Justice for Janitors-Toronto

Justice for Janitors has been organizing janitorial workers in Toronto for
the past year. In that time we have been able to begin to change the shape
of the industry and raise the standards for cleaning workers. Over 1,000
workers from two companies are now covered by city wide agreements.

Previous to this workers in the cleaning industry were organized on a
building by building basis, not on a company basis. This meant that workers
did not have the power to push up wages and stop the downward pressure on
conditions in their industry.

Following on the success of Justice for Janitors in Montreal and across the
United States cleaners in Toronto have begun to start the process of
organizing the major cleaning contractors with the aim of obtaining a
master agreement. This would remove the question of wages and benefits from
the competitive bidding process companies engage in to win contracts.

This campaign has been met in many instances with stiff resistance from
both the cleaning companies themselves and property owners who don't wish
to see their costs go up by even a few cents per square foot.

We are now faced with a new problem - one of the major cleaning companies
Hallmark Housekeeping, (which is to be blunt the Wal-Mart of the industry),
has decided to try and stop the Justice for Janitors movement by bringing
in a company union. They have brought in the Canadian Construction Workers
Union, whose president is the disgraced former head of LIUNA 183. He was
tossed out of that union for a variety of charges, including spying on
members, denying undocumented workers benefits and
pension credits among other charges.

The CCWU has been walked through buildings by supervisors, while we have
been kicked out. When we try to talk to workers supervisors escort them
past us, when the CCWU goes into a building they are assisted by the
supervisors. Reports are coming in of CCWU and supervisors telling
undocumented workers if they don't sign with CCWU they will lose their

TORONTO AND YORK REGION LABOUR COUNCIL ENDORSES MAY DAY OF ACTION FOR STATUS FOR ALL

The Toronto and York Region Labour Council at its April 5, 2007 meeting endorsed and called on affiliated unions to support the May Day of Action for immigrant rights being organized this year in Toronto. Support from the Labour Council follows resolutions, mobilization and material support for the day of action from the CAW National, CUPE Provincial, OSSTF-Dist 12 and numerous local unions.

The day of action starts with a rally at Christie Pit at 12 o’clock on Saturday, May 5 followed by a march through some immigrant neighborhoods to Dufferin Grove Park. A community fair celebrating the struggle for immigrant rights will be held at the park. The May Day of Action is being organized by No One Is Illegal, other immigrant rights organizations, community groups, trade unionists and faith groups. The demands presented in the rally and demonstration will be: Status for All! Stop the Deportations! Justice for Immigrants!

After unanimously passing a resolution in support of the day of action, the Labour Council invited activists from No One Is Illegal to speak to the delegates:

A woman who had spent 11 years working without immigration documentation described the civic death and vulnerability experienced by people who have been arbitrarily classified as “undocumented”. Referring to the Labour Council campaign on raising the minimum wage, she pointed out that, “For non-status workers, the minimum wage is really a maximum wage.” She thanked the Labour Council and other trade unionists for supporting the demands of “undocumented” workers for status. She concluded by saying that without status, workers cannot have access to the labour standards and safety standards the trade union movement has fought for.

A trade union supporter of No One Is Illegal congratulated the delegates for their resolution in support of the day of action and urged the delegates to mobilize the members of their locals for the May 5 march. He went on to say that the Harper government is rolling out temporary worker programs all across the country to create a caste of workers with second-class status and that all working people must reject this. “Trade unionists must stand shoulder to shoulder with the undocumented and temporary foreign workers and the demands: status for all and second-class status for none.”

The Canadian Labour Congress, representing 3.2 million unionized workers, joins with human rights and community groups demanding the Immigration Minister stop the imminent deportation of Mr. Laibar Singh.

Mr. Singh’s case is a clear call for humanitarian consideration for this former labourer. Mr. Singh is a refugee claimaint who is now paralyzed as a result of an aneurysm suffered in the summer of 2006. We are deeply concerned to learn that once again immigration authorities have pursued and arrested vulnerable individuals.

Earlier this year, immigration authorities detained children of refugee claimants’ in an effort to flush out their parents for deportation. Now we are witnessing authorities pursue and arrest a paralyzed refugee claimant, in an Abbotsford BC hospital. Mr Singh is still entitled to a review of his case and was forced to leave temple sanctuary due to his deteriorating health, making his arrest and looming deportation possible.

It is time for Canada’s Immigration Minister to act and stop this deportation.

For further comment on this case please contact Karl Flecker, Canadian Labour Congress National Director of the Anti-Racism and Human Rights Department. kflecker@clc-ctc.ca

APRIL 12th- Parents, students, teachers, service providers and activists came together at the Bickford Centre, an adult learning and ESL school, for the launch of Education, Not Deportation (END). Spearheaded by OSSTF-District 12, No One Is Illegal-Toronto and the Toronto Youth Cabinet, END was launched to build access to education without fear for students without status and to fight against student deportations.

The afternoon consisted of a Student Lunch and Banner-Making Session which drew about 100 people. The crowd included a large showing of students and teachers from the Bickford Centre, along with a group from Contact School and others. By the end of the afternoon, students and educators announced the organising of a Bickford Centre Contingent to march in the upcoming May 5th Day of Action.

Following the amazing afternoon, 40 people gathered for a Community Forum in the evening which brought together workers from Regent Park Pathways to Education and the Regent Park Health Centre, OSSTF and OECTA teachers, the Toronto Adult Students Association, parents, a Senior Staff member from the TDSB, students and other community members. The event was also covered by different media outlets, including OMNI TV, the Toronto Star and CFRB radio.

Resolution from the International Longshore Workers' Union, Local 10 (Bay Area, California)

MAY DAY, 2007

WORKERS AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Local 10 adopted a resolution for our April 2005 Longshore
Caucus reclaiming May Day (May 1st) which commemorates the struggle for
the 8 (eight) hour work day in the United States;

WHEREAS, Local 10 endorsed May 1st, 2006 and participated in the Great
American Boycott to protest the criminalization of immigrant workers by
legislation such as HR4437 and the Marine Transportation Security Acts
criminal background checks on dock workers;

WHEREAS, On May 1st, 2006, 90% of the container cargo at the Ports of
Los Angeles and Long Beach was halted as the result of immigrant
truckers not going to work;

WHEREAS, Agribusinesses such as Tyson Foods and Cargill closed down
several of their plants in anticipation of immigrant workers not going
to work on May 1, 2006 in support of immigrant rights;

WHEREAS, Our own Harry Bridges, an Australian immigrant worker, faced
four prosecutions by the U.S. government, was wrongfully convicted,
illegally imprisoned, fraudulently stripped of his citizenship, and his
attorneys sent to jail for defending him;

WHEREAS, ILWU in 2008, will start very difficult contract negotiations
with the employer which requires we start to mobilize our members and
build coalitions; and

WHEREAS, Hornblower Cruises has yet to hire skilled and experienced ILWU
and other union ferry workers as well as to negotiate a fair contract;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the membership instruct Local 10's
president to convey our intentions of having our stop work meeting on
Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 9 a.m. to Pacific Maritime Association;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Local 10 participates in the
Great American Boycott II, in support of workers and immigrant rights,
including the workers of Hornblower Cruises, on May Day, 2007 and that

No One Is Illegal – Toronto and CUPE 3903’s Trans Feminist Action Caucus present…

Queering the Fight for Status Rights: Trans and Queer Immigrants Speak Out!

Sunday, March 18th
2:30 – 5pm
The 519 Community Centre
519 Church St.

with:

Rocio Velasquez, No One Is Illegal – Toronto
El-Farouk Khaki, Salaam
Alvaro Orozco, currently fighting for refugee status
Yasmeen Persad, Trans Access Project @ the 519
Suhail AbualSameed, Supporting Our Youth

Immigrant and refugee activists from local organizations speak on key issues facing trans and queer immigrants and refugees fighting for status in Canada. Multiple barriers face trans and queer people living without legal immigration status as they seek access to services in the Toronto area, such as housing, health care, legal representation, employment, and others. In their fight for status rights, immigrants and refugees encounter the transphobia, heterosexism and racism of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Rocio will speak on the broad issues facing queer and trans immigrants in Canada. El-Farouk will provide a more in-depth criticism of the Canadian immigration system. Alvaro will explain his encounters with the Immigrant and Refugee Board, who judged him ‘not gay enough’ for refugee status. We’ll hear Yasmeen discuss the need for access to services for newcomer and non-status immigrants living in Toronto. Suhail will address the need for broad community involvement and community development initiatives to challenge barriers facing queer immigrant/refugee youth in Toronto.

And we will all strategize about how to mobilize for change.

Free childcare available on-site. Wheelchair accessible.

This event is part of a series leading to the May 5th "Status for All! Stop the Deportations" demonstration called by No One Is Illegal

Justice for Undocumented Workers

Deportations of undocumented workers must stop immediately and immigration laws and policies must be changed to allow these workers and their families to stay in Canada as landed immigrants.

During debate on the need for justice for undocumented workers, several speakers at CAW Council outlined emotional stories about their own lives and their own immigration to Canada. They told of gut wrenching decisions that must be made to leave homelands and come to Canada, tough decisions that often mean families are split apart.

CAW national representative Steve Watson stressed the important contribution to the economy that undocumented workers have made to Canada, working in the construction industry and other industries.

Delegates approved a resolution that highlights how undocumented workers have built homes and lives with their families in Canada, including many who have Canadian born children, who would be unfairly burdened by the deportation of their parents. These workers face impossible obstacles obtaining status that include delays of several years or more. The CAW has launched a petition to the House of Commons on the issue.

http://www.caw.ca/news/contactnewsletter/showissue.asp?name=issue&IssueID=572

January 3, 2007

SEIU Members Push Their Union to Change Its Position on Immigration

No Worker is Illegal

By WILLIAM JOHNSON

Members of the Service Employees (SEIU) in Northern California are demanding
just immigration reform. That's not too surprising. For the past two
decades, SEIU has been one of organized labor's strongest advocates for
immigrant rights.

This campaign, however, pits SEIU members not against anti-immigrant
employers or politicians, but against their union's top officials. Dubbing
their campaign, "No Worker is Illegal," members of SEIU throughout
California are demanding that their union's leaders retract their support of
immigration reform legislation like the recent Hegel-Martinez and
McCain-Kennedy bills.

McCain-Kennedy, which will likely be the model for any immigration reform
bill proposed by the incoming, Democratically-controlled Congress, would
have established a federal "guest worker" program, under which employers
could hire immigrant workers on a temporary basis without providing them a
guaranteed path to citizenship.
McCain-Kennedy would have also further militarized the U.S.-Mexico border
and leveled sanctions against employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

WEAKENING UNIONS

Renee Saucedo, a member of SEIU Local 790 in San Francisco and a leader of
the "No Worker is Illegal" campaign, says that these provisions could have
disastrous consequences for immigrant workers and SEIU. She asks, "How are
we supposed to organize workplaces with these kind of laws?

"[Guest worker] programs make immigrants more vulnerable and less likely to
take the risks that go along with joining a unionEmployer sanctions can lead
to discrimination, since some employers will try to avoid hiring immigrants
altogether-or anyone who looks or talks like them."

Frustrated with their international's position, members of Local 790 began
reaching out to members of other SEIU locals in California earlier this