Latest news with #LauraWalton
Metro
6 hours ago
- General
- Metro
Zoo kills 12 baboons because there wasn't enough space
Twelve baboons were shot dead at a German zoo because there was not enough space in their enclosure. Tiergarten Nürnberg zoo has sparked outcry from animal rights groups after culling the healthy animals and feeding them to predators. Animal rights groups fear that apes and monkeys could be culled in the UK as zoos struggle with overpopulation. The Guinea baboons had continued to breed and breed despite the zoo implanting contraceptives in the females. As the number of animals reached over 40, which is 25 more than the supposed limits inside the complex, they began to fight more. The zoo said they had no option to kill the baboons after no alternative housing could be found, despite other zoos offering to take them on. The baboons were then shot individually with a bullet. The females were first examined under anaesthesia to check if they were pregnant, a process which killed two females before they would have been shot. There are not 26 alive baboons left, which is still three too many. The zoo's director Dag Encke called the culling a 'legitimate last resort to preserve the population' after 'yearslong consideration' of how to solve the problem. But animal rights groups are up in arms over the decision after many chained themselves to the baboon enclosure over the weekend. Protestors climbed over the zoo's fence on Tuesday after it closed for a day. Now, the Tiergarten Nürnberg faces the prospect of criminal investigation after 100 criminal complaints were received by the city's prosecutor's office. The Nuremberg zoo is not the only one to kill healthy animals. Many zoos specifically breed animals for feeding to lions, tigers and other large carnivores. The German Animal Welfare Association calls it 'common practice' for surplus zoo animals to be killed and given to other animals to munch on. Laura Walton, campaigns manager at Freedom for Animals, told Metro that 'healthy animals are routinely killed across the zoo industry when they are deemed 'surplus' to requirements'. Chris Lewis, Born Free's Captivity Research and Policy Manager told Metro he feared the 'tragic situation' at Tiergarten Nürnberg could be repeated in UK zoos due to overpopulation. 'Sadly animals in zoos are treated as commodities that are replaceable.' Lewis said UK zoos, as well as those in Europe, are struggling with having 'too many male' orangutans, chimpanzees and other monkeys in their breeding programmes. He added: 'They are struggling with where to put them. 'One of the options is that they may face a future where they are culled as well. He said this overpopulation is being caused because zoos are housing these species in social structures' not replicated in the wild. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), which co-ordinates the breeding programme in Europe, permits zoos to cull animals under a number of conditions. This includes, when an animal population's demographic or genetic viability is at risk, when an animal is disruptive to the social group or poses a threat to human safety. More Trending 'The viability of the overall population may, under certain conditions, take precedence over the right to life of a specific individual animal,' their policy statement adds. Guinea baboons are endangered animals, with around 280 living in ten European zoos. They live in the wild across African countries Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Mali. But taking the animals back to Africa was not an option, because they'd introduce germs that would have killed off the already wild baboons. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Radioactive wasp nest is found at former US nuclear bomb site MORE: Former Barcelona midfielder in hospital after dog bit his genitals MORE: Herd of wild donkeys aiming kicks and ransacking bins in New Forest village
National Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Leading Labour Groups and Deaf Organizations Question Canadian Hearing Services Rating as Strike Drags On
Article content TORONTO — With Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians still desperately without services, community allies, labour groups, and elected leaders have delivered an open letter to Accreditation Canada questioning the high rating received by Canadian Hearing Services (CHS). Article content The letter reads, in part: 'The situation at CHS has been deteriorating for years, a decline felt not only by workers but also by clients. […] These problems are not minor. They are structural. And they are the result of a leadership model that has consistently prioritized executive pay and centralized control over staff well-being and service delivery.' Article content Along with hundreds of community members, high profile signatories include: Article content Marit Styles, Leader, Ontario NDP Laura Walton, President, Ontario Federation of Labour Fred Hahn, President, CUPE Ontario JP Hornick, President, OPSEU/SEFPO Tamara Witcher, President, OSSTF D30 representing workers at E.C. Dury, Robarts and Sir James Whitney Schools for the Deaf Patricia Grenier, President, Northern Ontario Association of the Deaf Brad Evoy, Executive Director, Disability Justice Network of Ontario Sherry Caldwell, Founder, Ontario Disability Coalition Les Sicoli, Representative, Ottawa Deaf Seniors Article content CHS first sought the stamp of approval from Accreditation Canada, a respected standards body in the medical community, when Julia Dumanian took over as CEO. Coming from the hospital sector, Dumanian brought a medicalized model to CHS which clients have noted severed ties between the Deaf community and the agency while treating Deafness as a disability instead of an identity. Article content The letter ends with a plea for Accreditation Canada to take into account labour relations at an agency that is currently experiencing its second prolonged service disruption under Dumanian's leadership. Article content 'What does it mean for an agency to receive exemplary standing when Deaf clients are saying they're not having their needs met? It's not just this strike, which CHS forced on workers and CHS has shown zero interest in resolving. For years, CHS has been moving in the wrong direction, putting distance between itself and the Deaf community while undervaluing the very workers who deliver their critical services,' said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario. 'That sentiment among the community CHS is meant to serve should make Accreditation Canada question the agency's rating.' Article content Workers at Canadian Hearing Services, represented by CUPE 2073, have been on strike since April 28. There have been no talks since May 21 with CHS refusing to return to the table. Members remain focused on a fair, multi-year deal that provides stability for workers and improved services for Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
Hamilton Spectator
04-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Watershed moment': Provincial unions are coming together to support northern First Nations protesting Bill 5
As Ontario is expected to pass its controversial Bill 5 through its third and final reading on Wednesday, representatives of organized labour say their fight is only beginning. Members of the Ontario Federation of Labour intend to fill the gallery at 1:30 when the government is expected to pass the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act , a proposal First Nations leaders say will trample their treaty rights to free, prior, and informed consent on major project development. 'I think this is a watershed moment where people will recognize who is fighting for workers and Indigenous peoples: it was us. We are the heroes we've been waiting for,' says OFL president Laura Walton. 'And it's time we actually embrace that and connect with our power and move forward and we can do this – every single one of us.' As members of five more northern First Nations fly to Toronto to rally for Premier Doug Ford to withdraw the bill, Walton is calling for a broad movement to oppose the bill's implementation, including united labour, that will be led by First Nations. Bill 5, the Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act, would introduce 'special economic zones,' inside of which the province can exempt certain 'trusted' developers from environmental and labour laws while overriding any municipal bylaws. Ford has committed to making mining development in the Ring of Fire deposit into the first such zone , despite insistence from First Nations in the area that commitments to proper consultation and restoring basic infrastructure be a precursor to discussions. Walton says the OFL stands with First Nations who demonstrated at Queen's Park on Monday and she sees common ground in the struggle to come. She worries this bill could erase workplace occupational health and safety, regulations in the Skilled Trades Act, and provisions for injured workers under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board .The Progressive Conservative majority government has moved this bill so quickly through the legislative process that the labour movement has been caught off guard. Walton says even developers with whom she has met are unaware of its sweeping power, and that broad worker education and mobilization efforts will be necessary to confront the two-tiered environment for labour laws the bill will introduce. 'This government only reacts to intense and continuous pressure,' she says. 'All of us want development. No one is here to say 'we don't want to be developed, we don't want to be economically prosperous.' Nobody is saying that. What we're saying is, 'you don't have to supersede treaty rights in order to achieve that. You don't have to strip away the rights of workers to achieve that.' 'This is simply a power grab, and you're rushing it through because you know damn well it's a power grab and we're going to be on the other side of it as well.' Representatives of 290,000 Ontario public sector workers voted unanimously to call on the government to scrap the bill at the Canadian Union of Public Employees' annual general meeting in May. Their resolution commits to educate and to mobilize to form, 'the broadest possible coalition to demand the immediate and full withdrawal of this dangerous legislation.' CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn says that before coming to the AGM, the vast majority of his local representatives had never heard of Bill 5. He describes it as 'a fundamental shift in the way we govern in our country' that gives the Premier's office 'unlimited executive power,' pointing out the speed of its passage adds to the shock and confusion the public is experiencing around its implications. 'The government wants us to believe that once they pass a bill, that's the end – it's not,' Hahn says. 'We can monitor what they do, we can resist what they do, we can overturn legislation. There can be court challenges to overturn it. These things have happened in recent history in our province.' Hahn foresees a broad movement forming to confront the implementation of the legislation in which workers will join First Nations out of mutual interest and solidarity. 'It's enormously important that labour and Indigenous leaders are starting to come together. We need to keep going because legislation like this should not stay on the books, period. It's a long game so sure, they have a majority and they can ram through legislation that's fundamentally undemocratic. That's not the end, it is the beginning.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
National Post
28-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Striking Back for Striking Workers: Hundreds of CUPE Ontario Members to Rally Thursday for Fellow Workers
Article content TORONTO — CUPE Ontario members and allies from across the province will march to the Ministry of Labour tomorrow to offer their support and solidarity to fellow members from three separate CUPE locals that are currently on strike. Article content Article content Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario New Democrats, and Laura Walton, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, will also attend the rally to demand a fair deal for the workers. Article content The striking workers are all employees of vastly different employers, but all find themselves facing similar battles with hostile, short-sighted, and ill-intentioned employers who have forced workers into strike action by refusing to bargain meaningfully with their union. Article content CUPE 2073: More than 200 members at Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) have been on strike since April 28, fighting back against low wages that impact the quality and depth of services that Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians receive. Meanwhile, the salary of CHS president and CEO Julia Dumanian topped $340,000 last year. Article content CUPE 1750: In the first-ever strike in their local's history, some 3600 workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) are demanding their employer take steps to reduce the dangerously high workloads that are driving up rates of depression and anxiety among them. WSIB has given rebates of $4 billion to employers this year but won't invest any of the remaining billions of dollars of surplus to improve working conditions for staff. Article content CUPE 5525: A local of 25 personal care assistants at Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged are the most recent to take strike action. This small but dedicated group of twenty-five workers has been fighting for a first collective agreement since 2022. Rather than bargain a fair deal, Villa Colombo has put continuity of care for elderly residents at risk by paying scab labour more than it pays its existing staff. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Business Wire
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Wire
Striking Back for Striking Workers: Hundreds of CUPE Ontario Members to Rally Thursday for Fellow Workers
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Ontario members and allies from across the province will march to the Ministry of Labour tomorrow to offer their support and solidarity to fellow members from three separate CUPE locals that are currently on strike. Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario New Democrats, and Laura Walton, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, will also attend the rally to demand a fair deal for the workers. The striking workers are all employees of vastly different employers, but all find themselves facing similar battles with hostile, short-sighted, and ill-intentioned employers who have forced workers into strike action by refusing to bargain meaningfully with their union. CUPE 2073: More than 200 members at Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) have been on strike since April 28, fighting back against low wages that impact the quality and depth of services that Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing Ontarians receive. Meanwhile, the salary of CHS president and CEO Julia Dumanian topped $340,000 last year. CUPE 1750: In the first-ever strike in their local's history, some 3600 workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) are demanding their employer take steps to reduce the dangerously high workloads that are driving up rates of depression and anxiety among them. WSIB has given rebates of $4 billion to employers this year but won't invest any of the remaining billions of dollars of surplus to improve working conditions for staff. CUPE 5525: A local of 25 personal care assistants at Villa Colombo Homes for the Aged are the most recent to take strike action. This small but dedicated group of twenty-five workers has been fighting for a first collective agreement since 2022. Rather than bargain a fair deal, Villa Colombo has put continuity of care for elderly residents at risk by paying scab labour more than it pays its existing staff.
