Injured Workers Day Rally in St. Catharines

On Monday, May 31, 2010 twenty seven people attended a spirited and militant Injured Workers Day rally outside the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) offices in downtown St. Catharines. The event was sponsored by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG). The WSIB's phoney unfunded liability created by steep decreases in the WSIB premiums paid by employers over the past 20 years was a principal focal point of the speeches to the rally. Representatives of the CAW, CUPE, CUPW, OPSEU and the Niagara Area Labour Council spoke to the event. Greetings were conveyed to the participants from Peter Kormos MPP and Malcolm Allen MP. The rally concluded with a short testament by former ONIWG Provincial Executive member Don Comi.

2010 National Day of Mourning Ceremonies in Niagara On The Lake and St. Catharines

April 28th, 2010, 9:30 am

A small group of local labour leaders and activists gathered at the National Day of Mourning monument erected next to the Centennial Arena in Niagara On The Lake. They gathered for the annual National Day of Mourning Ceremony sponsored by the St. Catharines & District Labour Council. The participants were joined by members of the family of the late Joel Murray who died tragically on the job at General Motors. Niagara On The Lake Lord Mayor Gary Burroughs once again took part in the proceedings which have been held there for the past decade.

April 28th 2010, 11:00 a.m.

A group of workers gathered underneath the Garden City Skyway to commemorate the tragic accident that occurred there. Four construction workers fell to their deaths while performing routine maintenance on the Skyway Bridge in 1993.

The St. Catharines and District Labour Council has held a wreath laying ceremony there on the National Day of Mourning each year for the past decade. On this site a simple monument stands engraved with the four names of the workers who died.

This year’s ceremony took on particular significance in the wake of the recent death of four construction workers in Toronto who died on the job in a very similar circumstance. The occurrence of that recent tragedy illustrated the importance of focusing ongoing attention on deaths and injuries on the job and the need for effective action to prevent them.

April 28th, 2010 at 4:30 pm

The final memorial ceremony of the day sponsored by the St. Catharines & District Labour Council was held in downtown St Catharines at the city's National Day of Morning monument on St. Paul St. W. The annual wreath laying ceremony was attended by local labour leaders including Daniel Crowe of CUPE Ontario, a representative of the Workers Health and Safety Centre and local politicians including St. Catharines Mayor Brian Mcmullen. Images from both St. Catharines National Day of Mourning events are included.

2010 Fort Erie National Day of Mourning Ceremony

More than 30 labour leaders, activists and concerned citizens gathered on April 28 in For Erie for the annual ceremony at the National Day of Mourning monument located next to the city's municipal building.

Day of Mourning for Workers Injured and Killed on the Job

National Day of Mourning Events in Niagara


The Niagara Area Labour Councils will be sponsoring a series of memorial ceremonies throughout the Niagara Region to mark the April 28 National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on the Job. The ceremony in St. Catharines will be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. and take place at the Day of Mourning monument in Merrit Park next to the Burgoyne Bridge. The ceremony will feature Rodger Falconer who is the Workers Health and Safety Centre's Manager of Training Services along with local labour leaders and politicians.

These ceremonies serve to focus public attention on the shocking extent of workforce fatalities and injuries in this country. They also express our renewed commitment to fight to prevent workplace deaths and injuries and achieve safe workplaces.

Members of the media are cordially invited to attend all of the April 28th Day of Mourning events. Persons wishing to obtain further information are encouraged to contact: Bruce Allen at (905) 682-2611 or (905) 984-1763

February 12 Fundraiser for Local Strikers

The St. Catharines & District Labour Council is having a big fundraiser for local workers who are on strike and you're invited to attend on Friday, February 12 starting at 6:00 pm. The event will be held at the CAW Local 199 Hall, 124 Bunting Rd. in St. Catharines. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased in advance. The event will feature live entertainment, a DJ, games, draws and event tables. For more information phone (905) 934-6233 or email ballen@cogeco.ca

The keynote speakers for this event will be Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan and Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horvath

Music by "Driven"

UPDATE: OVER $4000. WAS RAISED THROUGH THE EVENT. MANY THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED TO MAKE IT A SUCCESS. THE STRIKE IS CONTINUING AND FURTHER SUPPORT ACTIVITY WILL FOLLOW.

Niagara Rally Against Prorogue of Parliament by Harper

St. Catharines & District Labour Council delegates were prominent among the 50 or more people who rallied outside Tory MP Rick Dykstra's Constituency Office in St. Catharines at noon on January 23, 2010. They joined tens of thousands of others who took part in rallies across the country. The local rally was followed by a short march. The event concluded with the participants taking part in a big group photo in front of the constituencey office of the awol St. Catharines Tory MP. Local media representatives were conspicuously absent at an important event held on a day that was part of Canadian political history.

New Labour Council Executive Elected

President - Bruce Allen

1st Vice-President - Sue Hotte

2nd Vice-President - Mahendra Thaleshvar

Treasurer - Karen Clark

Recording Secretary - Diane Cormier

Executive Members at Large - Ron Walker, Mohammad Nazir, Ed Gould, Lou Ann Binning, Ethan Clarke

Trustees - Bruce Harper, Serge Valcourt, Irene Lowell


The term of office concludes in November 2011.

Hospital Workers Rally

SEIU Local 1 is organizing a rally in St. Catharines to show support for a fair contract for hospital workers in advance of arbitration to settle the contract dispute.

We’re hoping you’ll be able to attend the rally and encourage others to come out and support the hospital workers so that they can get a fair contract!

Rally Details:


Tuesday, January 12

Ontario Street Site

155 Ontario St., St Catharines

Time: 3:00 pm


Contact: Bill Hulme (905.660.1800 x 3062) or Lisa Blanchette (905.695.1203 x 2022 or cell 416.705.1347)

As you know, SEIU represents 17,000 hospital workers in Ontario including nurses, lab technicians, many other allied health care professionals, clerical, maintenance, and building services workers. We are currently in contract negotiations with the Ontario Hospital Association. Mediation ended in November and we are currently waiting for a date to go to arbitration. Please see the press release which explains some of the issues and our position on it on the Local 1 website: http://www.seiulocal1.org/hospitals/SEIU__Hospital_CEO_Infighting_Worsens_Nursing_Shortage.aspx .This release also lists the hospitals affected by these negotiations.

Thank you for your support.

In solidarity,

Lisa Blanchette

Director of Strategic Campaigns

Service Employees International Union - ACWCC

305-2180 Steeles Ave. W. Concord ON L4K 2Z5

t/ 905.695.1203, x 2022

c/ 416.705.1347

f/ 905.695.1209

2009 Activist Awards Dinner

The St. Catharines & District Labour Council will be holding its 9th annual Health and Safety Activist Awards Dinner at 5:30 pm on Thursday, November 12, 2009. The event will take place at the CAW Local 199 Hall, 124 bunting Rd. in St. Catharines. The keynote speaker will be Professor Bryan Palmer who teaches Labour Studies at Trent University. The keynote speech will be followed by the presentation of an award for Health and Safety Activist of the Year and by the presentation of the Eric Blair Award for Social Justice Activist of the Year.
Representatives of the media are cordially invited to attend and participate in the event. Anyone wishing to obtain more information about it are encouraged to contact St. Catharines & District Labour Council President Bruce Allen at (905) 934-6233.

Truth from the Streets of Rangoon

The next meeting of Amnesty International Group 112 Niagara Region takes place Monday, September 28 at 7:30 pm at the Church of the Transfiguration (corner of Glenridge and Glendale) in St. Catharines. This month’s meeting will feature the 2007 UK film Inside Burma’s Uprising: The truth from the streets of Rangoon by filmmaker Francis Smith.

Amnesty International Niagara Region meets on the fourth Monday of each month (except December, July and August) at 7:30 pm at the Church of the Transfiguration in St. Catharines. Each month’s meeting features a presentation or film on a specific human rights issue or region of concern. Meetings are open to anyone interested in human rights and social justice issues.

Hope to see you there. Remember family and friends are always welcome!