Showing posts with label strike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strike. Show all posts

Monday, February 18, 2013

On the union and the NL spring

The stage is set for a bitter round of union-government negotiations in the coming months. All the signs are suggesting government wants to play hardball -- for example, shuffling Kennedy in for negotiations. It is clear he intends to use the tactics of the economic hit-man in the form of a narrative of fiscal crisis and deficit. The crisis is, by association, to be blamed on public sector employees. This is a tired old tactic that seeks to sap the people's support for unions and the labour movement.

The problem with the narrative of crisis is that it is out of context. If there is a crisis it is not because of average people working and paying into pension funds (it always sounds so silly when they say it). The crisis NL faces is the result of decisions that were made, decisions that very often favored those few with the most wealth and influence. Decisions were made to allow multinational corporations to operate in NL and haul away the natural resources while contributing only a pittance to the public purse. Decisions were made to hastily sanction the biggest expenditure of public funds in the province's history just as the crisis became clear. This is something of what it means to speak of the 1% that disproportionately benefits, while everybody else is left to foot the bill.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Concert de Casseroles in NEWFOUNDLAND to Support Quebecois Students


Concert de Casseroles in NEWFOUNDLAND to Support Students in Quebec

Concert de casseroles (concert of pots and pans) in support of the demands of the Québec students and against law 78. 

TONIGHT - Sunday, May 27th, 8:00 p.m., at Harbourside Park.  

Show your colours: wear red, especially a red square!

This is not organized by an "organization"; we are doing this to demonstrate our support for the Québec demonstrations, and we are doing this to show we value civil rights.

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What's a pots and pans concert?
A beautifully shot video of Quebec's nightly demos: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/25/montreal-pots-and-pans-video-bill-78_n_1546694.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Wondering what the student strike has to do with you?
10 Points Eveyone should now about the Quebec Student Movement: http://montreal.mediacoop.ca/story/ten-points-everyone-should-know-about-quebec-student-movement/10896

Wondering what Law 78 is all about?
Why it's wrong from the Quebec Bar Association: http://www.barreau.qc.ca/fr/actualites-medias/communiques/2012/05/18-etudiants and a translation at: http://www.newappsblog.com/2012/05/quebecs-emergency-decree-its-hard-to-call-it-a-law-78.html


Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/306691286086521/
Related posts:
Our General Assembly will take place directly after this event, at around 8:30 at Harbourside Park

Update:  Here's the CBC article about the event

    Wednesday, May 23, 2012

    UPDATED POST: On the student movement in Quebec

    Massive student protests ongoing in Montreal -- on March 22nd, 200,000 protesters took part in a demonstration in downtown Montreal . Exactly a month later, on Earth Day, another 200,000 people took to the streets. And yet another month later, only picking up steam, a wave of people in red packed downtown Montreal on May 22nd, nearing 300,000 strong.

     
    Click here for more images from the March 22 demonstrations.

    Great recap: Ten Things Everyone Should Know about the Quebec Student Movement
    In response to the emergency law passed, Law 78, people have this to say: Arrest me!

    Downtown Montreal on May 22, 2012

    Concordia Student Union General Assembly operates using horizontal decision making like that used by the Occupy movement, and they spearheaded the student strike originating at Concordia. More info here about how this started.

    For up-to-date and reliable info on the Montreal student protests, check out the Montreal Media Co-op and Concordia University TV (CUTV) to watch the recap videos and livestreams from the student protests.

    Resources

    You can also visit the Concordia Student Union site. And the McGill Student Union has a Student Strike FAQ up on their site.

    Visit the CLASSE website for more info as well. CLASSE is a temporary national student organization that includes, across Quebec, more than 76,000 members in many student unions from both colleges and universities. 

    Visit the MobSquad website for info on the campaign against tuition hikes.


    ONGOING UPDATES:

    Demands to Concordia's Administration from students on strike 

    Here's a good overview of what's been happening since March 22. 

    April 11th -- Occupy Wall Street reports on Montreal student protests

    April 20th -- CUTV footage of violent policy encounter with student protesters

    April 20th -- Footage of protests at the Montreal Palais des Congres

    April 22th-- Crowd shot of Earth Day protest

    April 28th -- Montreal demonstrators march in protest of Jean Charest  (here's why)

    May 4th -- Montreal Students Stage Nearly-Nude Protests

    May 14th -- Quebec's Education Minister Resigns as Protests Continue

    May 17th -- Montreal students occupy University of Quebec

    May 17th -- Quebec announces emergency law to restore order and thousands protest in Montreal

    May 19th -- Quebec steps closer to martial law to repress students

    May 22nd -- Anatomy of a conflict after 100 days of student protest

    Wednesday, November 30, 2011

    Nov 30, 2011: Biggest UK public sector strike in 30 years!

    They are striking over pension reforms and the strike was 2 million strong.

    Check out coverage by The Guardian.

    The BBC also has an article on the days events and offers key points on the national strike.
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