Local groups to march today for workers’ rights
May Day Organizing Committee
Press Release
1 May 2008
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Local progressive groups will march and rally today to mark International Worker’s Day, calling on workers to, “reclaim May Day and march for workers rights.” The rally will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Clark Park (Commercial Drive and East 14th Ave.) and march to Grandview Park (Commercial Drive and Charles St.).
In a statement released by the May Day Committee, protesters say, “imperialist globalization, through the deregulation of basic protections, privatization of public services and trade liberalization has workers around the world facing undeniable attacks.” They also denouce the U.S-led war on terror in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the statement, “the leaders of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico have been meeting behind closed doors in their pursuit of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), to create an integrated and secure perimeter around North America and to ensure an uninterrupted flow of goods within North America.” They say the SPP has “increased racial profiling and has also encouraged public services being undermined in favour of public-private partnerships and further privatization.”
The group also says labour migration is “not as a ‘solution’ and ‘development strategy’ for the Third World” and “opposes the exploitation of immigrant, migrant and undocumented workers in Canada.”
According to the statement, the group vows to, “continue to foster genuine solidarity amongst all workers, whether they be migrant, immigrant, undocumented, indigenous, or Canadian workers, and all exploited and oppressed sectors in Canadian society.”
Organizers of the rally expect to gather a few hundred protesters in the annual event.
Members of the May Day Organizing Committee include: Alliance of People’s Health, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, Bus Riders Union, Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), Filipino Nurses Support Group, Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance-Vancouver/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada, FMLN, Grassroots Women, IWW Vancouver, Justicia for Migrant Workers-BC, People’s Front, Philippine Women Centre of B.C., Public Service Alliance Canada-Vancouver & District Area Council and SIKLAB-B.C. (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers), Justicia for Migrant Workers – B.C.
The rally is also endorsed by: Investing in Health Forum, B.C, La Surda Latin American Collective, Worker-Communist Party of Iran, VDLC Young Workers' Committee and the Young Communist League.
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The media is cordially invited to cover this event. Media interviews and photo opportunities will be available.
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please call: Hetty or Albert at: 604-215-1905 or e-mail: ilps_canada@shawcable.com
The following will be available for interview:
• Monica Urrutia, Spokesperson for May Day Organizing Committee about the May Day event and position of the Committee.
• Gilberto Valencia, Spokesperson for Justicia for Migrant Workers, B.C. about the issues of Mexican and other farm workers in Canada.
• Arlene Oropel, Spokesperson for SIKLAB – BC (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers) about the issues of Filipino live-in caregivers in Canada.