Quote of the week:

"I don't know anybody. I'm a stranger in my own home city." - Former Montrealer William Shatner, lamenting that none of his childhood friends are still around, in Tuesday's Gazette. The 72 year old was in town to collect an honorary ACTRA award.

Gildan axes would-be unionizers

Montreal-based apparel giant Gildan Activewear is once again being accused of violating worker rights at its manufacturing plants in Central America.

"They fired 38 people in Honduras because they tried to unionize [in November 2002]," says Pierre Leduc, public relations officer for the Fonds de solidarité de la Fédération des travailleurs du Québec.

On November 12, the FTQ announced plans to sell its 11-per-cent stake in the company - worth about $90-million - and withdraw its representative from Gildan's board of directors after Gildan refused to reinstate the 38 workers. The FTQ say they'd tried for a year, without success, to have the workers reinstated.

In response to the FTQ's decision, Gildan issued a statement "vigorously" contesting charges of union busting, and pointing to its record of certification by industry monitoring groups.

The statement called the problem "an isolated event involving a small group of workers," but Lynda Yanz of the Toronto-based Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) says she continues to receive calls from workers who claim they've been fired for involvement in union activities.

"In the last couple of weeks we've received information that there has been a new round of firings related to organizing," she says.

The MSN, which recently published a report detailing worker grievances at Gildan's Central American factories, is one of a number of groups calling on Gildan to open up its facilities for an independent audit. » Christopher Hazou

Ticketing street kids

Community workers sought smoking gun evidence of police harassment of itinerant youth and they say it's in the form of a big ugly pile of tickets. Since June, around 30 social groups have been collecting and analyzing tickets given to street youth. They amassed 689 tickets handed out to 354 marginals for small infractions that are regularly tolerated when committed by wealthier individuals.

Thirty-seven per cent of tickets were handed out in Montreal Transit Community facilities, and three variations of the anti-squeegie bylaw - blocking traffic and so forth - accounted for 36.2 per cent of tickets doled out. Meanwhile, 13 per cent of those ticketed were nailed for being in a park after closing hours. According to Bernard St. Jacques of homeless aid group RAPSIM, jaywalking tickets were common: "For example a 22 year old was simultaneously given five tickets for a variety of purported jaywalking violations one afternoon at Berri and Ste-Catherine E.," says St. Jacques. "In another, a 24 year old received $546-worth of tickets in three months for panhandling motorists."

He says it's all proof that cops aren't working well enough with social workers. "There's a big contradiction in what they both are doing and this is the first time we've collected proof to analyze the problem."

Ticketing youth doesn't help anyone, he says. "The great majority don't pay, and extremely often they end up in jail. It doesn't work for the person or society because they end up with the heavy weight of the judicial system on their heads and it prevents them from improving their lives or integrating into society." » Kristian Gravenor

Jazzing up social justice

The subtleties of jazz may escape some, but nobody needs a particularly fine-tuned ear to understand issues like environmental protection, youth homelessness and social justice. So music fans and people looking to get in on the Christmas spirit early can enjoy this Saturday's benefit concert for environmental group Équiterre at the Unitarian Church of Montreal (UCM).

This is actually the second in a series of five concerts whose proceeds will be split with the UCM and various local do-gooder groups. The series was organized by John Inder, the former president of the UCM's congregation, present member of the church's music committee and jazz fan. He's also rumoured, according to the UCM's director of music Sandra Hunt, to play a mean classical guitar.

"The Unitarian Church is heavily involved in social justice and ecological issues, and we think this is a good way to promote the two things John loves, jazz and charity," Hunt says. The UCM was also behind the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, which raises money for soup kitchens and food-focused community groups. "So there's a bit of a tradition of amalgamating art and social justice issues," Hunt says.

The concert takes place this Saturday, Nov. 29, at the Unitarian Church of Montreal (5035 de Maisonneuve W., metro Vendôme) at 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $25, or $20 for pensioners and students. For more info, visit www.ucmtl.ca/jazz. » Patrick Lejtenyi

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

17 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
Nov. 27-Dec. 17, 1986

On the cover: Cover bands, as the Mirror looks at various bands cashing in on looking and sounding like classic rock greats. The phenomenon is big here, perhaps for demographic reasons. "In places like Toronto, New York or L.A., there's just too much to do and people hardly know we're there at all," says Michael White, singer for Zeppelin cover band The White. "In Montreal, however, it's not so big and so when we come, we're one of the main attractions."

• Albert Nerenberg looks at the young and homeless (the "Underthirdeez") in Montreal. He discovers a world of glue sniffing, police violence and a shelter system that excludes young homeless women. "The Salvation Army's men's hostel can sleep 270 men. The Salvation Army's Women's Residence has 12 beds," he writes.

• "I paint in this film 15 years of feminist reflections about what Love is," says West German filmmaker Jutta Brückner of her film One Look - And Love Breaks Out, premiering at the Cinémama film fest.

Angel >> Chez Maryjane This weekend, the Bloc Pot will be opening Chez Maryjane, Montreal's first cannabis café. Kind of. It's not really a café in the strictest sense of the word - coffee will be served, yes, but, because the establishment isn't licensed as a commercial venue, patrons are asked for donations for coffee and admission. They also say Chez Maryjane will be a place to discuss ideas, education, harm reduction and the law (it's also a good place to find lawyers). No pot is for sale, but they promise not to crack down on anyone should a joint be lit. The opening party is on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 950 Rachel E. at 11:30 a.m.
Insect >> Montreal's snail-pace green policy It's been almost two years since the Tremblay administration was elected, and environmentalists are still wondering when the city will fulfill its green promises. Only 3.3 per cent of the city's territory is protected, even though provincial and international standards call for eight per cent protection. Delays in protection mean that more land is susceptible to private selling, leasing and development. The problem, the city says, is lack of funds, something that may be addressed when the administration unveils its 2004 budget on Thursday, Nov. 27.