CONTENTS

1. CALLS TO ACTION
2. EVENTS
3. ARTICLES
4. EMPLOYMENT

Demand Accountability for Canadians from the Global Sumud Flotilla

Canadian participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla have reportedly been released from Israeli custody and transferred to Turkey, with some now returning to Canada. This is a welcome development, but release alone cannot close the matter. Canada must confirm that every Canadian participant is safe, supported, and able to return home with dignity.

These activists joined a peaceful civilian humanitarian mission to Gaza in response to the starvation, destruction, and genocide facing Palestinians. Their interception nearly 500 kilometres from Gaza’s shores, including disturbing reports of abuse and mistreatment, severely violates international law and demands more than statements of concern.

justiceforallcanada.org

Stop the Global War Bank

News has just broken that Carney’s plans to secure Canada as the permanent host of the global HQ of the new war bank (the DSRB) are falling in place – with Toronto the leading contender for host city.

This new financial institution, the first of its kind, is designed to fund and accelerate a global arms race and funnel public money directly to arms manufacturers.

We reject the war bank — not in Toronto, not in Canada, not on this planet.

actionnetwork.org

Mayworks

When: May 1 to May 31
Where: Various locations

The artists of this year’s festival engage with our world as it is. They bring us into the lives of workers, both local and international: a truck driver in Brampton, a health care worker in Thunder Bay, an activist in Montreal, a miner in Morocco, a sugar cane worker in the Dominican Republic, a guide in Palestine, and a contract worker in Mozambique.

Their works raise issues such as wage theft, labour misclassification, technological displacement, union busting, and incarceration as public policy. They also demonstrate how such issues are interwoven into a network of global supply chains, and how communities are organizing as agents of change.

Presented throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the diversity of works include live theatre, film, animation, installation, music, and pastry making.

Festival Program

OPSEU Strike Support

When: while the strike is on

There will be a picket line beginning at 7am each day at Sistering, at 962 Bloor Street.

opseu.org

Get On The Tracks!

When: May 28th, 12pm
Where: Gather outside Union Station, then march up to Queen’s Park for a giant protest.

Stop Ford’s Hospital Privatization Train Wreck giant protest.

On Thursday May 28, we will gather outside Union Station in Toronto at 12 pm for a rally, then march up to Queen’s Park for a giant protest. Folks from across the province will be coming in via train, and you can reserve your spot on the train by registering (link below).

Seats are first come, first served. After you register, we will send you an email with all of this information and more.

ontariohealthcoalition.ca | Register

Film Shorts: Local Heroes

When: May 28th, 6:45pm
Where: TIFF Lightbox

From eye appointments to sex appointments, cheating boyfriends to dancing dogs, this collection of local shorts puts Toronto filmmakers in the spotlight in the way only Inside Out knows how to do. We are here, we are Queer, and we’ve brought you these incredible, strange, and unforgettable local stories.

insideout.ca

Booklaunch: Confronting the Resurgent Right

When: May 28th, 7pm
Where: Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave

Join us for the launch of Confronting the Resurgent Right. Scholars and activists take Canada’s 2022 “Freedom Convoy” as a recent manifestation of deep-rooted extremism and provide intersectional commentary on the resurgence of the political right, demonstrating how its ideology permeates and shapes the structures of our society.

With evidence-based research, and careful analysis of the genesis and methods of the right, contributors to this volume model pathways of resistance and charge us with our most urgent collective tasks: finding ways to work together, building coalitions in civil society, and exposing and countering the regressive forces that spew hate.

eventbrite.ca

Impact of War and Conflict

When: May 28th, 7:30pm
Where: Civic Ballroom, Sheraton Centre

Amidst the ongoing trade wars and real wars, the government of Canada is choosing to increase its war making capabilities. This means fewer dollars for public services like education, healthcare, infrastructure, social services and transportation. These choices will deepen the cost-of-living-crisis and lower our overall quality of life. Please join us to discuss how prosperity is tied to diplomacy and peace, and the role of workers in achieving this vision.

instagram.com | x.com

Tenant School

When: May 30, 10am – 4pm

Tenants and Tenant Association leaders in Toronto are welcome to come to the Tenant School later this month.

Join us to learn about your rights under the law, meet other tenant leaders and strategize to take action against bad landlords!

This is an intensive training with classes taught by lawyers and community advocates. The school is hybrid: there are both Zoom and in person workshops.

torontotenants.org

Protesting Doug Ford

When: Saturday May 30th, 11am
Where: Queen’s Park, 111 Wellesley St

Stop cuts. Hands off services. Our future matters.

60 Ontario cities will host Fight Ford Protests on this same day.

protestdougford.com

Cuba, Culture and Continuity!

When: May 30th, 4pm
Where: 24 Cecil St

As the U.S. government is leaving no stones unturned to suffocate the Cuban people into submission; and bring the revolution and its conquests down with the dagger of tariffs on any country daring to bring energy/oil supplies to Cuba; we can witness how the Cuban revolutionary leadership with its ears to the ground is mobilizing the society in all its sectors to lessen the effects of the genocidal U.S. blockade!

forumoncuba.com | Facebook

Rally for Cuba

When: May 31st, 1pm
Where: US Consulate, 361 University Ave

Join our rally to stand with Cuba against the cruel US blockade and Trump’s oil cut-off. End the embargo now!

canadacubafriendshiptoronto.ca | Facebook

Hotdocs: Hogtown

When: Sunday May 31st, 6:30pm
Where: Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor St W

Twenty years ago, Min Sook Lee made Hogtown, a documentary about the politics of policing in Toronto, filmed in the midst of one of the largest police corruption scandals in the city’s history. This month, the film returns to the screen at a moment that feels unsettlingly familiar. Once again, Toronto is confronting revelations that point beyond “a few bad apples” toward deeper systemic failures and the enduring difficulty of policing the police.

Join Min Sook and Massey College senior fellow Alok Mukherjee for a special post-screening discussion. Moderated by Toronto-based organizer, researcher, and audio artist Aliya Pabani.

boxoffice.hotdocs.ca

Premiere: Emergence: Women in the Storm

When: May 31st, 7pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)
Where: Friends House, 60 Lowther Ave

Join acclaimed directors Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper at the Toronto premiere for a Q&A to discuss ‘wisdom from the storm’ — how finding your community is one of the best ways to prepare for emergencies. Presented by The Toronto Climate Film Festival and Climate Fast. Q & A to follow moderated by legendary feminist activist Judy Rebick.

cool.world

Toronto Climate Week

When: June 1 – 7, various locations in Toronto

Hundreds of climate events happening all around the city.

tocw.ca

Indigenous Climate Leadership

When: June 1st, 3pm

Born in the fossil fuel capital of Canada, Indigenous Climate Action is holding the predatory fossil fuel industry to account for the massive environmental disaster that is the tar-sands, its lies to the Canadian people and the world about “green oil”, and its distortion of the economy. SCAN! Is proud to partner in this important webinar.

Members of SCAN! – Seniors for Climate Action Now! –want a caring, equitable and caring society. We see the severe changes to climate driven by fossil fuels, colonialism and war and by the complicity of governments. We are angry and deeply worried for this and future generations. We are proud to support the courageous and visionary leadership of Indigenous Climate Action.

zoom.us

Students Against Austerity

When: Monday June 1st, 3pm
Where: UTSU Student Commons, 230 College St, Room B100 (Basement)

UofT’s first student strike assembly is here! We invite students, labour and tenants groups, and the public, to join us in organizing the student strike! We will be discussing a constitution for the strike assembly, a strike strategy, and a strike timeline! All are welcome! See you there!

instagram.com

High Cost of Nuclear Power

When: June 1st, 7pm

Nuclear power has significant economic, health, and environmental costs and poses safety hazards that far exceed those of any other type of energy. We’ll discuss why “new nuclear” is a poor investment for Massachusetts and for our country.

Join PSR National and our chapters for a one-hour event featuring speakers Dr. Philip Landrigan (Boston College, Global Public Health program), Dr. Benjamin Sovacool (Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability) and Dr. M.V. Ramana (U of British Columbia, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs). Dr. Caren Solomon, Deputy Editor at the New England Journal of Medicine, will be moderating.

zoom.us

Fund Our Schools

When: June 1st, 7pm

Wondering what’s happening to Ontario’s education system? Come and hear from Chandra Pasma, MPP and NDP Education Critic, who will provide a summary of all that’s been happening. Please also come and provide your vision on what our publicly-funded schools should look and feel like

fundourschools.ca

Colonialism, Capitalism, and Canada

When: June 20th, 7pm
Where: College Street United Church

The Leo Panitch School is thrilled to host renowned historian and author Bryan Palmer for a celebration of his three-volume history of Canada, Capitalism, and Colonialism!

This monumental work offers readers access to a clear-eyed understanding of Canada’s past, explaining how recently-acknowledged dark facts about our history are tied to the creation of a richly endowed, wealthy but very unequal first world country.

tickettailor.com

Solving the Climate Crisis Requires Peace

By Helga Kromp-Kolb

The Agenda 2030 states a simple truth: There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. Therefore, it is not possible to treat sustainability – or the climate crisis, as an essential threat to sustainability – without also addressing the numerous wars raging at present, especially those that threaten to escalate, possibly to nuclear war.

Source: The Bullet No. 3291

Weapons Make the World More Dangerous

By Stop Militarisation

The genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, the Congo, Sudan and all the many other armed conflicts put the international system under very strong pressure. War is a horror and the search for solutions is essential. The Belgian government is considering only one option: more weapons and more military spending. (See the analysis of the peace movement that accompanies this manifesto.) But history shows that this does not lead to peace, nor does it guarantee “security.”

Source: The Bullet No. 3292

Organizer

The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is seeking a permanent organizer to work as part of the leadership and staff team in a dynamic and fast-paced organization that is responding to a changing economy and new political realities in Canada’s largest urban centre.

Reporting to the President, the successful candidate will play a role in all aspects of the Council’s work in both Toronto and York Region, including political action, building union strength, the development of networks of union activists around key campaign goals, and other duties as assigned.

The role is suitable for a pro-active, articulate, and hands-on and detail-oriented individual who can bring people together to achieve common goals. The individual would have experience in organizing, knowledge of the labour movement, and be comfortable working as part of a small interdependent staff team.

The starting rate for the position is $90,835.16 annually and a generous benefits package is provided. Applicants are invited to send their resume by Friday, June 5, at 12:00 noon to jhuang@labourcouncil.ca.

labourcouncil.ca