Worker Solidarity Network Rallies for Climate Justice

Members of the Worker Solidarity Network gathered at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia under the slogan “climate justice is labour justice” to protest government inaction leading to drop of air quality and heat waves afflicting labourers across the country.

The protesters set up a stand to distribute promotional and educational material, also giving away thermometers to keep track of ambient temperature, whose peaks often lead to heat strokes at the workplace.

Participants were invited to write down whatever they wish to convey our elected representatives on pieces of cardboard, which were then read aloud and dropped in a giant mock thermometer. Of course there were demands of reducing emissions and transitioning to clean energy, but also various others grievances such as lack of protective equipment, low minimum wage, difficulty unionising, insufficient sick days, and failure to enforce existing safety regulations.

The event was inspiring, but turnout was rather low, and attracted few beyond members of the network, something I attribute to lack of promotion; if not for attending Worker Wednesday, even I might never have known. It feels like this rally, like many like it, unfortunately preached to the choir. Furthermore, it was unwittingly held in conjunction with Freedom Saturday, which has a reputation for interfering with competing rallies. Sadly, their inexperience dampened the efforts they put into logistics.

Since a few 350 members were attending the event, I would like to offer that it would have better been held in conjunction with the latter’s upcoming global day of action on June 28th; far from competing with each other, a joint event would have been larger than the sum of its parts. 350 likewise struggles to gather numbers at its own rallies and lacks logistics, but excels as coordinating rallies nationwide. That being said, it’s not too late for the two groups to work something out, while at the time of this writing, no event for the aforementioned campaign is currently scheduled in Victoria.