MEDIA ADVISORY
Solidarity Rally and March 12:00 p.m., July 19, 2001
Rally in front of University of Toronto Bookstore
214 College Street at St. George (one block east of Spadina),
followed by a march to Simcoe Hall, the offices of U of T President Robert Birgeneau
The University of Toronto Press is forcing yet another strike its time the president of the university directed the U of T Press to adopt a policy of fair labour relations, says CUPE Local 3261 president Mehdi Kouhestaninejad
TORONTO Despite the universal condemnation of the U of T Presss actions in last years strike by U of T Bookstore employees, the president of the U of T Press, George Meadows, seems bent on forcing another group of underpaid employees onto the picket lines. He wants to pay less for more work, hijack union democracy and sabotage a fair grievance procedure. Employees have voted 100 per cent in favour of strike action. The earliest possible strike date is July 25. It is time that University of Toronto president Robert Birgeneau assume responsibility for the labour relations disaster which the U of T Press president, George Meadows, has created.
Cynthia Grant, CUPE Local 3907, will emcee the rally. The following speakers will speak in support of the workers.
- Sid Ryan, President, CUPE Ontario
- Mel Watkins, Professor, University of Toronto
- Maureen Giuliani, President, CUPE Local 3907 (graduate research assistants, OISE)
- Peggy Nash, Assistant to the president, Canadian Auto Workers
- Helen Kennedy, Chairperson, Metro Network for Social Justice; Chairperson, Strike Support Committee, Toronto and York Region
- Rhonda Love, University of Toronto Faculty Association
- David McNally, Professor, York University
Singer Faith Nolan will follow the speakers.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadas largest union, represents workers employed by both public and private sector organizations in health care, emergency services, education, municipalities, social services, libraries, utilities, transportation and airlines, and front-line water services. Founded in 1963 by the amalgamation of the National Union of Public Service Employees and the National Union of Public Employees, CUPE represents half a million workers, 160,000 of whom are in Ontario.
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Contacts:
Mehdi Kouhestaninejad, President, CUPE Local 3261
416 946-7620 (Office)
Mary Catherine McCarthy, CUPE National Representative
416 274-2637 (Cell)