Vol. 80/No. 24 June 20, 2016
US socialist candidate joins with striking workers in Quebec visit
“Because of the world capitalist economic crisis we need more international working class solidarity than ever,” she told a crowd of 100 strikers and their supporters May 27 at a press conference and rally near the Old Port tourist complex to launch a three-day strike for a minimum wage of $15 Canadian an hour (US$11.73). The workers, including gardeners, educators, security workers and janitors, are members of the Union of Old Port Workers – Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 10333.
The following evening, Old Port workers union president Konrad Lamour spoke along with Kennedy at a special Militant Labor Forum.
On May 30 Kennedy visited the picket line of members of Unifor Local 1209 who are on strike at the Delastek aerospace factory in Grand-Mère, Quebec (see article on page 5). During an exchange, a dozen strikers told Kennedy about the working conditions that led them to bring in the union in 2003 and their efforts since then to strengthen it. Kennedy described her experience in fighting for and winning a union at the Co-Op coal mine in Utah in 2003-06.
Many strikers expressed opposition to Donald Trump. Kennedy replied that the Socialist Workers Party explains “the need for workers to break with both the Republican and Democratic parties and to fight to replace capitalist political power with a workers and farmers government.”
Kennedy also spent time talking with three young people planning to attend the June 16-18 Active Workers Conference in Oberlin, Ohio.
Related articles:
SWP: Capitalism wastes human ability, potential
Tenn. worker: ‘We sure need something different!’
Communist League in Australia: Workers need to organize independent of bosses
The political war on the working class
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