Toronto, ON–April 21, 2011–An unabashed display of collective brilliance, strength and unity by Filipino Canadian workers will commence at “Advancing the Working Class Struggle: A Critical Look at Canada’s Labour and Immigration Programs.” Organized by SIKLAB-ON, a progressive Filipino Canadian workers organization, in collaboration with UKPC@UofT/York (Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance–Ontario at University of Toronto and York University), the celebration and public lecture will expose the true nature of two Canadian labour and immigration policies – namely, the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker’s Program (TFWP) – as brought to life by the stories of Filipino Canadian workers and event panelists. Kicking off at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Room 5280, this event is set for Saturday, April 30th from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. As the final culmination of UKPC@UofT/York’s lecture series and successful round of intense political education, this celebration is surely not one to be missed.
When scrutinized through the experiences of the growing Filipino Canadian community, now Canada’s 3rd largest visible minority group, a critical examination of Canada’s labour and immigration programs will not leave its neoliberal character and anti-worker impacts unscathed. As the LCP and TFWP continues to funnel highly educated migrants through Canada’s pool of cheap and disposable labour, the urge to critically examine the nature of work Filipinos are relegated to perform becomes a necessity for not only the Filipino Canadian community, but for Canadian society at large. “As workers who uphold the bare bones of Canada’s economy, who bear the brunt of an economy in crisis, we refuse to be silenced just as much as we are unafraid to express the truth behind our realities as workers,” says Bryan Taguba, SIKLAB-ON member and panel speaker.
As the true neoliberal face of policies such as the LCP and TFWP is unmasked through the daily realities of the Filipino Canadian community, it is clear that its promises of permanent residence, family reunification and economic development is unlikely to be fulfilled for the thousands it has held under contract. Its promises of economic growth has contrarily been one-sided: immigration now accounts for half of Canada’s GDP growth. “Our history as a community has taught us valuable lessons. We are not falling for the tired tactic of using temporary foreign workers to drive down the wages of all Canadian workers,” asserts Jean-Marc Daga, a SIKLAB-ON member. “Otherwise, how can we settle, integrate and genuinely develop as a community when we subsist through programs that are akin to modern-day slavery?” Daga asks. A critical look at these programs will show that permanent, instead of contractual migration, will end Canada’s exploitative practice of importing and deporting workers.
Testimonials from SIKLAB-ON members will illustrate that the struggles of Filipino Canadian workers is integral to the struggles of the Canadian working class and beyond. As Taguba states, “We leave the Philippines and come here to live a better life. But once we’re here, what we see is a continuation of what we have left behind: we still work in contractual or temporary jobs with no benefits.”
“Advancing the Working Class Struggle” will critically examine Canadian labour and immigration policies and highlight the call of progressive Filipino Canadians for a just and genuine settlement and integration. Igniting militancy and resistance, the public lecture will truly demonstrate the strength of the working class as a force to be reckoned with.
“Advancing the Working Class Struggle: A Critical Look at Canada’s Labour and Immigration Programs”
SIKLAB-ON’s celebration of International Workers Day
3rd and final lecture of UKPC@UofT/York’s lecture series
Featuring panel presentations on the LCP and TFWP
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Room 5280
252 Bloor St. West, Toronto ON (above St. George subway station)
Saturday, April 30th, 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Free to the public
-30-
For more information, contact:
Ken Santos
416-519-2553
ukpc-on@magkaisacentre.org
www.magkaisacentre.org
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