turn left summer 2009

8/9/2019 Turn Left Summer 2009

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BY ELIZABETH BYCE

SINCE THE ATLANTIC coast province ofNova Scotia joined CanadianConfederation in 1867, only the Liberaland Progressive Conservative partieshave held the reigns of governmentthere. That changed on election night,June 9, when the New Democratic Party

emerged with 31 of 52 seats on thestrength of 45.3 per cent of the votes cast.

Voters reduced the PCs to 10seats. The Liberals, with 11 seats, formthe official Opposition. The turnoutplunged to a record low of 58.8 per cent.

The first-ever NDP Premier inAtlantic Canada, Darrel Dexter, a lawyerand former journalist, pledged to balancethe budget despite the global economiccrisis. He also promised action on risinggas prices, health-care wait times andemergency room closings.

Under Dexter, the party won 15seats in 2003 and 20 seats in 2006. Prior

to 1998, the NDP was mired in a distantthird place.The self-serving lesson NDP offi-

cials want everyone to draw from thebreakthrough in Nova Scotia (population940,000 in 2005) is that conservative,

good government promises and doggedelectoral perseverance bring victory.

The truth is that working peoplein Nova Scotia, and across Canada, arelooking for something better. Otherwise,they would have replaced RodneyMacDonalds Tories with StephenMcNeils Liberals, as they have done sooften in the past.

Keep in mind that the conserva-

tive policies of the British Columbia NDPhelped to re-elect the right wing B.C.Liberal government of Gordon Campbellin mid-May.

The Nova Scotia election resultchallenges the claim that voters are turn-

ing to the right everywhere.

But the question remains: whatwill the NSNDP do with this victory? If itmakes Capital pay for the crisis createdby big business and the banks, the NDP

Turn Left www.ndpsocialists.caVoice of the NDP Socialist Caucus Summer 2009 Suggested Donation: $1

The NDP Socialist Caucus is a group of party members whobelieve that in order to survive, the New Democratic Partymust move sharply to the Left and join working Canadiansand their allies in the struggle for socialism, democracy andfreedom.

Founded by NDP members in Toronto in 1998, the SCstands for the creation of a democratically-controlled econ-omy and a cooperative commonwealth. We believe thatthe struggle for peace and environmental sustainability iscentral to the creation of a better world. We invite you tojoin with us in this most important endeavor.

www.ndpsocialists.ca | 416.535.8779

Introducing the NDP Socialist Caucus

Time for the NDP toPut Capitalism on TrialCapitalism isnt working, and the evi-dence is overwhelming. So why cantthe NDP begin discussing the alterna-

tives?

ACROSS CANADA today, 1.5 million peo-ple are unemployed, not counting dis-couraged workers and the under-employed. The numbers are expected torise well into 2010. The InternationalLabour Organization warns that thenumber of jobless worldwide could reach239 million this year, and that youngpeople will be the hardest hit. The sys-tems spin doctors are trying to fool thepublic by talking about recovery. Butwhen pressed, the big shots admit it is ajobless recovery.

The failure of Canadian andglobal capitalism is evident in advancingclimate change, impending environmen-tal disaster, and the

spread of droughtand famine. It isapparent in the bru-tal imperial wars ofoccupation, in thegrowing gapbetween rich andpoor, and in theassault on demo-cratic rights wherever popular resistancetakes to the streets.

Clearly, years of cuts, conces-sions, privatization, and tax breaks for

giant corporations did nothing to solvethe biggest problems facing society.They simply made the rich richer at theexpense of workers. They emboldenedthe ruling elite to demand more, stimu-

lated corruption in the highest places,and extended the life span of a dying,wasteful and outmoded system that putsprofits before people every time.

Even if recovery from the cur-rent world economic depressionoccurred tomorrow, the fact remains thatcapitalism condemns humanity to recur-ring cycles of recession/depression. Itsentences us all to endless cripplingwars, eco-disasters, glaring inequalitiesand obscene oppression.

So, why continue to make excus-es for the system? Why continue to tin-ker with the mechanisms of a deathmachine? Why keep Capital on life sup-

port at the expense

of labour? As for-mer NDP MP SvendRobinson famouslysaid, Capitalism islike a rabid dog thatshould be putdown.

The time hascome to stop

scratching at the surface. We need toexpose the fundamental flaws, the deep-rooted contradictions of the system, andto fight for a socialist alternative.

Its time for the NDP to put capi-talism on trial. Thats the task facing del-egates at the partys federal convention,August 14-16, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

We can easily demonstrate thatcapitalism is killing the planet and itsinhabitants in a multitude of nefariousways, and that to survive the workingclass and its allies are compelled to

replace the system root and branch. Itsthe truth that needs to be told, with thepower to conquer misinformation andfear, and to give voice to millions.

The NDP can lead the fight for afuture worthy of humanity, but not if itsleaders mince words and make oppor-

Above: Millions of working people throughout Canada and the world are

searching for an alternative to the failures of global capitalism

continued on page 2

NDP Breakthrough in Nova Scotia

IN THIS ISSUE

War in Afghanistan 2

Honduras Coup 2

Why Not Social Ownership? 3

Obama No Friend of Workers 3

The Future of the Auto Sector 4

Household Debt Soars 4

Iggy and the Liberals 4

Education is a Right 5

Socialist Caucus Resolutions 6

Corporate Profits = Global Hunger 8

Interview: Ian Angus 8

Canadas Steel Industry 9

Summer of the Strike 10

Labour in Saskatchewan 10

French and English in Quebec 11

No to Liberal-NDP Coalition 12

We can easily demonstrate thatcapitalism is killing the planet andits inhabitants in a multitude ofnefarious ways, and that to sur-vive the working class and itsallies are compelled to replace thesystem root and branch.

Photo:(C)2009,PeterMarshall,mylondondiary.co.u

k

continued on page 3

A Historic Evening: voters are expect-ing Dexter and the NDP to follow

through on jobs, health care, and theenvironment

Photo:Reuters


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Montreal author Yves Engler looks atthe recent coup detat in Hondurasand the Harper Governments con-

tempt for democracy in the Americas

Hostility to the mili-

tary coup inHonduras is increas-ing. So is the Harpergovernments isola-tion on the issue.

At the July 4special meeting ofthe Organization ofAmerican States

(OAS), Canadas Minister for theAmericas, Peter Kent, recommended thatousted President Manuel Zelaya delay hisplanned return to the country. Kent saidthe time is not right prompting Zelayato respond dryly: I could delay untilJanuary 27 (2010), when his term ends.Kent added that it was important to take

into account the context in which the mil-itary overthrew Zelaya, particularlywhether he had violated theConstitution.

Along with three Latin Americanheads of states, Zelaya tried to return toHonduras on July 5. But the militaryblocked his plane from landing and kepta 100,000 plus crowd of supporters at

bay. In doing so the military killed twoprotesters and wounded at least 30. On

CTV, Kent blamed Zelaya for the violence.This was Kents most recent

attack against Zelaya. In June, Kent criti-cized Zelayas plan for a non-bindingpublic poll on whether to hold consulta-tions to reopen the constitution. Wehave concerns with the government ofHonduras, he said a couple of weeks ago.There are elections coming up this year

and we are watching very carefully thebehaviour of the government and what

seems to be an attempt to amend theconstitution to allow consecutive presi-dencies.

With political tensions increas-ing in Honduras, the OAS passed a reso-lution supporting democracy and therule of law in that country two daysbefore the coup. Ottawas representativeto the OAS remained silent on the issue.Foreign Affairs took a similar position inthe hours after Zelaya was kidnapped bythe military. Eight hours after Zelayasouster, a Foreign Affairs spokespersontold Notimex, a Mexican news agency,that Canada had no comment regardingthe coup. It was not until late in theevening, after basically every country in

the hemisphere denounced the coup, thatOttawa finally did so.

Canada, reports Notimex, is theonly country in the hemisphere that didnot explicitly call for Zelayas return topower. Unlike the World Bank and oth-ers, Ottawa has not announced plans tosuspend aid to Honduras, which is thelargest recipient of Canadian assistancein Central America. Nor has Ottawa men-tioned that it will exclude the Honduranmilitary from its Military TrainingAssistance Programme.

Ottawas hostility toward Zelayais likely motivated by particular corpo-

rate interests and his support for thesocial transformation taking place acrossLatin America.

From 1996-2006, Canadiancompanies were the second-biggestinvestors in the Central American coun-try. It is unlikely that Zelaya won brown-ie points from the large Canadian miningsector, including Breakwater Resources,

Yamana Gold and Goldcorp that areactive in Honduras, when he announcedthat no new mining concessions wouldbe granted. Likewise, Zelayas move ear-lier this year to raise the minimum wageby 60% could not have gone down wellwith the worlds biggest blank T-shirtmaker, Montral-based Gildan.

Employing thousands ofHondurans at low wages, Gildan pro-duces about half of its garments in thecountry. While the political instability inHonduras initially hit the companysstock price, a Desjardins Securities ana-lyst Martin Landry noted that in the long-term, the coup could help Gildan if itleads to a more pro-business govern-

ment.More broadly, the Stephen

Harper government opposes Zelayasgravitation toward the governments inthe region, leading the push toward amore united Latin America. A year agoHonduras joined the Hugo Chavez-ledALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance for thePeople of Our Americas, which is a fastgrowing response to North Americancapitalist domination of the region.

Two years ago, Harper touredSouth America to help stunt the regionsrecent rejection of neoliberalism and U.S.dependence. To show that Canada func-tions and that it can be a better modelthan Venezuela, in the words of a high-

level Foreign Affairs official. During thetrip, Harper and his entourage made anumber of comments critical of theVenezuelan government. In a coded ref-erence to Chavez, Harper discussed aLatin American dictator.

Demonizing Chavez is part ofOttawas attempt to block the leftwardshift in the region. Supporting the coupin Honduras is part of the same plan.

Yves Engler is the author ofThe Black

Book of Canadian Foreign Policyand

other books

2 Summer 2009 Put Capitalism on Trial

Socialist Caucus Steering Committeemember Barry Weisleder looks at thepersonal - and very hidden - costs of

war

THE FOREIGN WAR of occupation in

Afghanistan is coming home with a stun-ningly high incidence of spousal abuse,suicide attempts, assaults in bars anddrunk driving by Canadian soldiers whosurvive one or more tours of duty.

From privates to warrant offi-cers, light-armoured-vehicle drivers tosnipers, those with physical injuries andthose without, the proportion sufferingfrom post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is skyrocketing.

According to a Toronto Starstudy, at the Phoenix Centre for Childrenand Families, near Canadian Forces BasePetawawa, 170 km north-west of Ottawa,the military family caseload has soaredfrom 12 in 2005 to 85 today, with 20 on

the waiting list. The Centre is grapplingwith issues from bed wetting and aggres-sion, to domestic violence, depressionand marital breakdown. Conflict anddepression often lead to substanceabuse, assault with a weapon, impaired

driving and confinement.More deployments actually

compound the stress on many of our sol-diers, says the Centres Director GregLubimiv.

Since 2006, the proportion of

military family clients at Phoenix whohave experienced the stress of multipledeployments has risen from 33 percentto higher than 60 percent.

In the seven years the Canadianstate has been part of the imperialistoccupation of the mineral-rich, oil andgas cross-roads of Afghanistan, 26,800Canadians have been deployed and 122have died as of mid-July. This is the mostof any Canadian intervention since theKorean War. More than 400 have beeninjured by improvised explosive devices(IEDs), mines, rocket attacks and directcombat. At least 1,000 have sufferedsevere psychological trauma.

More than one in five Canadian

soldiers and police officers who spendtime in Afghanistan leave the force withpsychiatric problems, a number that hasrapidly risen in the last 12 months.

And this is to say nothing aboutthe devastation caused to Afghanistan

and its people. Nearly eight thousandAfghan civilians have died from insur-

gent and foreign military action, 50 to 60per cent killed directly by NATO forces.In addition, up to 20,000 Afghan civiliansdied as a consequence of displacement,starvation, disease, exposure, lack ofmedical treatment, crime and lawless-

ness resulting from the war.By all accounts, the situation is

only getting worse. Opinion polls haveshown repeatedly that 55 to 60 per centof Canadians want troops out before the2011 withdrawal date. The time hascome to demand: Canada Out of NATO.NATO Out of Afghanistan. Now.

The War in Afghanistan Comes Home

Photo:TheGuardian

tunistic concessions to the powersthat be. NDP support in the 2008 elec-tion campaign peaked at 22 per cent,

compared with 15 per cent now. Theidea of entering a coalition govern-ment with the big business-controlledLiberal Party dealt a severe blow tothe NDPs independence as a party ofthe working class.

Since then, the party leader-ship has echoed the lame lamentationsof the labour brass, when what is des-perately needed, in addition to fixingE.I. and saving pensions, is a bold cam-paign to turn government bail-outmoney into public equity -- towardsthe nationalization, under workers

and community control, of auto, steel,oil and the big banks.

Make Capital pay for a mas-sive public works effort to convert togreen energy, repair roads, bridges,railways and ports, and to build social

housing. That is the way to expandemployment, and to meet humanneeds by democratizing and planningthe economy.

As the NDP Socialist Caucushas argued since its foundation in1998, and which we re-state todaywith greater conviction than ever, tosurvive the NDP must turn sharply tothe Left. Increasingly, this is an argu-ment for the survival and prosperity ofhumanity as a whole. If you agree,please join us in fighting for socialistpolicies.

Capitalism on Trial...

continued from page 1

Canada and its Role in the Honduras Coup

Above: A supporter of ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya holds up his

photo during a march in San Pedro Sula (Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press)


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Put Capitalism on Trial Summer 2009 3

Why Not Social Ownership?

Turn LeftPublished by the NDP Socialist Caucus at eachFederal and Ontario Provincial Convention.Made by Union Labour.

Editors: Sean Cain and Ross Ashley

BY EDITORSEAN CAIN

THE NDP has a longhistory of creatingand protectingimportant publicservices like healthcare, education,social housing and child care.

Socialists believe that these aretoo important to be left to the private

sector. Everyone should have basic eco-nomic and social rights, and the mostefficient and equitable way to do that isto have a democratic government pro-vide them on a non-profit bases, paid forthrough progressive taxation. At partycouncils and conventions, NDP dele-gates howl against the thought ofLiberals and Conservatives privatizingsuch programs.

But the obvious question askedby the elephant in the room is that ifthese services should be owned by thepublic sector and provided universally,then why shouldnt we own otherimportant industries such as oil, bank-ing or insurance?

Free, universal health care?Absolutely. Public education?Definitely. A socially ownedand environmentally-responsible auto indus-try? Not on your life.

Most NewDemocrats I know arewilling to lay downtheir lives against pri-vatizing hospitals. Butwhy do we run for thehills every time some-one brings up the idea ofsocializing the oil industry?

Important industries thatcreate so much wealth shouldnt be

owned by groups of investors who haveno responsibility to the working peoplewho created that wealth in the firstplace.

As New Democrats, surely weunderstand that our economic systemisnt geared towards creating good-pay-ing jobs that have decent benefits and awealthy pension waiting for us when weretire. The private sectors only purposeis to maximize profits for shareholders.Period. End of debate.

On the other hand, a public sec-tor that includes industries such as oiland gas, transportation, energy, bankingand insurance could be run democrati-cally by workers, with significant partic-

ipation of consumers and citizens, andmanaged on a non-profit basis for thebenefit of everyone.

This would create real account-ability and prevent the kinds of financialtransgressions that have recentlythrown the world economy into yetanother massive crisis. And as decadesof labour research has shown, industriesthat are self-managed by workers are,under static conditions, more produc-tive and cost-effective than companieswhich possess traditional, top-down,bureaucratic forms of administration.

Of course, were not supposedto know this. Were supposed to believethat working people lack the capacity tomanage their daily lives and need anarmy of overpaid managers and execu-tives to tell everybody what to do. Therights and freedoms we are taught aboutin school seem to end every morning at9:00 AM when we start our work day.

Yet social ownership and demo-cratic workplaces would result in betterservice and more affordable costs to

consumers, especially if universal healthcare has anything to say about it. If thepublic medical systems of Scandinavialiterally cost half as much than the pri-vate sector catastrophe of the UnitedStates and produce better health indi-cators why couldnt other publicindustries be just as efficient?

By social ownership, we meangenuine economic democracy, NOT theinefficient, super-bureaucratized formof public ownership that existed inBritain during the post-war era, forexample, when industries taken over bythe government were run by some of thesame people who managed them previ-ously in the private sector.

Social ownership will also allowus to make sensible, environmen-

tally-friendly plans for thefuture. Why not an auto

industry that producessmaller, electric cars?Or an energy industrythat creates wind tur-bines instead ofthrowing billionsmore into the black

hole of nuclear power?Or how about a public

housing industry that pro-duces tenant-controlled

apartments that could end home-lessness in Canada, once and for all.

Of course, none of this will takeplace over night. To buy out theseindustries, the government would usecurrent profits and the payment of long-term bonds to compensate the formerowners, and by owners we mean thegenuine working and middle-class own-ers of stock, not the millionaires whoown large shareholding majorities inmany of these businesses.

This may sound radical, but itssomething that social democratic andeven some conservative governmentsdid on a regular basis in Europe afterWorld War II.

Social ownership isnt onlyabout economic democracy, an environ-

mentally-healthy future or even social-ism per se. Its just makes sense.

MostNew Democrats

are willing to laydown their lives against

privatizing hospitals. Butwhy do we run for the

hills every time someonebrings up the idea of

socializing the oilindustry?

SOCIALIST CAUCUSTABLE AT CONVENTION

Located in the main hall.

We have Socialist Caucus litera-

ture, buttons, information on

our panel discussions, sign-up

sheets, and more.

BY BARRY WEISLEDER

THE DECISION by New DemocraticParty officials to feature BarackObamas director of communications,Anita Dunn, at the NDP federal conven-tion, reveals a major misconception.

The Democratic Party, USA, isno friend of working people anywhere.The invitation to Dunn only clouds thehorizon and compromises the inde-pendence of the NDP from the corporaterulers on both sides of the Canada-U.S.border.

While the election of Obamawas a blow against racism, he is a will-ing captive of Wall Street and thePentagon. That much is clear sevenmonths into his presidency.

Although Obama promised toend the occupation of Iraq, close theGuantanamo prison camp, take steps toreverse global cli-mate change, helpworking peopleovercome the eco-nomic crisis, andextend health carecoverage, his actionsbelie his words.

O b a m aaccepted George W.Bushs policies onmilitary tribunalsand indefinite deten-tion. He repudiatedtorture, but he wont prosecute any tor-turers. Gitmo remains open. His cap

and trade bill allows corporate pol-luters to exceed limits on carbon-basedemissions by buying government-backed credits to compensate.According to the Wall Street JournalsDavid Wessel, 85 per cent of the energycredits would be given away to businessthrough 2026. In any case, the market-based gambit will not reduce emissions.

The bail-out of the banking sys-tem is an extension of Bushs Wall Streetrescue plan a huge transfer of wealth,involving trillions of dollars, from work-ing people to Capital.

Obamas health care reformspares the venal and all-powerful healthinsurance industry. His plan, like

Hillary Clintons earlier version, willforce individuals to buy insurance. Atbest, it will offer a public option thatwould compete with private insurance.Excluded from consideration is a gov-ernment-run, single-payer health caresystem, like the one in Canada and vir-tually every other industrialized coun-try.

In terms of foreign policy, theU.S. President is simply re-booting theimperial project that will plungeAmerica and south-west Asia into amulti-year commitment even more dis-astrous than the US invasion and occu-pation of Iraq.

Obama sent 17,000 more U.S.

troops to Afghanistan. Some 130,000U.S. combat soldiers remain in Iraq, re-classified as non-combatants and train-ers, entrenched in massively fortifiedbases and airfields. In addition,150,000 or more U.S.-paid Americanmercenaries perform their deadlydeeds unimpeded, the largest priva-tized army in U.S. history.

In June, Congress approved$100 billion in supplementary fund-ing for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars contradicting the claim that stabilityand victory of the U.S. and its puppets isimminent. The 10,000 more troops

requested by U.S. General McKiernancould soon be on their way to thePakistan border.

Af-Pak is already Obamaswar, like the Vietnam quagmirebelonged to the 1960s liberalDemocrats Kennedy and Johnson. Howcan one explain these moves?

Obama is a cagey opportunistwho campaigned to the right of hisDemocratic primary opponents. Hisbail-out of the banks, while forcinginsolvent, unionized auto companiesinto bankruptcy, and compelling work-ers to sacrifice wages and benefits,shows the Democrats are the party ofWall Street, not of Main Street.

American big business gavemillions of campaign dollars to Obamaand the Democrats to offer cosmeticchange, to introduce modest and tempo-rary reforms if necessary, and to pre-

serve corporate ruleand the private prof-it system at any cost.

Is Obama thesame as Bush?Clearly not. But heand his party do notrepresent the changemost Americanswant and need.Moreover, theDemocratic Partyhas proven itself, fornearly a century and

a half, to be the graveyard of socialprotest movements in the USA.

As the global capitalist crisisdeepens, it is evident that working peo-ple need an independent political voice a labour party based on the unions andpopular organizations of the oppressed.In English-Canada, working peoplemade a class break with the LiberalParty and the Canadian establishmentby founding the CooperativeCommonwealth Federation in 1932, andthe NDP in 1961.

Regardless Anita Dunns puta-tive insights into campaign techniquesand media manipulation, Obamas spindoctors and handlers have no businessat an NDP convention. Labour union-ists, social change activists and New

Democrats should confront the tools ofcorporate rule, expose their rotten poli-cies and practices, and fight for workingclass political independence from theparties of Capital, north and south of the49th parallel.

will win the admiration and sup-port of the working class and poor.If, like the treacherous Bob Rae-ledNDP government in Ontario 1990-1995, it places the burden ofrecovery on the shoulders of

workers, women, youth and theunemployed, it will leave littlebehind other than wrecked publicservices and a very bad taste.

Another important lessonfrom the Ontario Rae-days is thatlabour and the social movementsshould not give the Dexter team ahoneymoon of any duration. Nowis the time to press Nova Scotiasfirst NDP government to tax therich and move quickly to providejobs, housing and decent incomesfor all who need them.

Dexter... continued from page 1

Obamas Spin Doctor has noBusiness at NDP Convention


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NDP Socialist Caucus supporter John

Orrett discusses the major problemsfacing the auto industry - and howeconomic democracy and environ-

mental sustainability can solve them

A GLANCE at theupheaval in theNorth Americanauto industrymight lead one tothink it was causedby the meltdown inthe Americanfinancial sectorstarting in late

2008 and 2009. This is not true.Important economic indicators,

like the declining rate of profit, increas-ing off shore auto imports, and burgeon-ing auto inventories were trends severalyears in the making. The financial melt-down only exacerbated the crisis andhastened its arrival. It should be clearthat the millions of North Americans los-ing their homes through mortgage bank-ruptcies were not lining up to buy cars in2008 and 2009.

Auto industry employment inCanada, including those working in autoparts manufacturing, peaked in 2001with 158,000 employees. It droppedsteadily over the next six years to137,000 in 2007. Total auto assemblyand parts employment for 2008 fell to

120,000, and it has declined by nearlyanother 20,000 this year (the auto parts

sector is in free fall).

Canadas auto trade balance wasa healthy $14 billion surplus in the mid-1990s, but in 2006 it dropped to a virtu-al balance of trade, and by 2008 it wasrunning a deficit of nearly $14 Billion.

All these indicators appear wellbefore the financial dislocations and theshrinking of credit in the banking sector.The cause of the bankruptcy of GeneralMotors and Chrysler lies much closer tothe auto industry itself.

There was not only a gross over-production of vehicles in North America,but production of the wrong type of vehi-cles. Consumers want small, fuel efficientvehicles, not the ones stacked up on deal-ership lots.

Canadas $14 billion trade deficitlast year is not with our American neigh-bours. Actually, there was a $4.3 billionsurplus with the U.S. Ninety-nine percent of Canadas trade deficit is due tonon-NAFTA, off-shore imports of smallfuel-efficient vehicles. This is the crux ofthe problem. The assembly plants of theBig Three North American producershave been churning out vehicles that donot have the fuel efficient technology oftheir competitors, like Toyota andHonda, and they have been steadily los-ing market share.

Corporate Welfare or Public Control?

It is not inefficiency of workersor of the assembly line. Many of the

North American plants are world leaders

in productivity. The problem is that theownership and management of GM andChrysler have been slow in responding tochanging demand, even though thedepletion of oil reserves and the newimportance of environmental concernsshould have been clear.

The supposedly progressiveObama Administration has tied gov-ernment financial aid specifi-cally to concessions fromthe United AutoWorkers. Washingtonhas interfered withcollective bargainingto an unprecedenteddegree and has used

its power to insistupon lower wagesand benefits for thosewho produce thewealth.

The Governmenthas become a reluctant share-holder in GM and Chrysler. This isnot a move towards a publicly-ownedauto industry, much less towards social-ism. Obama has indicated very clearlythat the U.S. government does not wantto be involved in the auto industry anymore than it wants to be in the commer-cial banking business. The stock the gov-ernment holds is destined to be quicklyreturned to the private sector.

The Canadian government hasexhibited no independent auto policy.

For months Ottawa just waited to seewhat the Americans would do. WhenWashington spent money on a public bailout, so did Canada. When the U.S.demanded concessions from the UAW,then-Industry Minister Clement insistedon parallel concessions from the CAW.

The fact is that Canada simplydoes not have a coherent industrial poli-cy. It never will have one until workingpeople take control of our own economicdestiny.

The Ontario Liberal Governmentof Dalton McGuinty has simply gonealong with the Federal Government as ajunior partner, with nothing to con-tribute other than its share of the bail outmoney.

In only one area has the OntarioGovernment had the opportunity tomake a positive difference -- in the mat-ter of pension guarantees.

Since 1980, Ontario adminis-tered the Pension Benefits GuaranteeFund which has provided retirees withup to $1,000 per month in benefits in thecase of a failure or short fall in anemployers pension fund.

This under-funding wasadamantly opposed by the CAW.Furthermore, this under-funding wasdone during a time when GM was highlyprofitable, when billions of dollars weredistributed as dividends to GM share-holders.

The McGuinty govern-ment proves it is on the side

of coupon clippers whenit gives billions of dol-

lars in taxpayersmoney to rich share-holders, while refus-ing to guarantee the

hard earned pen-sions of CAW retirees.To resolve their

bankruptcies, GM andChrysler have gone to

the American and Canadiangovernments for bail out

loans, and with their connivancethey have brow beaten workers to givewage and benefit concessions. They haverenegotiated outstanding debt to bond-holders in exchange for shares.

They have down-sized produc-tion. GM ended the famous Pontiac line.They shut down factories and laid offthousands of workers. They have notgone to pre-bankruptcy shareholders

Time for Green, Mass Transit andPublic Ownership of Auto

Theparty leadership

should be advancingthe perspective of a pub-

licly owned and work-er/community controlled autoindustry, thereby differentiat-

ing the NDP from the Liberalson both the federal and

provincial levels. It is anopportunity pass-

ing us by.

The Future of the Auto Sector: Only with public

ownership and genuine democratic control can

we switch to mass transit and smaller, more

environmentally-friendly cars.

Household Debt Soars

BY ELIZABETH BYCE

RISING DEBT lev-els are puttingCanadian house-holds undergrowing financialstrain while joblosses mount,incomes stagnate

and personalwealth declines.

The Bank ofCanadas bi-annual Financial SystemReview, released on June 15, said thathouseholds are increasingly vulnerableto adverse shocks such as an even big-ger jump in the unemployment rate,which officially rose to 8.4 per cent inMay and is expected to hit double digitsthis year. (Typically, these figuresunderstate the situation because theydo not count discouraged workers,

those awaiting recall from a layoff, andthe under-employed).

Income growth has slowed,and personal wealth levels have beeneroded by lower house prices in someregions; credit growth has continued tooutpace income growth, contributing tohigher debt levels, stated the Banksreport.

At the same time, sharpincreases in unemployment are raisingthe incidence of financial stress among

households.Although the extent to whichCanadians are in debt is less than thatof Americans or the British, Canadiansdebt-to-income ratio hit a new high inthe final quarter of 2008, meaning theaverage household has borrowed theequivalent of 1.38 years of disposableincome.

Commercial banks, meanwhile,are setting aside more money to coverbad loans. Some analysts predict thatloan losses are unlikely to peak beforethe industrys 2010 financial year.

Whos Calling theShots for Iggy and theLiberals?

BY ELIZABETH BYCE

WHATS BEHIND THE ignominiousretreat of Michael Ignatieff? The feder-al Liberal Leader backed off the threatto cause an election this summer overthe lack of job creation and access tounemployment insurance. And hevoted for the corporate bail-out budgetof the federal Tory minority govern-ment in January.

We got a glimpse of how theCanadian elite exert their power thanksto the well-connected federalConservative Minister of NaturalResources, Lisa Raitt. It comes from thesecret recording by her aide in whichRaitt famously describes the shortageof medical isotopes as sexy and aspolitically advantageous to her career.

According to Toronto Starcolumnist Linda McQuaig who quotedfrom the tape, Raitt describes howthree major bank presidents stood upat a meeting of the Canadian Council of(Chief) Executives in January and said:Ignatieff, dont you even think aboutbringing us to an election. We dontneed this. We have no interest in this.And we will never fund your partyagain.

While Raitt was not at the

meeting, she suggested that she mayhave heard the account from CEOs whoclaimed that Ignatieff was forced to towthe line.

And what was that line? Thebankers were keen to have Parliamentpass the Conservative budget, whichincluded a measure called theExtraordinary Financing Frameworkthat provided banks with up to $200billion in loans and asset swaps.

Once again, the discreet charmof the bourgeoisie prevails over... bour-geois democracy.

continued on next page


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meetings to try and raise any new capitalof their own.

This re-capitalization with tax-payers money and the plans they havemade will not solve the problems facingproduction and employment in Canada.GM plans to use facilities in China to pro-duce and import small cars for theCanadian market in 2010.

Autoworkers Fight Back

Responding to the greatest chal-lenge faced by Canadian auto workers indecades, Ken Lewenza, President of theCAW, led the union into the first round ofnegotiations with GM and agreed to con-cessions and savings to the company ofaround $7.50 per hour. The CAW thenentered negotiations with Chrysler andran into a surprise.

Chrysler management said thiswas not nearly enough. The Obamaadministration totally supportedChrysler, insisting that the union at bothfirms must make substantially greaterconcessions or jobs and pensions wouldbe gone for good.

Lewenza complained that thecompanies were constantly moving thegoal lines. But when the deal was struck,he said We have preserved our wages;we have preserved our pension benefits.We have protected most of our benefits.

This bravado should be takenwith a large grain of salt. The CAW bentto incredible demands and madeunprecedented concessions. Reductionsin total compensation totalled another$15-16 per hour, on top of the $7.50already conceded.

Wages are frozen until 2012 andnew hires are forced to contribute $1 perhour to their pension fund, whereas ear-lier hired workers do not. Ford demands

similar concessions to remain competi-tive, even though it received no govern-ment money. For car workers and oth-ers, the race to the bottom continues.

The present arrangement atChrysler protects only 4,400 assemblyjobs, down from 10,300 last year and anincredible 40,000 two decades ago. TheGM plan alone involves eliminating 6,000production jobs, 14,000 in dealerships,and 18,000 in auto parts manufacturing.

Witness the destruction of oneof Canadas leading industries, its secondlargest export earner. It is a bitter pill toswallow for the CAW.

The CAW/UAW fought hard forgenerations to protect wages and healthbenefits. The CAW recently rallied thou-sands at the Ontario Legislature in thefight to protect pensions, not only for theCAW, but for all workers. The uniondemanded that Ottawa reduce off shoreauto imports, rather than demand thatthe government re-organize the industryto meet domestic needs, and to reachpotential export markets.

Given that small car imports area major challenge, would not small carproduction in Canada be part of the solu-tion? The re-capitalization of GM or

Chrysler will not fit the bill when thesefirms plan to import from China andItaly. The CAW should demand national-ization of the auto industry so that vehi-cle production in Canada can begin tomeet domestic demand, and beyond.

The NDP has not advanced along-term solution to the auto crisiseither. Our NDP leadership does notbelieve in public ownership as a solutionfor any sector of the economy.

The NDP is primarily an elec-toral machine. Most of its efforts are

devoted to parliamentary considerations

and its elected members. Any measurethat is the least bit controversial, orwhich needs to be better explained to thepublic, is rejected as it is consideredharmful to the electoral chances of sittingor prospective parliamentarians.

The party has proposed no newideas or solutions to the auto crisis, andsimply echoes the insufficient proposalsof the CAW. This is a critical time inOntario history. The party leadershipshould be advancing the perspective of apublicly owned and worker/communitycontrolled auto industry, thereby differ-entiating the NDP from the Liberals on

both the federal and provincial levels. It

is an opportunity passing us by.

Green, Lean, and Democratically

Controlled

The NDP Socialist Caucus callsfor a shift in production towards masstransportation vehicles (busses and railcars) and smaller personal cars andtrucks utilizing the most advanced greentechnology available. The knowledgeand skills of CAW members can be adapt-ed in the process. This shift will also help

to regenerate our moribund steel indus-

try. Research and Developmentfacilities are needed here. Recently, GMlaid off 50 engineers from its RegionalEngineering Center in Oshawa. This is ontop of 150 layoffs over the last two years.Those engineers and designers should bere-hired. Then it should be full speedahead for retooling our assembly linesfor production of hybrid and electricsmall cars.

Some closed assembly linesshould be re-opened immediately. TheGM Truck plant in Oshawa, for example,has a history of 44 years of production

and has won awards for efficiency and

quality of production. 2,600 jobs wouldbe reinstated.

Canada is a large, cold countrywith difficult terrain. Natural resourcesand construction industries still rely onheavy duty pick up trucks with the powerand torque of a V-8 engine. If those workvehicles are not produced here it will benecessary to import the equivalents.

We should expand production ofhydro-voltaic batteries and electricpropulsion systems. We need to expandproduction capability of hybrid and elec-tric vehicles. In Windsor we need to re-tool and expand engine block factories sothat we can produce our own fuel effi-cient 4 cylinder engines.

The auto parts industry must beinvolved in planning and development soit can re-tool and refine its productionlines. They will be welcome partners.

There must be a considerableparts manufacturing presence in Canada,as in the past. Any factory closed shouldbe a factory occupied. Any factory tryingto shift production out of Canada and lay-ing off workers should be a factorynationalized.

For decades the automobile cul-ture has had an overwhelming affect onour society, determining the shape of ourcities and rural landscape.

But it is destroying our environ-

ment, ruining our health and depletingscarce hydro-carbon reserves. It isunsustainable and benefits only the richminority of oil and automobile share-holders.

The old culture of mass individ-ual reliance on cars and the production ofa multitude of makes and models mustcome to and end.

The CAW and the NDP shouldjoin together and work toward sustain-able transportation solutions for Canada,including support for a national, publiclyowned and worker-controlled automo-bile industry.


BY EVAN BURY

ALL ACROSSEnglish Canada andQubec, young peo-ple are feeling thepinch. Risingtuition fees, com-bined with theother expensive,draining costs of post-secondary educa-tion, are digging a pit of debt into whichmore and more students are sinkingdeeper and deeper.

As post-secondary educationinstitutions have pumped up their tuitionfees, student debt has risen to cripplinglevels. Facing outrageous tuition fees,many students are forced to rely on loanswhich they must pay back after graduat-ing.

And so almost immediately after

graduation, students find themselvescompelled to begin paying back theirmassive debts. Graduates find theircareer choices limited, and are forced toturn their backs on their desired careersin favor of those that will quickly paytheir debts.

Furthermore, crippling debt notonly restricts career choices, it leads alsoto financial ruin. Ironically, those whostudy to secure a better financial futurethrough higher education end upcrushed by the debts incurred by thateducation.

For many students, the appre-hension of the impending anvil of debt tobe dropped upon them after graduatingcauses many students to drop out toavoid increasing their debt.

High tuition fees impose otherburdens on students, forcing them toaccept intense, low-pay jobs and difficult

hours, which have to be balanced along-side a heavy full-time study schedule.Students have less access to medicine,healthy food, and decent housing. Othercosts, expensive curriculum materials,add to these crushing burdens.

Meanwhile, international stu-dents face many of the same burdens, butpay fees three to four times higher thandomestic students.

Finally, it must not be forgottenthat high tuition fees and student debtscause the most marginalized in society toabandon the dream of a post-secondaryeducation altogether, to avoid the debtsentence.

Thus, tuition fees and studentdebt target those most in need of post-secondary education and therefore barthem from success.

As most jobs today require someform of post-secondary education, and asall of society would prosper immenselyfrom a universally educated population,it is clear that education is a right. Itshigh time to abolish tuition fees, abolishstudent debt, and provide post-second-ary education to all who desire it.

New Democratic Party: theyouth of English Canada and Qubec aredemanding their right to post-secondaryeducation. What will be your answer?

Evan Bury is an undergraduate student

at the University of Ottawa and a sup-

porter of the NDP Socialist Caucus.

Education is a Right

Please Give to the NDP Socialist Caucus

The Socialist Caucus spends its resources publishing editions of

Turn Left, issues literature to promote SC candidates for NDP exec-

utive, promotes public forums and produces SC posters, stickers,

buttons and more.

If you can help, now is the time. Please send a cheque to:

NDP Socialist Caucus, 526 Roxton Road. Toronto, Ontario. M6G

3R4. We really appreciate your support!

Public Ownership of Auto...

continued from page 4


6/12


Socialist Caucus Resolutions for ConventionThe NDP Socialist Caucus adoptedthe following set of resolutions ata recent conference held inToronto. The first ten listed areconsidered priority. We hope youspeak out and support them when

they are presented at convention.

Canada Out of NATO,NATO Out of Afghanistan

Whereas NATO is a relic of the Cold Warand a tool of US aggression in pursuit ofcorporate interests and militarism;

And whereas Canadian forces inAfghanistan are engaged in combatagainst national resistence forces, toprop up a US-puppet government ofhuman rights abusers, drug traffickersand warlords, to occupy and control aregion of the country for the purpose ofconstructing through it a lucrativeoil/gas pipeline, and to justify aggressivemilitarism increasingly allied toWashingtons global corporate agenda;

Therefore Be it Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 4.5 of the Policybooklet: The NDP actively campaign toget Canada out of NATO, to get NATO outof Afghanistan, and to disengageCanadian forces from any support rolefor the U.S. and its client regime in Iraq,from the training of Iraqi soldiers inJordan, and policing the shipping lanes ofthe Persian Gulf.

Canada Out of Haiti

Whereas the people of Haiti haveendured persistent human rights abuses,including the internment of political pris-oners and deadly military raids by theCanadian-trained Haitian National Policeand the United Nations forces;

And whereas under pressure from for-eign governments and lending institu-tions, the Haitian government hasembarked on a program of privatizationof public enterprises;

And whereas foreign governments,including Canada, bear a heavy responsi-

bility for the crisis and abuses in Haitidue to their participation in the removalof Haitis sovereign government in 2004;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 4.5 of the Policybooklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor:

The release of political prisoners and thewrongfully detained, including RonaldDauphin (for whose jailing Canada isdirectly complicit).

Substantial and meaningful assistance tosocial and economic development inHaiti, with such aid to be delivered to,

and extended in cooperation with theduly-elected and sovereign Haitian gov-ernment.

The withdrawal of the foreign police andmilitary presence from Haiti.

An independent investigation of the raidsby United Nations military forces intoCite Soleil on July 5, 2005 and December22, 2006 that resulted in the deaths ofdozens of Haitians.

An independent inquiry into Canadasrole in the overthrow of Haitis elected

government in 2004, with such inquiryto release the full documentation of theOttawa Initiative on Haiti meeting heldin Meech Lake, Quebec on January 31 toFebruary 1, 2003.

Justice for Palestinians, BoycottApartheid Israel

Whereas there can be no lasting peace inPalestine/Israel, or the surroundingregion, without social justice;

Therefore Be it Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 4.5 of the policy

booklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor the Right of Return for all refugees, anend to the Israeli settlements and Israelioccupation of Palestinian lands, a halt tothe armed aggression, the bulldozing ofhomes, the destruction of olive grovesand farms, the assassination of politicalleaders and activists by the Zionist state,and the removal of the apartheid wall,still under construction across the WestBank;

And the NDP will call for restoration ofaid to the Palestine Authority, demand ahalt to military aid, investment and tradewith Israel until all the above demandsare met, and that the NDP campaign for

an end to the rule of apartheid laws thatmake Israeli Arabs and Palestinians sec-ond and third class citizens under occu-pation.

Stop the Genocide.For Self-Determination for

Tamil Eelam

Whereas the Tamilpeople have beensubjected to genoci-dal attack by the mur-derous Sri Lankangovernment whichis the extension of

over six decades ofsystematic discrimi-nation;

Whereas the drivetowards eliminationof the Tamils hasintensified since theSri Lankan govern-ment abrogated thepeace process inJanuary 2008 andembarked on thereconquest of theisland's north

through brutal war with devastating con-sequences;

Whereas more than 3500 Tamil civilianshave been killed in the span of threemonths by the Sri Lankan state offensive,with Tamils fleeing the fighting beingherded into concentration camps;

Whereas two hundred thousand Tamilsare now facing starvation;

Whereas governments such as the UnitedStates, Israel, China, India and Pakistanhave all equipped the Sri Lankan armywith high technology weapons, includingillegal chemical weapons and clustermunitions, and Canada has given, as ofApril 2007, $64 million to the murderousruling regime and other organizations inSri Lanka;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 4.5 of the Policybooklet:

The NDP will actively campaign for:

An immediate end to the Sri Lankan gov-ernment's attacks on Tamils;

Diplomatic, economic and cultural sanc-

tions against the Sri Lankan governmentuntil it agrees to an immediate ceasefire,and to re-settle and fully compensatesurvivors and refugees of the regime's

war on the Tamils;

A halt to all military aid and technicalassistance to the genocidal Sri Lankangovernment;

Recognition of the right to national self-determination for the Tamil people, up toand including their right to form an inde-pendent state in Tamil Eelam; and

Removal of the Liberation Tigers ofTamil Eelam from the list of proscribedterrorist organizations and that it be rec-ognized as a party to the peace talks thatmust occur for a negotiated settlement tobe achieved.

Nationalize the Auto Industry

Whereas the Big 3 North American autocompanies have ignored consumerneeds, shown reckless disregard for the

environment, and squandered enormouswealth, workers' pension funds and com-munity well-being;

And whereas corporate CEOs demand,and get, government bail out money inthe billions, huge labour concessions,while arrogantly expecting to maintaincontrol, at public expense, of an industrythey drove into the ground;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to section 1.1 of the policybooklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor nationalization of the Big 3 auto com-panies, to be operated under workers'and community control, and advocate a

shift towards building small, fuel-effi-cient, affordable and environmentallysustainable cars and other vehiclesdesigned to meet society's transporta-tion needs.

Nationalize the Big Banks and

Insurance Companies

Whereas the giant banks are a central pil-lar of the failed world capitalist system,substituting lies and manipulation forgenuine production, squandering untoldwealth, and plunging millions into desti-tution and misery;

And whereas large banks and insurance

monopolies in Canada are preoccupiedwith maximization of profits and biggerdividends for shareholders at theexpense of citizens, small business per-

Above: When is the NDP finally going to take a firm stand against the decades-

long Israeli occupation of the Palestinians?

Below: To remain relevent, the NDP must connect with extra-parliamentary movements andactivist groups, providing them a place of genuine influence inside the party

Photo:MikeMcGregor


7/12


sons and farmers;

And whereas private ownership of banksand insurance companies generateswasteful advertising, duplication of serv-ices, higher transactions costs, and thushigher costs for consumers;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 1.8 of the Policy

booklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor nationalization of the big fiveCanadian banks and major insurancecompanies (including life, home and autoinsurance firms), to be operated underpublic democratic control, with compen-sation to the former owners in the formof low-interest, long-term bonds;

And that democratic management beexercised by an elected council of bankworkers, consumers, small business folk,family farmers and the labour movementas a whole.

Nationalize Big Oil and Gas

Whereas giant oil and gas corporations inCanada have reaped billions in profit,while despoiling the environment, andignoring the urgent need to invest sub-stantially in making the shift towards anew green energy efficiency;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 1.2 of the Policybooklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor nationalization of the energy indus-try, under workers' and community con-trol, to guarantee domestic supply and tofurnish the basis to rebuild industry, andto create hundreds of thousands of jobs,especially in renewable energy and masspublic transit.

No NDP Coalition with Business ClassPolitical Parties

Whereas placing just demands on a capi-talist minority government does notentail or require entering into Cabinetwith capitalist parties,

And whereas the NDP's identity, purposeand existence depends on its independ-ence from the parties of the businessclass which seek to subordinate the NDP,unions and the working class to a busi-ness agenda and the exigencies of thecapitalist system,

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 5.2 of the Policybooklet: The NDP shall never enter acoalition government with the LiberalParty, the Bloc Quebecois, the GreenParty or any party that is linked to thebusiness class, and will seek allianceinstead only with forces organicallylinked to the organizations of workingpeople, and/or those based on aWorkers' Agenda, such as QuebecSolidaire.

For More PolicyDiscussion at

Conventions

Whereas substantial-ly greater democracyand political plural-ism are an urgentnecessity within theNDP;

Therefore Be ItResolved that the fol-lowing be added toSection 5.2 of thePolicy booklet: TheNDP will mandateand provide more

accessible, more democratic, member-ship and delegate-driven party conven-tions, with low/minimal registrationfees, and with at least 80% of conventiontime dedicated to debate and voting onresolutions from grassroots organiza-tions.

Electric, Hybrid and Alternative Fuel

Cars

Whereas there is almost no industrialincentive in Canada for the production ofcars powered by electricity or alternativenon-gasoline, non-bio fuel, or hybridengine cars which incorporate the use ofalternative non-bio fuel, which would bemore energy efficient and environmen-tally compatible;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 2.4 of the Policybooklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor and pledge to legislate a requirementthat 50% of all automobiles sold inCanada be powered by electricity oralternative non-gasoline, non-bio fuel

and/or be hybrid engine cars powered inpart by alternative non-bio fuel.

Fair and Democratic Trade

Whereas the so-called free trade agree-ments of the FTA, NAFTA, GATS, theFTAA and the institution of the WTO areundemocratic and driven by the corpora-tions and banks to maximize privateprofits and make the worldwide move-ment of money easier;

Whereas this corporate agenda is a seri-ous threat to social programmes, theenvironment, human and labour rights,and the goals of democratic socialism;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 4.4 of the Policybooklet: The New Democratic Party iscommitted to actively campaign for abro-gation and withdrawal of Canada fromNAFTA, the FTAA, FTA, GATS and theWTO;

The NDP is committed to developing andpromoting a democratic and participato-ry system of trade that supports and pro-tects the rights, freedoms and interests ofworking people, unions, women,Aboriginal peoples, farmers and peas-ants, seniors, and the poor, dispossessedand marginalized peoples.

Hands off Migrant Workers

Whereas half of all people arriving inCanada today are on temporary visaswithout a path to permanent immigra-tion status, and over half a million otherslive without any status, and are deniededucation, health, shelter or food whileworking and paying taxes,

And whereas Canada uses detentions,

deportations, temporary work pro-grammes and US style immigration raidsto tear families apart, create fearamongst and against non-status peoplesand pit workers against one another,

And whereas Canadian capitalism,including some of the worst mining com-panies in the world, are responsible forcausing migration by stealing the liveli-hoods of millions, forcing them off theirland, and the Canadian state is occupyingAfghanistan and Haiti, and supportingstate terrorism in Iraq, Columbia,Palestine and Tamil Eelam whichincreases the displacement and migra-tion of peoples,

Therefore Be It Resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 4.3 of the Policybooklet: The NDP will actively campaignfor an end to raids and deportations tar-getting migrant workers, fight for equalhuman and civil rights for migrant work-ers, demand recognition of the foreigncredentials of immigrants and migrants,demand abolition of the 'live-in' require-ment for domestic workers, demand thatthe Live-In Caregiver Program bescrapped, and continue to press for anational childcare program.

Elimination of Tuition and Student

Debt

Whereas the cost of post-secondarytuition has skyrocketed in recent years;

And whereas many students are nowgraduating from post-secondary institu-tions with student-debt of over $50,000each;

Therefore Be it resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 3.2 of the Policybooklet: The NDP will actively cam-

paign to ensure that federal funding foreducation impose requirements on theprovinces immediately to freeze tuitionfees, and through annual reductions,eliminate tuition fees completely withinfive years;

And the NDP will actively campaign for amore equitable and progressive taxationsystem that would allow such increasedfunding to take place.

Share the Work,Shorten the Work Week

Whereas the Canadian work week isamong the longest in the industrialized

world, a situation proven to causeincreased stress, illness and lower pro-ductivity;

Whereas tens of thousands of new jobswould be created if the work week wasreduced appropriately;

Therefore be it resolved that the follow-ing be added to Section 1.12 of the Policybooklet: "The NDP will actively campaignto reduce the work week throughoutCanada to 32 hours, without loss of payor benefits to workers, and to outlawmandatory overtime.

OTHER RESOLUTIONS FROM

THE SOCIALIST CAUCUS

* Defend and Extend the Right

to Strike

* For Democracy and

Leadership Accountability

* End One Member One Vote

Mechanism

* Party Internal Financing

* Solidarity with Cuba

* Defend Venezuela and Bolivia* Building the Party as a Mass

Movement of the Working

Class and its Allies

* Restore Food Safety; Rebuild

Public Service

* Social Ownership and

Economic Democracy

* Social Ownership of Primary

Industries

* Democratic Control of the

Telecommunications Industry

* Gender Identity

Above: Migrant workers in Canada are denied many of the basic freedoms thatcitizens have. New Democrats must struggle for equal rights for all workers

Below: The ironic relationship between the overworked and the unemployed. Millions are suffer-

ing from increasing levels of stress and declining health, while millions of others cant find work.

Its time to give the unemployed a job and the overworked a break.

Photo: Colin Gregory Palmer

continued on page 11...


8/12


A handful of companies standbetween small farmers and millions ofpeople on the brink of starvation

BY SIMON BUTLER

(Originally published inGreen Left Weekly, July 4, 2009)

THREE YEARS AGO, a number of newsoutlets reported on a troubling first-everoccurrence: the worlds obese peopleoutnumbered the worlds starving.

This wasnt because hunger wasbecoming any less of a problem. In 2006,the United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) said some 873 mil-lion people were undernourished, or onein every seven people worldwide.

At the same time, more than onebillion people were very overweight, aresult of sugar-laden, high-fat diets,increasingly inactive lifestyles andrelentless corporate advertising.

This bizarre paradox was thestarting point for Raj Patels investiga-tion of the world food system in hisgroundbreaking 2006 book, Stuffed andStarved.

In the poverty-stricken GlobalSouth, the poorest cannot afford to feedthemselves. In the West, more peopleare stuffed with highly processed andunhealthy fast-foods favoured by the bigfood companies.

In both cases, record numbers ofpeople are malnourished. The figureswere a striking example of the utterinsanity of the worlds food system. Foodshould be treated as a human right.

Yet this goal is unachievable as

long as food production is controlled bygiant corporations and world food pricesare set artificially high by agriculturalmonopolies and commodity traders.

The same market-based foodsystem that condemns so many to starva-tion also wastes an immense amount offood. In a February 2009 report, theUnited Nations World Food Programme(WFP) put food waste and losses in theUnited States at around 40-50% of thetotal.

It estimated that around 25% offresh fruits and vegetables are lost intransport between the field and house-holds.

The report also estimated foodwaste makes up almost half of Australiaslandfill. In Britain, close to one-third ofall food bought is thrown away.

WFP executive director AdamSteiner said more than half of all foodproduced is either lost wasted or dis-carded. This amount could feed theentire projected population growth aloneby becoming more efficient while alsoensuring the survival of wild animals,birds and fish on this planet.

Things have changed since 2006,but not for the better. Figures for theworlds starving have now caught upwith the overweight in the wake of the2007-08 food crisis caused by skyrocket-ing prices and the global economic crisis.

The United Nations Food and

Agricultural Organization (FAO) projectsthat 1.02 billion people will not getenough to eat in 2009, an 11% rise in ayear. One in six people worldwide will be

undernourished by years end.

When the worlds richestnations met at the G20 summit in April towork out a rescue plan for the worldeconomy, the outcome for the worldshungry was predictably underwhelming.Some $1.1 trillion of taxpayers moneywas found by governments to stabilizethe financial system.

At the same summit, USPresident Barack Obama announced theUS would grant $1 billion to programs toassist agricultural development in the

global South. The worldshungry got less than one-tenth of a percent of what thebanks got.

Hunger is up despiterecord global harvests. OnJune 4, the FAO stated worldcereals crop will be the sec-ond biggest ever-recorded,just below the highest-everyield last year. Yet twobumper crops in a row havenot led to a matching fall infood prices. After recordprice hikes from 2006-08,international food prices arestill 33% higher than 2005,the FAO said.

It also noted that inthe poorest countries, foodprices are relatively higheragain. The global economiccrisis is worsening the

hunger crisis. Incomes aredown due to higher unem-ployment and a drop inremittances sent back homefrom people working in thedeveloped world.

But its root cause lieseven deeper. The food mar-ket is highly concentrated. Afew big firms dominate themarket in most food industries. Morethan 80% of the beef-packing industry iscontrolled by four transnational compa-nies. Four companies control 60% offlour milling. Six control 85% of theworld grain trade. Three control 80% ofbanana production and another three

have 83% of the worlds cocoa sewn-up.Patel describes this as a global

food bottleneck. A small number ofcompanies stand between millions ofsmall farmers and millions of consumersin the food cycle.

This gives the agribusinessgiants enormous power to set artificiallylow prices for the food they purchasefrom farmers, and set artificially highprices to sell the same food to con-sumers.

The same companies exert hugecontrol over the trade policies of FirstWorld governments and institutions likethe International Monetary Fund, WorldBank and World Trade Organization.

Finally, just like sub-prime mort-gages, global food prices fall victim to

financial speculators trading in com-modity futures. Indeed, the recent foodcrisis was not a result of a food shortage.Prices skyrocketed mostly because pan-icked dealers shifted trillions out of col-lapsing mortgage bonds into the foodcommodity market throughout 2008 insearch of quick returns.

Mass starvation, immense wasteand unhealthy food is the horrifying fall-out of 21st century capitalism. But itsgreat for business.

Corporate Profits = Global Hunger

Canadian activistIan Angus inter-viewed by theGreek socialistnewspaperKokkino (Red).

Kokkino: Lets begin with a large

question: what is ecosocialism?

Angus: Ecosocialism has grown out oftwo parallel political trends: the spreadof Marxist ideas in the green movement

and the spread of ecological ideas in theMarxist left. The result is a set of socialand political goals, a growing body ofideas, and a global movement.Ecosocialisms goal is to replace capital-ism with a society in which commonownership of the means of productionhas replaced capitalist ownership, andin which the preservation and restora-tion of ecosystems will be central to allactivity.

As a body of ideas, ecosocial-ism argues that ecological destructionis not an accidental feature of capital-

ism, it is built into the systems DNA.The systems insatiable need toincrease profits, whats been called theecological tyranny of the bottom line,cannot be reformed away.

With that said, it is importantto realize ecosocialist thought is notmonolithic. It embodies many differentviews about theory and practice. Forexample, there is an ongoing debateabout the view, advanced by someecosocialist writers, that social move-ments have replaced the working classas the engine of social change.

Finally, ecosocialism is an anti-

capitalist movement that varies a lotfrom place to place. In the imperialistcountries, it is a current within existingsocialist and green-left movements,seeking to win ecology activists tosocialism, and to convince socialists ofthe vital importance of ecological issuesand struggles.

In the Third World, there is agrowing mass pro-ecology movementthat incorporates socialist ideas. Thatsespecially true in Latin America, whereanti-imperialist governments headedby Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa

in Ecuador, and Fidel Castro in Cuba,are pressing for strong anti-capitalist,pro-environment measures.

Kokkino: What is the Ecosocialist

International Network?

Angus: The Ecosocialist InternationalNetwork was formed in October 2007at a meeting in Paris that was attendedby ecosocialists from 13 countries. Itsmain goals are to improve communica-tion and coordination among ecosocial-ists worldwide, and to organize a major

ecosocialist conference in Brazil in2009.The EIN is a very loose and

open organization. Anyone who sup-ports the broad goals of the ecosocial-ism is welcome to participate. Moreinformation is available on our website,www.ecosocialism.org.

Kokkino: How do you respond to

socialists who argue that there is no

need for specifically ecosocialist

ideas or activity?

Angus: In a certain sense they are cor-rect. Marxism embodies a wealth ofprofound ecological thought, far morethan many green activists realize.

But while concern for ecologywas a fundamental part of Marxsthought, and the Bolsheviks were cer-tainly aware of the issue, the sad fact isthat the Marxist left ignored this issuefor many decades. Its important to cor-rect that and to do so publicly andexplicitly.

Using the word ecosocialismis a way of signalling loud and clear that

we consider climate change not just asanother stick to bash capitalism with,but as a critically important issue, oneof the principal problems facinghumanity in this century.

But there is more involved.Marxism is not a fixed set of eternaltruths: it is a living body of thought, amethod of understanding society and atool for social change. Socialists whoseviews dont evolve to incorporate newsocial and scientific insights become

Interview: Ian Angus on the Environment

Above: Perhaps the greatest failure of global

capitalism. According to the United Nations,

nine million people will die of hunger and mal-

nutrituion this year alone.Food should be treated as ahuman right. Yet this goal isunachievable as long as food pro-duction is controlled by giant cor-porations and world food pricesare set artificially high by agricul-tural monopolies and commoditytraders.

continued on next page


9/12


Toronto NDP Member John Orrettanalyzes what its going to take to

save steel jobs in Canada

FROM 2005 TO 2007, the three largeststeel producers in Canada, Stelco,

Dofasco, and Algoma Steel, succumbed tothe infamous trends of globalization andmonopoly.

Now, in 2009, the story is one oflay-offs, plant closures, and wage reduc-tions. Not one of these three companieshas been able to escape the downwardspiral of the latest crisis in global capital-ism.

Yet, steel production is viable inOntario for several reasons. There aresecure sources of bituminous coal andpig iron. There is reliable hydro-electricpower. Finally, there are protected portson the Great Lakes and a railway net-work that allows for efficient shippingand transportation of raw materials and

finished products to contiguous commer-cial markets.

Algoma Steel was founded in1901. For decades it has been the largestsingle employer in the northern Ontariocity of Sault Saint Marie. But, like steelproduction anywhere, the productis very price sensitive andsusceptible to the vicissi-tudes of a manufactur-ing economy.

In both 1990and 2002, Algomaunderwent re-struc-turing bankruptcies.In 1990 it wasturned into a semi-

cooperative with 60%of its ownership goingto its work force. Thedeal was facilitated by theOntario NDP Government of theday. Over time, the workers sold theirshares to cope with pressing personalneeds, to which capitalism is indifferent.

This arrangement lasted onlyuntil another bankruptcy in 2002, whenthe ownership of the company wasturned over to debt and bondholdersduring a period of collapsing steel prices.

During the preceding 20 years,hundreds of millions of dollars in profitswere siphoned out of Algoma in the formof dividends, leaving the company unpro-

tected during recessionary times.In 2007, Algoma was taken over

by Essar Global Ltd., a multi-nationalsteel producer based in India, a countrywith a fraction of Canadas coal and iron

deposits. The latest news out of Algoma,now Essar Steel, is that on April 13,another 95 workers were laid off, bring-ing the 2009 total to over 500 laid offhourly employees, representing 20% ofthe hourly work force.

Consider the situation ofDofasco Steel in Hamilton, Ontario.Dofasco has always been the strange birdof Canadian steel producers. It has suc-cessfully resisted unionization attemptsby the United Steel Workers of America.

How? By paying wages compa-rable to those of its unionized competi-tors, and providing a profit sharingscheme and a big Christmas party. Thehard bargaining and strike struggles ofUSWA members at neighboring Stelco setthe standards at Dofasco.

In 2006 Dofasco was bought outby Arcelor Mittal, the worlds largeststeel producer, based in Luxembourg.This giant multinational has global pro-

duction of 103 Million Tons per Year,compared to Dofascos approximately 4MTY.

Despite becoming part ofArcelor Mittal, the only rationalizationthat occurred in the Canadian industry

was the lay off of more than 450workers in Contrecoeur,

Quebec in 2008, andanother 190 in 2009 as

the company consoli-dated its cold and hotmill productions inHamilton.

What aboutStelco? The formerSteel Company of

Canada is almost syn-onymous with

Hamilton, Canadas steeltown. The shipping termi-

nals, coal piles, smelters and fab-rication plants dominate HamiltonHarbor and have been the largestemployer in the city for decades.

Stelco was founded in 1910 outof the merger of five different companies.It had a history of over 100 years of con-tinuous production, including rightthrough the depression of the 1930s.Stelcos Lake Erie Works at Nanticoke isone of the most modern integrated steelplants in the world.

Stelco was bought out in August

2007 by US Steel, the fifth largest pro-ducer in the world. US Steel is just the re-incarnation of several bankruptAmerican steel companies headed by theformer Bethlehem Steel. Those compa-

nies were able to reincorporate onlywhen the U.S. government took overtheir considerable pension obligations --another example of delivering tax dollarsto corporate bosses. The US Steel buyout of Stelco was essentially subsidizedby the U.S. Government.

Part of the agreement in thistake over included special undertakings,including research and development,capital expenditure and levels of produc-tion.

These promises were broken inMarch 2009 when more than 2,100

workers were laid off in Hamilton.Foreign ownership has been so bad forCanada that US Steel lost $439 million(U.S.) in the first three months of thisyear and is now operating at only 38% ofcapacity.

All of these former Canadiancompanies, Algoma, Dofasco and Stelco,have not been able to withstand the crip-pling downturn of the North Americanand world capitalist economy.

How could they? With the finan-cial crisis, the drop in consumer demand,and reduced manufacturing activity,especially in the auto industry, steel hasbeen one of the hardest hit.

For years, the Steel owners have

reaped millions of dollars in profits anddividends, all stemming from the surplusvalue extracted from the workerslabour. But when recessions or depres-sions occur, it is always the workers who

are first to suffer, and suffer the most.There is no rainy day fund for steel work-ers -- only meager strike funds and bare-ly-accessible unemployment insurance.

With powerful enough binocu-lars at the NDP Convention in Halifax, wecould look east, to Sydney, Nova Scotiaand see another legacy of the Canadiansteel industry.

We could see the slag heaps andcondemned residences, we could see thestunted trees and poisoned environment-- the remains of decades of coal miningto feed the steel mills. What actions are

the multinational corporations undertak-ing to remedy this situation?

There is only one real alterna-tive to the doldrums for Canadian steel.We need a nationalized industry withproduction under workers control. Weneed a rational plan for steel productionthat ties into socially desirable goals. Weneed more public transportation inCanada. The automobiles and trucks stillneeded should be as fuel efficient as pos-sible.

We need affordable housing,new schools and universities, newbridges and sea ports. The steel we needfor rail lines, rail cars, apartment build-ings, houses and other socially necessary

construction can come from a publiclyowned steel industry that has organizedemployment and production for the ben-efit of the vast majority of working peo-ple.

irrelevant sectarians. Weve seen thathappen to many individuals andgroups over the years.

Just as Marx and Engels stud-ied and adopted ideas from the scien-tists of their day (Liebig on soil fertility,

Morgan on early societies, Darwin onevolution, and many others), soMarxists today must learn from todaysscientists, especially about the biggestissues of the day. Ecosocialism aims todo just that.

Kokkino: Can capitalism solve global

warming?

Angus: That depends on what youmean by solve.

Dealing with global warming

includes two components: mitigationand adaptation. Mitigation meansreducing greenhouse gas emissions sothat global warming slows down andeventually reverses.

Adaptation means makingchanges that will enable people to sur-vive in a world where some climatechange is inevitable, and where climate

chaos is increasingly likely.In my opinion, capitalismsinsatiable need for growth, combinedwith its massive dependence on fossilfuels as the dominant energy source,mean that it is very unlikely that wewill see an effective mitigation pro-gram from any major capitalist coun-try.

Scientists say that if the aver-age temperature rises more than 2degrees, dangerous climate changebecomes very probable. There is nosign that any of the industrialized

countries will implement measuressufficient to stop such a temperatureincrease. Anything they do will be toolittle, too late.

But if we do not succeed inbringing this system to an end, capital-ism will undoubtedly adapt to the newclimate. It will do what capitalismalways does. It will impose the great-

est burdens on the most vulnerable, onpoor people and poor nations.Climate refugees will multiply

and millions will die. The imperialistpowers will fight against the globalsouth, and amongst themselves, to con-trol the worlds resources, includingnot just fuel but also food. The mostbarbaric forms of capitalism will inten-sify and spread.

In short: yes, capitalism cansolve global warming, but the capital-ist solution will be catastrophic for thegreat majority of the worlds people.

Nationalizing Canadas Steel Industry

Thereis only one real

alternative to the dol-drums for Canadian steel.

We need a nationalizedindustry with production

under workers control. Weneed a rational plan for

steel production that tiesinto socially desir-

able goals.

Above: The steel industry in Canada. If governments can use taxpayer money

to bail out banks and other corporations, why cant we use that money instead

to place industries under public ownership and democratic control?

Photo:KamrulHasan

Angus, continued from page 8... Words to Remember...

I am less interested in theweight of Einstein's brain than inthe near certainty that people ofequal talent have lived and died

in cotton fields and sweatshops.

Biologist Stephen Jay Gould

1941 - 2002


10/12


Across Canada, resistance to theemployers agenda is visible in agrowing number of labour-manage-

ment disputes.

MOST, BUT NOT ALL, of this summers

strikes are strikes against concessionsdemanded by bosses trying to takeadvantage of the global economic crisis.

An exception was the two-daystrike by 340 Via rail engineers thatstopped passenger train service acrossCanada, July 24-26. The dispute is nowgoing to binding arbitration by agree-ment of the parties. Some 2,000 union-ized ticket agents, maintenance and on-train service workers, laid off by Via dur-ing the strike, are back at work. About12,000 people ride the trains daily.

The striking engineers, repre-sented by the Teamsters Canada RailConference, were reportedly close to anagreement on wages, but they want two

consecutive days off per week, trainingin federal rules and changes in equip-ment technology.

For two and half years, manage-ment dragged its feet at the bargainingtable, until the workers decided to pullthe plug. If the arbitrator splits the out-standing differences, it will be a unionwin.

But it was the fight against con-cessions that spurred about 3,600employees of Vale Inco, most of them atthe companys flagship Sudbury nickelmines, to walk off the job on July 13.

According to UnitedSteelworkers director Wayne Fraser, theunion is opposed to several concessions

Vale Inco wants, including elimination ofbonuses to workers when the price ofnickel is high, plus the imposition of aninferior pension plan for newly hiredworkers (with defined contributions,instead of defined benefits).

It is a battle over future profitsfor the Brazilian iron-ore giant Vale doRio Doce, which bought Inco in 2006 for$19.4 billion. Nickel soared above $24(U.S.) a pound in mid-2007, fell to $5(U.S.) pound in late 2008, but is risingagain, reaching $6.68 on July 13. TheUSWAs Fraser said that around $7 apound, the company is going to makehuge money.

A number of other strikes arebattles over concessions too. The biggestone involved 30,000 City of Torontoinside and outside workers, which endedon July 31 as described above.

A similar war raged for 101 daysin Windsor, in the south-west corner ofOntario, just across from Detroit, endingon July 24. Windsor city bosses tried tocut real wages and benefits, but CUPELocals 82 and 543 retained retiree bene-

fits for the 1,800 current employees, wona 6.3 per cent raise over four years, andimproved job security, while concedingreduced post-retirement benefits to new

hires who reach age 65.At a Zellers warehouse in

Toronto, 325 workers represented bythe Canadian Auto Workers Union(CAW) rejected a company demand for awage cut of $8 an hour, along with bene-fit concessions. The distribution centersmaterial handlers went on strike July 17.Zellers is owned by the Hudsons BayCompany.

CAW Local 567 members atCision Canada in Ottawa are resistingcompany demands for major conces-

sions. The 25 workers at the media tran-scription service went on strike on May5. Harry Ghadban, CAW Ottawa areadirector, said the company is demandingthe elimination of the cost of livingadjustment (COLA) clause, elimination ofthe bonus clause and rollbacks in sever-ance language, sick leave as well as shiftlanguage. Ghadban said the workers aredetermined to win a fair and equitable

agreement.On June 14, Cadillac Fairview, a

cross-country office and shopping centergiant, locked out 61 engineers, building

operators, skilled trades and mainte-nance workers in two bargaining units atthe Toronto Dominion Center, represent-ed by the Communications, Energy andPaperworkers Union (CEP).

After more than a year of bar-gaining, the workers were locked outbecause they refused to accept massiveconcessionary demands from CadillacFairview.

Those include that membersreapply for their jobs and accept a newsix-month probationary period (putting

older, injured and vocally pro-unionworkers at risk), plus the elimination ofskilled trade job classifications. CEPLocal 2003 members continue to picketthe TD Center, which has hired a thirdparty service provider (scabs) to do thework.

Meanwhile, a 93 per cent strikemandate, and a vigorous public cam-paign, achieved a victory for 7,000

Liquor Control Board of Ontario workersrepresented by the Ontario PublicService Employees Union (OPSEU) inmid-July.

LCBO management proposed totake away job security (by temporarilylaying off full-time workers during slowperiods) and to continue to casualizejobs by creating a two-tier system ofpart-time workers with no benefits.

Not only did the bosses backdown in the face of a strong strike man-date and an effective Our CommunitiesNeed Good Jobs campaign, but prom-ised to create more full-time positions atthe 610 LCBO outlets across Ontario,give benefits to part-timers, and provide

the same 3 per cent annual wageincrease won by Ontario Public Serviceworkers last year.

Lack of struggle often producesthe opposite results. Some 450 Globe andMail newspaper employees, includingeditorial, circulation and sales staff,members of CEP Local 87-M, ratified aconcessionary deal that averted a strikeon July 2. The new contract imposes atwo-year wage freeze, followed byincreases of 2, 2.5 and 2.5 per centthrough to June 2014.

New employees will have to joina defined contribution retirement planinstead of the existing defined benefitpension plan. The union did stop the

lengthening of the work week, restric-tions on outside activities, and the weak-ening of job security language.

So the pattern in the Summer ofthe Strike is mixed, but it tends to showthat it pays to fight back.

Auto workers at GM andChrysler took it on the chin in 2008 and2009, and Ford workers are now beingasked for more concessions.

Hopefully, Ford workers willtake their cue from fighting railwayworkers, civic workers, miners and oth-ers, and tell the auto bosses exactlywhere they can put their demands.

All workers resisting conces-sions are struggling for the greater good.They need and deserve every form of sol-idarity, including support rallies, march-es and sympathy strikes.

Summer of the Strike

Photo:KymberlyJanisch

BY ROBBIE MAHOOD

IN AN ARTICLEoriginally publishedin the left-wing pub-lication, Briarpatch,

Regina based politi-cal sociologist, JohnConway, warns ofS a s k a t c h e w a nPremier Brad Walls assault on organ-ized labour in that province.Saskatchewan has one of the highestrates of unionization in the country(around 25%) and, as Conway notes,the provinces labour movement hasbeen the source of the most significantresistance in the past to right-wing gov-ernments, like Ross Thatchers Liberalsin the 1960s and Grant Devines Tories

in the 1980s.According to Conway, Premier

Wall is determined to smash the labourmovement and to do it very quick-ly.adopting a two-pronged attack onlabour, one targeting the public sector

and the other the private sector.Amendments to the Public

Services Essential Services Act handover power to the employers to decidewhich workers can be deemed essentialputting an end to effective legal strikesin the public sector.

Even more serious are the Wallgovernments amendments to theTrade Union Act which impose newrestrictions on union certification andgive a green light to employer interven-tion during certification drives as wellas collective bargaining. These amend-

ments not only make it virtually impos-sible to organize the unorganized, butcripple unions during contract negotia-tions while encouraging employers toembark on aggressive union-bustingcampaigns, the author points out.

Conway takes theSaskatchewan NDP to task for its weakresponse to the aggressive pro-busi-ness stance of the Wall government.The NDP correctly opposed the attackon public sector workers but thus farhas not been very critical of the govern-ments plans to stymie union organiz-ing and collective bargaining in the pri-vate sector.

Furthermore, Conway notesthat there is bipartisan agreement onbroad economic and social policy (inwhich) the deeper debate is really

about which party can best administerthe operation of capitalism inSaskatchewan. The only real differenceat this point between the NDP and theSaskatchewan Party is that the oldCalvert government refused to give the

business lobby everything it demanded,only most of it (while) the Wall govern-ment is the loyal toady of the businesslobby, willing to do pretty much any-thing business demands.

- Excerpts from Wall Declares War on

Organized Labour in

turn left summer 2009

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