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May 7, 2016 - No. 17
Supplement
May Day 2016
Worldwide Actions Affirm Rights and
Reject Neo-Liberal Agenda of Empire-Building
Havana, Cuba, May Day 2016
May
Day,
the
Day
of International Working Class Unity and Struggle, was celebrated
this year with militant mass actions around the world. These actions
are more important than ever, showing the worldwide unity of the
working class to block neo-liberalism, nation-wrecking and the
imperialist military aggression and warmongering that threatens the
peoples of the world. In war-torn countries, the oppressed peoples are
affirming their right to be. Internationally, the workers are fighting
for justice and for the recognition of the rightful place of labour. In
countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia where the mechanisms of
people's empowerment exist or are being brought into being and
defended, May Day activities were joyful celebrations of that political
empowerment and nation-building and the aspirations of the people to
stand with the other countries of the world based on mutual respect,
solidarity and peace. Everywhere, May Day 2016 showed the determination
of the working class to change the situation in humanity's favour.
Canada
Actions across Canada showed a deepening spirit of
resistance of the working people, with the opposition to the
anti-social offensive, support for particular strike struggles
and locked-out workers, demands to raise the minimum wage,
defence of the rights of migrant workers and workers from sectors
of the economy such as steel, the post office, construction and
the trades forming leading contingents. Spirited actions affirmed
that far from resting on their laurels with the defeat of the
Harper government, the working class of Canada and Quebec is
recognizing that history calls on it to take its place in the ranks
of the working class worldwide to safeguard humanity and avert
the dangers of nation-wrecking and war. The working class is no
novice when it comes to spotting a fraud and May Day 2016 was
proof positive that the workers will resist all the pressures
from the Liberal government and its social base to give up their
independent politics. Members and supporters of CPC(M-L)
participated vigorously in events across the country, in Party
contingents as well as with their co-workers, distributing the
Party statement and raising the slogans of May Day 2016.
Halifax
The May Day rally and march in
Halifax began at Grand Parade
and marched to a cultural event held by MayWorks Halifax.
Prominent at the rally were journalists at the Halifax Chronicle
Herald newspaper, 61 of whom have been on strike since January
23
after the newspaper demanded huge concessions. The Chronicle
Herald management continues to refuse to negotiate with the
workers.
 
Quebec
Actions throughout Quebec began on April 29, with marches and
demonstrations in Quebec City, in Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles on
Quebec North Shore, Sherbrooke and other cities. Their main theme
was the fight against the anti-social austerity of the rich and
their governments, with an emphasis on the Quebec Couillard
Liberal government.
Quebec City
May 1, 2016
In Quebec City on April 29, three hundred people
demonstrated
while others
occupied offices of RBC, Scotiabank and accounting firm KPMG. The aim
of the action was to highlight the devastating impact of the austerity
agenda on society and especially its most vulnerable members and the
criminal tax evasion schemes of the global monopolies with the support
of governments. Demonstrators said scandals such as the Panama Papers
are a further indication that anti-social austerity is a fraud and is
illegitimate.
The May Day march in Quebec City was held under the
theme of
opposing the wrecking of the civil service, child care
services, health and education and social welfare services.
Most of the contingents were of public sector workers and various
community organizations in defence of rights.
Montreal
Two thousand people marched through the streets of
Montreal
on May 1, including workers in the private and public sectors and
many members of community organizations.
The main contingents were Montreal blue collar workers
defending their right to negotiate their working conditions and
opposing the criminalization of their struggles. These were the workers
from
Ciment Lafarge in Saint-Constant, part of the Holcim global
building materials' monopoly, who have been on strike since
February against the dismantling of their pension fund through
the imposition of a two-tier system; workers from
Delastek in Shawinigan, which makes parts for the aerospace industry,
who
have been on strike for over a year against the subcontracting of
their jobs; and workers from the Brault & Martineau furniture store
in
Laval who were locked out more than a month ago, just a few
months after they formed a union.
There were public sector workers in health and social
services, education and civil service and community organizations
in defence of the most vulnerable members of society, especially
those on social welfare who are being brutally attacked by the
Quebec government. The main themes of the demonstration were opposition
to anti-social austerity and the defence of the rights
of the workers.
The main speakers were representatives of workers on
strike
or locked out. As well, a union representative for Quebec
compensation board staff spoke out against the dismantling of
the health and safety regime which now blames the workers for their
injuries and puts the onus for safety
on the workers themselves, and denies their claims.
Later on in the day, the demonstration of the
Anti-Capitalist
Convergence was brutally attacked by the police with tear gas
sound bombs as it marched through the streets of downtown Montreal. At
least 10 protestors were arrested. TML
Weekly denounces this state
repression of the demonstration, which has been imposed year
after year with impunity for the police and governments.
Ottawa
May Day events in Ottawa included a militant rally and
march, a
forum on building the movement against austerity as well as a May Day
concert marking the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Irish Rebellion.
Demonstrators gathered at the Human Rights Monument at
Elgin and
Lisgar and proceeded down Elgin St., stopping at the Wine Rack, where a
worker was fired for attempting to form a union, and a payday loan
provider that was denounced by a local community organization for
taking advantage of people in poverty. The demonstration included
contingents from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, the Canadian
Association of University Teachers, workers in the building trades and
students.
 
  
The evening concert was hosted by the Celtic Folk Group,
which gets together weekly to share music, poetry and stories,
and emceed by Kevin Dooley. It featured renditions of Irish songs
of rebellion from 1798, 1916 and later, as well as poems and
readings from the works of James Connolly.
 
Toronto
Hamilton
Steelworkers and their allies rallied at the Max Aicher
North
America (MANA) gates in Hamilton, Ontario where workers have been
locked out for three years while the plant is run by scabs. Gary
Howe, President of USW Local 1005, said that on May Day in
Hamilton he has one message: the lock-out and use of scabs by
MANA in a union town, in steeltown, is unacceptable. Gary
denounced the fact that the provincial and federal governments
and the courts are not only allowing this to happen, but that a
judge recently took away the benefits of the retired workers with
the stroke of a pen. Where are the governments, labour
departments, and courts that will take action against unfair
labour practices? Where can the workers go for redress, Gary
asked. He said that the need for unity has never been greater,
and called on everyone to carry on the fight and get the
message out loud and clear that the workers do not accept this
state of affairs.
Tim Blackborow, Local 1005's chair representing the
workers
locked out at MANA, gave the history of the company's anti-worker
activity in Hamilton. He explained how U.S. Steel carved up
Stelco, selling the bar and bloom mills to Max Aicher North
America. MANA then laid off the workers and when they refused to
take a huge cut in pay and make concessions in benefits, it
locked them out. After that it wound up their pension plan
without consultation and began bringing in scabs. Why, he asked?
Because they can, he said. No authority is stopping them.
Paul Miller, MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek and
Anthony
Marco, President of the Hamilton and District Labour Council,
gave solidarity messages pledging their continued support for the
MANA workers and all of the Local 1005 workers and retirees in
their fight for justice.
  
London
Windsor
The Windsor and District
Labour Council held a
roundtable for workers to exchange experiences and inform one
another about the challenges they are facing. After the
roundtable, a reception was held to celebrate achievements over
the past year.
Winnipeg
Edmonton
Workers and their allies held a lively rally and march
under
the theme Defend the Rights of
Workers, Defend the Rights of All!
Contingents of workers from many sectors of the economy joined
with collectives representing injured workers, migrant workers,
low-wage workers, women workers fighting for their rights as well
as organizations working in solidarity with the struggles of the
peoples of all countries.
Siobhan Vipond, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alberta
Federation
of Labour said that workers must be very active to advance their
own agenda and demands, and not rely only on the government.
Public sector workers are the front line of defence of public
services and programs. In this context, Guy Smith, President of
the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees emphasized that workers
must have a real say in their workplaces. Merryn Edwards informed
how working women are organizing themselves on the basis of their
own agenda in the face of the austerity agenda pushed by the
ruling circles that rights such as universal public daycare have
become "luxuries."
Migrante carried a large banner expressing the fight
for
wages, rights and jobs for all workers and defence of migrants'
rights. The Fight for 15 collective explained their work for an
immediate increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Injured workers informed everyone that with the government's
review of the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) coming up, now is
the time to fight for a modern WCB to end the impoverishment of
injured workers and the practices which deny workers and their
families just compensation when they are injured or killed on the
job.
Peggy Morton said that when Canadians defeated the
Harper
government they were saying no to its extremism and warmongering,
not calling for its continuation under the Liberals as is the
case. Peggy pointed out that Canadians must organize for an
anti-war government and demand the immediate repeal of Bill
C-51, an end to attacks on the right to conscience, to arms sales
to Saudi Arabia and to Canada's participation in wars for regime
change.
Following the rally and march, a plaque dedication and
musical tribute commemorated the 1911 founding of United Garment
Workers of America Local 120 (Edmonton Great Western Garment
factory). The GWG workers were the first in their industry to win
the eight-hour day.
 
  
Calgary
A spirited picket and rally took place along 17th
Avenue SW
in Calgary's Mission
district, followed by a discussion in which working people reviewed the
work they had been
involved in during the last year, the obstacles they face and upcoming
challenges they intend
to take up in the next year. In light of the difficult circumstances
facing Albertans with
200,000 unemployed and predictions of continued job loss in the next
year, the picket raised
chants affirming that a livelihood is a human right: Every
Worker Has the Right to a
Livelihood; Employment Insurance Is Not a Benefit -- It
is a
Right; Raise the Minimum Wage Now!; No
Poverty
Wages!, Rights and Status for All Workers!; Justice for
Injured
Workers; and Our Security Lies in the Fight for the
Rights of All!
The discussion that followed was opened by Peggy Askin
who
raised the importance of such gatherings as a good start to thinking
about what concrete solutions can be put forward to solve the
problems workers face. Deep concern was also expressed during the
discussion about the warmongering of the federal Liberal
government which claimed to oppose Harper's military involvement
during the fall election.
The discussion began with workers from the retail and
service
sector speaking about their work in the last year to raise the
minimum wage. They informed everyone about the work of Women
Together Ending Poverty's fight for affordable housing and the
aim of a new organization to spearhead work for
affordable housing, concentrating on the demand for rent
controls.
A member of a collective of union retirees spoke about
their
work to expand the Canada Pension Plan and fight for retirement
security for all. The assault on retired workers' pensions and
benefits is a big concern, they said, as well as the fact that
the health system does not cover dental work or the full cost of
prescriptions.
Injured and disabled workers raised the issue of the
lack of
a guaranteed income, and social isolation after leaving the
workplace, being left to fend for oneself after serious injuries
and cast aside by the Workers' Compensation Board.
A contingent of women workers from Migrante Alberta
spoke
about their stand, Good Enough to
Work, Good Enough to Stay,
affirming that no one should be put in a position to choose
between work and family. Like so many others, one worker, a
live-in caregiver explained that to provide for her family, she
is forced to be separated from them. Workers should come as
permanent residents, as should their families. We are one
working class, they emphasized. The Migrante members affirmed
that they will continue to fight the deportation of
workers who became ill while working here as part of the
Temporary Foreign Worker Program and all the other injustices of the
exploitative system.
 
Vancouver
The annual Vancouver and
District Labour Council and BC
Federation of Labour International Workers' Day march began at
Commercial Drive and 14th Ave and marched to Granview Park.
Speakers included Lillian Howard; Irene Lanzinger, President of
the BC Federation of Labour; Erie Maestro of Migrante; and a
representative of the Migrant Workers' Dignity Association.
Prince George
Prince George held its 7th Annual May Day Celebration
and
Banquet, the largest to date, with more than 145 workers,
retirees and youth taking part. In attendance were large
contingents of food and restaurant, forestry and public sector
workers from Prince George and surrounding
communities, including Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Cluculz Lake,
Mackenzie and Quesnel.
The evening began with an introduction from MC Dawn
Hemingway, followed by a brief message of greetings from Prince
George City Council delivered by Acting Mayor and Councillor
Frank Everitt. Peter Ewart of the May Day Organizing Committee
spoke about the significance of May Day in 2016, and that in
these challenging times, it is important to remember that since
its beginnings the labour movement has always had its own
independent aim, its own north star, and that we need to keep our
eye squarely on that star as we fight to build a working class
alternative to the neo-liberal agenda.
The keynote speaker of the evening was Jim Sinclair, BC
labour leader and retired president of the BC Federation of
Labour, who addressed some of the challenges facing the workers'
movement. Jim talked about the role of the working class and the
struggles that have taken place since the first May Day when
workers marched for a set of values -- values that put human
beings at the center. He underlined that "the working class, that
unions fight for rights -- no one ever gave them to us -- and we
fight for everyone... those are our voices. We own them.We make
our own dignity. We make it ourselves."
Eighteen unions and organizations sponsored the event:
BC
Government Employees Union; Canadian Union of Postal Workers;
CUPE; Faculty Association of CNC; Health Sciences Association;
Hospital Employees Union; John Duncan Law Corporation; North
Central Labour Council; North Labour Law Corporation; Prince
George Firefighters' Association, Local 1372; Prince George
District Teachers' Association; Public and Private Workers of
Canada, Local 9; Public Service Alliance of Canada; Stand Up for
the North Committee; Steelworkers, Local 1-424; Teamsters; United
Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1518; and the UNBC
Faculty Association.
After dinner, each gave a presentation on the challenges
they are facing. Bobby
Deepak of the May Day Organizing Committee gave a call to
organize a Labour Day march through downtown Prince George on
September 5 as a show of strength for the labour movement in
the region, and many signed up to help organize. The evening
concluded with the singing of The
Internationale.
United States
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Caribbean
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