Corrections Needed at Winnipeg Sun
Jan 07, 2008
Only Tom Brodbeck of the Winnipeg Sun could go to a protest march and find a pro-government rally.
Brodbeck, in his role as “journalist”, was among the hordes who made their way from the Convention Centre to the Legislature Friday to protest the way the government is mishandling the Correctional Officers contract, and to underline health and safety issues in provincial jails. More than 250 Correctional Officers and supporters took part in the rally, which has resulted in the government agreeing to go back to the table to resume negotiations.
In a column printed in the Sun on Saturday, Brodbeck takes aim at MGEU President Peter Olfert who, he argues, was trying to spare Dave Chomiak from taking criticism from the throngs of Correctional Officers giving him hell over the way his government has bungled contract talks and ignoring health and safety issues.
The following is a snippet from the article:
Like most demonstrations, the minister in charge usually gets an earful from the crowd. And yesterday’s protest was no different.
"We want justice," the officers chanted at Chomiak.
Normally, the union boss joins in, showing solidarity with his members.
Not yesterday. An annoyed-looking Olfert was actually trying to quiet down the crowd, waving his arms in an up-and-down motion.
Guess he thought the crowd was being disrespectful to his buddy.
Never seen that at a union rally before. Whose side is this guy on, anyway?
What it underscores is the dangers of unions supporting political parties.
I had a hand in organizing the rally, and was at the Convention Centre and Legislature before, during and after the march. I had a bird’s eye view of what Olfert said and what he did. I was standing right beside the man.
Brodbeck, on the other hand, was not in the Convention Centre when Olfert instructed Correctional Officers to be loud and make their voices heard. So he also did not witness Olfert and Correctional Officers actually practicing the chants that would greet Chomiak at the Legislature, and chose to ignore Olfert leading the chants against the government in his comments to the crowd. But others who were there know the truth.
Brodbeck states in his article that he was at the top of the steps when the event took place. On the contrary, those who were at the rally report that Brodbeck was at the back of the crowd where he remained for the majority of the event. That’s where I saw him standing, too.
So he didn’t witness Peter Olfert trying to quiet the crowd during the speeches of Liberal leader Jon Gerard and, gasp, Tory Justice critic Gerald Hawranik. He couldn’t have – the crowd was packing in about two feet from the podium.
Nor did he hear Olfert say that he was concerned that protesters were pushing and jostling media with heavy cameras aside from the front of the steps where the speeches were taking place. One has to assume those camera people are Brodbeck’s fellow union brothers and sisters in the CEP – wouldn’t he want those people to work in a safe environment, too?
Brodbeck did come forward to the top steps of the Legislature just prior to Minister Chomiak speaking. I know because I personally saw him come up at that time. Only then did he see Olfert trying to quiet the crowd to allow the speaker to be heard…. like he did for Gerard and Hawranik. It wasn’t just during Chomiak’s speech.
The simple fact of the matter is Tom Brodbeck sees what he wants to see – and it’s often far from accurate (yes, I’m being polite). And he’s about as balanced as an acrobat with an inner ear infection (but not that polite). We need to remember we’re talking about the Winnipeg Sun here.
Tom might want to ask himself why the MGEU would organize a protest rally if we exist (at least in his mind) to support the government?
Why would Olfert encourage Correctional Officers, at the Convention Centre prior to the march, to be loud and boisterous at the Legislature if he really wanted them to show up, shut up, and show respect to the Justice Minister – the guy at the centre of the protest?
What were the Sun’s editors thinking when they printed Rob Nay’s accurate report of what happened directly below Brodbeck’s unfounded rant on page five? “The delay has people steamed,” Olfert is quoted by Nay as telling reporters. The Nay story accurately reports that MGEU has accused the government of acting unethically (which we have said to dozens of media outlets over the past month).
And in Olfert’s own comments to the crowd, he’s quoted in Nay’s story as saying the government “blindsided” its own Corrections Officers.
Peter Olfert also said this in his speech to the assembled crowd: “Instead of investing in its own Manitoba Justice employees, this government chooses to blame the federal government for shortcomings in the justice system. This government chooses photo ops instead of investing more in facilities that fall under its own jurisdiction to deal with overcrowding as Correctional facilities are bursting at the seams.”
With friends like that, who needs enemies? Does that sound to a rational person like someone who’s there to support the government? I think it’s clear whose side Olfert is on, and it isn’t the government’s.
But that’s what Tom Brodbeck would have you believe.
The dilemma in commenting on columns like this is that to do so only serves to give the fabrications and misrepresentations more life. But sometimes knowing the truth isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to set the record straight.
That done, let’s now get on with the job of getting a fair contract for our Correctional Officers. That goal is why we were there in the first place.
Comments
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I wouldn't worry too much about what Tom Brodbeck has to say. Everyone knows that he's anti-union. You only need to look at their other columnists at the Winnipeg Stun to know that he works for an ultra right-wing newspaper. Adrienne Batra? Sam Katz? Dave Angus? Give me a break. You should have left well enough alone and not responded to his garbage.
Kevin s - 2008-01-07 14:46
I was at the rally and I didn't see Olfert trying to quiet anyone down. I couldn't see anything or anyone on the stairs, actually, and the sound on the mikes was pretty crappy. He might have tried to quiet the crowd down, but Mr. Broadbeck is probably out of line. Why would the union organize a protest rally only to try to show support to the Minister? It doesn't make any sense. And I know I've heard interviews where Olfert is pretty critical of the Justice Department over this. Oh well. Whatever ends up gettting us a decent contract, is my thinking. Let's have another march next week!!
Grinder - 2008-01-07 19:30
I was a direct recipient of Olferts request to have the members quiet'n down, but basicly said I would be eaten alive by our members present if I followed up on this. We have been directly or indirectly critical of how we have believed our union being in the hip pocket of the gov't but now nobody will directly or indirectly come right out and say it. Why Not? Is life in the union movement so great that we will not critize our leadership or make them acountable? This event was great, our members on the line made their presence known from the ground up to the leadership we expected. I have to concur with the first respondent...why even bring ourselves to commenting on Broadbecks statements when we have made such broad strides in our labor issues.
Ray - 2008-01-08 17:34
Brodbeck's writing is about as straight as confusion corner. And confusingly backwards is his logic. I am glad that Quebecor World is having financial difficulties. Perhaps the Winnipeg Sun will fold.
David Albert Newman - 2008-01-18 13:57