AW@L Radio - 2018-11-23 - Support CUPW, Support the Workers, Reject Neoliberalism!

Practicing their neoliberal ideology, the federal liberal government of Justin Trudeau introduced legislation to end the postal worker strike, as Doug Ford's conservatives also attacked workers rights with bill 47 in Ontario. Also, who will stop police budgets?

listen here: https://archive.org/download/Awlradio-2018-11-23-supportCUPW/awlradio-2018-11-23-supportCUPW.mp3

Today's show opens with a few words about federal environment minister Catherine McKenna's hypocrisy on calling out climate change deniers from other political parties, while the majority government she is a minister in, paid billions for a pipeline project which will expand the tarsands developments, ensuring canada's continued reliance on and expansion of the ecologically devastating oil and gas industry.

The rest of the show focuses on workers rights and resisting the shared neoliberal economic ideology of Justin Trudeau, Doug Ford, and other capitalist governments at all levels of power.

As federal liberals attack workers rights with back-to-work legislation aimed at CUPW and striking postal workers, Ontario's ruling conservatives also went after workers with bill-47, rescinding hard fought protections*. These small improvements for workers were reluctantly introduced by the past government of Kathleen Wynne after years of relentless pressure from workers, unions, and activists.

While the liberals drafted their anti-worker legislation, CUPW members and their supporters occupied the offices of 5 liberal MPs, including that of Catherine McKenna. Presented here is the audio from a press conference during the occupation of McKenna's office.

https://www.facebook.com/210164349014400/posts/impromptu-press-conference-at-minister-catherine-mckennas-occupied-office-we-wan/181212632831850/

Remember the whole point of a strike is to put pressure on the bosses, and in that case it is the government. If anyone is frustrated about any postal disruption, contact liberal MPs and demand they accept CUPW's reasonable demands. In Waterloo region, contact liberal MPs @rajsainimp @BardishKW and hold your local MPs accountable for the anti-worker back-to-work legislation.

The final segment of the show is based from a recent question from a listener: "Who is going to do anything about the police budget?!?!? Quickly discussed is getting the growing piles of cash that are dumped into the police trough every year into programs and projects that will work to improve our community rather than reinforce the uphold a carceral state and segregated society.

Support the workers, not the police!

Music in the show is:

War - D.O.A

Diggers Song - chumbawumba

The Strikers - Rebel Spell

The Strikers Song - Lisa Simpson

*Bill 47 - take away 2 paid sick days, freezes the impending rise of minimum wage until 2020, other attacks on worker rights and protections. Reversing recent capitulation of Wynne's last liberal government. https://www.aaro.ca/ontario-bill-47-and-bill-148-comparison-chart/

for more AW@L Radio check http://grandrivermc.ca and @dankellar on twitter.