Presented by Ken Georgetti on Thursday, 3 September 2009

(Check Against Delivery)

Sisters and Brothers, it is my honour to bring you greetings of solidarity from the Officers and the 3.2 million workers who are members of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Chers consoeurs et confrères,c’est un honneur pour moi de vous transmettre les voeux de solidarité des dirigeants et des 3,2 millions de travailleuses et de travailleurs membres du Congrès du travail du Canada.

I want to thank Brother Phil Flemming for the invitation to speak to you today.

Phil is a vital member of the CLC Executive Committee – and his support for the Congress’ programs and campaigns is extremely appreciated.

You know, the late great comedian George Carlin once joked that, and I quote: “Electricity is just organized lighting”.

So I guess that means that the IBEW is just organized electrical workers!

In fact, the only difference between the IBEW and lightning is that lightning never strikes twice – but you do!

Sisters and Brothers, in these very gloomy times, with the economy still in deep recession, with another 79,000 wage earners being thrown out of work in July, let me give you some good news for a change.

Conrad Black is staying in jail – and he’s not getting out anytime soon!

This corporate criminal, this convicted fraud artist, this felon who obstructed justice – has lost his last chance at getting bail before an appeal hearing on his six-year sentence.

Isn’t it great to just hear these words ─ Conrad Black in jail?

Don’t you feel better already?

More good news – Bernie Madoff – the biggest corporate criminal in world history – is in jail.

And when Madoff finishes his sentence he’ll be 221 years old.

Bye-bye Bernie!

Excellent news indeed!

But I suspect that you haven’t heard of the Canadian fraud artists who stole even more money than Bernie Madoff – they ripped off $57 billion!

The names of these gang members are well known – Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.

And together these Canadian prime ministers robbed unemployed workers of a massive $57 billion – because that’s the size of the Employment Insurance surplus today.

They took money that was supposed to be used to help jobless workers with benefits and training – and put it into general revenue instead.

Bernie Madoff is definitely a bad guy – but he ripped off investors. Chrétien, Martin and Harper ripped off workers in need – and that’s even worse!

But you know Sisters and Brothers – corporate criminals are simply a sign of what workers across Canada already know – that the values in our economy and our government today are simply all wrong.

Our economy is rewarding greed and ignoring need.

Our economy is punishing workers – like your members – who have spent their lives building Canada... and it’s benefiting corporate CEOs and bankers and hedge-fund managers, some of whom don’t even live in this country.

That’s just not right.

These scams are outrageous and are going on while IBEW members and other workers are getting hammered by employers.

Construction workers, auto workers, mine workers, public sector workers, workers in other jobs and in other unions – are being forced to take pay cuts, to take pension reductions, to take benefit cuts, to take unpaid holidays, to take fewer hours of work, all to help our struggling corporations in this tough economy!

We didn’t cause this economic crisis, but what do we get?

Demands not only by the very companies whose boneheaded decisions got us into this mess, but also our own governments, to open up our contracts and give concessions!

Is this why we elect representatives of the people?

To not even stand up for workers?

To force concessions on wages, benefits, pensions and working conditions and not hold multinationals to account?

Like Vale Inco – a once proud Canadian company, now owned by Brazilian interests – and given a get out of jail free card from the Harper government.

With over $4 billion in profits on its Ontario operations alone over the last two years, Vale Inco is demanding huge cuts in pension benefits and pay from its workers.

This company has been allowed to ship out Canada’s wealth, our jobs, and the hopes and dreams of communities because Stephen Harper and Tony Clement won’t stand up for Canada, won’t stand up for workers, and won’t stand up for our future!

It’s shameful that we have elected representatives who only stand up for big business ─ not for working people.

This is why it’s up to us to make our economy work for working people.

So how do we fix our economy and make sure this disaster never happens again?

The solution overall to this economic crisis in Canada is to eliminate the deficit.

Not the fiscal deficit – the democratic deficit.

We have to take back this country from the bankers and the corporate CEOs and the hedge-fund managers and the lobbyists in Ottawa who have led us to the brink of disaster.

Because that’s who is running things right now, that’s who has Stephen Harper’s ear.

So we have to put the citizens of Canada back in charge.

Let me give you a personal example of the democratic deficit.

I have met with many world leaders since the financial meltdown in October last year.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

Do you know which world leader has declined to meet me?

Of course – it’s our own Prime Minister Stephen Harper!

And that’s shameful.

I see it as a personal affront to everyone of the 3.2 million workers that I represent – that’s who is being offended by the prime minister.

And it shows the democratic deficit at work.

Harper will meet with almost any corporate CEO, business group leader or just about anyone who doesn’t represent unionized workers.

For example, Harper spoke earlier this year to the Canada Youth Business Foundation.

In June, Harper spoke to the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations.

Harper even met with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

I guess when it comes to getting Harper to meet with the CLC we are either just using the wrong bait – or getting a snow job!

But all humour aside, organized labour plays a key role in our economy – and that role should be recognized and our members consulted – not insulted.

And Sisters and Brothers, this is no time for Prime Minister Harper to ignore us – because these are the most difficult economic times any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes.

Since October, more than 400,000 workers with full-time jobs have been thrown out of work.

With 1.6 million people out of work, the latest Statistics Canada figures show that only 50% of unemployed Canadians are receiving EI!

But the Prime Minister calls our EI program “generous”.

So for all these reasons the labour movement is taking action – to protect workers’ jobs, workers’ pensions and workers’ rights.

We haven’t spent all of our working lives as union members building job security, earning a decent pension to retire on and fighting for labour rights to make our workplaces fair and safe places to make a living – we haven’t done all that to see it just thrown away in a moment by this economic crisis.

And we haven’t built a better Canada for all workers – non-union and union – to let a bunch of greedy, reckless and downright stupid corporate CEOs and hedge-fund owners ruin our country for everyone else.

Workers didn’t create this economic rip-off – big business did – and driving the get-away cars for them were the right-wing governments that refused to regulate our financial markets!

And we have to put a stop to it now – and never let it happen again.

I read a shocking statistic the other day.

The University of California released a study last month that showed income inequality in the United States at an all-time high – surpassing levels seen in 1928, the height of the greatest disparity in income prior to the crash of 1929.

In 2007 the top 10% of income earners in the U.S. held 49.7% of the wealth in the country!

Yes, you heard that right.

The top 10% of income earners hold almost 50% of the country’s wealth.

From 2002-2007, arguably a period of great economic expansion in the U.S., two-thirds of income growth was received by the top 1% of income earners.

And a similar study by the CCPA released last year showed a similar growing gap in Canada.

My friends, working people didn’t get a share of the wealth in what was supposed to be this greatest period of economic prosperity since the 1950s.

But we sure are getting more than our fair share of the pain in the decline.

This economic crisis and the unprecedented rip-off of workers by corporations are why the CLC is demanding action by the federal government on four key points:

First – Fix the broken employment insurance program.

Second – Get serious about creating and supporting Canadian jobs with industrial strategies, social infrastructure investment, and procurement policies that support industries and jobs in Canada.

Third – It’s time to radically improve the Canada Pension Plan – which really is our country’s largest defined benefit plan and covers 93% of working Canadians. The Canadian Labour Congress proposes doubling CPP benefits over 7 to 10 years – so that it can gradually replace the underperforming RRSP industry.

Fourth – Take on the big banks over credit interest rates – especially credit card interest rates that are pushing vulnerable people further and further into debt as they turn to credit cards for basic necessities like groceries.

Ce ne sont que quelques-unes des mesures que nous devons prendre pour relancer notre économie.

Parce que nous devons commencer à transformer notre économie – d’une économie basée sur la cupidité à une économie basée sur les nécessités.

Et je vous invite à vous joindre à moi, à vous joindre aux membres et affiliés du CTC, dans la lutte pour une économie nouvelle et équitable où tout le monde en profite, pas seulement les plus nantis.

These are just some of the steps that we must take to begin our economic recovery.

Because we must begin transforming our economy – from one based on greed to one based on need.

And I invite you to join with me, to join with the CLC’s members and affiliates, in fighting for a new and fair economy where everyone benefits, not just the wealthy.

Thank you for listening and have a great meeting!