[news] Dennis Mills's Silence, Tyendinaga Update and more ...(ocap)

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OCAP NEWS

1.  Dennis Mills' selective silence rings loud
2.  Tyendinaga Update:  Gabriel stopped from stepping onto Mohawk Territory
3.  Charges against Jama Jama Dropped
4.  Metropolitan Hotel Workers meet with Union Leadership


1.  DENNIS MILLS' SELECTIVE SILENCE RINGS LOUD

Two months have passed since MP Dennis Mills' self-imposed ultimatum:
within a month of intervening in the occupation of an abandoned building
at 558 Gerrard by OCAP and supporters, he was to turn the premises into
social housing or resign his seat.  This contract was a written one, sworn
in front of crowds of demonstrators and press.  After this appearance at
the November housing demonstration, Mills then spent the next few months
repeatedly renewing his so-called solemn pledge in the media and to the
community involved.

However, it is now months into a hard winter and no social housing has
been built.  Sickeningly, at front and centre of Mills' webpage is an
outdated newspaper article, entitled "MP makes a promise come true",
glorifying Mills' purported benevolence and commitment to the housing
crisis.   It is accompanied by a photograph of the man standing in front
of the still empty building, describing him as having "delivered
everything he promised".  Now, Mills is gearing up for a federal election
race against Jack Layton in the downtown riding of Toronto-Danforth.  If
his broken promise on building social housing in his riding is any
indication of Mills' credibility, we can only imagine what is to come.

Below is the letter sent recently to Mills by OCAP.  We are asking people
to call in and ask Mills why the building at 558 Gerrard is still standing
empty.  And more on Mills to follow ...

Dennis Mills, Member of Parliament (Toronto-Danforth)
Constituency Office  - 170 Danforth Avenue
Tel: 416-462-3250
Fax: 416-462-1675
Email: millsd1 at parl.gc.ca

House of Commons - 264 West Block
Ottawa, Ontario
Tel: 613-992-7771
Fax: 613-996-9884
Email: millsd at parl.gc.ca

Policy Inquiries:
Tel: 416-462-3250
Fax: 416-462-1675
suggestions at dennismills.com

Letter from OCAP:

To Dennis Mills, Member of Parliament,

On November 8, 2003, during an occupation carried out by members of our
organization and residents of the east-end community, you made a pledge
that the building at 558 Gerrard would be turned into housing or you would
resign your seat in Parliament.  Now, two months later it is clear that
there has been no movement towards converting the building into housing
and you to appear to be launching a re-election campaign at the very
moment it would seem more appropriate to be looking for a new job.

We have seen you line-up trade union funding, proclaim victory and then
refuse to comment when Bridgepoint hospital denied there was any deal.  We
have waited to see the work of conversion to housing begin at 558 Gerrard
or to hear a new more appropriate location announced but there has been
nothing.

We expect that the deal you made still stands and that there will either
be a new social housing development or your resignation before the
election campaign.  If your position on 558 Gerrard has changed then
please advise us so we can act accordingly.

-  OCAP


2.  TYENDINAGA UPDATE

Update below in the form of excerpts from local press on events this past
Friday on the Tyendinaga, Mohawk Nation Territory that prevented
Kanehsatake former chief James Gabriel from setting foot in the community.

Protest forces chiefs off Tyendinaga

By Henry Bury, The Intelligencer, Belleville

TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY -- A potentially explosive situation was
diffused Friday morning when a meeting of Mohawk chiefs was moved from the
Mohawk Community Centre to an undisclosed Belleville location.

Dozens of native protesters waited across from the community centre prior
to the scheduled 10 a.m. meeting start. They vowed to do everything in
their power to prevent James Gabriel from attending the meeting of chiefs
dealing with matters of Mohawk Nation policing and security.

Gabriel was recently deposed as Chief of Kanehsatake south of Montreal and
local protest organizer Shawn Brant said the former chief is not welcome
on the reserve.

"Certainly it was our mandate to remove this man from our community. He is
not welcome here," said Brant.

About a half hour before the meeting was to start, however, protesters
were informed that the meeting of chiefs and Gabriel was moved from the
reserve to an undisclosed Belleville location as a safety measure.

Brant said moving the meeting off the reserve "certainly served to ease
tensions that existed.

"And I don't think I'd be remiss in saying I'm not relieved," he added.
"I am happy that they managed to seek concession on their part and we
could offer none on our part.  Nobody was hurt and we're always happy
about that."

Protesters initially gathered across from the community centre for a vigil
Thursday night.  The pitched a temporary lodge and kept a bonfire going
all night.  More people joined the group Friday morning as a show of force
in anticipation of the 10 a.m. meeting that never materialized.

"We have a mandate to stop this man from entering the building and
removing him from the community and that's what we were going to do if he
showed his face here," Brant said.

Tyendinaga Mohawk Chief R. Donald was unavailable Friday to explain the
reason for the meeting.

A Canadian Press report from Montreal says the Mohawk leaders were meeting
to discuss public security issues on their territories and reserves.

The report said Gabriel attended the meeting and made a brief statement
before leaving.  The contents of that statement is not known.

Gabriel's authority was questioned since he fled Kanesatake before fire
destroyed his home on Jan. 12.

The remaining three, (band councillors), who no longer recognize Gabriel's
legitimacy participated in Friday's meeting.


3.  CROWN BOWS TO COMMUNITY PRESSURE, DROPS CHARGES AGAINST JAMA JAMA

On February 16, members of the Somali Community and their friends packed
an Etobicoke courtroom to see if charges laid against Jama Jama would be
dropped. Jama had been been the victim of an unprovoked beating by Toronto
cops and had then been accused of assaulting them. Sadly for the
upstanding representatives of 'Toronto's Finest', the whole episode had
been captured on video without their knowledge.

A senior Crown came out to Etobicoke to take charge of the ceremony of
capitulation. She acknowledged that there was no reasonable prospect of
convicting Jama on the charges and announced they would be withdrawn. In
this rare situation, the cops have been unable to criminalize one of their
vicitms. The real issue now is to take on their racist abuses. OCAP
pledges that it will work with Jama, his family and commmunity and all
decent minded people to take this fight to the 23 Division and those who
direct them. Justice will be served when those to blame for the
brutalization of Jama and thousands of others face the consequences they
deserve.

Until then, there is no justice.


4.  METROPOLITAN HOTEL WORKERS MEET WITH UNION LEADERSHIP

On Thursday, February 19, a seven-person hotel workers delegation, backed
by dozens of community supporters, went to the offices of HERE Local 75.
On February 9, they had delivered a letter to the President of the Local
but had received no reply.  This week, he was put on notice that the
delegation would be arriving to insist that a meeting take place.

On arrival at the Union office, the main meeting room was opened for the
delegation and all supporters.  The workers put forward their grievances
around inaction and passivity in the face of the sweatshop regime run by
Henry Wu at the Metropolitan Hotel.
Nine specific demands (listed below) were presented to the union leadership.

The response of the leadership to the rank and file delegation was a case
study in bureaucratic thinking.  Very correctly, the President pointed out
that hotel workers represent a highly oppressed, largely immigrant
workforce and that their union is up against rapacious employers and
hostile governments.  Just as accurately, he spoke of the limited and
unequal financial and material resources available to the workers'
organization as opposed to that which the employers can throw against it.
However, he
presented the abuses being heaped on workers at the Metropolitan as a given.

When cases of workers being disciplined for speaking in their own language
or for taking a discarded cookie after working without legal meal breaks,
he told those present 'welcome to the hotel sector'.  Far worse, he
presented the whole formation of the rank and file committee as an attempt
by a few people to selfishly monopolize resources for their own
situations.  Workers who organize to defend themselves where their union
leadership has fallen short are presented as 'disruptive' and those who
support them are interfering in matters they don't understand.

The hotel workers present refuted the President's arguments by pointing
out that the Committee they are part of has now grown to fifty-six women
and men out of a present workforce of two hundred.  In some departments, a
majority is part of the Committee.  There is a sense of grievance with the
union leadership that no amount of arrogant and blinkered disregard can
wish out of existence.

The meeting concluded on an angry note with the President agreeing to meet
with the Committee on March 3 when a reply to the nine demands will be
provided.  The Metropolitan Hotel Workers Committee will see if the
leadership of the Local is ready to draw up clear plans for a challenge to
Henry Wu's Five Star Sweatshop at that time.  If such a campaign is not
forthcoming, the Committee stands ready to act independently.

DEMANDS TO THE LOCAL 75 LEADERSHIP FROM THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL WORKERS
COMMITTEE

1. Assist in a major campaign to win the rehiring of victimized workers
and resist the sweatshop practices of Henry Wu's management.  This must
include a bold mobilizing strategy that involves rallies at the Hotel,
Wu's home, locations that reflect his political/social connections, etc.
Community allies to be involved in this initiative.

2. A vigorous use of the grievance procedure and the clearing up of 
backlogs.

3. A serious response to workplace harassment issues.  No tolerating false
accusations against workers, persecution for speaking other languages and
other such abuses.

4. A drive to enforce basic workplace rights.  Demand respect for
seniority rights, compensation for continuous loss of employment, worker
access to seniority lists and schedules.  Challenge employer abuses such
as a denial of proper meal and rest breaks.

5. Defend injured workers in the Hotel.  Demand modified duties when they
are needed.  Investigate and challenge dangerous chemicals and working
conditions.

6. Copies of the Collective Agreement to be provided without delay to
Metropolitan Hotel workers who request them.

7. Provide full disclosure on salaries and benefits of Local 75 elected
representatives and staff.

8. Provide adequate meeting space and other reasonable facilities to the
Metropolitan Hotel Workers Committee as a viable and important rank and
file initiative within the Local.

9. Respond in writing to the Committee's demands.  The Committee to
address a Membership Meeting of the Local and the leadership's response to
be made clear at that time.  Trusted community allies to be part of these
discussions.


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