Grey-Bruce Labour Council President and Vice-President, Dave Trumble and Kevin MacKay, represented the Labour Council and Working People of Grey and Bruce Counties this past week at the Biennial Convention of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Just shy of 1000 delegates from all over Ontario debated and charted the direction of the Ontario House of Labour for the next two years. 
 
Four major policy papers on pensions, private-public-partnerships in healthcare, equity, and apprenticeship were adopted. All four papers are aligned with the core principles of the Labour Movement; all working people are entitled to a retirement with decent pensions and dignity, healthcare must remain in public hands to pre-empt a two tier healthcare system, all people are entitled to live life free of discrimination and violence, and that full trades apprenticeship training not skill set training be supported by all constituent components of the community.   
 
Amongst the keynote speakers were leaders of the Ontario NDP and Federal NDP. These two speakers cut their teeth as working people, and if nothing else can be said it is clear that they carry out their day to day activities as elected representatives of the people of Ontario and of Canada seeking out a path that protects the rights of workers.
 
The scores of resolutions debated and adopted on the floor of the convention permitted the delegates to describe in frightening detail the failure of the present legislative and corporate agenda to protect and respect worker's rights in virtually every corner of this province and beyond. According to Labour Council President Dave Trumble, "it is clear that there the  is a more clear and present danger to the rights of workers than at anytime in recent memory. Further, support for our Unions and a strong Labour Movement is needed more now than anytime since the earliest days of Trade-Unionism is this land".