The Theft of the Left, Part II: Issue Attention Deficit Disorder

The Theft of the Left
Part II:
Issue Attention Deficit Disorder

The left-wing in Ontario is suffering from IADD (Issue Attention Deficit Disorder). The most common symptoms of this disorder are:

1) A failure to focus on issues related to your mandate;
2) A failure to represent the real concerns of your constituents;
3) A failure to stay committed to pertinent issues in favour of getting headlines on shit you know nothing about;
4) Being constantly distracted by shiny objects in the dirt.

The recent war in Gaza was an international headline sensation, with nearly front-page coverage every day from beginning to end. This proved too great a temptation for the “experts” on foreign policy and the Middle East at CUPE. In a month where there were more than 70,000 jobs lost in Ontario, with high-level budget discussions happening between Canada’s major parties, and a declaration of major deficits to come, Sid Ryan, Director of the Ontario’s CUPE division, valiantly stood up and spoke on behalf of Ontario’s workers . . . about the need for an academic boycott of Israeli professors from Canadian schools. Barring the intrinsic ridiculousness of this declaration, what, exactly, does the Middle East have to do with the welfare of Ontario workers? With thousands of unionized jobs being lost every week in Ontario, and with more to come, are hard-earned union dollars really being well spent by an organization that would rather create headlines than jobs? In January alone, 1.2% of all public sector jobs were lost. What is CUPE doing?

During the same month, student representatives at York University convened to address an important issue themselves. For nearly two months, almost 50,000 York University students had not seen the inside of a classroom at Canada’s third largest university. Students had grown fed-up from a TA strike with no end in sight and with a stubborn administration that refused to budge. With the opportunity to represent the frustration of thousands of students and put pressure on both sides to let students return to their desks, the Canadian Federation of Student’s union representatives emerged from their meeting with the following statement, “the York Federation of Students shows support and solidarity with the people of Gaza by calling upon the Canadian government to pressure the government of Israel.” What about solidarity with Canadian students whose entire school year was in jeopardy? There is no question, the York Federation of students abysmally failed to represent students when they most needed it, preferring to lend their “authoritative” voice on matters of Middle Eastern diplomacy. With federal budget negotiations happening at that very moment, they choose the war in Gaza to comment on? Is it any wonder that the budget released has nothing in it for students? Perhaps it’s because Toronto-area students have no voice advocating for them at the table, and governments have no interest in taking the unions here seriously. Even the CUPE strikers were more interested in what was happening in the Middle East than with their own members, Christina Rousseau, chair of CUPE Local 3903, actually stated during the strike that Israel’s action are “as important” an agenda item as the welfare of the workers she represents.

Unions have always played a strong role in social reformation, from the acceptance of women and homosexuals in the workplace, to helping break the colour barrier on shop floors all over the country - unions have been and will continue to be one of the most fundamentally important institutions in Canada. During an economic crisis, they should be working to keep good jobs and fair employment on the public agenda, not calling for foolish boycotts on an issue for which they have no expertise and even less influence.
When I graduated university, as class valedictorian, I was handed a bill inside my tube instead of a diploma. At least I knew I had a student union I could count on, that would represent me at the government’s table and fight for lower tuition.

For the good of cash-strapped students, and workers that have fallen on hard times, it’s time for Ontario’s left-wing to pick up the ball and get back in the game. Canada’s splintered left has got to narrow its focus and remember who they represent and who ultimately pays their salaries: students and workers. Our money should not be taken for granted and neither should their jobs.

It’s time the labour and student movements in Ontario took at a shot in the arm, kicked the IADD, and got back to work.