CONTENTS

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

Send a Message to Ontario’s BIGGEST Renovictor!

Ontario ACORN is raising the alarm on a landlord that we believe to be the province’s biggest perpetrator of renovictions – Michael Klein. ACORN has connected Michael Klein to 19 (and counting!) affordable, below-market buildings across Southern Ontario where tenants are facing mass evictions for unnecessary renovations.

acorncanada.org

Free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian Prisoners!

15 January 2025 marks the 23rd anniversary of the detention of Ahmad Sa’adat – Palestinian national and leftist leader, and the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – by the so-called “Palestinian Authority,” as part of its “security coordination” with the zionist occupation. Since then (23 years!), he has been detained, first in the PA jails. Later, he was abducted by the zionist entity on March 14th, 2006.

Join us to take action on 15-22 January 2025 for the Week of Action to Free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian Prisoners!

samidoun.net

Budget Town Hall

When: January 16th, 2pm

Join SPT and our budget partners to hear our analysis of the 2025 City Budget at this virtual town hall. For decades, Social Planning Toronto has been offering budget town halls that translate complex budget documents for community organizations, groups, and residents so they can more effectively shape the City Budget. This town hall will be an opportunity to learn about what’s needed to support communities in this year’s budget and how we can take collective action.

Please register to secure your free spot.

How Do We Fund Public Power?

When: Thursday, January 16th, 2pm

To avoid intensifying the current climate collapse, we need a massive and rapid buildout of renewable energy. But where will the money for this energy transition come from? Are existing programs like the Inflation Reduction Act adequate? And what alternatives should we fight for as the federal government scales back support for renewables?

Join economist Stephen Maher and political scientist Scott Aquanno – authors of The Fall and Rise of American Finance (Verso, 2024) – for a discussion about how we finance the energy transition and other public goods in a moment of conservative counterrevolution.

partiful.com

Stand with Palestinians in Gaza

When: January 16th, 6pm
Where: 2 Bloor St E

Join us for the student contingent, Thursday January 16 at 6pm as we stand with Palestinians in Gaza. Bring Palestinian flags, kuffiyehs, and your voices. We’ll see you in the streets.

x.com

Housing Deputation Workshop for Renters

When: January 17th, 12:30pm

Renters in Toronto are facing many challenges – evictions, renovictions, rent increases, poor housing conditions, etc. If you are a renter interested in tackling the housing crisis in our city, the time to take action is now!

This free, virtual workshop will give you the tools to take action for this year’s City Budget process and will focus on the role that the city can take in addressing the housing crisis, featuring presentations from expert housing organizations. We will share tips and messages you can use to make strong presentations (deputations) and write letters on housing matters that impact you and your community. We will also share information on how to register to speak or submit your deputation to the City’s Budget Committee on January 21 and 22.

socialplanningtoronto.org

People’s March – Fighting for a Better World

When: Saturday, January 18th, 12pm
Where: March begins at US Consulate, 361 University Ave

Join the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Community Solidarity Toronto, and International Women’s Day Toronto to push back against hate and the far right on Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The Labour Movement is mobilizing and the stakes are higher than ever. Let’s fight for a better world in Canada in solidarity with our friends in the US.

labourcouncil.ca | communitysolidarityto.ca

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

Call for Solidarity: Townhall Meeting

When: January 19th, 2pm
Where: Vishav Punjabi Bhawan, 114 Kennedy Rd S #3, Brampton

The PGWP committee have been holding a 24×7 encampment protest in Brampton for the past 135 days. This ongoing protest underscores the urgent need for policy changes that address the challenges faced by Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders and international students seeking permanent residency in Canada.
We warmly invite representatives from your union/community group to visit us on January 19, 2025 in Brampton. Your presence will greatly boost the morale of the students and highlight the widespread support for our cause.
We are confident that your active participation will make a lasting impact. Please feel free to reach out to us at Committeepgwp@gmail.com for any further information or to coordinate your involvement.

Marketing the Occupation

When: January 19th, 3pm

Israel and pro-Israel advocacy groups have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on social media messaging to build “Brand Israel” and sway U.S. public opinion. Such campaigns have influenced elections, inserted falsehoods into news cycles, and intimidated decision-makers into funding weapons for Israel. But there is resistance.

zoom.us

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

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

Deputation Training

When: January 20th, 6:30pm

Are you a community leader interested in making improvements to the City Budget?

A deputation is a written letter or spoken presentation to decision-makers. This virtual workshop will help leaders gain confidence in delivering a powerful deputation for the 2025 City Budget. We will go over guidelines, tips on delivery and structure, and key messages you can include in your deputation.

Participants will also have a chance to share their ideas for a written or spoken deputation and receive feedback from Social Planning Toronto. We encourage participants to come to the workshop with their ideas.

Please register here to secure your free spot.

CLC Political Action Conference

When: Monday, January 20 at 7pm, and Tuesday, January 21 at 5pm
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St W

Join the Canadian Labour Congress in Toronto on January 20-21 for our 2025 Election Readiness Conference. With so much at stake, let’s sharpen our skills to lead campaigns that put workers first. Dive into core issues, build strategies for the election, and align your union’s goals for the future.

Many of your unions are sponsoring this event. Registration is free!

canadianlabour.ca | Facebook

Trudeau’s final act

When: January 21st, 12pm

We’ll be talking to experts who contributed to a new book on Justin Trudeau’s years in power edited by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) researchers. In The Trudeau Record: Promise v. Performance, 25 independent experts assess key issues in six policy areas: Indigenous rights; the environment and energy; taxes and spending; health care and social benefits; foreign policy; and social policy.

zoom.us

Tracking the Global Upsurge in Workers’ Strikes

When: January 21st, 2:30pm

This webinar explores the surge in workers’ strike activity since 2020 and examines innovative approaches to documenting labour disputes, with perspectives from Canada, Quebec, the US and the UK. All of the speakers will highlight the challenges of relying on official strike data as a way to understand workers’ militancy and forms of resistance and will explore their various approaches to developing alternative ways to track worker action.

zoom.us

It Didn’t Start on October 7

When: January 21st to March 18th, 7pm

A series of 9 one-hour illustrated talks that trace Zionist / Israeli efforts to take the land of historic Palestine, dispossess the Palestinian inhabitants, and deny them fundamental human rights and self determination. Each talk is 60 minutes followed by 30 minutes of Q/A and discussion. The talks are introductory and non-academic and are suitable for anyone who wants to learn more. No prior knowledge of the history of Palestine / Israel is necessary.

mailchi.mp

Book launch: In the Valley of Historical Time

When: January 22nd, 11am

It can be said that the working-class movement at present is standing in the valley of historical time, a place between the completion of the descent of labour movements that began with neoliberal globalisation and its ascent that is yet to begin. The organised strikes in the formal sector, often under the leadership of the central trade unions linked with electoral parties, have declined drastically.

In this book launch, Abhinav Sinha will talk us through key arguments of the book with Tom Vickers acting as discussant.

zoom.us

Fortitude/Fragile

When: Wednesday January 22nd, 5pm
Where: Onsite Gallery, 199 Richmond St W

Guest curated by Magda González-Mora, the artworks in Fortitude/Fragile advocate for change and understanding, accentuating the strength of human spirit and the efficacy of decisive actions. In challenging times, the refusal to succumb to despair is a testament to the persistence inherent in humanity. The artworks underscore the importance of regenerative learning and cultivate an atmosphere steeped in mutual respect and tolerance. Fortitude/Fragile features artworks by Sandra Brewster, Francisco-Fernando Granados, Regina José Galindo, Shabnam K.Ghazi, Coco Guzmán, Caroline Monnet, Vessna Perunovich and Anila Rubiku.

Facebook

FilmSocial Presents: Sweet Country

When: Wednesday, January 22nd, 7pm
Where: Eyesore Cinema, 1176 Bloor St

Set in the sparsely populated outback of Australia’s Northern Territory, Sweet Country explores the tension between European settlers and indigenous people in the period between the two world wars. Based on true events, the film follows the story of Sam Kelly, an aboriginal farm worker who is accused of murdering a white settler and WW1 veteran. Sam is forced to go on the run from a legal and judicial system almost certainly stacked against him.

The Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education is very pleased to be presenting Sweet Country as the first instalment in 2025 of the ongoing FilmSocial series of film screenings.

tickettailor.com

May Day Brigade

When: April 25 to May 10
Where: Cuba

Please accept our warmest greetings from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), a social organization that contributes to the strengthening, mobilization and unity of the International Solidarity Movement in defense of the Cuban Revolution and for friendship, peace, sovereignty and the just causes of the peoples.

From ICAP, motivated by the celebration of the 65 th anniversary of its founding, we invite you to participate in the 18th International May Day Brigade of Voluntary Work, which will take place from April 25 to May 10, 2025.

Let us celebrate together the days of International Workers’ Day! The Cuban workers’ movement, which has a long tradition of struggle and combativeness, will welcome you in their workplaces and communities to discuss the main challenges that today face the working class worldwide.

siempreconcuba.org

Das Kapital – A Cold Case

By Ingo Schmidt

Das Kapital is one of those crime novels where readers know early on who the villain is. Whether or not he is caught remains an open question until the end. So far, he has not been caught. This is why further episodes have been written since Marx’s death. The story begins in a ghostly world. It seems peaceful and free. It is inhabited by people who trade goods with each other. Everyone gives what they have but don’t need, and everyone takes what they need but don’t have. A wide variety of things are exchanged, but they have only one thing in common: they all have the same value. That’s why no one can make themselves rich at the expense of their respective trading partners: no one buys cheap, and sells dear.

Source: The Bullet No. 3082

Fortress Europe Gets More Guns and Deeper Moats

By Klaus Dräger and Herman Michiel

After six months of political wrangling with the European Parliament, the new von der Leyen Commission started its work on 1 December 2024. Is the European Commission the “government,” the executive, of the European Union (EU)? Not really because the Commission, and not the Parliament, has the right of legislative initiative. European legislation arises because the Commission launches a legislative proposal. If it is then approved, possibly amended, by a majority in Parliament as well as by the Council (consisting of ministers of the member states), it becomes European law.

Source: The Bullet No. 3083

Solidarity with Palestine and the Struggle from Below

By Joseph Daher

Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza shows no sign of ending more than a year after its beginning, while the Israeli occupation army and settlers have continued to escalate their violence in the West Bank, as well as its continuous annexation, by dispossessing the Palestinians and confiscating their lands. Moreover, Israel’s government launched a new war against Lebanon by mid-September 2024, resulting in several thousand deaths and massive destruction, with scenes and images reminding us of the devastation in Gaza.

Source: The Bullet No. 3084

Condé Beveridge Labour Arts Residency

Carole Condé (June 27, 1940 – July 19, 2024) will be remembered for her dedication to building an art practice centred around revolutionary social change. Her work responded to critical and contemporary cultural, social, and political issues. She rejected the elite capitalist artworld and brought representations of working people to art made with and for the people.

Along with long-time collaborator and partner, Karl Beveridge, they created a significant body of work, spanning over fifty years. Their work involved collaboration with union members and spoke to issues of labour justice. They have exhibited internationally and been recognized for their significant artistic contributions. Condé and Beveridge have been leaders in the field of labour arts in Canada and are founding members of both the Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts and the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre in Hamilton.

The residency program seeks to embody the spirit of collaboration; the commitment to labour movements and social analysis; the openness to artistic genres; and the public accessibility that is found in their practice.

Deadline to apply: February 18, 2025.

mayworks.ca