CONTENTS

1. CALLS TO ACTION
2. EVENTS
3. ARTICLES

Stop KingSett Development

At the last Toronto and East York Community Council meeting, members of the committee voted unanimously to send staff’s report, which recommends the approval of KingSett Capital’s application for 214-230 Sherbourne, to council without any amendments. This means that there will be a discussion at the next City Council meeting which is scheduled for three days starting on Wednesday October 9.

We are asking the community to insist that Mayor Olivia Chow and the Toronto City Council vote against KingSett’s development plans and instead take a stand against corporate developers that are profiting off of housing.

Please sign our petition to add your voice to this fight.

leadnow.ca

Call for an Arms Embargo Now!

For over a year we have watched a genocide unfold live on our TV’s and in our social media feeds. Israeli atrocities have been widely condemned as war crimes and violations of international law, in collusion with the US and other western nations including Canada.

The CLC has been silent. They refuse to even condemn the Liberal government for allowing Israel to destroy Gaza and to burn Palestinian children alive with impunity.

Palestinian trade unions released an urgent call for action a year ago, calling on trade unions around the world to take action to halt the arms trade to Israel. But the CLC remains silent.

The time for them to speak up and join the rest of the progressive movement in this country is now. It is not too late.

actionnetwork.org

Canada Transit Action Week

When: October 15th – October 20th

This October, transit riders, advocates, and allies are uniting to call for better funding for public transit! Across Canada, local actions will highlight urgent transit needs while pushing for:
– Speeding up the Canada Public Transit Fund.
– Allowing its funding to be used for transit service; to hire more drivers, mechanics, and workers to keep buses, trains, and streetcars running smoothly.
– Increasing its amount to help meet transit needs across the country.

Join TTCriders’ Rally to Fix the TTC at Bathurst Station – Oct 17, 5pm

environmentaldefence.ca

Rally to Fix the TTC

When: Thursday, October 17, 5pm
Where: Ed and Anne Mirvish Parkette (Outside Bathurst Station)

Are you tired of waiting? How many times has a delay made you late? Or a shutdown ruined your plans? You deserve transit you can rely on. We are asking the federal government to speed up investments in public transit for a faster, safer, more dependable TTC! We have the opportunity right now to transform transit.

ttcriders.ca

Building a movement to defeat Poilievre

When: October 18th, 7pm
Where: TMU Students’ Centre, 55 Gould St

Part of Spring’s “Red October” conference. PWYC, donations welcome.

Featuring: Sarah Rasikh, (Organizer, Occupy UofT for Palestine), Deena Ladd, (Executive Director, Workers’ Action Centre), Fred Hahn (President, CUPE Ontario), JP Hornick (President, OPSEU), Ricardo Tranjan (author of ‘The Tenant Class’), Matthew Green (MP for Hamilton Centre).

tickettailor.com

Climate Justice Toronto October 2024 Orientation

When: Saturday, October 19th, 12pm
Where: CSI Spadina, 192 Spadina Ave

Are you interested in getting involved with Climate Justice Toronto? Want to be a part of our fight to win climate action by building a working-class majority towards a socialist future?

During the orientation, we’ll ask participants who are comfortable to speak publicly, to introduce themselves and share a sentence or two about what brings them to CJTO.

actionnetwork.org

Guatemala: 1944 October Revolution

When: October 19th, 6pm
Where: WAC, 720 Spadina, (2nd floor)

Revolution Day in Guatemala takes place on October 20. It commemorates a landmark moment in the country’s history. On this day in 1944, a democratic rebellion overthrew over ten years of oppressive rule under military dictator Jorge Ubico.

For most of its history, Guatemala saw successive regimes by unpopular dictators. In 1944, the country reeled under the rule of Jorge Ubico, a man who considered Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte his inspirations. Anger against Ubico had risen over the years. Around spring of that very same year, change and revolution were in the air.

Join us in a conversation with Marco Fonseca. Marco Fonseca is currently an Instructor, Latin American and International Studies, in the Department of International Studies at Glendon College, York University.

Facebook

Gaza Square

When: Every Sunday, 11am to 1pm
Where: 371 Wallace Ave

We’ll be at Gaza square once again this Sunday morning with hot chocolate and coffee, buttons and posters, lawn signs and colourful chalk! Come say hi and meet your fellow neighbours/organizers as we make our presence known and continue to build safety in our community!

Instagram poster

Arms Embargo Now!

When: Sunday, October 20th, 3:30pm
Where: Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St (march to US Consulate)

The Steelworkers Toronto Area Council invites you to join them to build the Labour Solidarity Contingent for the mass rally in Toronto on October 20 to call for an immediate ceasefire and a full arms embargo NOW!

Hands Off the Middle East

When: October 20th, 4pm
Where: US Consulate, 360 University Ave

On October 5th, over 30,000 people from across Ontario united in a powerful show of strength to mark one year of genocide and one year of resistance. However, our fight is far from over.

Israel continues its brutal genocide in Gaza and now escalates with bombings and invasions in Lebanon, while our politicians turn a blind eye and enable these atrocities.

instagram.com

Weekly Phone-zap for Palestine

When: Mondays at 12:30pm

Week after week, we’re keeping the momentum going with our Monday lunchtime zaps.

Our collective action is making waves, but we need to ensure our elected officials continue to feel the pressure until real change happens.

Instagram poster | Register at zoom

Rally and Die-In

When: Monday, October 21st, 12
Where: Queen’s Park South lawn

Are you worried about the Ford government’s announcement to shut down life saving harm reduction services?

x.com

Should NATO Exist?

When: October 21st, 5pm
Where: 60 Lowther Ave

Join Science for Peace for an engaging discussion introduced by Dr. Walter Dorn and Dr. Arn Jurgensen on the topic of NATO’s relevance in today’s world. Dive into the complexities of international security and diplomacy at this thought-provoking event.

Dr Walter Dorn is Professor of Defense Studies at the RMC and Canadian Forces College. As an “operational professor,” he participates in field missions and assists international organizations, especially the UN. He has represented SfP at the UN since 1983.

Dr Arnd Jurgensen teaches international relations at the University of Toronto. He has written on topics ranging from US foreign policy and sustainable development to regime change and democratization in Latin America. Arnd is a board member of SfP.

in person | zoom.us

Canadian Foreign Policy Hour with Yves Engler

When: Mondays at 6pm

Join author Yves Engler on Mondays for a weekly news roundup and interactive discussion about Canada’s role abroad. This weekly session will delve into the latest developments on subjects ranging from military affairs and Canada’s role in Ukraine to its contribution to Palestinian dispossession, and the exploitation of African resources. Join Yves for a critical take on Canada’s foreign policy. Questions, comments, and criticisms are all welcome.

zoom.us

Decent Work organizing meeting

When: Tuesday, October 22nd, 7pm

Workers like you are fighting back against bad bosses, low wages, and unfair working conditions. It is our unity that gives our decent work movement the power to fight back and win. But that’s exactly why politicians are trying so hard to divide us. At this meeting, we’ll discuss how we can stay in today’s divisive political landscape.

justice4workers.org

The Long Walk to Peace

When: October 24th, 5pm
Where: 60 Lowther Ave

Stories of the Nova Scotia peace march and planning of future actions

in person | zoom.us

How to Unionize Your Workplace

When: November 2-3

Having problems at work and are not sure what to do? Have you heard about unions and want to know how to get started? Do you lack the confidence to talk to your coworkers about forming a union? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the How to Unionize Your Workplace course is for you!

Over two days participants will learn what it takes to go from zero organization at work to a functioning committee of coworkers that can take on the boss and win! Together we will learn and practice the ideas, methods, and skills necessary to build power at work. The course will also feature a general discussion of unions: strengths and weaknesses, potential and limits, and why organizing at work should still matter for those who want a better world.

docs.google.com

Finnish Capitalism at a Tipping Point

By Kyle Bailey

Finland’s 2023 parliamentary election saw the formation of a new government led by Peteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party (NCP), with the True Finns as the main coalition partner. The NCP gained 20.8% of votes cast, the Finns came a close second (20.1% – the strongest result since the party’s founding), and the ruling Social Democrats led by Sanna Marin were knocked back into third place (19.9%). Two smaller parties – the Swedish People’s Party (RKP) and the Christian Democrats (KD) – also joined the coalition, while the struggling agrarian Centre Party (having been part of the previous Marin government alongside the Greens, Left Alliance, and Swedish People’s Party) went into opposition.

Source: The Bullet No. 3047

Health and Safety: Amazon Fails to Deliver

By Sam Gindin

At the end of March 2021, a unionization drive in Bessemer, Alabama, by the Retail Workers (RWDSU) – one of the earliest attempts to organize an Amazon FC (Fulfillment Center) – failed to get the requisite numbers for certification. The campaign nevertheless highlighted workers’ frustrations over health and safety and created anxieties among Amazon executives over future unionization drives.

Source: The Bullet No. 3048