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WORKERS OF COLOUR/ABORIGINAL WORKERS CONFERENCE BUILDING EQUITY, BUILDING POWER Labour Council's annual Workers of Colour/Aboriginal Workers Conference is an event unlike any other in the labour movement. Each year, over two hundred sisters and brothers from a wide variety of union affiliates get together to share their experiences and ideas, and to map out strategies for future action. The 2008 Conference theme was "Winning and Building Power: Towards a Broad Based Movement for Social and Racial Justice". It began with a powerful presentation by Chris Reid, lawyer for the Ardock Algonquin First Nation and the KI- 6, native leaders who have been jailed for opposing uranium exploration on their traditional lands. To reada the full report go here Conference report Please Click here for images from this year's Workers of Colour/Aboriginal Conference. 2007 WORKERS OF COLOUR/ABORIGINAL WORKERS CONFERENCE Over 200 workers of colour and Aboriginal workers met on Saturday May 12, 2007 for a powerful gathering that examined the impact of globalization on racialized peoples, by connecting issues of poverty, war and racism to a global corporate agenda. To read the full report and see picture of the day click here 2007 report To download the flyer for 2008 conference go here Conference flyer WORKERS OF COLOUR/ABORIGINAL WORKERS CONFERENCE 
SATURDAY, JUNE 17 TH , the Toronto & York Region Labour Council held its fourth Workers of Colour/Aboriginal Workers Conference. The second Bromley Armstrong Award, for Human Right's, this year went to Steelworker Clarence J Forde For more images of the conference please check out some of John Maclennan's photos TORONTO & YORK REGION LABOUR COUNCIL Bromley L. Armstrong Award The award recognizes the dedication and contributions that demonstrate outstanding commitment and leadership to persons that fought and propagate the rights of Labour and Human Rights. The Toronto & York Region Labour Council has established this prestigious award in 2004 to commemorate the courage, dedication and outstanding service of Bromley L. Armstrong to the Labour and Human Rights Movement in Canada. For the nomination form please click here Bromley award nomination 2nd Annual "WOMEN OF LABOUR AWARD", Champion of Women in Trades receives Women of Labour Award  This "sisters only" event sponsored by Toronto & York Region Labour Council's Women's Committee was held on Sunday, February 19, 2006 at Metro Hall. This year's recipient was Phyllis Gallimore, Carpenters Local 27. To read the story on Phyllis visit here Women of Labour BUILDING POWER - WORKERS OF COLOUR CONFERENCE On Saturday, May 7, 2005, the Toronto & York Region Labour Council held its 3rd Workers of Colour Conference. The event took place at the OFL Building. With around 250 people in attendance the event was a great success. For the report and highlights of the day check here For the workshop recommendations go here Click here for pictures www.johnmaclennan.ca/3acconference/index.htm For the agenda click here Guest Speakers included Mayor David Miller, Zanana Akande, Harroon Sadiqui and many more. Toronto and York Region Labour Council First Annual "WOMAN OF LABOUR" Award - Sunday, February 27, 2005 
It took six years, but Anita Dhawan's successful challenge to have Toronto's York University recognize her
international academic credentials permanently changed admission policies for foreign-trained professionals
entering teachers college.
Today, Anita is a librarian and ESL teacher whose influence reaches far beyond the classroom to help teachers
and community leaders take action on human rights and equity issues. On March 3rd, she was presented with the
first annual Women of Labour Award by the Toronto and York Region Labour Council in conjunction with its Women's
Committee.To find out more about this year's recipient click here Anita BREAKING BARRIERS, LINKING STRUGGLES Every union members hould see this! It's been an untold part of our history. Labour's Council new video Breaking Barriers, Linking Struggles premiered to rave reviews. The video documents the tremendous achievements of labour activists around equity and anti-racism work in Toronto over the last three decades. It’s a story of courageous individuals challenging discrimination, sweeping changes in the workforce, and tough stands taken against hate groups like the Klu Klux Klan when they tried to set up in this city. How many of us knew about the historic train ride to Ottawa of black women and men to demand fairness in immigration law? Their brief to the Minister – in 1954! - was written by the Toronto Labour Committee on human rights. Or the story behind the monument to Chinese Railway Workers that stands beside the Skydome? Or that a union activist was the chairman of Caribana for many years? Breaking Barriers, Linking Struggles Breaking Barriers, Linking Struggles plays for 24 minutes, but it seems like a lifetime that unfolds in a few seconds. It’s an amazing story. It’s our history. And every union member should get to see it. *Available for only $5 per copy from the Labour Council office. To order the video Breaking Barriers, or the book titled: Through the Eyes of Workers of Colour click here BUILDING POWER - WORKERS OF COLOUR CONFERENCE On Saturday, May 8, 2004, the Toronto & York Region Labour Council held its 2nd Workers of Colour Conference.  The event
took place at the OFL Building. With around 200 people
in attendance the event was a great success.
For the report and highlights of the day click here Click here for pictures www.johnmaclennan.ca/may8wcc/index.htm For the agenda click here. LABOUR COUNCIL SPONSORS CITY HALL DISPLAY IN HONOUR OF INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is proud to sponsor the presentation in City Hall of "And still I rise…", a history of African Canadian workers in Ontario. Created by the Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, the display is in the City Hall rotunda from March 15th -21st as a reminder of the contribution of African Canadians to our society and every sector of our economy. For the full press release click here UPDATE AND REPORT ON WORKERS OF COLOUR/ABORIGINAL WORKERS CONFERENCE, 2003 On June 14th, the Toronto & York Region Labour Council held its first Workers of Colour/Aboriginal Conference entitled "Building Power". Over three hundred delegates plus observers, community members, workshop facilitators, information fair participants and staff took part in this small piece of local labour history. Outreach and registration had been extensive: in the six month lead up to the conference we used all means at our disposal including: website, three mailings, monthly Labour Council general meetings, our newsletter, email lists and finally phone banking to the affiliated locals and community organizations. The conference venue, the Ontario Federation of Labour building, was chosen strategically. We wanted participants to be in the ‘house of labour' building, to occupy all spaces and make it their own. For the full report go to click hereEQUITY PLAN OF ACTION FOR TORONTO & YORK REGION  The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is committing itself to an EQUITY AGENDA outlined
in its policy paper entitled "ORGANIZING FOR STRENGTH IN TORONTO'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES". In carrying out this agenda, some fundamental
questions need to be answered: What needs to be done in order for our unions to reflect the changing workforce - including at the
leadership level? How does our movement interact with new Canadians with a wide spectrum of views on trade unionism and politics?
How do we organize the unorganized?
In the past decade, our movement has undertaken extensive anti-racist and human rights work. 
Anti-racism activists from the labour, social justice movements and our communities have displayed incredible energy and commitment in keeping the equity agenda alive. It is now a principle embedded in union policies, and our task is to make those policies real. The assembly of leaders and activists from Toronto and York Region present at the CLC Aboriginal/Workers of Colour Conference (Nov. 28-Dec 1 2002) hereby resolves to: For the full plan click here "ORGANIZING FOR STRENGTH IN TORONTO'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES" Since the first peoples named this the "Gathering Place", Toronto has been a city that has been built by immigrants and children of immigrants. Its population has come from 170 different countries, and speaks 100 languages. Over 50% of us were born outside of Canada. Most Torontonians are now people of colour - the visible majority. What does that mean for the labour movement? It has profound implications, that many of us are only just beginning to understand. There is a great deal to learn, starting at the grassroots and reaching to every level of leadership. What needs to be done in order for our unions to reflect the changing workforce - including at the leadership level? How does our movement interact with workers of colour, many of whom are newcomers with a wide spectrum of views on trade unionism and left politics? How do we organize the unorganized? To find out click here |
The 7th Aboriginal/Workers of Colour Conference proved to be an
inspirational and dynamic day for nearly 250 labour and community
activists on May 2nd. Starting with the presentation of the Bromley
Armstrong Award to Sister Marie Clarke-Walker, and ending with the unique
“Fightback Theatre”, the entire day was devoted to looking at the economic
recession through the lens of equity.