Address to the Ontario Federation of Labour

Good morning brothers and sisters!

I can safely say that this is the most energised OFL Convention I’ve seen in a long time – and it’s first thing in the morning on the fourth day!

J’aimerais aujourd’hui vous parler d’un enjeu important pour les familles et pour notre mouvement : les pensions et les épargnes-retraite.

But let me begin by congratulating Sid Ryan and Marie Kelley.

I know you’ll both do wonderful jobs, but I’ve got to warn you: you have big shoes to fill. Wayne Samuelson and Irene Harris have given Ontario’s labour movement remarkable leadership over a dozen years.

We’ve all seen it in this economic crisis, with OFL’s Drive-To-Work project – and their strong commitment to the simple truth that an economic crisis is no time to cut, denounce or attack vital public services!

Wayne m’a même aidé à faire évoluer ma carrière. Je me souviens d’avoir livré un discours lors du Congrès de la FTO lorsque j’étais conseiller municipal, ici à Toronto.

Afterwards, Wayne said to me: “You know what, Jack? You should lead the NDP.”

Let’s hear it one more time for Wayne and Irene --- and for Sid Ryan and Marie Kelley!

What makes them strong leaders is what makes many of you leaders in your communities and your workplaces:  Never forgetting who you represent and the challenges they face – especially today, especially in the midst of an economic crisis, the weight of which continues to be borne by Canadian workers and their families.

Comme Lewis Cook, qui a travaillé pendant 40 ans pour une compagnie de pâtes et papiers à Marathon, en Ontario, jusqu’à ce qu’il prenne sa retraite en 1996. M. Lewis a su récemment qu’il pourrait perdre plusieurs de ses prestations de retraite puisque la compagnie a sous-financé sa caisse de retraite.

Or Nortel workers like Don Sproule who is still fighting alongside more than 17,000 others to keep their pensions intact.

Il y a des dizaines de milliers de personnes à travers le pays qui vivent la même chose qu’eux. Et à moins que nous prenions des mesures décisives pour reformer l’épargne-retraite au Canada, plusieurs autres citoyens vivront la même chose que lui.

Our retirement savings system is in crisis and if we don’t act now the worst is yet to come. The Canadian Institute of Actuaries estimates that just one in three Canadian households put away enough to cover basic necessities in retirement. Worse still, nearly 300,000 seniors live below the urban poverty line, the majority of whom are women. The C.D. Howe Institute estimates that combining the OAS/GIS and CPP/QPP still leaves the typical retiree more than $2,000 below the urban poverty line.

Bien que les composantes publiques du régime ne suffisent pas toujours, elles ont tout de même été d’une solidité à toute épreuve durant la crise économique. Mais la valeur des RÉER, quant à elle, a diminué de moitié.  Les travailleurs qui ont une caisse de retraite sous-financée ont été laissés derrière à la suite des nombreuses faillites et restructurations d’entreprises.

Faced with a crisis of this severity, what is the Harper government doing? Tinkering at the edges. And the Ignatieff Liberals? They’re still getting their act together and deciding on policy. 

But seniors’ advocates such as CARP are calling for urgent action. The Canadian Labour Congress has made this a top priority. The OFL has raised its voice. Provincial Premiers have expressed a willingness to be part of a solution.

Et mon parti a décidé de relever le défi en présentant cinq propositions concrètes pour réformer notre régime d’épargne-retraite : Deux propositions pour renforcer le régime public et trois pour protéger les travailleurs qui ont une caisse de retraite.

First, let’s help eliminate seniors’ poverty. This may sound like an overly-ambitious goal but it’s actually very achievable. In fact, Statistics Canada put a price tag on it: Closing the “poverty gap” among seniors will cost less than $700 million. So we propose increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement to close the gap and ensure dignity for the seniors who built this country.

So let’s help eliminate seniors poverty – and let’s do it right now.

Second, let’s strengthen the Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan.

Plus de 93 % des Canadiens sont déjà membres. Aucun autre choix n’offre autant d’avantages pour si peu.  Mais les Canadiens et leurs employeurs sont présentement limités dans la façon dont ils contribuent au RPC/RRQ.  Les prestations qu’ils peuvent recevoir sont donc limitées. Nous voulons permettre aux citoyens de contribuer davantage afin que nous puissions doubler graduellement les prestations, en travaillant avec les provinces.

This would increase the top monthly benefit from $908 to $1817, helping to secure a liveable retirement for Canadians. That’s why I was so pleased to hear that this convention passed a motion on Monday calling for expansion of the CPP.

So let’s strengthen public pensions – and let’s do it now.

Third, it’s time for a national system of workplace pension insurance.

We insure our homes and cars – why not our pensions? Even the United States insures pensions, but in Canada, only Ontario has pension insurance and it’s under-resourced and insufficient. We propose a self-financing, mandatory national insurance system funded by the plan sponsors which ensures pension payouts up to $2,500 per month.

Let’s insure workplace pensions – and let’s do it now.

Fourth, let’s ensure that companies in bankruptcy make good on the pensions they owe their workers.

Grâce à notre initiative « Les travailleurs d’abord »  nous avons déjà obtenu une protection pour les salaires impayés lorsque les compagnies déclarent faillite.  Mais lorsque les entreprises déclarent faillite, le sous-financement des régimes de pension, le passif non capitalisé des régimes, n’est pas un créancier prioritaire. Les régimes de pension ne sont rien de moins que des salaires différés impayés et les travailleurs ont le droit de les recevoir.

We’ve tabled a bill – we call it the Nortel Act – that gives workplace pension plans “preferred creditor” status. So workers and retirees are not short-changed on pensions when their employer goes under.

Let’s put pensions at the front of the line – and let’s do it now.

Fifth, let’s create a public facility that can “adopt” orphaned pension plans.

Sometimes in bankruptcies there aren’t enough assets to go around – even with pension plans receiving preferred creditor status. Workplace pension plans may be wound up and converted to low-interest annuities.  But often, retirees would be better served if their pension plans could live on as “going concerns.”  New Democrats propose creating a facility – managed by the CPP Investment Board – to adopt pension plans orphaned in employer bankruptcies.

So let’s keep pension plants afloat – and let’s do it now.

Ces cinq propositions regroupées garantissent que les retraités recevront suffisamment de prestations pour jouir d’une retraite confortable et ces propositions garantissent que les épargnes-retraite sont protégées.

But we’re not expecting swift action from this government. We’re expecting them to drag their heels.

Just look at these shocking revelations of a massive cover-up of the abuse of Afghan detainees transferred to Afghan prisons. It’s taken three years to force this government to account. And it’s now clear that massive cover-up has been perpetrated – one that stains our reputation internationally and puts our soldiers and diplomats at risk.

Let me be clear – we are not accusing our soldiers on the ground. Performing difficult tasks in challenging conditions and, like any well-trained soldiers, followed orders. They detained people who they believed were a threat. That’s not the problem.  The problem is what happened when they were turned over to Afghan intelligence.

It’s clear some detainees were tortured. It’s becoming clear that senior officials knew – and knowingly ordered soldiers to keep handing over detainees, despite the threat of torture. And it seems clear that this government engaged in a massive cover-up. Canadians deserve the truth – and they deserve it now.

Mes amis, nous pouvons et nous devons communiquer haut et fort les enjeux qui nous importent tant.

But we can’t expect action until this government’s feet are held to the fire. We saw that with those first steps in EI reform for long-tenured workers. And together we’ll hold their feet to the fire at the next election.

With a weak Liberal Party, there’s only one choice: the New Democrats. And if you get on the phones and out on the streets, knocking on doors and talking with Canadians; if you spread the word that new thinking is here; if you stand with us, if you fight with us, then I promise you that together we can build a better, fairer Canada – with a government on your side.