CAIA's Labour Committee
Attention all unionists, unorganized workers, worker's organisations/centres and rank and file activists who are working in solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for justice are invited to a three day conference this coming May/June. (REGISTRATION FORM: english version / french version).
BRICK BY BRICK: Building Labour Solidarity with Palestine
Is organized by Labour for Palestine in an effort to bring together workers to analyze the current situation in Palestine, explore and refine the arguments in defense of the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel and to share strategies for uniting and furthering the international movement for Palestine in our workplaces, our unions and our communities.
On Friday May 30, Saturday May 31 and Sunday June 1, 2008 come to Toronto, Ontario where BRICK BY BRICK will address the following:
*What are the experiences of labour organizing around Palestine around the world?
*How can we learn from historical experiences in South Africa and the contemporary experience of passing and implementing the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario Division's resolution 50 on the boycott, divestment campaign against Israel?
*How can we build stronger networks locally and nationally between workers and unions?
Speakers from Palestine, United Kingdom, South Africa and Ireland have been invited to share their experiences and impart lessons learned. Through a combination of workshops, plenary sessions and forums, the conference is meant to strengthen our organizing efforts and provide tools take action.
We need you to attend / now is the time to build!
Register today!
For more information contact: labour@caiaweb.org
Registration includes all conference sessions, lunch
and a social on Saturday evening. Conference workshops
and details to follow, stay tuned. Registration is
$20.00 but additional financial donations are gladly
accepted.
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ATTENTION Canadian labour activists: If you are a
delegate to the Canadian Labour Congress convention in
Toronto extend your stay to attend this exciting and
important conference.
FULL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Conference Venue:
Steel Workers Hall,
25 Cecil St Toronto.
(South of College St, east of Spadina)
Agenda:
FRIDAY MAY 30TH
5 pm – 6 pm
Conference Registration
7 pm – 9 pm
Public Forum: Palestinian Workers and International Solidarity
What is the current situation of Palestinian workers and why are they asking us to join the global campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions? This forum will hear from Manawell Abdul Al, member of the executive committee of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and Paul Loulou Chery, Secretary of the Confederation of Haitian Workers. Representatives from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Ontario), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec FNEEQ (CSN) will also speak.
SATURDAY MAY 31ST
8:30 am – 9:15 am
Registration
9:15 am – 9:30 am
Opening and Welcoming Remarks
9:30 am – 11:00 am
Plenary Session: Understanding Palestinian Labour in the Middle East
The last few years have witnessed dramatic transformations in the economies of the Middle East. Under the eyes of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, industrial zones have been established in Jordan, Egypt and the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip that bring together Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian investors to exploit a cheap Arab workforce. What is the role of Palestinian and Arab labour in the broader economies of Israel and the Middle East? How should we understand the struggle for solidarity with Palestinian workers as part of a general struggle against neo-liberalism in the region? Speaker: Adam Hanieh (CUPE Ontario International Solidarity Committee).
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Coffee and Tea Break
11:30 am – 1 pm
Plenary Session: Where are we at? Activist reports from cities
This session aims to present a birds-eye view of labour movement work occurring across the continent in solidarity with Palestine, highlighting successes, lessons, opportunities, weaknesses. Speakers from a variety of cities will give brief (5 minute) presentations covering a variety of campaigns and unions. Most of the session will consist of open discussion among plenary participants.
1 pm – 2:30 pm
Lunch: Provided free of charge to conference registrants.
2:30 PM – 4PM
Concurrent Workshops:
a) Solidarity in the Workplace: Unions 101
How do unions work? What are the different union structures? How do you go about getting resolutions passed? What is the point of a union resolution on BDS? How do you get active in a committee? Everything you were always too afraid to ask about unions and more! Facilitators: Jenny Peto (United Steelworkers) and Denise Hammond (CUPE Ontario).
b) Building an Effective BDS Campaign
What does the BDS strategy aim to achieve and why is it successful? How can we see BDS as a component of all our work: as an educational and outreach tool? When should we put forward resolutions? How do they relate to building a grassroots base of support in the labour movement? As rank-and-file activists, how do we relate to union leaderships? Facilitators: Rafeef Ziadah (CUPE Ontario) and Stefan Christoff (Tadamon! Montreal).
c) Dealing with Backlash
What are the arguments that the Zionists use to attack resolutions? What kind of backlash should we expect? How can we utilize these attacks to push forward the broader public awareness around Palestine? How can we pre-empt these attacks and extend solidarity once they do occur? Facilitators: Lynda Lemberg (Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation) and Iliam Burbano (CUPE Ontario).
d) Developing and Delivering Educationals
What types of materials are available for labour activists to use in education work around Palestine? We will discuss how to run workshops, train-the-trainer sessions, and dealing with disruption. Generic presentation materials will be available for all conference attendees to take home. Facilitators: Cynthia Wright (CUPE Ontario) and Adam Hanieh (CUPE Ontario)
4:00pm – 4:30pm
Break
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Plenary: Why is international solidarity important to re-building a fighting labour movement?
In the current era of corporate and government attacks, declining union membership, inter-union disputes and a narrow vision of 'business unionism' what can we do to reverse these attacks? The panel will focus on the importance of incorporating a range of social struggles, particularly international solidarity, into our vision of a fighting, progressive unionism. Speakers will address contemporary issues, and examine models of organizing that have been successful in the past.
Speakers: Sam Gindin (Canadian Autoworkers), Salim Vally (Congress of South African Trade Unions National Education Committee, 1989-1993), Lynda Lemberg (OSSTF).
7pm onwards
Dinner and Party at the Steelworkers Hall. Straight from Colombia, DJ Anti-Capitalista will show why he is the best-loved DJ in Toronto!
SUNDAY JUNE 1ST
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Concurrent Workshops:
a) Making and Taking Space: Unions 201
How do we make and take space in unions? How do we deal with attempts to silence us and contain the issues? What types of barriers do we encounter and how can we build effective alliances? This workshop will include practical strategies and tools to help in building and taking space in our unions. Facilitators: Katherine Nastovski (CUPE Ontario) and Salim Vally (Palestine Solidarity Committee South Africa)
b) Building an Effective BDS Campaign same as above
c) Dealing with Backlash same as above
d) Developing and Delivering Educationals same as above
11:30 am – 1 pm
Closing Strategy Session
The aim of this session is to develop a few concrete proposals that will help improve our networks and move our solidarity work forward in the coming period.
1 pm Conference Close
Unions listed for identification purposes only - The conference organizers would like to thank Nathan Rao and Sophie Villancourt for their invaluable assistance in French translation and Nahed Mansour for her design of conference materials.
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Labour for Palestine is a group of rank and file activists working in solidarity with the Palestinian people to educate the community and workers about the exploitation of Palestinians. For more information please email: labour@caiaweb.org
STATEMENT: Labour for Palestine Responds to US Anti-Boycott Statement
CAIA's Labour Committee is dedicated to promoting the BDS Campaign against Israeli Apartheid in the Labour movement. We can be reached at: labour@caiaweb.org
For more information on BDS within the labour movement see CUPE-Ontario's Resolution 50 page.