Trade unions & 'same-sex marriage law'.

Trade unions have played a critical role in the promotion of birth control, abortion, and--as can be verified below--in so-called same-sex marriage. It is also clear that members are never consulted; it is the bosses who make the decisions. For the last 40 years the "Social Justice" concept--with its emphasis on social, economic and political issues has been the almost exclusive pre-occupation of the Canadian Catholic Church hierarchy and staff. Yet I cannot recall a single occasion on which the Catholic 'Offices of Social Justice,' whether national or regional, have taken issue with this role of the unions. Catholics were told that they should support trade unions, no questions asked. We are now reaping the sad results of this policy. --Editor

With the passage of the federal equal marriage legislation, Canada has taken an important step forward. The labour movement--from local activists to national leadership--stood united with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community and played a critical role in persuading the Canadian government to pass the same-sex marriage law.... The Canadian Labour Congress was a founding member of the broad-based coalition, Canadians for Equal Marriage, which led this struggle." (1)

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has been funding and supporting a myriad of special interest groups for years. It is no surprise, therefore, that it was a 'founding member' of the coalition Canadians for Equal Marriage. Ken Georgetti of the CLC, when he was president of the B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFL), sent out a letter soliciting funds for abortion clinics. Now that he has graduated to the CLC he is still writing letters, only this time it is in support of "same-sex marriage." He wrote the Prime Minister in a letter headlined on CLC website, "CLC Supports Same-sex Marriage" and said this:

"Dear Prime Minister: I want to express my personal support as well as that of the Canadian Labour Congress for your strong stand in support of the extension of human rights to the area of marriage." (2)

Canadian Labour Congress

The Canadian Labour Congress is the head office of the trade union movement in Canada. It states on its website that: "The Canadian Labour Congress is the largest democratic and popular organization in Canada with over three million members. The Canadian Labour Congress brings together Canada's national and international unions, the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 137 district labour councils."

The CLC is financed from affiliation fees paid from the compulsory union dues of compulsory union members. To my knowledge neither the CLC nor any other trade union in Canada has ever polled, or asked its members individually, if they supported so called "same-sex marriage." This aberration has been pushed by the union bosses and a few activists within the trade union movement. Trade union time and money has been spent promoting and supporting this assault on sanity.

Another union boss with a politically correct agenda is Buzz Hargrove of the Autoworkers in Oshawa. He wrote the Prime Minister and stated:

"Dear Prime Minister: Clearly the debate around same-sex marriage is heating up. I am writing once again to offer the support of our union, the Canadian Auto Workers, and to encourage you to hold strong on protection of minority rights through the Charter and press forward with same-sex marriage legislation...." (3)

Still another union boss inserted himself into the "same-sex marriage" issue. James Clancy, president of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) wrote the Prime Minister and sent a copy of it to Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE), among others. Mr. Clancy wrote this to the Prime Minister:

"Dear Prime Minister, On behalf of the National Union of Public and General Employees, I am writing to extend our support to your efforts to introduce legislation that would achieve equal marriage rights for same sex couples in Canada.... Unfortunately, as we both know, a small but highly vocal opposition is becoming increasingly organized and active on this issue.... In conclusion, I am urging you and your government to quickly bring in legislation to ensure equal marriage rights for same sex couples." (4)

Not to be outdone in this letter writing campaign was Ken Neumann, National Director of the United Steelworkers of America in Canada. He had this to say on behalf of his compulsory members:

"Dear Prime Minister Martin and Minister Cotler:

As the National Director of the United Steelworkers of America in Canada, I am writing on behalf of our 255,000 members in support of your government's proposed legislation to extend the right of civil marriage to lesbian and gay couples across Canada.... In closing, the Steelworkers calls upon your government to take immediate and decisive action to ensure passage of the proposed equal marriage legislation...." (5)

Another letter writer on the subject of "same-sex marriage" was the president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Deborah Bourque. She wrote the following words to opposition leader Stephen Harper:

"Mr. Harper: ... The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) supports the position Prime Minister Paul Martin has taken on same-sex marriage.... Just because marriage has traditionally been a "privilege" only heterosexual couples have been able to access does not mean that the human rights violation should continue." (6)

Affront to democracy

One could go on and on showing examples of union bosses claiming to speak for all their (compulsory) members on this invention of words called "same-sex marriage." The use of union members' time and money across Canada on this issue is an affront to democracy itself. Union members in Canada are mature enough to make decisions on this matter individually.

They do not need or want union bosses making these political, social and moral decisions for them. If any other organizations in Canada were doing what trade union bosses are doing on behalf of their compulsory members, all hell would break loose and charges would be laid. But this is the state Canada is in today where a Labour politburo gets away with the big lie of saying all its members support the invented nonsense called "same-sex marriage."

ENDNOTES

(1.) hmp://www.canadianlabour.ca/index.php/pride_sol/Its_Tune_to_Celebrate

(2.) http://www.canadianlabour.ca/index.php/pride_sol/CLC_Supports_Samesex

(3.) http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/pride/letters/martin_jan05.asp

(4.) http;//www.nupge.ca/news_2005/n01fe05a.htm

(5.) http:/www.uswa.ca/program/content/1923.php?lan=en

(6) http:/www.cupw.ca/pages/document_eng.php?Doc_ID=781

THE FOLLOWING NOTES ARE TAKEN FROM THE WEBSITE OF NUPGE

The longstanding contribution of Canadian unions to this struggle is discussed and applauded in the most recent issue of Labour Notes by writer Alan Sears, who describes himself as "a gay activist and a proudly unionized professor at Ryerson University in Toronto."

"The labour movement in Canada took a strong stand in favor of this legislation," Sears writes.

"The Canadian Labour Congress issued a statement in support of the legislation, as did most provincial labour federations and many member unions. This cause brought together many of Canada's unions, in both the public sector--such as the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)--and the private sector--such as the Canadian Auto Workers and the Steelworkers."

Contract language

Sears says one of the most important steps taken by Labour occurred in 1981 when the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) became the first union in Canada to win a collective agreement with language prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

"At that point, lesbian and gays had human rights protection only in Quebec, while in the rest of Canada discrimination was completely legal. Many other unions soon bargained for non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation." he writes.

Other events followed. A CUPE library local negotiated a collective agreement in 1985 recognizing same-sex partners as spouses and by the early 1990s, the trend had spread to many areas of the public sector.

In 1992, the members of the Canadian Auto Workers won recognition of same sex relationships as part of a settlement, marking the first major breakthrough in the private sector.

By 1997, formal caucuses for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people had been formed by many unions. The Canadian Labour Congress also brought together activists from across the movement for its Solidarity and Pride conference.

"These caucuses have served as a base for political mobilization as well as a supportive space for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered union members," Sears notes.

"The fight for workplace rights has also been extremely important, providing protection against discrimination and recognition of same-sex relationships," he adds.

"These rights are essential to our ability to live open and integrated lives as lesbians, gays, bisexuals and/or transgendered people. Unions can play a crucial role in this fight for workplace rights, though historically that has only happened when members demand it."

Stephen Gray published a newsletter for eleven years exposing the misuse of trade unions. He writes from Vancouver, BC.