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October 26th, 2011
Read by Emily Brass
Produced by Nikita Smith
Stories by Sarah Moore, Emily brass, Lindsay Briscoe, Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo, Alexa Fay
Air Canada withdraws challenge of pension deal for service workers
Air Canada is withdrawing its court challenge of a pension deal for its service workers. The company announced its decision in a statement emailed on Tuesday. It wrote that it was more important to create a climate of stability for unions and employees than to challenge the deal.
The pension plan is part of a collective agreement reached over the summer with the Canadian Auto Workers union. Arbitrator Kevin Burkett’s ruling defined a pension plan for new hires in customer services that is part defined benefit and part defined contribution. Air Canada, however, wanted new hires to only have defined contributed plans, in a bid to cut costs.
The company has been trying to cut operating costs for years. It is faced with more competition, rising cost of fuel and an economic slump which all affect its bottom line.
As a result, Air Canada and its 23,000 employees have been on less than amicable terms. It heads into arbitrage with the union representing its 7,000 flight attendants on October 28.
Elite panel discusses evolution in conflict coverage
When Senator and former UN General Romeo Dallaire calls this period in history the crux of a revolutionary moment – people listen.
The Concordia-based Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies invited Dallaire to speak at a conference last Thursday and Friday on the media’s role in halting mass atrocities. Other panelists included former Prime Minister Paul Martin and Ric MacInnes Rae of the CBC radio program Dispatches.
Dallaire was one of the founders of the Responsibility to Protect – A program that advocates fast military action to prevent genocides like the one he witnessed in Rwanda.
He says that governments like Canada do not act fast enough when they are needed. He used the conference as a call to action.
“We need somebody or some people and I think it’s the youth of the nation to start saying where the hell are we going with all this and what do we want to do?”
The conference was organized to mark the tenth anniversary of R2P. Undeniably, the media plays a big role in generating awareness about major conflicts worldwide. For instance, millions of Facebook posts and Tweets hooked the public’s attention over the past year during the Arab Spring.
Panelist Mona Eltahawy understands the value of Twitter. With nearly sixty-five thousand followers due primarily to her coverage of the Arab Spring she knows the huge role that new media can play. But she gives the credit to the public, not the network.
“It is not a Twitter revolution, it is not a Facebook revolution, It’s a people’s revolution.”
Macinnis Rae agrees that traditional media is shifting and social networkers are helpful, but not the whole picture.
“Its can be part of it, but it isn’t the answer its one of the tools I think in resolving it.”
Instead, the panelists agreed that traditional media must evolve and keep up with the new media beat. And ideally shift the focus from protection to prevention of atrocities before they even happen.
October 25, 2011
Read by: Aisha Samu
Stories by: Niki Mohrdar, Michael Lemieux and Brandon Judd
Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi
Montreal construction workers walk out
Construction workers across Quebec walked off the job yesterday. The move was a result of a dispute between the provincial government and construction unions.
The workers were protesting Bill 33. It was announced last month and goes in to parliamentary hearings this week. If passed it would take away the ability of unions to dictate the workers on job sites. Under the bill, contractors would be able to choose from a list of eligible employees.
Labour Minister Lise Therault has received personal threats as a result of the bill. She has said these threats only make her more determined to pass the bill though.
Construction union leaders say they are not involved in organizing the walk out. They say the move is a spontaneous decision by the workers. The walk out delayed public works such as the MUHC super hospital.
Meanwhile in city hall opposition party Projet Montreal proposed a controversial motion. The motion would allow the government to shut down any government projects given to construction companies suspected of corruption. The proposal was dismissed as unrealistic and unfair.
Families testify at Pickton Inquiry
The public inquiry into the Robert Pickton investigation has entered a new phase. Family members of the serial killer's victims testified on Monday in Vancouver, B.C.
Victim Marnie Frey's mother Lynn claimed social status was the reason a proper investigation was never launched by Vancouver police or former mayor Philip Owen.
"If Marnie would've been a woman from UBC, SFU or Langara School, somebody in the community who was higher up, or not a low-life prostitute, Philip Owen would've definitely have looked for her," she said. "But because she was an addicted prostitute, he didn't give a damn. And that's the truth of the whole matter. They just didn't give a damn."
Frey said the police patronized her when asked about Marnie, saying her welfare-dependent daughter was probably on a cruise. She was told not "act like a cop," but Frey embarked regardless on a search for Marnie.She made several trips to Vancouver's East Side to find her daughter, who went by the name 'Kit Kat.'
Frey once tried to enter Pickton's pig farm once by hopping a fence, but she was chased away by dogs.
The woman was also told a grisly rumour by one prostitute that a wood chipper may have played a role in her daughter’s disappearance.
Pickton murdered six women from Vancouver's downtown East Side in the late '90s, and the investigation is examining why it took so long for the police to capture him. Vancouver police have apologized several times for failing to catch Pickton, but the RCMP has not apologized or admitted their officers made mistakes in the investigation.
Story by Brandon Judd and Sarah Deshaies
Making a statement through art
American artist Julie Ault gave a lecture at Concordia on Friday. She spoke about the multiple roles she undertakes as an artist and the numerous ways of depicting relevant social issues. Esther Viragh reports.
Julie Ault is an artist of many talents. She is an exhibition designer, curator and editor of several publications. Anne Bertrand, one of the organizers of the event, felt it was important to invite the artist to the university.
“She’s a very important figure in contemporary art and I think that it’s really essential that Concordia students be introduced to this standard of artist.”
Ault has worked both independently and collaboratively as well. Her projects aim to spark reflection and have inspired many, like Vincent Bonin.
“Someone that has a very interesting approach to art. She doesn’t restrict herself to clear definition of what is an art practice and I feel really close to that.”
The latest book Ault has edited illustrates the numerous projects she engaged in. It triggers critical thought and allows those who are unfamiliar with her work to create connections of their own.
Esther Viragh, CJLO News
Quebec woman charged with first-degree murder
A Quebec woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of her seven year old daughter.
Kathrine Dufresne appeared in court despite sustaining injuries sometime Saturday. She was ordered by the court to undergo a thirty-day psychiatric evaluation.
Quebec provincial police stated that the father arrived at his home Saturday to find his daughter unconscious. Dufresne was also injured and both were rushed to hospital where the daughter was pronounced dead. An autopsy is underway to find the exact cause of death. The father has been cleared of any involvement in his daughter’s death.
The girl, named Sophie, was adopted from China five years ago.
Dufresne’s next court appearance is set for November twenty fourth.
Earth shakes in Turkey
264 people were confirmed killed after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey on Sunday.
Hundreds of people remain buried alive under collapsed buildings and have yet to be pulled out. More than 1,300 people were injured, and the death toll is expected to rise as residents, soldiers and earthmoving machines search the debris for any survivors.
Rescue efforts were made difficult because of power outages due to the earthquake.
The Turkish Red Crescent organization says more than a hundred experts have reached the affected area to provide aid.
More than 5,000 tents and 11,000 blankets, stoves and food are being distributed to those made homeless by the quake.
The quake’s epicenter was in Tabanli, a small village 20 kilometers north of the city of Van. Many surrounding cities were affected by the aftershocks and many buildings collapsed due to the poor quality of the architecture.
Turkey received aid offers from the international community, but Prime Minister Erdogan said the country could handle it without assistance. Rescue teams are urgently needed due to the country’s poor medical facilities and lack of ambulances.
The cabinet is expected to discuss the earthquake today.
The Show and Tell Art Lecture
A sign which invited everyone to come see an artist present her work was posted up in front of the York amphitheatre in the EV building of Concordia University. Inside it was jam packed with cheery excited people who could barely stay put as they waited for the artist to speak, and present her work on the big screen through powerpoint slides.
This specific event was titled the Show and Tell Art Lecture where Marina Polosa, the public programs coordinator of the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery introduced the audience to Julie Ault who is not only an artist, but is a writer and a curator as well. She is best known for being the co-founder of Group Material, an artists collective which was put together in lower east Manhatten in 1979, consisting of four members and lasted until 1996.
Julie Ault projected images of her book Show and Tell to the audience. Show and Tell documents art exhibitions that Group Material organized throughout their years together. These exhibitions would take place in city squares, subway stations, and museums. Group Material`s exhibitions reflected issues such as reproductive rights, the US intervention in South America, Aids awareness, and crisis in democracy.
She also informed the audience of other people who she set up art exhibitions with such as the artist Martin Beck. Together her and Martin Beck set up the exhibition called Social Landscape which reflected the increasing gap between the rich and the poor in the US.
This lecture which was set up through the collaberation of Felicity Taylor and Centre des Arts, invited people from the audience to speak with Julie Ault in person after she finished presenting her work. Julie informed me that her hopes and dreams havn`t changed at all since her early days in Group Material.
``When we started out we believed that our work can have an impact and effect social change. We wanted to create our own platforms, and to have a voice in culture. Group Material worked with what was effecting society, the urgency of the moment, and issues of social justice.``
Julie Ault is now working on a book project with James Benning which will be titled Social Isolation and the Politics of Autonomy and Solitude.
When the lecture ended, several people from the audience lined up to speak with Julie Ault in person because they were anxious to hear about what she will do next.
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