Call for a May Day 2010 Coalitio

Call for a May Day 2010 Coalition

Open Letter from John Beeching, Honorary Chair, Canadians for Peace and Socialism (CPS)

April 16, 2010


Brothers and Sisters, Activists for Social and Economic Justice, Fighters for Peace and Socialism:

May Day 2010 is approaching. Now is the time to unite in solidarity to halt the big business attack on those who work to live. Yes, we do not live in a classless society – there is a working class! The working class is us, the overwhelming majority and we need to speak up on our own behalf.

We are living during a time of a crisis in the capitalist imperialist world. Huge governments handouts of our tax money, subsidises to banks and auto manufacturing have been generous. Most of these handouts seem to be going in the pockets of top management.

Corporate and bank bailouts take place at a time when unemployment is on the increase. Workers are losing their homes to banks and mortgage companies. Moreover, many laid-off workers even those who have found other work at low wages are now resorting to food banks and soup kitchens. Our class suffers while the extreme rich line their pockets with workers tax money.

For a Coalition of Union and non-union workers

Union Leaders need to use their positions to have labour unions call meetings across the nation to organize a coalition of union and non-union workers. This 2010 May Day must bring together all workers regardless of national origin, language, religion or race. We create the wealth and we must show the world that workers day, May Day is a day of honour and struggle here in Canada and around the world, a day when workers’ stand up for justice and resistance. Let the false Labour Day September 6 be just a holiday - it is just that anyway.

This year May Day must represent the solidarity and resistance of all working communities who are taking courageous stands against the massive layoffs, loss of homes, health insurance, and the deepening erosion of our rights to organize and bargain collectively for liveable wages and just work conditions.

This year May Day must once again demand legalization for all workers and declare that we will not allow our origin of birth to divide us from one another.

A political movement around a peoples program for peace with justice, full employment and a future for the youth is needed.

We need a true people’s coalition for a future! Let’s Get On With the Task of Organizing it!

John Beeching

John Beeching is 88 years old. He is a veteran of World War Two. He and his wife Betty are lifelong activists for the rights of labour, peace, and social justice. He is a contributor to Focus on Socialism, www.focusonsocialism.ca and posts his views on his own website at http://johnbettypeacesocialismblogsite.blogspot.com/