A New Year’s message from Josée-Anne Spirito, PSAC North Regional Executive Vice President
It’s a brand new year and I am so excited.
This past year saw huge gains for the Labour movement in the North and across the country and it’s thanks to you. Whether you were on a picket line, came out to union events, or spread the word on workers’ issues you made a difference.
These victories, like the groundbreaking IHA settlement this past year, have set precedents that will make further victories for Labour all the more likely. The impact of your work has been felt not just here in the North but across the country. Your successes have come hand in hand with the continuing work of our committees, components, locals, and members to make gains for social justice and against racism and hate.
The Labour movement is founded upon solidarity and respect. We win by seeking out those core beliefs not just within our movement but within the communities we call home. We win when we bring people together to challenge the injustices of our time in meaningful and real ways.
And we are winning.
There are a lot of continuing challenges that we will face this year. People are still struggling here in the North with increased living costs and wages that too often have not kept pace with inflation. People still face unfair working conditions and employers are still too often spending their resources to fight with workers rather than work with them. Paige Gallete’s article in November about Migrant workers’ fight to unionize in the Yukon, and the exploitative and dangerous working conditions they too often face, is a reminder of this fact.
Last year we wrote in Labour Views about the struggles of young workers in the North, how workers were at the heart of protecting communities from wildfires, about worker’s fight for housing, and how we need to stand together to counter hate. This year we will face these obstacles again. People will continue to struggle to find housing and fair wages, we will need to confront impacts like wildfires, and we will need to stand up to those who would divide us.
The question is not whether we will face these obstacles. The question is how we will face them, because we must face them together.
Never doubt your role in making a difference. You can bring people together, you can organize, and you can show your support. We can overcome the challenges ahead.
The successes of 2023 show us the way forward is one of solidarity, kindness, and resolve.
I look forward to working with you!
P.S. Find upcoming PSAC North events in January of 2024 here.