Winnipeg Wobbly

Realizing that selling off all our public works may not all be that popular, the ruling class of Canada has gone about the process of privatization at all levels in a way to fly under the radar. Public Private partnerships, P3s, Strategic Partnerships, Corporate Municipal Utilities all all code words for the same action: the selling off of public works to private corporations.

One of the public institutions under attack is Canada Post. While the government has ruled out "privatization"and has "promised to maintain universal postal service in its guiding principals", it did not rule out deregulation.

This stealth privatization tends to sneak up on you; A fellow Worker writes about two packages sent around the same time:

I recently mailed two identical packages via Canada Post one week apart. One would think that the postage should be exactly the same...well, let me tell you...

Pkg # 1 was mailed from an actual Canada Post Office. Postage came to $11.74. Since I knew a second identical package would be mailed in about a week's time, I bought sufficient postage for the second pkg while I was there.

When it came time to mail Pkg #2, I went to the post office in Shopper's Drug Mart. I handed the pkg to the clerk to be put in the outbound mail bag, I was informed that I did not have sufficient postage attached. The clerk proceeded to inform me that I needed to purchase and additional $6 worth of stamps. After explaining how I knew exactly what the postage should be, the clerk offered some lame excuse that Canada Post is unionized and they can say and do anything with impunity and if I wished to mail that pkg from Shopper's then I needed to purchase more stamps.

"Thank you for your message to Canada Post.
A postal outlet is not a federal government agency and is not owned or managed by Canada Post. For example if the postal outlet is within grocery store or pharmacy it would follow the stores working hours, therefore if the store must be closed, so will the postal outlet inside.
Only Canada Post Depots and Corporate Post Offices are obligated to follow the price of stamps and postal products that are legislated by Canada Post. Any commercial and private establishment may charge extra fees as a convenience to their customers. It is at their discretion to apply additional service fees to products that they sell. We suggest visiting a Corporate Post Office in order to avoid paying additional service charges that corner stores or other establishment may implement on their products.
Regards,
Veronika Strofski
Customer Service"

How's that for privatization?

IWW demands that coffee giant pay workers the same premium it pays on other federal holidays

New York, NY- The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) branch here held a march and rally at Starbucks today to call on the corporation to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating his birth. The Starbucks Workers Union of the IWW is demanding that Starbucks pay a holiday premium to baristas who work on MLK Day just as the Seattle-based chain does for five other federal holidays.

?Starbucks claims to support diversity with 'the idea of inclusion,' but the company effectively treats MLK Day as a second class holiday,? said Henry Marin, a Starbucks barista and member of the union. ?It is truly a dishonor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to the values and ideals that he represents.?

The union rallied outside of the Union Square East Starbucks location with supporters and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra marching band. In between speakers, supporters chanted phrases such as ?overpriced coffee, underpaid workers? and ?no union, no latte.?

This is the third consecutive MLK Day that has seen the Starbucks Workers Union calling on the company to treat Dr. King's holiday with respect. ?

?Paying time and a half on MLK Day would be money much needed to struggling baristas and at the same time would be a concrete way for Starbucks to 'embrace diversity' as it claims to do,? said Vance Hinton, a Starbucks barista and member of the IWW.

After rallying and speaking out at Starbucks, IWW members and supporters marched to Kmart where the union is demanding that the Sears Holding owned company drop Media Planning Group (MPG) as their media planning and buying agency and instead chose a socially responsible ad agency.

The IWW Starbucks Workers Union is a grassroots organization of baristas, bussers, and shift supervisors united for a living wage, secure work hours, and affordable health care at the world's largest coffee chain. The union enjoyed robust membership growth around the United States and expanded to Canada last year. Last month, the union welcomed its newest members, from Fort Worth Texas, with a spirited protest action for affordable health care.

Founded in 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World is a global labor union dedicated to workplace democracy and the dignity of all working people.

http://www.StarbucksUnion.org
http://www.iww.org

A devastating 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti Tuesday January 12th. Thousands have been killed, and much Port au Prince leveled. This follows a series of deadly hurricanes in late 2008, and decades of foreign-influenced economic terrorism, culminating in a US-led coup in 2004, and continuing UN occupation. Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, is the only country to successfully liberate itself from slavery and the former colonial masters have not let them forget. Most people live on less than $2 a day, and many on less than $1. In April 2008 representatives of the ISC participated in an IWW delegation to Haiti where they met with workers and peasants struggling against neo-liberal slavery. We pledged our continued support to their struggle, and FW's donated generously to support their organizing, and again for aid following the hurricanes. Currently communications with Haiti are nearly impossible, but no doubt they will need our help again.

The delegation made a short video about our trip, "Haiti's Tourniquet" which we're selling for $15 (includes shipping) to raise money for our comrades in Haiti, and any donations large or small are greatly appreciated.

You can purchase videos and send donations to: Nathaniel Miller, PO Box 31909, Philadelphia, PA 19104-- please mark checks "IWW Haiti Fund," and note if you want a video. Contact nathaniel@iww.org to arrange online payment, or for other questions.