TORONTO, Ont. – Thousands of protesters jammed the streets outside the Ontario Liberal leadership convention Saturday afternoon as delegates voted for the party’s next leader and the province’s new premier.
Police officers stood behind a barricade and let delegates in and out of the former Maple Leaf Gardens in downtown Toronto while the crowd of public school teachers, other union members and community groups let loose an avalanche of noise punctuated by whistles and drums.
“What’s disgusting? Union busting!” a street full of protesters bellowed as police looked on.
The bulk of the protesters were public elementary and secondary school teachers, who were joined by other public sector unions, as well as the Canadian Auto Workers and United Steel Workers, among other labour members and community groups.
The demonstration started two hours earlier in a nearby park, where protesters listened to labour leaders and activists condemn the Liberal government’s decision to impose contracts on public school teachers. Speakers decried the move as a violation of workers’ democratic rights, and also railed against budget cutbacks.
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation president Ken Coran said the next Liberal leader — who will become the province’s new premier — must negotiate contracts with public elementary and secondary teachers.
He had one key message for the next premier when it comes to dealing with unions.
“The lesson is simple. Be fair. Be respectful. And be democratic.”
Protesters, many of whom arrived in a fleet of chartered buses, then began a brief march to the nearby convention site.
Some delegates smiled as they walked by the spirited wall of protesters. Others were met with loud boos.
One supporter of candidate Kathleen Wynne leaned over the barricade to hand an apple, coffee and bag of chips to an older protester.
Teacher Craig Breen said he had to show his opposition to the imposition of teachers’ contracts.
“People here provide a great service to kids, and the reaction of our government to our fine service is to trample on our rights,” he said.
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Being fiscally responsible means not letting big business and their McGuinty friends impose contracts, rollback wages and impoverish everyone but the rich. Economics has everything to do with equality AND democracy.
Teachers/unions are abusing the democratic system for their own interest..
because we are living in a Democratic country, people can demand and do whatever they want.
what’s the use of having an ontario leader if he can’t even imposed what’s good for everyone. Unions and teachers never think about others,, they only think about themselves and their pocket.. Shame on you people…
Get the teachers back on the street to clean up the mess they left behind.Are they not educated enough to dispose of ther signs etc.in the proper manner? What a bunch of slobs.
I cannot believe that the unions are protesting the liberals. They should be thanking them for allowing the teachers and other unions to line their pockets with extrordinary wages and benefits at the epense of placing the province into near bankrupcy. How much more do the teachers and unions expect? The more they get the more they want – truly insatiable!!!
Alison, being fiscally responsible and equality. One has nothing to do with the other.
It’s great to see so many police on television now face to face in peace with protestors. In a year, if Sandra Pupatello or the Conservatives are in power, both have vowed to impose contracts on Police and Firefighters as they did to teachers in order that all these public sectors are treated the same. This demonstration is only the start.
It’s astounding that Kathleen Wynne, a lesbian, that has people fight for her right to equality now spits on the democratic rights of teachers. I guess equality under the law is only important to her if it’s about her.