No one is sad to see 2022 go. Our hopes are for a brighter and better 2023. A happy, healthy and revolutionary New Year from Socialist Action in the Canadian-state
Happy Revolutionary New Year 2023 From Socialist Action
Year: 2022
Socialist Action 2023 Fund Appeal: Invest in the Struggle
News flash: Generous supporters pledged close to $3,000 in the first week of this campaign. Will you join them now? Now that another year of pandemic is behind us, it is time for us at Socialist Action to reflect on the year that was 2022, and to replenish our resources. The aim of this New Year’s Fund Appeal is to raise over $7,000 between now and February 28, 2023, to enable Socialist Action Canada to rise to the challenges ahead. We seek to enlist your support for our efforts to build a larger, more effective, non-sectarian, socialist working class party.
“The entire labor movement in the province was ready for a general strike”
It is with a little delay that we return here to a mobilization of education staff at the beginning of November and publish the content of the interview granted to us by Julius Arscott, member of the executive committee of the union of employees of the Ontario Public Service.
Socialist Action Digest, December 2022
On the domestic political landscape, the biggest development in the Fall was the two-day walkout by CUPE-Ontario education workers. They boldly defied a law pre-emptively banning strike action. CUPE and allies, including the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union, forced the Thug Ford Conservative government to rescind Bill 28 and its use of the notwithstanding clause to violate the Charter of Rights.
Radical Vancouver Politics — The Birth of Vote Socialist
On May 1st, 2022, a new united front electoral alliance launched in Vancouver. With demands to defund the Vancouver Police Department, build public housing, and to tax big corporations, Vote Socialist ran a five month whirlwind of a campaign that netted its three candidates — Sean Orr for city council, Dr. Karina Zeidler for school board, and Andrea Pinochet-Escudero for park board — a combined 45,000 votes. This is the story of how Vote Socialist came to be.
Tout le mouvement syndical de la province était prêt à une grève générale
C’est avec un peu de retard que nous revenons ici, sur une mobilisation du personnel de l’éducation au début novembre et publions le contenu de l’interview que nous a accordée Julius Arscott, membre de la commission exécutive du syndicat des employés de la fonction publique de l’Ontario. Ce mouvement a été remarquable par la pression mise par les syndiqués sur leur direction syndicale, pour ne pas faire de concessions au patronat dans un contexte d’inflation (5,6 %). L’autre trait remarquable a été la solidarité de tout le mouvement syndical envers les travailleurs de l’éducation. Une révolte… qui en appelle d’autres !
Bill Onasch 1942 – 2022 – Working Class Hero, Stalwart Revolutionary Socialist
Bill Onasch was a working class hero who awakened to the class struggle in the repressive 1950s. Bus driver, Litton Microwave factory employee, local union leader, Bill embodied the idea of the “organic intellectual of the working class.”
Behind Sam Bankman-Fried’s Cryptocurrency Crash
Thirty-year-old “wonder boy” Sam Bankman-Fried (often called SBF) was, at $21 billion, among the richest men on earth. Until a month ago, he was CEO of the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, FTX—valued at $32 billion. On the cover of Forbes and Fortune magazines, he was touted as a financial genius akin to Berkshire Hathaway’s billionaire financier, industrial magnate, and “philanthropist” Warren Buffett. But SBF’s FTX filed for bankruptcy in early November. A competitor, CoinDesk, apparently hacked its financial balance sheet and made it public, revealing grave discrepancies between FTX’s claimed worth and the reality of its investment portfolio. All hell broke lose as investors ran for the hills. In a matter of days most of FTX’s $32 billion evaporated.
Socialist Action | Looking back at 2022, and Going Forward in Struggle
Socialist Action is a growing revolutionary workers’ party that puts a great emphasis on political education. At the same time, SA is an activist organization. It has many practical accomplishments to its credit, including achievements in local elections, in building a fighting left wing inside mass working class organizations, and in promoting international solidarity. From Iran to Haiti, from Britain to Ontario, 2022 has been a year of revolt against austerity, authoritarianism, and repression.
New Brunswick Artists in Survival Mode
If you were a New Brunswick artist would you be able to eat well and drive a functional car? Would you be able afford day care for your children or receive a pension? Would you be able to establish a viable business based on selling your art? Probably, the answer to all of the above, and more, is No. According to Future First, a report of the Premier's task force released last year, artists in NB face economic insecurity with job instability, low income and a limited regulatory framework. The report was debated by dozens of artists at a contemporary arts conference in Saint John, NB in late October 2022, titled "Future Possible." It was, perhaps, the first opportunity for artists to confer in person about the report which was released last year.
Nationalize the Irving Empire – Why Socialists Demand It
The policy of the Socialist Caucus includes nationalization of the Irving Empire, under workers’ and Indigenous control. In practice, and by being true to our working class roots, we will change New Brunswick and the world for the better.
Announcing the Municipal Socialist Alliance Shadow Council
After the 7th MSA convention on Monday, Nov. 21, the MSA announced our shadow council on Wednesday, Nov. 23. A group of MSA candidates and supporters visited city hall for the beginning of a new term of Toronto city council. We intended to hold a press conference outside of Mayor John Tory's office to announce the formation of the MSA shadow council and to observe the first session of city council.
Socialist Digest: School Support Staff Rock the Casbah in Ontario
On the domestic landscape, the biggest development in November 2022 was the two-day walkout by CUPE-Ontario education support workers. They defied a law that pre-emptively banned strike action. CUPE and allies, including OPSEU, forced the Thug Ford Conservative government to rescind Bill 28 and its use of the notwithstanding clause to violate the federal Charter of Rights. CUPE school workers still do not have a deal to enable them to rise above poverty wages. But everyone knows that Ontario was, as Socialist Action labour leader Julius Arscott put it, 30 minutes away from a general strike. The struggle continues!
Verified Twitter Fakes and Contradictions of Capital
On Nov. 10, Eli Lilly, one of three pharmaceutical companies that collectively dominate the global insulin market, tweeted out, “we are excited to announce that insulin is free now.” With the adorned blue check, normally an indicator of a verified…
Read More Verified Twitter Fakes and Contradictions of Capital
Labour Defeats Doug Ford’s Anti-Democratic Bill 28 with Threat of Ontario General Strike!
Fifty-five thousand education support workers, members of CUPE Ontario School Boards Council of Unions, took mass strike action, labelled illegal, on Friday, November 4th after the Ontario Conservative government of Premier Doug Ford passed Bill 28.
30 Minutes to a General Strike with OPSEU SEFPO Executive Board Member Julius Arscott
We were 30 minutes away from a call for a general strike. 30 minutes. RankandFile leaked it, and militants with exec positions in large unions confirmed — at 10 a.m. on Monday, November the 7th, multiple large unions with the backing of the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress were going to announce a general strike. This is the story of how we got to that point. Hosts Emily and Daniel recount that events that led this labour movement to precipice of historic mass job action — the OSBCU strike, Bill 28, and OPSEU solidarity wildcat actions. They are joined by Julius Arscott, a three-term OPSEU SEFPO Executive Board Member and 2021 candidate for President of the Canadian Labour Congress, who shares what happened behind the scenes and why a general strike is closer than in a very long time.
Socialist Action Joins Cross-Country Demonstrations in Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en Self-Determination.
On Saturday, November 5th, numerous Indigenous activists and land defenders, along with settler allies, took part in a nation wide demonstration in solidarity support for the people of Wet’suwet’en.
Socialist Action Rallies with Thousands at Queen’s Park in Solidarity Support of CUPE Ontario
Opposition to the bully tactics of the Ontario Conservative government is growing. Premier Ford's Bill 28, which not only bans a strike by 55,000 school support worker but imposes a wage settlement without arbitration or any further negotiation, is an outrage to millions, including most of the labour movement inside and outside Ontario. On November 4, well over 10,000 people rallied at Queen's Park, and marched repeatedly around the provincial legislature in defiance of the Draconian law. A wide range of unions and other working class organizations came to the defense of CUPE-Ontario and the right to strike. This included LiUNA, which had endorsed Ford and the Tories in the June 2, 2022 provincial election, UNIFOR, the largest private sector union which is outside the CLC, and a host of other labour bodies.
Socialist Action Calls For an Ontario General Strike to Dump Thug Ford
The democratic right to strike is at stake as confrontation escalates between 55,000 Ontario school support workers and the Conservative government of Doug Ford. Rallies, protests, and walk-outs are the order of the day as provincial Tories use bully tactics to perpetuate poverty wages. Socialist Action Canada and the Workers’ Action Movement urge everyone to gather at Queen’s Park in front of the Ontario Legislature on Friday, November 4, at 11 a.m. to defend the right to strike.
RBC CEO Dave McKay given Climate Villain of the Year Award at Recent Toronto Demonstration
Knock knock, who's there? Climate villain of the year. On Thursday, climate activists from the University of Toronto, Banking on a Better Future, Climate Justice TO, and Stand.Earth participated in a demonstration to disrupt the Ivey Business School's presentation to RBC CEO Dave McKay with the 'Business Leader of the Year Award' Demonstrators presented McKay with an award of their own, the highly disdained 'Climate Villain of the Year Award,' which the RBC executive won in near won hands down. The Royal Bank of Canada has profited from climate chaos to the tune of more than $263 billion dollars in fossil fuel investment, including the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that is currently being constructed on the unseeded sacred Indigenous territory of the Wet'suwet'en people.