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after 13 years at the helm of theToronto and York Region Labour Council, Linda Torney is stepping down. Her successor will be chosen in November. So far, two candidates with very different perspectives on labour activism have stepped into the ring.
In the red corner is Helen Kennedy, chair of the Metro Network for Social Justice (MNSJ), a CUPE activist and Communist Party of Canada member.
In the blue corner is John Cartwright, manager of the Toronto-Central Ontario Building and Construction Trades Council. While both support making common cause with grassroots social activists, they don’t see eye to eye on everything.
Cartwright supported the city’s failed 2008 Olympic bid. Kennedy was part of the Bread Not Circuses opposition. He says he supported the Games in the hopes that the city could realize progressive spinoffs like more affordable housing.
Kennedy, however, says the Olympics would have been a disaster.
Torney, meanwhile, intends to stay clear of the fray. She notes that whoever wins will have his or her hands full just building consensus among member unions
