[van-announce] Reminder: Palestine/South Africa Labour tour, Vancouver event May 29th

[Mike Krebs]

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*Sorry for Cross-postings*

BUILDING SOLIDARITY FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO PALESTINE

A pan-Canadian trade union speaking tour featuring:

Dr. Amjad Barham
President, Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors
and Employees (PFUUPE)

...Tahir Sema
National spokesperson, South African Union of Municipal Workers (SAMWU)


VANCOUVER EVENT:

Sun May 29 at 7 PM
Maritime Labour Centre • 1880 Triumph Street, Vancouver
(Victoria and Triumph, two blocks north of Hastings St.)


Panel facilitated by Deborah Bourque, Coordinator of Policy and
Planning for the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU)

FREE PUBLIC EVENT, donations appreciated to help cover costs of the tour
(Free childcare on-site – call 604-779-7430. Venue is wheelchair accessible.)

For more information email: boycottapartheid at gmail.com or call: 604-779-7430


Vancouver Sponsors Include:
- Vancouver District Labour Council
- Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 846
- CUPE Metro
- CUPE Local 15
- CEP local 2025
- Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU-SFU) – Social Justice Committee
- StopWar.ca
- The Centre for Race Autobiography Gender and Age Studies (RAGA)
- Independent Jewish Voices
- CanPalNet
- Canada Palestine Association
- No One Is Illegal Vancouver
- Boycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign
- South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD)

Sponsors and endorsers of the national tour and local events include:

Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian Union of Public Employees
(CUPE) – Ontario Division, CUPE Ontario International Solidarity
Committee, CUPE Toronto District Council, CUPE Local 2491, CUPE Local
3903, CUPE Local 3906 Political Action Committee, FTQ Regional Conseil
Montreal, Fédération nationale des enseignants et enseignantes du
Québec (FNEEQ), London & District Labour Council, Metropolitan
Montréal Central Council - Confédération des syndicats nationaux
(CCMM-CSN), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association’s Toronto
Secondary Unit Human Rights Political Action Committee (CUPE 3906),
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 568,
Canadian Arab Federation, Faculty for Palestine, London Solidarity
Coalition for Palestine, Not in Our Name: Jewish Voices Opposing
Zionism, Tadamon! Montreal, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War,
Students Against Israeli Apartheid

BACKGROUND
There is a great urgency in building our solidarity with Palestinian
workers. It is important to note that Palestinian trade unions
continue to operate in and confront a daily reality of military
occupation, apartheid walls and neoliberal austerity.
In Gaza, 98% of industrial operations remain idle as a result of
Israel’s three-year blockade, which includes severe restrictions on
electricity, heating oil, natural gas and construction materials.
In the occupied West Bank, 25% of the population continues to face
food insecurity as well as a complex network of 400-500 military
checkpoints, roadblocks, fences, and other obstacles that separate
Palestinian workers from their workplaces.
This tour is aimed at fostering relationships between Palestinian,
South African, Canadian and Québécois trade unionists in the hopes of
building on the already considerable work of Canadian and Québec
solidarity campaigns. It is also an important opportunity for public
education on the experiences of workers and trade unionists in
Palestine and South Africa.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Dr. Amjad Barham
Dr. Amjad Barham is the head of the Palestine Polytechnic University
Employees Union and the President of the Palestinian Federation of
Unions of University Employees and Professors. The Federation
represents unions at all Palestinian universities in the West Bank and
Gaza. Dr. Barham is a professor in applied mathematics.
Dr. Barham is also the new president of the Palestinian Trade Union
Coalition for BDS (PTUC-BDS), which includes almost the entirety of
the blocks composing the Palestinian trade union movement, and is
based on the Palestinian civil society call for BDS launched in 2005,
as well as the standards adopted by the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions National Committee (BNC), of which the Coalition is a key
component.

Tahir Sema
Tahir Sema is a national spokesperson for the South African Municipal
Workers Union (SAMWU). He is also the Convener of Council of South
African Trade Unions’ (COSATU) Coalition for a Free Palestine.

Deborah Bourque
Deborah Bourque is the former national president of the Canadian Union
of Postal Workers (CUPW), a position she held from 2002 to 2008. Under
her leadership the CUPW adopted resolutions calling for an end to the
occupation of Palestine and sup- porting boycott, divestment and
sanctions against Israel. In November 2002, she participated in the
Canadian Labour Congress mission to Israel and Palestine. She is
currently the Coordinator of Policy and Planning for the Hospital
Employees’ Union (HEU).


FULL LIST OF TOUR DATES:

WINDSOR
Sun May 22
2pm-5pm
Oak Room, Vanier Hall, University of Windsor

TORONTO
Sat May 21
6:30pm-9:30pm
Beit Zatoun, 612 Markham St. (Bathurst subway)

Thurs May 26
7pm-10pm
CUPE Ontario Convention, Sheraton Hotel, 123 Queen St. West

info: 416-828-3851

HAMILTON
Tues May 24
6pm-8pm
McMaster University

LONDON
Wed May 25
7pm-9pm
Tolpuddle room, 380 Adelaide St. North (at King)

contact: David Heap
Email: david.heap(at)gmail.com
Phone: 519 858 9560 or 519 859 3579

REGINA
Thurs May 27
7:30 pm
Regina Union Centre
2709 12th Ave

contact info: (306)569-9787 or info(at)reginasolidaritygroup.com

VANCOUVER
Sun May 29
7pm
Maritime Labour Centre • 1880 Triumph Street, Vancouver
(Victoria and Triumph, two blocks north of Hastings St.)
contact:
Email: boycottapartheid(at)gmail.com
Phone: 604-779-7430

MONTREAL
Wed. June 1
7pm
Centre St. Pierre, room 200
1212, rue Panet (metro Beaudry)
info: 514-659-0106 or info(at)tadamon.ca

OTTAWA
Thurs. June 2
7pm
CUPW National Office
377 Bank St.