Thursday, July 22, 7 p.m. Eastern Time – “Heat – B.C. on Fire”, with Flo Schade on Wet'suwet'en territory, Gene McGuckin of Eco-socialists of Vancouver, and Gary Porter, SA BC organizer. Link: https://youtu.be/6383UTNV4K4
This is an important discussion on the state of the Left in Canada, and on the movement for Eco-socialism. In terms of strategy, it has implications for the very future of humanity and nature.
First of all, I want to congratulate Dimitri Lascaris. He waged an amazing campaign that rallied thousands of people to Eco-socialist ideas. That is a testament to Dimitri’s consummate skills as a superb organizer and an articulate proponent of radical socio-economic change.
In the end, the Green Party selected the most conservative, pro-capitalist candidate who ran to be its Leader. In interviews with the mass media, Annamie Paul emphasized her identity, instead of highlighting her policy ideas. Like her predecessor and major backer, Elizabeth May, Paul’s ideas conform to the tired old Green Party outlook on private ownership of the economy, not to mention its general support for Ottawa’s pro-imperialist foreign policy.
On July 13, 2021 Socialist Action members joined in solidarity with 40 ACORN activists to protest the policies of the big banks. The Toronto action was part of a cross-country set of rallies to demand lowering NSF (Not Sufficient Funds) penalties from $45 to $10, waiving the minimum bank balance of $4000 to end discriminatory fees and stopping the financing of predatory lenders like EasyFinancial. In the heart of downtown Toronto, the march for fair banking touched major financial institutions in the Bay and King street zone.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are not weak people, but we are tired. We have lived through countless economic downturns, depressions, hard times, and encountered many other hurdles. Through all this, we have been on the receiving end of shredded government safety nets and horrible, crippling cuts. Our healthcare has suffered greatly, leaving us with some of the worst emergency room wait times in the country, ranging from 4 to 8 hours before we get to see a doctor. Hospitals here remain cruelly understaffed, leaving many people in a situation of "why bother" when it comes to their health. Many elderly people here must be forced by family to go see the doctor, as the wait times and hurdles, such as travel and cost, are prohibitive. These are critical barriers to early treatment of what for many will eventually be life-threatening or even life-ending illness. Considering our aging population, our medical services are grossly underfunded and understaffed compared to what would be truly required for them to function properly.
The Workers' Action Movement joined the OPSEU Local 5117 picket line on Monday, July 12, at 480 University Avenue in downtown Toronto. The building pictured below houses the management law firm that is obstructing negotiations and prolonging the strike of the Black Creek Community Health Center workers. They demand the 1 per cent wage increase, in each of three years, guaranteed by provincial law.
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