| About OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHEER |
| CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVES |
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| Proudly Helping Union Families Since 2004 |
| Copyright 2004 |
| 2007 Christmas Food & Toy Campaign |
| MERRY CHRISTMAS and ALL THE BEST IN 2008! DECEMBER 26: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !!!!!!!!!! Christmas Cheer was delivered to all picket-line across Ontario last week. Every Brother and Sister on strike or lock-out received bags of food, toys and or toy gift cards and $100. grocery gift cards. Media coverage was generated in each local community, hot lunch was delivered and spirited were up lifted. 34,172.25 in total has been raised as of today! Operation Christmas Cheers annual Picket-Line Press will be published and mailed the first week of January. If you do not receive your copy, please email your mailing address to casandra@operationcheer.com. DECEMBER 19: OCC ANGELS ON THEIR WAY TO GUELPH & GERALDTON $27,047 has been raised as of this morning. By the end of today, every single Ontario local on strike or lock out and each of their active members walking a picket-line, will receive bags of food, grocery gift cards and toys for their children donated in kind by organized labour. Over 95 union locals, committees and Labour Councils from Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, NWT and Montana USA have answered OCC's call and made donations to help union families in need. Check back soon...more good news to come! DECEMBER 15: CHRISTMAS CHEER IS READY TO DELIVER $21,381 in donations have arrived via mail. Over the next 5 days OCC will deliver food, grocery gift cards and toys to 230 striking union members in Guelph, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Longlac, Geraldton and Terrace Bay. DECEMBER 9: HALF WAY TO OUR GOAL OF $19,400 $10,587 in donations has arrived in the mail and another $1,200 has been pledged by locals from all across the province. DECEMBER 2: CHEER SPREADS TO EVERY CORNER OF THE PROVINCE As of this morning $3,035 in donations has arrived in the mail and another $6,000 has been pledged by locals from all across the province. We are almost half way to our goal. There are only 14 days left to fundraise for 284 union families before we deliver to the picket-lines. Volunteers from across the province are spreading the Cheer by informing their Brothers & Sisters, unions, councils, committees and politicians of our Christmas food and toy drive. There was much support from many locals at the OFL convention last week. The CEP Caucus passed the hat was able to raise over $2,000 with CEP Ontario matching it! The ONA is collecting toys, PSAC locals in London have rallied by collecting food, toys and making donations in full force! |
| November 16, 2007 Dear Brothers and Sisters, How do you think you’d feel if your employer refused to talk/bargain, you were locked out or forced out on strike, and you were approaching your 2nd Christmas on the picket-line? Right now, 194 of our Brothers and Sisters from two Ontario locals are facing those exact harsh conditions. They are struggling to make ends meet without any hope of returning to work before Christmas. There is no doubt that they are in hardship and that their struggles, are all of labours struggle. Operation Christmas Cheer is respectfully asking your local, union, committee,council or region to take action and support USW 1-2693 and CEP 37x. OCC has pledged to provide traditional Christmas dinners to their 194 union families (as well as any other local who may go out on strike/lock-out before Christmas). Our Brothers and Sisters have shown incredible strength, courage, and determination in their battle with a management, whose corporate agenda and concession demands are shocking and morally unacceptable. United Steelworkers - USW Local 1-2693 - Thunder Bay, Geraldton, Terrace Bay and Longlac. 90 members have been on strike against Neenah Paper since February 2006 – 21 months. The main issue is contracting out. The employer continues to use scab labour and their tactics have divided communities. Communications, Energy and Paper Workers of Canada - CEP Local 37x Timmins. 104 members have been locked out by Grant Forest Products since September 2006 – 15 months. The main issue is contracting out and seniority with a company clause terminating members who’ve been laid off. The employer has used scab labour. Every dollar raised and each can of food or toy collected by OCC goes directly into the hands of our Brothers and Sisters walking the picket-lines and the communities in which we live. All monetary contributions collected are used to purchase grocery gift cards (from unionized grocery stores when possible) for active union families collecting strike pay during the holidays. OCC will travel from Ottawa to Northern Ontario to deliver Labours Christmas Cheer to the picket-lines on December 17th (snowstorm date Dec 21st). We have 4 weeks or 30 days to make this happen so your immediate attention is requested. You can make a difference in someone’s life this Christmas by getting involved and showing support in the following ways:
All donation checks can be made payable to Operation Christmas Cheer, USW 1-2693 or CEP 37x. Please DO NOT make checks payable to CEP 247. The goal is to raise a $100 grocery gift card for each member so they can buy their own traditional Christmas dinner for their family. The staff reps from each local will help coordinate the purchase of all grocery cards. You can mail or courier any amount you are able to donate by December 21st to; Operation Christmas Cheer c/o CEP Local 247 – Secretary Treasurer 101 Lockhaven Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K2J 5L5
November 19 to December 14 Food and Toy Drop Off Locations The organizations listed below have graciously donated space within their offices for the 2007 Operation Christmas Cheer food and toy collection. Ottawa: Ottawa and District Labour Council - 280 Metcalfe Street, Suite 500 Greater: Toronto and York Region Labour Council-15 Gervais Drive, Suite 407 Toronto Central Ontario Building Trades – 2088 Westin Road Area CEP Ontario - CEP Local 975 Union Hall - 975 Kennedy Road London: AIL Canada – 557 Southdale Road E, Suite 202 Timmins: Timmins and District Labour Council – OPSEU Regional Office, 425 Algonquin Blvd E Thunder Bay: Thunder Bay and District Labour Council - 929 Fort William Road, Room 6 Keewatin: Kenora and District Labour Council - 309-6th Street Food and toys collected will be used to make the Christmas food bags for the 194 union families on strike/lockout this Christmas. Any food or toys left over will be donated to your local community food bank/Salvation Army in the name of organized labour. A template of a sample food drive flyer for your local can be downloaded at www.operationcheer. com . Weekly updates of the dollar amounts raised and cans of food/toys collected, will be posted on the website; www. operationcheer.com. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at (613) 301-2988 or email casandra@operationcheer.com if you’ve any questions. Picket-line solidarity is one of the foundations of trade unionism where the smallest acts of kindness, encouragement, and support give members the strength needed to continue the fight for a fair settlement. I’d like to thank you all in advance for any show of support and kindness towards these union families facing adversity. In Solidarity, Casandra _ Casandra Robinson Founder Operation Christmas Cheer www.OperationCheer.com |
| a non-profit organization |