The race to the bottom is underway and at stake, is the future of low and middle-income families in this country.
Taking cues from their American counterparts, right-wing politicians and their corporate allies in Canada have launched a quiet but vicious war to devastate and weaken the working and middle class at a time when families are already struggling.
Using spin and falsehoods, they are aiming to destroy workers and their unions so they can ultimately drive down wages and eliminate long-existing rights and protections in workplaces and legislatures.
Municipally, provincially and federally, we have already seen these anti-worker forces at work and one thing is certain: while times are tough right now, if the anti-worker forces get their way, they will get even tougher. Families, who are now barely able to put food on the table, clothing on their children’s backs and a roof over their heads, will be in even worse straits.
We, at Local 1000A, are not immune from these challenges. But as Albert Einstein once said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
It’s my firm belief that this is a time of opportunity for each and every one of our members to make a difference, to stand up for social justice and to protect and defend the working and middle class.
Most importantly, it is a chance for us to create a fairer, more compassionate and just society for all — one where it’s not just about letting the 1 per cent (the richest of the rich) hoard more and more wealth. We need to build a world where the rest of us (the 99 per cent) can hope to earn fair wages for a good day’s work, be treated with dignity and respect at our workplaces, and have some measure of economic security so we can protect and take care of those we love.
As cultural anthropologist and writer Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
That’s why I strongly encourage you to get involved in your union, your community and your country in any way you can. Getting active could mean going to a union meeting, marching with Local 1000A on Labour Day or attending a rally for workers’ rights at local city halls, Queen’s Park, and Parliament Hill. Or it could mean calling or writing a letter to your local MPP or MP and pushing for laws that protect and improve workers’ lives. In this battle to defend the working and middle class, we need all the help we can get. If we do not stand up and make our voices heard, workers will be taken back to a time when big business could do whatever it wanted and the rest of us would be grateful just to survive.
I also encourage you to get as informed as possible about your rights in your workplace as well as issues and events affecting workers in your city, province and country. Our Facebook site (facebook.com/ufcw1000a) as well as our new email newsletter, e-connect, are invaluable resources, which will help you and your fellow members stay connected with your local union as well as the wider community. If you wish to receive alerts on upcoming initiatives and events from e-connect, please ensure that you provide us your current contact information. Finally, if you come across attacks against unions in material you read or watch, take it with a grain of salt. After all, who benefits when unions are attacked? It’s definitely not you.
Lastly, we need you to stand with us as we work to change laws in this province that benefit the employer at the expense of the worker. If we hope to successfully defend the working and middle class, we must fight for fair laws that protect and enhance workers’ rights. I know it is an uphill battle. When workers don’t have the economic security of a good job, it is difficult to find the time and energy to think and do something about these issues. But the bottom line is the stakes are too high for us to stay silent or on the sidelines. Today, this battle to protect low-and middle-income families might seem like obscure, remote and like someone’s else fight but tomorrow, it could be yours. In fact for some of our members, friends and family, it’s already at their doorsteps.
I firmly believe with your support and involvement, we will be able to help not only existing workers but the next generation of workers. I encourage you to stop and ask yourself, ‘what am I leaving behind — is this the world and workplace I want my children to inherit?’ If it’s not, it’s time to stand up for your rights and join our fight.
As a very old but still relevant saying goes: united we stand, divided we fall. With the livelihoods of our members and workers everywhere at stake, we cannot afford to fall.
Pearl Sawyer
President, UFCW Canada Local 1000A
