thursday, April 16 at 2:00 pm. Check out the book display in their window today!

Presented by Fernwood Publishing, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and the Fredericton Peace Coalition.

Brother Omar is leaving at 7:00pm tonight and is available for interviews from 2:00pm to 7:00pm. He is incredible speaker and wooed the crowd last night. If you would like to arrange a interview, please email: tracy jatam.org.

He is speaking at the UNB Law School and St. Thomas University today. He is visiting Fredericton as part of a delegation of Colombians going across Canada to educate Canadians on the implications of the free trade agreement with Colombia. More details below.

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For immediate publication

Fredericton – In anticipation of President Barack Obama’s visit to Canada
today, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick has written to the new
President to advocate for the rapid deployment of decentralized
community-based renewable energy projects. The Council hopes that forward
thinking policies from President Obama will influence energy policies on
this side of the border.
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The New Brunswick government’s new forest management strategy betrays New Brunswick’s future according to the Conservation Council’s Executive Director David Coon. “With the government’s decision, logging in our public forest will destroy even more wildlife habitat,” said Coon, a member of the Task Force on Forest Diversity and Wood Supply. “The area of forest managed for wildlife will be reduced by at least half to allow industry to keep cutting at current levels,” said Coon.

–The leadership in the nurses union were surprised that their members rejected the last tentative deal, let’s see what happens this time. We need better care for our nurses, or we will all end up suffering.

With the opening of the Third Session of the 56th Legislature tomorrow, Premier Shawn Graham has some heavy lifting ahead to make good on key promises made in his first two throne speeches, according to the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

At a news conference in Fredericton today, the Conservation Council profiled commitments made by Premier Shawn Graham in his throne speeches of February 7th, 2007 and November 27, 2007, which have yet to see the light of day. These include:

* the tabling of a provincial energy policy
* the inclusion of energy efficiency standards in building codes
* the development of a public transportation strategy
* expanding the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy
* public engagement in developing new forestry rules
* the adoption of a strategy to conserve biological diversity
* regulating land use on coastal lands