Ottawa has now been under siege for about a week. The residents in the downtown are miserable. Police have publicly announced they’re standing down and the mayor doesn’t seem to know what to do. The convoy drivers have faced nearly no direct confrontation to their actions. No wonder the video and images make it look like they’re having a giant party.
My question though, is where has labour been throughout the entire pandemic?
As you’ve documented, thousands of people have gotten sick at work over the past two years. Hundreds have died. Many of these workers were in unions, and… nothing. Nurses, teachers, caregivers, meat packers, etc. continue to be put in harms way and besides the one day wildcat nurses strike in AB that amounted to a hill of beans, there has been no meaningful response from their unions.
It’s baffling.
If they won’t act to keep their members from dying, what hope is there for them to act to quell the spread of clown-fascism?
Have unions been weakened to the point that they can’t do some of the most basic union things? If so, now what?
In Toronto yesterday, I joined one of the Chinatown (where I live) organizations. We patrolled on foot in 2s and 3s to just make sure that elders, residents and shopkeepers were okay. Unfortunately with University Ave blocked off, a lot of the FluTruxKlan spilled into Chinatown (Spadina) on foot and in vehicles. We heard about a Chinese woman at a food sharing location who was assaulted by a racist, but we have not received any further info about her well being or any other details.
Our neighbours in Kensington Market, set up ingenious metal gates at three access points. Volunteers at the gates monitored access to the market by vehicle traffic. Both Chinatown and KM volunteers liaised with each other throughout the day.
I say all this, just to say that communities were out on the ground for safety and support. Of course we had Ottawa's terrible situation to forewarn us. And of course as Nora said, we need much more than this.
Thank you for this.
My question though, is where has labour been throughout the entire pandemic?
As you’ve documented, thousands of people have gotten sick at work over the past two years. Hundreds have died. Many of these workers were in unions, and… nothing. Nurses, teachers, caregivers, meat packers, etc. continue to be put in harms way and besides the one day wildcat nurses strike in AB that amounted to a hill of beans, there has been no meaningful response from their unions.
It’s baffling.
If they won’t act to keep their members from dying, what hope is there for them to act to quell the spread of clown-fascism?
Have unions been weakened to the point that they can’t do some of the most basic union things? If so, now what?
Your take on this is so delusional and disappointing. Unsubscribing.
In Toronto yesterday, I joined one of the Chinatown (where I live) organizations. We patrolled on foot in 2s and 3s to just make sure that elders, residents and shopkeepers were okay. Unfortunately with University Ave blocked off, a lot of the FluTruxKlan spilled into Chinatown (Spadina) on foot and in vehicles. We heard about a Chinese woman at a food sharing location who was assaulted by a racist, but we have not received any further info about her well being or any other details.
Our neighbours in Kensington Market, set up ingenious metal gates at three access points. Volunteers at the gates monitored access to the market by vehicle traffic. Both Chinatown and KM volunteers liaised with each other throughout the day.
I say all this, just to say that communities were out on the ground for safety and support. Of course we had Ottawa's terrible situation to forewarn us. And of course as Nora said, we need much more than this.