These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
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wmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: how can we stop the right?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
Continue readingwmtc: memo to children’s aid: people with disabilities can be capable parents
This story makes me so angry and frustrated. I can only imagine how the parents feel! I’ve reached out to some activists I know who are people with disabilities for suggestions on how we can support this family. A disabled couple in Mississauga are fighting to keep their newborn son
Continue readingwmtc: the lessons in tpl’s struggle
With the Toronto Public Library workers back at work after a ten-day strike, here is an assessment of their settlement, from a TPL librarian (my friend and comrade) who is active in the union. The lesson is it’s better to fight than to run away when you are a city-worker
Continue readingwmtc: how you can support striking tpl workers
An open letter from my friend and comrade Jonathon Hodge. See below for picket schedule. Dear friend/neighbor/colleague, Many of you are library users, or know someone who is, and so many of you are affected by the current work stoppage at the Toronto Public Library. Those of us who work
Continue readingwmtc: support your local library – support tpl library workers!
As you know, the staff of the Toronto Public Library is on strike. Rob Ford is using the financial crisis as an excuse to “privatize everything that isn’t nailed down” (his words), including the library. Branch closures are still an issue. Service cuts loom. In times of austerity, working people
Continue readingwmtc: celebrate international women’s day 2012
Today is International Women’s Day. We’ve come a long way. And we’ve still got a long way to go. Globally, the picture looks much worse. See the current issue of Socialist Worker for a collection of IWD stories, including one by yours truly. At today’s IWD March in Toronto, the
Continue readingwmtc: you can fight your excessive water bill
I’m posting this for Googleability. If you’ve received an excessive water bill, there may be an error in your reading, even if the water meter is working correctly. My partner and I recently filed a small claims lawsuit against the Region of Peel to recover excessive water charges we were
Continue readingwmtc: in which we kick peel’s butt!
Win? That doesn’t even begin to describe it. This was a rout. When the smoke cleared, we were celebrating and they were gasping for air. $429 and change that we should never have been charged? Check. $175 in court costs? Check. But wait, there’s more… $100 for our preparation time,
Continue readingwmtc: our day in court
Remember our crazy water bill? And how tried to fight it? In the end, we had no choice. We had to pay the bill or Peel would have disconnected our water. After that, our only recourse was to file in small claims court to try to recover the excess payment.
Continue readingwmtc: love a librarian: keep toronto public library public
Tell Mayor Ford you want a free, public Toronto Public Library. Go here.
Continue readingwmtc: rob ford’s latest strategy in the war on toronto public library: slash, downsize, then try to privatize
From Maureen O’Reilly, library workers’ union, Toronto Public Library (emphasis mine): + + + + + It hasn’t taken Ford and company long before launching a new attack on our public library. Frustrated that we stopped him last month from wreaking massive reductions to open hours and slashing programs and
Continue readingwmtc: fightback works: peel parents win, for now
Community meetings, rallies, emergency mobilizations, and a five-hour Council meeting ended with the Peel Regional Council voting not to close 12 publicly-funded daycare centres – yet. The Council voted unanimously to stop the rush to closure and instead set up a task force to explore the options. According to this
Continue readingwmtc: save peel region public day care
Tomorrow, Peel Region Councillors will vote on whether to end publicly financed, union-staffed daycare services in Mississauga and Brampton. A report from an audit by KPMG – released only days ago – recommended closing five daycare centres in Brampton and seven in Mississauga. In less than a week, Councillors are
Continue readingwmtc: is m.p. lizon a bigot or just plain ignorant? you make the call
A few weeks ago, I learned that my new Conservative MP, Wladyslaw Lizon, brought to the attention of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney the shock and horror of a woman wearing a veil during a citizenship ceremony. Mr. Kenney, equally horrified (and similarly Islamophobic), issued a directive that
Continue readingwmtc: ten reasons i like being a library page
I needed to get a job as a library page in order to be “in the system” at the Mississauga Library. Job openings rarely, if ever, go external. Since after I earn my degree, I want to work as a librarian in Mississauga, and I was advised by several people
Continue readingwmtc: sweet victories! ford budget defeated, tarsands pipeline dead for now
If Rob Ford and Stephen Harper are both unhappy, this must be a good day! Yesterday the voices of reason on the Toronto City Council united to defeat Rob Ford‘s most dangerous budget cuts. There will still be cutbacks, and layoffs, and there is still a fight. But note this:
Continue readingwmtc: rally for toronto! today in nathan phillips square
Rob Ford might be losing weight, but Toronto is losing vital public services and good jobs – if the mayor and his friends on City Council have their way. If you live, work, or go to school in Toronto, come out to defend your city. WHEN: Tuesday, January 17, 5:30
Continue readingwmtc: in which i begin my first library job
It’s finally happened: I’ve been placed as a page! I begin my training this Thursday at the Central Library in Mississauga. This is a huge, beautiful library, a five-minute drive from our house, and right next door to YMCA that Allan and I belong to. I’ve been waiting for this
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