Sudbury Social Justice News - April 1, 2013

EVENTS & MEETINGS:
 

0) Tuesday, April 2: Organizing Meeting for Solidarity Against Austerity Rally and March

1) Wednesday, April 3: Anti-capitalism Discussion by Radical North
2) Friday, April 5: Roots, Rhythm and Resistance Caravan Tour Comes to
Fromagerie Elgin
3) Saturday, April 6: Citizens Climate Lobby Meetings Sudbury, Ontario
4) Sunday, April 7: Meeting of Sudbury Cyclists Union
5) Tuesday, April 9: Meeting of Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty
6) Thursday, April 11: Meeting of Grassroots: Sudbury's Media Collective
7) Thursday, April 11: Building Inclusive Communities with Sex Workers
8) Friday, April 12: Solidarity Against Austerity Rally and March
9) Saturday, April 13: Native Plant Workshop
10) Saturday, April 27: Greater Sudbury 2013 Earth Day Festival

NEWS, ANALYSIS, & CALLS TO ACTION:

1) "A Living Wage and a Safe Workplace for Porter Workers" -- a petition from LabourStart and COPE

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Tuesday, April 2: Organizing Meeting for Solidarity Against Austerity Rally and March

Time: 6:30pm
Location: Offices of the Sudbury and District Labour Council (Suite 20
upstairs in 109 Elm Street, which is across the street from the Native
Friendship Centre)

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Children are welcome to attend, or
childcare support is available upon request.

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Wednesday, April 3: Anti-capitalism Discussion by Radical North

Time: 3pm
Location: LU L-239, Laurentian University Student Centre

Capitalism is a pyramid scheme: you may not know where you are, but you should know where you stand. Where do you fit in? Come find out!

Anti-capitalism discussion held by Radical North & Free food by LU Veg Heads.

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/133616486819155/

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Friday, April 5: Roots, Rhythm and Resistance Caravan Tour Comes to Fromagerie Elgin

Time: 7:30pm
Location: The Fromagerie Elgin, 5 Cedar Street (entry from Elgin),
Sudbury

https://r3collective.wordpress.com/about-2/

R3: (Roots Rhythms Resistance) is an artists’ collective recovering indigenous roots and resisting colonial oppression through music, dance, visual art and theatre for and by marginalized peoples, with a particular focus on Queer Indigenous and Queer communities of colour.

Objective:
Our objective is to use the arts to raise awareness, energy and funds for decolonization work, which we define as:
• Healing and rebuilding our communities,
• Recreating sustainable and self-sustaining grassroots economies,
• Reclaiming land and resources
• Spirituality, Language, his/herstory and other aspects of culture eroded by colonization.

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/108270602701473/

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Saturday, April 6: Citizens Climate Lobby Meetings Sudbury, Ontario

Time: 12:45pm to 3:45pm
Location: 80 Elm Street, Sudbury

Want to help create the political will in Sudbury and across Canada for a revenue neutral carbon tax?

CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY IS RECRUITING
Our next three meetings are:
- Saturday, April 6, 2013
- Saturday, May 4, 2013
- Saturday, June 1, 2013
12:45 - 3:00 pm
Light Snacks provided
Be empowered to create political will for a liveable world

Upcoming Texas Scrambler : June 8, 2013

Canada's Citizens Climate Lobby Media Statistics:

2012 STATISTICS:
90 Letters to the Editor, one Editorial, 12 Opinion Editorials/Columns, 9 articles about us, 10 Radio Hits and 2 TV Hits

2011 STATISTICS:
29 Letters to the Editor, 3 Opinion Editorials / Columns, 7 articles about us, 3 Radio Hits and 3 TV Hits Canadian Year End Lobbying Statistics
• In 2012 our members lobbied a total of 51 Canadian politicians, [MPs, MPPs (Ontario) and Senators] about putting a predictable, effective and transparent on carbon pollution.

International CCL Statistics for 2012 vs 2011
• Letters to the Editor 181 (2011) vs 537 (2012)
• Editorials: 12 (2011) vs 22 (2012)
• Internationally, we had meetings with MPs, MPP/MLAs,
Congress and Senators 255 (2011) vs 534 (2012)

Currently in Canada we have 22 group leaders (fully-trained with volunteers) in 32 ridings in Canada covering 11 regions. We have 6 more group leaders in the process of being trained. Our big 2013 goal is to hold our first National Conference and Lobbying days in November 2013 in Ottawa. At this conference and lobbying days our goal is continue to develop relationships with our MPs and selected Senators around the issue of putting an explicit/transparent price on carbon pollution in Canada by 2015.

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/164761527014433/

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Sunday, April 7: Meeting of Sudbury Cyclists Union

Time: 1pm
Location: The Laughing Buddha (194 Elgin Street)

Agenda TBA.

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/345088822274430/

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Tuesday, April 9: Meeting of Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty

Time: 6:30pm
Location: Offices of the Sudbury and District Labour Council (Suite 209 upstairs in 109 Elm Street, which is across the street from the Native Friendship Centre)

Matters to be discussed include organizing the Solidarity Against Austerity 2 rally and march (in the second part of the meeting – see event 2 below); reports on the Raise the Rates meeting in Toronto that 5 members of S-CAP attended; the raise the minimum wage campaign; our ongoing direct action support work, including for community start up and maintenance needs; setting up an S-CAP drop in space and much more. The venue is wheelchair accessible. Children are welcome to attend, or childcare support is available upon request.

S-CAP is a direct-action anti-poverty organization based in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. We provide direct-action support work assisting individuals in their struggles with welfare and ODSP, housing, employers, and others who deny people what they are entitled to in order to meet their needs. In addition, we mount campaigns against and support educational work about regressive government policies as they effect working people and people living in poverty. We believe in the power of people to organize themselves. We believe in the power of resistance!

La coalition contre la pauvreté de Sudbury (S-CAP) est un organisme d’action directe luttant contre la pauvreté. Elle se trouve à Sudbury en Ontario.

Le travail de la coalition se base dans l’action directe et consiste à apporter de l’aide aux individus dans leurs luttes pour l’assistance sociale, l’invalidité, le logement, l’emploi et à les aider à faire face aux gens qui leur refusent ce dont ils ont droit pour rencontrer leurs besoins. De plus, la coalition fait des compagnes de sensibilisation et de dénonciation par rapport aux politiques gouvernementales régressives quant à leurs effets sur les travailleurs et travailleuses et les personnes vivant dans la pauvreté.

La coalition croit au pouvoir des personnes de s’organiser elles-mêmes; elle croit au pouvoir de la résistance!

S-CAP on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/257339454351403/

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Thursday, April 11: Meeting of Grassroots: Sudbury's Media Collective

Time: 10am to 11am
Location: Environmental Resource Centre (176 Larch Street, back entrance)

Everyone is welcome to join us for our next meeting, on Thursday, March 14,  10 - 11am in the ERC (176 Larch, back entrance). We'll be discussing our upcoming "Sudbury Voices" event and campaign launch as well as other aspects of our new membership campaign and of course, brainstorming story ideas.

Also, mark future meetings on your calendar, 10-11 am on the 2nd Thursday of each month: May 9 and June 13 in the ERC.

Grassroots Sudbury Media is a working group of the The Media Co-op. We are creating independent media in the North, to speak to our issues and outlooks on our communities as well as the world around us. Independent media provides an avenue for people who are wishing to gain critical perspective on the issues that matter most to us, and to give a voice to those people and stories that you won't find in the mainstream media.

Find our site at:
http://sudbury.mediacoop.ca

Contact the Sudbury Working Group to learn more about writing for us or to let us know about community issues and events at: grassrootssudburymedia@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/GrassrootsMediaCollective

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Thursday, April 11: Building Inclusive Communities with Sex Workers

Time: 8am to 5pm
Location: Quality Inn, 390 Elgin Street, Sudbury
Cost: $60/$50 if you register by April 1/$20 for students

A day of capacity building, networking and training. Many sex work topics will be discussed including stigma, work safety, marginalization, trafficking, issues faced by Aboriginal communities, decriminalization, community policing, and the myths and realities.

Guest speakers include:

* Sex Workers Action Group (SWAG)
* Sex Workers Action Project (SWAP)
* Sex Professionals of Canada (SPOC)
* Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project
* Sex Workers Advisory Network Sudbury (SWANS)
* Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN)
* Prostitutes of Ottawa/Gatineau Work, Educate and Resist (POWER)

We encourage attendance by ALL COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS including sex workers, service providers, counsellors, health care providers, community members, police services, faculty and students.

Please note all presentations will be in English only. Refreshments and lunch will be served. Seating is limited

Sponsored by Reseau Access Network, Public Service Alliance of Canada, LUFAPPUL.

For more information, please contact Tracy Gregory at 705-688-0500 ext. 222.

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Friday, April 12: Solidarity Against Austerity Rally and March

Time: 4pm (meal and rally), 5pm (march)
Location: in Memorial Park in downtown Sudbury for the meal and rally, then a march through the downtown to the Provincial Building and Rick Bartolucci's office

The Raise the Rates Campaign is calling for a week of action in the lead up to the 2013 Provincial Budget which is set to come down mid-April, and this event is part of that campaign. All across the province community organizations and unions will be holding actions at Liberal MPP's offices and other events during the week of April 8 to challenge Liberal austerity and to demand real action on poverty.

* No cut to the Special Diet.
* Restore the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit
* No downloading of ODSP or forcing people with disabilities into poverty jobs
* Restore OW and ODSP rates to where they were in 1995 - A 56% increase is needed now
* End the freeze on the minimum wage. Set it at $14 and index it to inflation.

Kathleen Wynne, after serving in the McGuinty Government and being part of its attack on social assistance and the poor is asking us to believe that she is now the 'Social Justice Premier'. She wants our communities to stop mobilizing and challenging her and to go back to the failed strategy of consultations with the Government instead.  The Raise the Rates Campaign sees no reason to trust Wynne or to stop confronting the Liberal government's austerity agenda.  We demand real measures to increase sub poverty social assistance rates and low wages and we are ready to fight back against cutbacks and attacks on the poor her Government is considering in its upcoming Budget.

This event is supported by the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty, the Sudbury and District Labour Council, the Sudbury Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Council, Idle No More, and the Poverty, Homelessness and Migration Research Project at Laurentian University.

For more information contact S-CAP at 249-878-7227, or email  sudburycap@gmail.com.

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Saturday, April 13: Native Plant Workshop

Time: 10am to noon
Location: Lake Laurentian Conservation Area Nature Chalet (2309 South
Bay Road, Sudbury)

Ever wondered about native alternatives to invasive species that are commonly planted in gardens? Conservation Sudbury, in cooperation with special guest Aisha Chiandet will be presenting a Native Plants Workshop - Urban Gardens Featuring Native Plants!

Participants will learn the benefits of introducing native wildflowers and shrubs to their garden or shoreline, and how to identify, source and grow native plants. They will receive resource materials on how to get started with native plants and how to identify and eradicate invasive species. Each participant will also obtain hands-on experience planting a native flower and/or grass to take home with them at the end of the workshop.

The cost of the event is $15.00 per person, which will be used to help cover travel expenses for our guest speaker, resource and planting materials, and complimentary hot beverages and light snacks for participants.

Space is limited to 30 participants. To reserve your spot or for more information, please call: (705) 674-8904 or email: lakelaurentian@gmail.com

We run monthly events at the Conservation Area all year long - stay updated by visiting the Conservation Sudbury’s website nickeldistrict.ca or find us “Friends of Lake Laurentian” on facebook.

This event online:
http://sudbury.mediacoop.ca/blog/grassrootssudburymedia/16877

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Saturday, April 27: Greater Sudbury 2013 Earth Day Festival

Time: 10am to 5pm
Location: École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur, Sudbury, Ontario (261 Notre Dame Ave.)

Circles & Cycles: Celebrating Sustainable Communities

The Greater Sudbury Earth Day Festival celebrates Earth Day and strives to raise awareness of environmental issues by promoting local initiatives in Greater Sudbury.

Join us for the kick off to Sudbury`s festival season - a celebration of all things green!

Live Music
Children`s Area - performers and activities
Local Food Fair
Vendors and Exhibitors - huge range of businesses and organizations!
Giveaways and Raffle Prizes

www.earthdaysudbury.ca

This event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/events/504778076230908/

NEWS, ANALYSIS, & CALLS TO ACTION:

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A Living Wage and a Safe Workplace for Porter Workers
(A petition from LabourStart and COPE, the union representing the striking workers at Porter. To sign it, go here: http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1737)

Porter Airlines, which is expanding its operations throughout eastern North America, is trying to interfere with the right of newly-organized workers to be in a union by putting forward a final offer in bad faith, knowing the workers could not accept such an offer and pushing them out on strike. Porter has not moved on its position of an increase of 25 cents per hour for 11 of 22 employees. The others would get no increase.

These employees are the lowest paid in the industry. The average annual income of the striking workers is $28,000.

Porter also has a history of sloppy or no health and safety practices. Numerous health and safety regulatory violations, combined with poverty wages forced the workers to strike.

Send a message to Porter demanding that they bargain for a settlement and not to break the union.

http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1737