Socialist Action is shocked and saddened by the news that Sister Megan Whitfield passed away on May 24 at 52 years young. Megan, a loving mother and grandmother, a proud daughter of Jamaica, was the former President of the Toronto Local of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and a frequently scheduled speaker at SA gatherings. This departure of a beautiful sister, dedicated to the interests of the working class, is a huge loss to her family and friends, to CUPW and the entire labour movement, to whom we send our heartfelt condolences.
WEBCAST – Socialism 2020, an international education conference online Saturday, June 6, with sessions at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
4 p.m. Capitalism is the Virus – pandemic, climate change, economic ruin and authoritarianism,
France – Caroline Gaujard, a member of Anticapitaliste et Revolution, Nouveau Parti Anti-capitaliste in France.
Italy – Michela Guardigli, member, National Women’s Commission, Communist Workers’ Party (PCL), Italy.
USA – Lisa Luinenberg, Political Committee, SA-USA.
Canada – Daniel Tarade, SA-Canada member and science doctoral student at University of Toronto.
6:30 p.m. System in Crisis – A Working Class Vision for the Future,
Emily Steers, Socialist Action Canada activist, and Public Service Alliance, Local 902 member.
Jeff Mackler, SA-USA candidate for President.
Yves Engler, author, activist and leading critic of Canada’s foreign policy.
John Clarke, founding member of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.
For more information, including links to past webcasts and other videos, go regularly to: http://www.socialistaction.ca
For answers to your specific questions, and/or to join Socialist Action, write to: socialistactioncanada@gmail.com
On May 16, Palestinians and their allies around the world will mark the 72nd anniversary of the Nakba (The Catastrophe), the culmination of the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes by Zionist forces.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we will mark the occasion over Zoom! We have a great lineup of speakers and a list of endorsing organizations that we’ll announce in the coming days.
This year we’re strongly urging the Canadian government to break the siege on Gaza as medical supplies are urgently needed, now more than ever, as the spread of COVID19 would result in a humanitarian disaster.
We also condemn in the strongest possible terms the looming annexation of parts of the West Bank by the incoming Israeli goverment.
Featured speakers:
★ Zahia El-Masri, Fondation canado-palestinienne du Québec
★ Yafa Jarrar, human rights lawyer
★ Badee’ Dwaik, Human Rights Defenders تجمع المدافعين عن حقوق الانسان, Hebron
★ Leila Al Ali, Association Najdeh, Lebanon
★ Haneen Zaqout, We Are Not Numbers, Gaza
★ Hammam Farah, Palestine House – البيت الفلسطيني
★ Sheryl Nestel, Independent Jewish Voices Toronto
★ Barry Weisleder, Socialist Action Canada
★ Sid Ryan, Former President, Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL)
★ Dave Bleakney, CUPW STTP
★ Dirka Prout, London North Centre NDP candidate
★ Mohammad Ali, Socialist hip-hop
Our demands include:
Lift the siege on Gaza
Right of return for Palestinian refugees
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel (BDS)
End the occupation
Tear down the Apartheid Wall
Rejection of the IHRA defenition of anti-semitism (anti-Zionism is not antisemitism)
Contact:
Palestinian Canadian Community Centre – Palestine House
palestiniancanadians@gmail.com
Webcast 34th Annual SA Celebration of International Workers’ Day, Saturday, May 2, 7 p.m.with a number of speakers and entertainers, chaired by Elizabeth Byce.
with guest speakers:
John Clarke, co-founder, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.
Naila Saeed, Indocanadians4humanity.
Dirka Prout, co-chair of NDP Women’s Council, member of Socialist Caucus steering ctte.
Yvonne Hanson, climate justice activist and SA leading member in Vancouver, B.C.
Luis Acuna Cedeno, Charge D’Affaires, Venezuela Embassy.
Jeff Mackler, SA USA national secretary and its candidate for President.
Hammam Farah, Executive member, Palestine House.
Nigel Barriffe, Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.
A message from the Cuban Consul General in Toronto
Barry Weisleder, Federal Secretary, Socialist Action.
M.C.: Elizabeth Byce, federal Treasurer, NDP Socialist Caucus, and retired member of the Toronto Local, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Celebrate with entertainers: HOTCHA! with Beverly Kreller and Howard Druckman; James Gordon, singer/songwriter, playwright, community activist, Guelph City Councillor, and theatre director; poets Giovanna Riccio and George Elliot Clarke; the SPECIAL INTEREST group; Glen Hornblast, folk singer on the social justice scene; Bill Heffernan; Emily Steers, music student and soprano, and YC Lee, operatic singer.
You can watch and listen to the show live-stream by clicking on it at the SA website http://www.socialistaction.ca or enjoy it later via the SA YouTube channel.
For more information, including links to past webcasts and other videos, go regularly to: http://www.socialistaction.ca
For answers to your specific questions, and/or to join Socialist Action, write to: socialistactioncanada@gmail.com
RALLY FOR A STAY-HOME STRIKE TO SECURE FULL COMPENSATION FOR ALL AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Fight Capitalism!
Workers of the World and Oppressed Peoples Unite!
Toronto Education Workers/CUPE4400 and the newly formed Labour May Day Committee have decided to take the lead on organizing a May Day rally in Toronto on Friday, May 1st, 2020. The International Day of the Worker, also known as May Day, is a holiday celebrated by hundreds of millions around the world in commemoration of the workers who died in the struggle for the eight hour work day.
Last year we successfully organized this historic day of international workers’ solidarity with significant involvement from the labour movement. We intend to strengthen this tradition going forward. Please let us know if your organization would like to join the Labour May Day Committee and make this rally a success.
Tentative Plan:
5:00 p.m., Friday May 1
The rally will go on—online or otherwise. Details TBD. Follow @LabourMay1 (Twitter) or bit.ly/2VPQwMy (Facebook) for updates.
If you want a representative to speak and to endorse the event, contact this page or the Labour May Day Committee on Facebook. You can also call/text 416-320-0080 or email bruno.petraglia@cupe4400.org and he will add you.
List of endorsers for May Day Rally 2020:
ATU Local 113
Canadian Freelance Union/Syndicat canadien des pigistes
CUPE Local 2
CUPE 2191
CUPE Local 3902
CUPE 3903
CUPE Ontario
Cops Out Of CUPE
Justice For Janitors SEIU Local 2
Official OPSEU Region 3
Opseu Region 5 31 Wellesley St.
OSBCU – CSCSO
OSSTF Toronto
Toronto Education Workers / Local 4400
UNITE HERE Local 75
Council of Iranian Refugees and Immigrants in Toronto
Fightback
Free Them Now ! Stöd fängslade arbetaraktivister i Iran.
Labour Fightback
Left-Worker Communist Party of Iraq
Socialist Action
Worker-Communist Party of Iran (WPI)
Worker’s Action Movement (WAM)
NDP Socialist Caucus
John Clarke – member of Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP Toronto)
Mike Layton – Toronto City Councillor – Ward 11
