On Jan. 11, the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) voted in favour of strike action to demand an increase in wages and student funding. This was quickly followed by single day strikes on Jan. 16 and on Jan. 22, and rotating strikes beginning on Feb 1. Saskatchewan’s labour movement must mobilize in support of the STF! 

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has issued an injunction against striking workers at the Fresh Del Monte distribution centre in Oshawa. 

The labour movement must unite behind the workers on the picket lines to fight this attack.

U.S. imperialism has bombed Yemen several times this month, in retaliation for the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea. U.S. President Joe Biden has also promised “sustained” military action against the Houthis to protect the “free movement of goods”. American imperialism’s sidekick, British imperialism, also tagged along. And as the press keeps boasting, Canada is involved too.

More than 90 days after Israel began its assault on Gaza, the Canadian federal government has finally announced a special “temporary resident pathway” for Palestinian refugees. The program, however, is wrought with obstacles—not least of which is the fact that it has a cap of 1,000 refugees who will be allowed into the country. Compare this to the 2.3 million people who are battling for survival amidst destruction which the Canadian government backs financially, politically, and militarily, and the true nature of the program becomes clear. It is a half-hearted attempt by the Canadian ruling class to mask its imperialist interests.

The voting period on the tentative agreement between the Common Front and the CAQ government has begun. Although the government was forced to grant some concessions, this agreement does not put an end to wage erosion. Given the scale of the mobilizations, many workers are rightly asking: what was it all for?

On Jan. 8, four peaceful activists involved in the pro-Palestine movement began trial for vandalizing the storefront of an Indigo bookstore at Bay and Bloor in Toronto. Along with seven others, these activists, now known as the “Peace 11,” splashed red paint and glued photographs of Indigo’s CEO, Heather Reisman, with the words “Funding Genocide” below her face.They were then slapped with the trumped-up charges of conspiracy, mischief, and criminal harassment, which could land them in prison for up to 10 years—all for splashing some paint and putting up some posters. This charge is utterly ridiculous, and must be exposed by the entire movement as an attempt to intimidate and silence all those who stand against Israel’s crimes.

On Friday, Dec. 29, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) began tearing down the first of eight homeless encampments that had been deemed “high risk” by the municipal government. The city and the EPS had hoped it would be a quick, business-as-usual operation. Instead, it has been a pointless endeavour, failing even to get rid of the encampments and only succeeding in exposing the most vulnerable population in the city to the coldest, deadliest climates that Edmonton is capable of experiencing.

Canadian politicians are beside themselves over protesters rallying outside Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly’s home to demand an end to Canada’s military and diplomatic support for Israeli genocide in Gaza.

January 2024 won’t be the beginning of a happy new year for 30-40 unionized Chapters workers in Scarborough who are organized with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1006A. As of Jan. 27 these workers will be facing a store closure.

While Chapters cites a lack of profitability following a “standard business review,” it’s clear that this is being used as a pretext to attack one of the few Chapters stores in the country which are unionized.

According to federal data, strikes across Canada hit an 18-year high in 2023,accounting for over two million days not worked. This was the third successive year-over-year increase since the pandemic. It is a sign that, in the face of the current crisis, workers are radicalizing.