This week the Activist Toolkit is full of resources focusing on workers’ rights and the challenges of workers in different industries or areas. Hopefully these tools will give you some ideas on how to focus your efforts towards standing with workers and standing up to unjust labour practices.
Although it’s an American site, I love the cohesion and brightness of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network site. They have a blog, pressroom, events listing and additional resources like an “Arts and Culture” section. Plus, their efforts on behalf of vulnerable workers are a great way to bring awareness to the often overlooked issue of rights for temporary or migrant workers.
Standing together with postal workers is a very current focus on the Canadian labour scene. After Canada Post’s recent announcement detailing job cuts, decreased service, and price spikes, we saw strong organizing across the country. Take part in the “Save Canada Post” campaign by distributing materials, raising awareness or attending events near you. There’s an important Day of Action coming up too — see if there’s an event scheduled for your community.
It’s a popular time of year for friends and family (or random acquaintances on Facebook) to announce their winter vacations. But what about the workers on board cruise lines or staffing resorts? Are we thinking critically about labour rights and sustainable travel when perpetuating these types of systems?
The CEO of the popular Carnival cruise line has been in some hot water with regards to labour issues around the globe. Arnold Donald sits on the board of Crown Holdings, a company that recently forced the United Steelworkers on strike in Canada, and is pushing back against Turkish workers trying to unionize. Sign the petition to put an end to this type of power mongering and oppression of workers.
Whether you’re working on a cruise ship or dividing your time between activist organizations, we all know how important it is to spend time recharging and checking in with our goals, motivations and priorities. The Self Care Project aims to make those lofty goals accessible for everyone — regardless of their work, time frame or financial opportunities. This is a personal favourite in this week’s tools — I love the emphasis on changing societal perceptions of success (as a mind-numbing, hamster-wheel-style “busy-ness”) and concentration on remaining fulfilled for the long-term.
Another favourite — although completely unrelated — tool in this week’s batch is this fantastic grouping of tools on race, privilege and anti-racist organizing.
It’s obviously paramount to make sure any activist groups you’re a part of (or any organization you’re involved with, for that matter) is an inclusive, safe, and anti-racist space. But this collection of resources really spells out key strategies for dealing with common challenges to that goal (white privilege, unconscious racism, student movements, etc).
And now for the outliers of the week! While these tools don’t focus on workers’ rights, they are still super valuable:
– 3 Minute Action to Save Science Libraries — this tool addresses the closure of science libraries across the country. Without firm pushback, the government will be able to get away with disposing of priceless scientific data and a whole heck of a lot of years’ worth of work.
– 350.org led to two distinct tools this week. The site in general is a great resource for climate change activists, while their workshop guide is a fantastic tool for activists in any area looking to plan a really effective and poignant event.
As the traditional work week comes to an end, many are donning their activist hats. Check out some of these tools to inspire your organizing this week, or seek out a local event to support workers in your area — and don’t forget, build in time to establish the roots of a self-care routine. It will make you a better activist for weeks (and years) to come.
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