Professor Matthew Rowlinson’s commentary on the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) lockout was an excellent summary of the plight of workers at the London plant, and an important call to action for university faculty, staff and students (“No social value without social responsibility,” Jan. 12).
I would like to add, in addition to urging the university to divest itself of Caterpillar stock, we also participate in the Day of Action against Caterpillar, which takes place 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at Victoria Park. This rally is being organized in support of EMD workers by the Ontario Federation of Labour. It would also be useful to contact our elected representatives and urge them to pass both federal and provincial anti-scab legislation.
As Rowlinson said, “We cannot ask society to respect and value our labour if we are not willing to accord respect in return to the men and women on the line at EMD, who are being tossed aside by their employer like commodities that can be replaced by cheaper foreign substitutes.”
Mary Kosta
Graduate student
Faculty of Information and Media Studies