October 4 2025
On Saturday, the Migrants Resource Centre Canada was joined by various grassroots organizations and unions for a programme of Labour Solidarity. To encourage union leaders and activists alike, we advocated for attendees to go to the upcoming Labour Tour in the Philippines, held by the International Migrants Alliance to strengthen international labour solidarity through global campaigns for worker-led alternatives and systemic change.
In a room full of labour leaders from the Ontario Public Service Employees union (OPSEU), Canada Union of Postal workers (CUPW), Canada Union for Public Employees (CUPE ON) and the Toronto York Labour Council and activists from worker organizations, the night began with discussing the current global political situation and the crisis of capitalism.
Just a week before, MRCC joined the postal workers strike in Toronto. Postal workers are striking against the Canada Post Corporation and the neoliberal policies of the system that prioritize privatization, and deregulation of public services instead of the job security and rights of the workers. We see this not only through the various strikes in Canada, but the workers in the Philippines fighting against a system that fails to address its own debt from politicians, senators and congressmen, taking public funds from the people. The same system that prioritizes export of overseas Filipino workers to shoulder the economy by sending remittances to provide for their families back home. From this crisis of capitalism rises imperialism and the need to further exploit labour and natural resources, the export of finance capital, the existence of international capitalist associations to ensure they share the world’s wealth, and lastly dividing up the world according to influences of the biggest capitalist powers that leads to war and militarism.
Katherine Grzejszczak from CUPE Ontario & member of Paramedics for Palestine spoke about her experiences as a union organizer and her solidarity organizing for Palestine. She spoke about getting fired from her job after criticizing Israel’s bombings in Gaza, and emphasized the need for organized labour movements to resist western capitalism in Canada.
Rafunzel Korngut from Kapwa Alliance for Hospitality workers underscored the importance of organizing beyond the union framework, the role of migrant workers and the importance of empowering hospitality workers to know their rights.
Santi Dasmirinas, our guest from COURAGE Philippines (Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees) provided a national situationer on the Philippines, from the workers struggle and fight for a living wage, and to organize against these systems that further exploit the Filipino people.
There were various discussions on how to strengthen solidarity among unions in Canada, a few of them is regularizing the labour tour regularly, and joining anti-imperialist alliances like International Migrants Alliance. And Internationational league of people’s struggles.
Chris Sorio of Migrante Canada, member of International Migrants Alliance closed the evening with a call to action. He stressed the importance of strengthening an anti-imperialist alliance of workers, migrants, and all sectors to stand for Justice, dignity, and liberation, through solidarity.
The revival of a Filipino labor movement was also united on to pursue promotion of unionism among Filipino workers.
We’d like to remind everyone to donate to info@migrantsresourcecentre.ca to support the work that we do, or if you’d like to support the delegates of the Labour tour in the Philippines leave a note under your e-transfer. Thank you