Friday 28 May 2010

Fostering intolerance and hatred


I rarely listen to Newstalk Radio, and equally rarely check their website, but recently I have been contacted by folks concerned about the hateful, demeaning, biased, and angry rants of one talk show host by the name of John Gormley.

Particularly, people have been raising his constant and relentless attack on unions as organizations, on their elected leaders, on their staff, and on their members. So, this past week, I've tuned in his show a couple of times, and I've been browsing the newstalk980.com and newstalk650.com websites.

The reports I have received are true. Mr. Gormley appears to be incapable of rational or respectful dialogue when it comes to the subject of unions. His comments are inflammatory, based on rhetoric and unsubstantiated stereotypes. It is obvious to me that he has an intense dislike of people exercising their constitutional right of freedom of association.

Mr. Gormley also does periodic segments called "60 Seconds with John Gormley". Reproduced below is a copy of the "newstalk980.com" webpage with links to one such segment:

http://www.newstalk980.com/audio/60-seconds-with-john-gormley/20100525-60-seconds-with-john-gormley-may-25th-2010

60 Seconds With John Gormley- May 25th, 2010
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About this Episode

We can expect unions to break the law, but the government?

Even the caption is misleading and dishonest. "We can expect unions to break the law"? What evidence does Mr. Gormley or his station have to support such a conclusion or such a broad and sweeping statement? Unions don't break laws. Mark my words, if unions did routinely break laws as implied by Mr. Gormley the jails would be full of union leaders. The courts would be bogged down with case after case of unions violating the law.

But it simply is not true. The statement is a lie.

Sure, from time to time, someone who is a member of a union, or someone who works for a union will run afoul of the law - but that doesn't make every union, or every union member a law breaker. Or justify such an outrageous and inflammatory statement.

Mr. Gormley, and the station he works for are engaged in a campaign of inciting hatred against unions, hatred against union members, and of fostering intolerance.

Perhaps the RCMP should be investigating them.

Saturday 8 May 2010

Brad Wall gets his marching orders

Get ready for the next onslaught of anti-worker legislation, an elevated attack against our crown corporations, and attempts at wholesale privatization and de-unionization of health care.

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce has just given Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall his new marching orders.
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Don't let anyone fool you, the call by the "chamber" for a single act to govern all things respecting labour, by rolling it all into an "employment code", is a thinly disguised attack on occupational health and safety, workers compensation, basic labour standards like minimum wage and hours of work, and workers rights to unionize. They want the Trade Union Act, Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act eliminated.

It is rapidly approaching the day when we need to stop spending our hard earned wages in businesses that are members of, or supporters of, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.

It's also time to focus our attention on turfing the chamber's puppets out of the Saskatchewan legislature. Governments have a responsibility and obligation to regulate and legislate in the "public" interest, not in the singular interest of the captains of industry in corporate back-rooms and behind closed doors.

Friday 7 May 2010

Minister of Health misleads the legislature, Premier misleads the entire province

If you only read one article or column about the back-room deal Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall inked last Friday (April 30, 2010) called the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (a.k.a. TILMA 2.0) make sure its the one posted today on the Owls and Roosters blog entitled: Deception, hypocrisy, betrayal, and the New West Partnership; Premier Brad Wall misrepresenting labour’s role on Enterprise Saskatchewan board.

The column authored by citizen blogger and Owls and Roosters owner, Joe Kuchta, lays out the truth and the real facts, and calls the Brad Wall government out for what they actually are: dishonest and manipulative.

For coverage of the story on the Minister of Health misleading the house read this CBC story: Sask. health minister apologizes