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Socialist Action Canada

Socialist Action Canada | Ligue pour L'Action Socialiste

Category: Poverty

SA at POOF protest held August 21 on Toronto’s Yonge Street, south of Dundas

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On Saturday, August 21 dozens of people blocked Toronto's Yonge Street, at Dundas, responding to the call of Protecting ODSP OW Funding (POOF).
For nearly three hours organizer Isabella Gamk told the crowd, including many observing passersby, that Ontario Disability Support Programme is cruelly underfunded and condemns many people to hunger, homelessness, illness and untimely death.  ODSP and OW rates should be doubled.  Decent, affordable housing should be built on a mass scale by the government, by taking control of land development and the construction industry.

Members of Socialist Action participated in the rally and spoke to the gathering, as recorded in the attached video, courtesy of Jon Sanderson, the Canadian Commie.  Have a look.

Video of ACORN and Socialist Action members interviewed at Aug. 14 Yonge Dundas Protest

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On August 14 at Toronto's Dundas Square, and locations across Canada, people rallied to protest the chronic lack of decent, affordable housing.  Clearly, the capitalist 'free' market is not going to solve this problem.  Revolutionary change is required, and it must include: Nationalize the giant landlords, land developers, and the housing construction industry. Let's build publicly-owned, affordable housing on a mass scale, for all who need it. Listen the voices in the housing action video.

Toronto Protest of Police Violence, mass arrests and encampment evictions

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Over two hundred people rallied at Toronto City Hall on July 26 to protest police violence and the arrest of more than two dozen people a week earlier. The brutal cop assault on defenders of an encampment of homeless folks involved the wanton use of truncheons, pepper spray, charges on horseback, punches and choke holds. Among the arrested at 14 Division police station was Corey David, the Socialist Action candidate in the city by-election in Scarborough-Agincourt in January.

Report on ACORN-led protest against big bank fees

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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. 

Newfoundland: Resist the Furey-ous Cuts!

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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.

WEBCAST: The Crisis of Food Insecurity

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Thursday, July 8, 7 p.m. Eastern Time - “The Crisis of Food Insecurity”, with Dr. Tom Baker, a veterinary epidemiologist with 35 years experience in food safety and livestock health, with discussant Hannah MacKellar at the University of Guelph. Host: Elizabeth Byce. Link: https://youtu.be/9cqJlgfF47g

WAM demonstrates solidarity at OPSEU Local 5117 picket line

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A bargaining unit of over 70 workers at the Black Creek Community Health Centre is on strike to demand a pay increase that is mandated by Ontario law.  In 2018 Bill 124 entitled all public sector workers a wage increase of 1 per cent per year, up to a total of three years.  These members of OPSEU Local 5117 want the improvement that workers at community health centers across the Greater Toronto Area received.  They are resisting concession demands by the bosses, who decline to come to the bargaining table and who are operating the Centre with scab labour.

WEBCAST: No COVID Evictions

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Thursday, May 27  4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. EST, "No COVID Evictions" with Rob McBean of Socialist Action and ACORN. Host: Elizabeth Byce. Discussants: Maryanna Lewycky, East York ACORN, founding member of CAPREIT Tenants’ Union, Euridice Baumgarten, Tenant Worker, Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations, and Kiri Vadivelu, Scarborough ACORN, founder of Homesky Tenants’ Union.

The Making of the Covid-19 Cataclysm in India

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi loves to use new, self-proclaimed labels on India, like Atmanirbhar (self-dependent), Vishwaguru (world’s teacher), etc. These labels are as meaningless as they are fictitious. Although for a while, during the pandemic, it did seem that India had managed to fight off the worst of it and was ready to do the same at the service of the whole world, now India’s condition has grown much grimmer.

Socialist Action Teams up With ACORN to Demand More Affordable Housing

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Sunshine broke through snow fall and high winds in downtown Toronto on April 22 as protesters demanded more affordable housing.  At the site of yet another luxury condo project, members of Socialist Action and ACORN derided the up-side-down priorities of corporate capitalism in Canada's biggest city.  A federal budget that promises over $100 billion in new spending earmarks only $2.5 billion (and re-cycles $1.3 billion in existing funding) to build, repair and support 35,000 existing housing units -- at a time when there is an urgent need for at least 1 million new homes per year if there is to be any hope of putting an end to homelessness and chronic under-housing.  Venezuela could do it.  What about Canada? In the Trudeau/Freeland government, clearly it is warships and fighter jets that take priority over affordable housing.

WEBCAST: The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada’s Public Wealth

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Thursday, March 18   4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. EST, “The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada's Public Wealth” (published 2019) with author Linda McQuaig.  Host: Elizabeth Byce.   Discussants:  John Orrett in Thornhill and Emily Steers…

Read More WEBCAST: The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada’s Public Wealth

Workers Action Movement Conference

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Watch here: https://youtu.be/djQD5ExQ4Ks Join us for the first cross country Workers Action Movement (WAM) Conference which will take place online on Sunday, February 28, starting at 10 a.m. PST (Vancouver), 11 a.m. MST (Edmonton), 12 noon CST (Winnipeg), 1 p.m.…

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Greetings to SA USA!

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The following greetings were presented by Elizabeth Byce, SA/LAS Canada to the annual convention of Socialist Action USA, which took place January 30, 31, 2021. Dear comrades of Socialist Action – USA, I bring you warmest revolutionary greetings from Socialist…

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Socialist Action organizes Rally and Voters’ clinic for former homeless in Ward 22.

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Supporters of Ward 22 Socialist Action Candidate Corey David insist that formerly homeless folks have a right to vote https://youtu.be/CkQUYW9LWeM A rally and voters' clinic was held at the entrance of 2035 Kennedy Road (Kennedy and Hwy. 401) in Scarborough,…

Read More Socialist Action organizes Rally and Voters’ clinic for former homeless in Ward 22.