Windsor March & Rally, May 27

Thousands Rally in Windsor, Highlighting Massive Job Loss

On May 27, more than 38,000 people joined forces in Windsor, Ontario demonstrating against the loss of manufacturing jobs, with the rallying cry, “Our Jobs, Our Communities, Our Future.”

Families with children, retired workers, local union activists and community members all convened at the Ford Test Track Park, after marching from three rallying points before merging into one long wave of people and brightly coloured flags.

Organized by a community coalition group including Windsor area CAW local unioins, the rally was made up of members of several CAW local unions, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA), the National Farmers Union and many other groups. All expressed concern about the ways that the loss of 18,000 manufacturing jobs in Windsor-Essex is wreaking havoc on the area.

The domestic auto industry was an important focus as CAW National President Buzz Hargrove said the troubled auto sector is the reason for the manufacturing crisis in Windsor. The loss of thousands of auto jobs is not inevitable and could be prevented by fair trade with foreign producers, allowing equal access to overseas markets, Hargrove said.

In Windsor, each automotive job creates another 12 jobs in the economy, all of which help fund the public service sector. CUPE National President Paul Moist connected manufacturing sector jobs to maintaining high levels of service and a good quality of life for citizens.

Ontario Teachers Federation President Hilda Watkins also called for greater public awareness of what the loss of stable, living-wage manufacturing jobs mean for families and communities. She told the crowd about a relative who, having lost her manufacturing job, now must work three jobs to provide for her family. She emphasized the importance of supporting our communities by buying domestic products that keep Canadians working.

Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) President Ken Georgetti spoke of the thousands of concerned citizens from Seashelt, British Columbia to Annaoplis Valley, Nova Scotia, who have raised their voices in community forums against a devastating wave of job losses across the country. On behalf of these citizens, Georgetti called on the federal government to address manufacturing job loss through stronger trade policies which reflect the needs of Canadian workers.

Ken Lewenza, CAW Local 444 President, echoed his sentiments, calling for a concerted effort on the part of the federal government to tackle the economic downward spiral in manufacturing. In attendance were municipal, provincial and federal politicians - Lewenza called on politicians across the country to put aside partisan politics to ensure that future generations will have a chance to know the very industry that built the country. “This is democracy at its best,” said Lewenza, looking out into the crowd.

“This is the beginning of a movement that is going to protect our manufacturing jobs.”

More photos are available on the Windsor Star web site: www.canada.com:80/windsorstar/galleries/ rally052707/index...

80 photos | 1,711 views

items are from 26 May 2007.