The tyrant blinks

[sabotabby]

 After two days of job action, a (rumoured) successful case at the Labour Relations Board, and the threat of a province-wide general strike, the Ford Regime backed down and agreed to rescind Bill 28, reinstating our civil rights.

I was at a lunchtime solidarity picket when this happened. It's a victory of sorts—in the battle sense, not the war sense. There's still no contract, it's just back to the negotiating table, though I suspect CUPE will have a better and faster resolution than they would have otherwise. 

There is considerable debate as to whether this is a good thing. I lean towards the "yeah it is" side for the following reasons:

• The government declaring a strike illegal does not make it so, and you can successfully wildcat.
• The entire organized labour movement can be mobilized very quickly for a general strike if the cause is sufficiently dramatic.
• Ford is not untouchable even with a majority government, and pressure can be applied through non-electoral means even when he has dictatorial powers.

Obviously the things I want go much broader than a good contract for CUPE, although that's very important. Our contract is up next. But what we need is an early end to Ford's power, the Tories unelectable for the next few decades in the way that the NDP were after Rae, a mainstream media with the balls to hold the government's feet to the fire, and the restoration of funding and resources to health and education. We didn't win any of these things today, and he was allowed to get away with some serious lies during his press conference.

But it has been so, so long since I've seen anything that wasn't constant, crushing loss that I'll take what I can get for today.

Comments

[dewline]

Yeah, it's a good step towards better things. I'll believe this promise when the repeal of Bill 28 goes through, of course. We all needed this.

[sabotabby]

Yeah. Points to Colin D'Mello for pointing out that the fuckers can't be trusted.

[ioplokon]

every once in a while, we get a little break in things getting worse. as a treat.

[sabotabby]

It's been awhile since the last one, such that I don't even remember.

[lynnenne]

This is indeed good news!

[sabotabby]

It's more and sooner than I expected!

[redbird]

*whew*

[sabotabby]

Yup!

[umadoshi]

Such good news!

[sabotabby]

Yup!

[sara]

I'm for taking the win.

[sabotabby]

Yup.

[radiantfracture]

Yes! I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly that went.

[sabotabby]

Concerned, but pleasantly surprised, yeah.

[lcohen]

better than the alternative! i hope that you get all the things you're looking for, but not being crushed again is good for the moment.

[sabotabby]

Having a bit of breathing room in between boot and neck is always good.

[rdi]

"there's a better world, and on a quiet day, when I hold my breath I can hear her say she's on her way."

I'd love to see the Conservatives rendered unelectable for a decade or ten, and I hope that's Doug Ford's longest lasting legacy, but as you observe it's going to take a lot to make that happen.

[sabotabby]

It’s not impossible! But it requires sustained effort.

[rdi]

I feel like government lose election more than oppositions win them, but the Fnord Tories are going in the right direction for that...if they keep making these kind of blunders the knives may come out before the next election, once the powers behind the throne realize he's come an electoral liability. Unfortunately, still some years to go; OTOH, some years for the NDP make themselves look like a credible alternative.

[oracne]

*whew*

[sabotabby]

Yup.

[smhwpf]

Yeah, it sounds like a win to me. Ford has had to accept that CUPE 《i》can《/i》 strike, and come back to the table. They still could strike if they don't get a satisfactory offer, and I doubt Ford would dare try Notwithstanding again. And as you say, labour movement found a spine, showed it can mobilize collectively and get results, which is huge, because now they know that, maybe they'll try it again some time.

Definitely worth taking s moment to celebrate.

[sabotabby]

As I explained it at our union meeting today, the courts have already ruled forcing a contract to be illegal (Bill 115, which the Liberals used on us). That's why Ford included the notwithstanding clause. This has now been shown to be untenable, so it'll be at least awhile before he tries something like that again.

Of course he didn't last time because there was a fucking apocalypse. Given the speed of apocalypses, the odds are pretty high that something like that will happen again.

[flamingsword]

Yay for taking the win! I wish you vegan cupcakes and coconut ice cream.

[sabotabby]

Thanks! Although I barely eat sweets these days, lol.

[spiderplanet]

HOLY CATS! This is great.

The only news I heard was that public workers would be forced to accept a contract they did not agree to or support, and suddenly striking has been deemed illegal. Our news forgot the follow up.

[sabotabby]

The fact that it became an international news story probably helped a lot.