We're fighting for our freedom

What a week! What a couple of weeks! I never thought I'd ever see people getting behind teachers like they have this month. I guess people just needed an issue to rally around and teachers getting fucked repeatedly in the ass is that issue.

I've been on the picket lines. Have you? There's really no other place where you can learn so much about basically everything. If you want to learn what this is all about, go down to the line. If you want to learn about solidarity, go down to the line. And if you want to know what it's like to really be a worker, then go down to the line. And bring some sandwiches why don't you.

Alternatively, go to a rally. Walk off your job. We haven't been this close to a general strike in a long time. Last year didn't even come close compared to now. Why is this important? Look. Whether your workplace is organized or not the teachers' strike is a precedent case. If a government can take away one union's right to fair and unfettered collective bargaining then you better believe they'll try it again. And when you want to start up a union drive in your place of work and your boss goes to the government and whines and says it's making him sad you know what side they're coming down on. None of us have any delusions that the cards are institutionally stacked against us (the non-bosses), but that doesn't mean we sit down and die. It means we fight every chance we get, and we fight alongside other people when they get the chance because these are the people that are gonna be fighting beside us. This is what solidarity looks like.

It's hard for any of us to pick up and head out to Alberta on a whim, but I think we should all know what's going on there. UFCW 401 (I think, it could be 407) are on strike at a meat packing plant/slaughterhouse. The first few days their employer (the American corporation Tyson Foods) tried to force busloads of scab workers through the picket line (a major no-no), but were unable to get through because of the rather pissed off people who were standing there. The employer (after or before running the union president off the road and nearly killing him) went whinning to the government who deemed that meat-packing is an essential service and legislated the company's right to continue opperations with scab labour. We're going backwards, we really are.

They make the rules up as they go along, to protect their class interests to the bitter end. I see no problem in breaking these arbitrary rules in order to protect our class interests. We're in this together. An injury to one is an injury to all.

On Friday, October 21st a whole bunch of us work-skippers will be out in full force at the PNE fairgrounds at 11:00am. Bring your megaphone.