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by Stephen Hunt

For many Canadians the first Monday in September marks the end of summer, a time for barbecues, picnics and family get-togethers. But for many trade unionists Labour Day also signifies that it’s time to get together to celebrate the achievements of organized labour and renew our commitment in the ongoing fight for economic and social justice.

On September 3, 1872 Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. McDonald, passed a law that made the formation of trade unions no longer a criminal conspiracy in the five year old Dominion of Canada. Seven trade unions went to Ottawa prior to that to protest against the conspiracy law. They marched outside McDonald’s house to make their point and they got through to the PM.

Although Labour Day was established by law in Canada in 1894, trade unions were behind it all along. There would have been no Labour Day without the presence of trade unions in our country.

Today trade unions celebrate Labour Day while management officials and governments of all stripes use it to also deliver their messages. Newspapers write about what ruling politicians say and labour market academics say.

But let’s remember, throughout District 3, that Labour Day is Our Day of celebration and Activism. It belongs to working people.

And let’s keep up the long tradition of political activism to preserve what working people have gained and are still struggling to achieve.

In Western Canada, let’s celebrate the fact that we do have a loyal political ally in every province and Territory – the New Democratic Party – to join us in celebration. Since 1961, when the Canadian Labour Congress and its affiliate unions support the foundation of the NDP, we have stood together, through thick and thin, to provide workers with a political voice on the federal and provincial scenes.

Speculation is that shortly after Labour Day, the minority Conservative government of Stephen Harper will call a federal election. Harper thinks that the waffling Stephane Dion and the Liberals can be defeated on his way to a majority federal government.

Even though three federal bye-elections are already being held in Ontario and Quebec on September 8, it looks like Harper may soom drop the writ for an October election.

If that happens the USW will be ready with our Steelworker Vote campaign.

There’s nothing that Stephen Harper would rather do, if he gains a majority, than push through numerous policies that are destructive to working people. But the USW and the NDP will be there to push for policies that neither the Conservatives or Liberals will adopt.

And we’ll be there to stop either party from eroding the Canada Health Care Act.

We’re opposed to Harper’s Canada-Columbia Free Trade deal – a deal with a Latin American nation that freely allows the paramilitary terrorization and murder of trade unionists and social activists. We’ll be pushing for legislative reform to the North American Free Trade agreement to including enforceable labour and environment standards.

During the election we’ll be talking with our members and the public about federal anti-scab legislation that the Conservatives have voted down and the Liberals have broken their commitment to pass.

We’ll also be talking about investment in green industries and renewable energy sources, public transit program, retrofitting programs and job training – all geared to reduced greenhouse gases and create good paying jobs.

The union and the NDP will keep the issue of the loss of manufacturing and forest industry jobs on the political agenda where it belongs. Government needs to create tax incentives for investment in new infrastructure and green technologies. We also need a federal Jobs Protection Commissioner and an improved system of training and Employment Insurance.

On the provincial scene there’s one election on the horizon – the BC General Election on May 12, 2009.

This Labour Day weekend you’ll see numerous NDP MLA’s, Cabinet members and backbenchers alike, joining Labour Day rallies held by the BC Federation of Labour and Labour Council affiliates.

The relationship between the NDP and Labour is getting even stronger as we head into the fall months.

Steelworkers in the BC forest industry know the difference between having a government that listens and is on our side versus one that does not care about workers and communities.

We’ve seen it in BC for sure, where there have been over 20,000 jobs lost since Gordon Campbell and the Liberals took over in May, 2001. During the same time period over 50 wood processing mills have permanent closed.

And the BC Liberals continue to do nothing to save the industry during its worse downturn since the Great Depression.

In NDP Manitoba, Premier Gary Doer acted to save jobs at the Tolko sawmill in The Pas in 2006. Contrast that with the new Saskatchewan Party which has turned its back on our members in that province in 2007 and backed out of a process to rejuvenate the vital Prince Albert pulp mill and sawmilling and panel industry jobs in towns like Hudson Bay, Carrot River and PA.

This Labour Day we’ll be working with the BC NDP to address issues like the Liberals’ carbon tax which disproportionately penalizes our rural membership and communities with higher gasoline and heating oil taxes.

We’ll be lobbying for an increase in the minimum wage to $10 an hour and for changes to the Employment Standard Act, which abuses workers by allowing non-union employers sent them home after only two hours work.

While Campbell and his Liberal cronies refuse to raise even the starting minimum wage of $6.00 an hour while it he has just awarding his top deputy ministers pay raises of up to $105,000 a year. Campbell’s own deputy minister got that highest raise, pushing her salary up to $348,600.

We’re going to talk about those and many other issues on Labour Day. I encourage you to join in.

On behalf of the staff in District 3, I wish you and Steelworker family a safe and happy Labour Day.