We need to beat swords into plowshares.

We need to beat swords into plowshares.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Grassroots activists in Winnipeg, Manitoba take on big-business interests; from the Winnipeg Labour Election Committee…

This is a planning meeting to defeat the Katz' majority on Council.

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Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2010
To: Winnipeg Labour Election Committee <wlec@mts.net>
...From: Winnipeg Labour Election Committee <wlec@mts.net>
Subject: Wed, Oct 13: Help defeat the big business - developer majority on City Council [Please forward widely]

From: Winnipeg Labour Election Committee
Re: Defeat the big business - developer majority on City Council

Dear Friends, Sisters and Brothers,

With just under three weeks before election day, Oct. 27, we are writing to everyone who rallied at City Hall and protested the sell-out of our City water department in the last two years. As the group that organized the rallies, we want to thank you for taking an interest in our future as a city and for acting as responsible citizens, unlike the majority of City Council.

A strategic push to defeat the right wing, pro-developer majority at City Council may be all that is needed to shift the balance at City Hall more in favour of the vast majority of people. We hope the following suggestion will meet with your active support.

We are proposing a visible postering campaign to defeat specific members of City Council who voted for the Veolia contract, including Mayor Sam Katz, and about a week before election day to have a picket line at Katz' campaign headquarters (883 Notre Dame).

As before, we are inviting a broad array of community organizations to become involved, especially all those who accepted our invitation to speak at our rallies in the last two years.

We will finalize our plan this week at a meeting where everyone is invited:

Wed, Oct 13, 7:00 pm
Workers Organizing Resource Centre
280 Smith St. (between Portage & Graham)
Please use the buzzer if the door is locked

Draft posters and campaign materials will be available at the meeting - in advance upon request by email. A brief analysis about the proposed two-week campaign is below.

If you have questions, please reach us at wlec@mts.net or 792-3371.

Yours Truly,
Cheryl-Anne Carr and Andre Lavoie
for the WLEC

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Two-week Poster and Picket Line campaign - proposal
Winnipeg Labour Election Committee

The aim of the campaign will be to defeat the right-wing majority at City Hall led by Mayor Sam Katz. Indirectly, the campaign will help candidates who are more easily influenced by people, not money. "A City for people, not big business and developer interests" is the proposed slogan.

Postering
The posters will play three roles:
1. Strengthen the anti-right momentum of Winnipeg voters who are unhappy with four years of favours to developers and big business, like the Veolia deal.

2. Urge people to get out and vote on Oct. 27, an essential need since wealthier voters already come out in high numbers and we need to mobilize the voters who want change at City Hall.

3. Build the supporter-base of the LEC.

Picket Line/ rally
Picketing of Sam Katz' campaign headquarters will be a visible rallying point for everyone who is unhappy with the right-wing majority. The aim will be to build enthusiasm to defeat Katz and his supporters. The picket may end with a brief rally; we may have to walk to a parking lot close by.

We will choose a date and time at the meeting, but these considerations should be kept in mind:
- should be on a weekend or after work hours; day is better than evening
- enough time after the picket to make a final postering push (lots of posters will be available at the rally)
- we need to collect funds at the event to pay for the postering campaign

The plan
Copy posters right after the meeting on Oct. 13.
Call for a large turn-out at the picket.

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