By Election Right 2 Work 4 Less Issue Explodes!

My regular ongoing by election news coverage is @ Here! My blog acronym dictionary is @ There! My by election results blog is @ Here!

Harris + Hudak! Tim is Him! Tim's wife Deb Hutton [in background] was a key Harris political architect. Now they are working together with Mike again to finish the job + stick it to you!

It looks like the Right 2 Work 4 Less issue is about to blow up in PC Party leader Tim Hudak's face as we enter the last week of the February 13th election race. Let's hope it turns out to be bad luck for him! Hudak would like nothing more than to run in the next provincial election on the issue despite warnings and dissent from within the party. However, it looks like he is being strongly encouraged to cool it and lay low! Should he wins the next provincial election though make no doubt, he is going to use it to kick your union butt and send pay, benefits and working conditions in Ontario back into the stone age. I am creating a separate blog for the issue since it has really exploded this week in the Niagara by election. Here's the story so far but .......

First things first:

Vote! CBC's poll on Tim Hudak's "Right to Work" policy:

Should Ontario adopt Right to Work Legislation? @ Poll

Here's a good week's review on Hudak's Right 2 Work 4 Less debacle @ Windsor Star

Vote in the Windsor Star Right 2 Work poll. Last time I checked it was close! See @ Windsor Star Online Poll

When you see a call for a leadership review in the Toronto Sun, you know the knives are back out for Tim, not for the same reasons as we'd have of course, but the heat is obviously back on. See below for more proof. Also the Sun @ On the ropes?

Right 2 Work 4 Less has become a Niagara by election issue PC party leader Hudak + candidate Bart Maves won't address! Could it be Hudak's "Faith Based School" torpedo? Remember what happened to former Tory leader John Tory when that became the big issue in the 2007 provincial election? Seems Timbo finally might @ Lots of Coy BS!

Hudak was getting hammered all day [Thursday Feb 7] on RTW4L by the media in Toronto. Keeps saying he just wants to "modernize labour laws". The OLP Labour minister goes on the offensive, notes Hudak's plan will only drive down wages @ Offensive/ defensive

Here are the 3 party candidates' position on Right 2 Work 4 Less in Niagara @ WTR4L

Ironies of ironies! In 1997 young buck Bart Maves spoke out at QP against RTW4L and explained why. Suddenly it seems the cats got his tongue @ What's up Bart?

The OLP have slipped this video link into the by election mix. At the summer PC Policy Convention in Toronto PC's MPP John O'Toole warned Hudak + the party faithful that RTW4L could be a sensitive enough issue to cost them the next election. He even went so far as to note that if anyone mentions the word "Wisconsin" the PC's could be "screwed". See + hear O'Toole @ Wisconsin North?

Hello Wisconsin North! Would Ontario vote 4 Hudak's plan if he told the truth?!

A leaked document surfaced today in which 11 PC candidates from across Ontario worry about Hudak's approach to Right to Work 4 Less. They lay out a plan for him to "massage" it so they can win across the province, especially up north. Typical Tory scheming but quite diabolical none the less. Check out the PC mindset @ Toronto Star

PC's were at loggerheads over the issue at the Sept. policy conference, a Jan 22 conference call of 300 party stalwarts + now the letter. O'Toole has said they should use the catch phrase "strengthening workplace democracy" instead but it would seem the cats out of the bag, so to speak. Updated story @ Toronto Star

I've heard that Hudak will hold a caucus meeting in Toronto Friday [Feb 7th]. Hmmmm. Let's hope he is obstinate and pigheaded, but regardless, whatever he comes up with now, is he to be believed?

PC centralists are hammering Hudak to behave like Bill Davis, a moderate, or they will remain stuck way out far right in the political wilderness @ Hamilton Spectator

Hudak can keep trying to rejig his semantics but it's blatantly clear he isn't backing down on his Right 2 Work 4 Less plans, nor will he engage in an intelligent debate to explain his position, because quite frankly it can't be done in an honest upfront manner @ Hudak digs in his heels

Backgrounder: The story so far!

Early in the by election our brave Timbo evoked former NDP Premier Bob Rae and the OLP/NDP "government union" coalition as his opening volley @ Pre Harris

However Hudak soon seemed to be floating a trial balloon that he might dump his anti union Right To Work For Less [RTWFL] Policy. A Globe + Mail article suggests it's to make him more palatable to voters. I'd be soooooooo careful of Timbo here! This has BS written all over it @ Sees the Light?! No!

Scott Stinson weighs in. Timbo left out Right to Work 4 Less in his Million Dollar Man speech at the Empire club last Tuesday as the by elections kicked off in earnest. It's good timing from his perspective to play down the unpopular issue and steal some union thunder, but it hardly means RTW4L is out for the count. Story @ Globe + Mail

Is Hudak softening on RTW4L? Make no mistake it's a by election ruse! All signs are Timbo thinks the Rand formula will make the perfect wedge issue in the next provincial election @ Star's Cohn

A snake in the grass? At the same time the trial balloon story appears Timbo fires PC candidate nominee Dave Brister for speaking out against his RTW4L platform @ Can't have it both ways ... or can he!

Dave Brister Fired? Follow the twitter trail for some telling Tory intrigues @ Tweet! Tweet!

Here's former PC candidate Dave Brister speaking out on how he was fired by Tim Hudak because he was against the parties RTW4L policy. He says voters have a right to know what they are getting with Tim Hudak. Here's the CTV news video Timbo would rather you didn't see @ Timbo: You're Fired!

Hudak's PC Party: No free speech allowed! Hmmm. Sounds familiar to us as grass root teachers eh?! Story @ Blister

A Forum poll shows support for the PC's RTW4L policy is down. Article @ Polling numbers

Timbo + the Thornhill PC Candidate Gila: Make the poor pay?! Who needs a minimum wage hike anyway???? It's not necessary for Hudak's PC's! The Gila Monster doesn't mind mimicking his platitudes. Mave's obviously agreed to clam up. More later.

Since the Brister story broke Hudak has been increasingly on the run. UNIFOR President challenged him to a public debate on the RTW4L [Right to Work 4 Less] issue so we can finally get it out in the open for all to see. Looks like Timbo's a chicken shit though. No wonder! He's got a lot to hide! More @ Tim won't debate!

Truth be told, Hudak's US style RTW4L policy would hit some very serious legal problems in Ontario due to the Rand formula. If Tim can tie in his plan as a credible solution for the economic crisis he might be able to create a wedge issue out of it in the next provincial election. However it would be best to keep details on the "new law" he would need to pass afterwards as vague as possible. Also, would Ontarians want all the hassles + labour strife RTW4L would create? Story @ Rand

Here is Doorey's Law of Work blog with a legal perspective on Right to Work in Ontario @ RTW4L?

Timbo and US style education reform? How the Canadian and US school systems are very different @ Not the same!

Made in the USA: That's Tim Hudak's plan to cut your teacher wages + benefits. Check out what happened to our colleagues stateside with the so called "Right to Work" laws. This is an excellent OPSEU video! Please share link @ Michigan Ontario?

The Orwellian named "Right to Work" neo con formula has its roots in the US deep south segregationist movement after WW2. History lesson @ Didn't like blacks or unions!

UNIFOR ratchets up it's campaign against PC Hudak's Right to Work for Less party platform. Good. Best defence is a strong offence @ UNIFOR

OPSEU's Smokey Thomas wants to talk but Tim says no! Wonder why? see below:

Timbo has been targeting OPSEU! Now it can be told: He even admits he has a big mouth, no talent, and that's why he got into politics! Seriously! That's a quote worth remembering! He then goes on to prove it by refusing to debate OPSEU President Smokey Thomas on RTW4L + his recent OPSEU comments. How did he get himself into so much shit? Hudak recently implied the union has organized crime ties. There has never been any accusations or proof of this before. When called on it he refuses to discuss the issues he's raised any further! Story @ Bizarre!

Hey, we examine all points of view on my blogsite. I have mine but you have a brain. You can think for yourself. Okay now, read this: a neo con defends Right to Work. Unions hate it, and worker freedom, because they only want to take their money. And if you believe that can I interest you in buying some private property in Cuba?!? Ha. Okay. Okay. Here it is @ Canada Free Press

Support OPSEU in the good fight! T-shirt available in men + womens' styles @ OPSEU Store

Timbo's Wisconsin North? Remember, RTW4L only passed by 53% at last September's PC Policy Convention. Tim has stuck to his guns even though the party is quit obviously badly split on the issue. I suppose he could do an about face now, or more likely just say he is, but what would his US puppet meisters think?!? Story @ 53% PC support

What exactly can we expect here in Ontario if Hudak's PCs do manage to form the next provincial government?  Many of our younger teachers missed out on the "Great Tory Demise of 2003". Our province's teachers from all the affiliates fought for 7 hard years to defeat the PC Premier Mike Harris government. During that time our life was a living hell. Harris was personally attacking teachers with extreme prejudice nightly on party sponsored commercial "foreside chats" + in the news. It was open season on every aspect of our profession. Had the PC's not been tossed from office in 2003, we would've been toast! You do NOT want to go through this again! The following interview link is very instructional. Mike ruminates on his fight with teacher "bully's" during the "Harris Years". Fortunately Steve Paikin really takes him to task on his strategy + tactics in this 2010 TVO agenda video clip. See Harris at work @ The Politics of Division

Tim is him! He's also got a lot more than just RTW4L to hide as becomes readily apparent the deeper we dig. Remember the PC infighting last summer? Hudak has 2 party caucus'. There's the official one at Queens Park and his secret Harris caucus which is actually calling the shots. I reported about Hudak's secret "Harris cabinet" at length with news links at the time. The blog might well now be especially worth a reread @ Behind the PC Scenes!

Toronto Life did a very insightful article on the Tim Hudak story, outlining his connections and so forth, that is also well worth a gander. Read @ Toronto Life

Birds of a feather stick together: Who is Tim Hudak + What makes him tick?


COMMENTS: