[van-announce] OCT 18th URGENT ACTION! Vancouver Solidarity Action fo OCAP Organizer!

[shannon bundock]

Defend Freedom of Speech for Workers!
 
Defend Emily Tang Against Suspension by Metropolitan Hotels!
 
Join Fire This Time on Monday October 18th at 5PM to deliver a letter to Metropolitan Hotels (645 Howe) demanding: 
 
END THE SUSPENSION OF EMILY TANG!
 
END THE ATTACKS ON WORKERS DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS!
 
On Saturday October 9th Emily Tang, a worker at Metropolitan Hotels in Toronto Ontario and a central organizer with the Metropolitan Hotel Workers Committee (MHWC) and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) was served with notice of suspension for speaking publically against her employer and in defence of the rights of her and her fellow workers.  
 
Throughout the past year Emily has been organizing at her workplace for for the basic rights of the 250 workers there against the owners and management. She has faced attacks from her employer, including a written threat that if she continued to speak out publically against the Metropolitan Hotels, she would be fired.
 
Emily, along with the majority of workers at Metropolitan Hotels is a woman of color, which adds to the significance of this attack. Not only is Metropolitan Hotels silencing a worker and denying her freedom of speech, they are silencing a doubly oppressed worker through attacking the democratic rights of a woman of color.  
 
Despite this threat Emily continued to organize in defence of her rights and, on October 9th, was given an immediate suspension. She is expecting notice of termination at any time now. 
 
Last week, Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice recieved an email from OCAP explaining that a solidarity action in Vancouver for Emily would be a great help in the fight against these attacks on her by the hotel.
 
Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice condemns this action by Metropolitan Hotels and calls on all workers and all social justice activists to come out in support of Emily Tang. 
 
We demand the immediate withdrawl of the suspension and an end to attacks on her freedom of speech. 
 
On Monday October 18th Fire This Time, along with community activists and supporters will meet in front of the Vancouver Metropolitan Hotel (645 Howe) to deliver a letter to the management in solidarity with Emily Tang and in defence of workers rights. 
 
We call on and encourage everyone to join us in support of Emily Tang and of workers rights everywhere!
 
(See below for the letter text.)
 
In Solidarity,
 
Shannon Bundock
Coordinator Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice
604 322 1764 
info at fire-this-time.org
 
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Text of Letter to  be delivered October 18th:
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October 18 2004

To: Henry Wu

C/O Judy Ahola, Manager of Public Relations, Corporate

From: Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice & Youth Third World Alliance

Re: The suspension of Emily Tang, worker at Metropolitan Hotels - Toronto 

Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice and Youth Third World Alliance are two groups dedicated to the fight for social justice for workers and poor people against injustice in Vancouver, across Canada and internationally. Last week, we were informed of an attack on the basic rights of workers that was carried out by the management of the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto.

On October 9th Emily Tang, a worker at Metropolitan Hotels in Toronto Ontario and a central organizer with the Metropolitan Hotel Workers Committee (MHWC) and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) reported for work. She was called into the office at the hotel for a meeting with management and was issued an immediate suspension with pay. We consider this suspension to be completely groundless and unacceptable.

Why was she suspended? On September 23rd Emily spoke at the opening of a film about immigrant workers rights. This talk was in violation of a previous written warning issued by the Metropolitan that if she spoke out in public then she would be fired. We support Emily's brave decision to defy this unjust and illegal order. In her talk she spoke of the attacks and harassment of Muslim workers at the hotel for praying and on Latino workers for speaking Spanish. The response of the Metropolitan was to continue these discriminatory attacks and to suspend Emily, an immigrant woman worker of colour, for speaking out.

The right of workers to speak out against and criticize unjust, discriminatory, exploitative or illegal actions by their employer is a right that must be defended by all people. These basic democratic rights are central to all workplace and civil rights for all workers. The suspension of Emily Tang is an attack on the rights of all workers, but especially of women and immigrant workers of colour in this country.

We demand that Metropolitan Hotels lift your suspension of Emily, immediately reinstate her to full and active duty and stop all attacks on her and all workers at Metropolitan Hotels.

Sincerely;

Shannon Bundock 

Coordinator Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice 

778-891-1470

shannonbundock at yahoo.ca

Kira Koshelanyk

Coordinator Youth Third World Alliance

778- 881-6156

kirakoshelanyk at yahoo.ca 










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