On Saturday, February 1st Londoners are invited to join in a Walk of Solidarity for local workers. The walk will assemble at the Tolpuddle Housing Co-op, in the main floor, 380 Adelaide St. North, at 12 pm. It brings together a number of local groups, in recognition of the Inter-Continental Day of Trade Action on January 31st. As reported by the Trade Justice Network, “January 2014 marks the twenty-year anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a pact that has had devastating consequences for working families, small farmers, indigenous peoples, small business and the environment in all three countries and beyond. This is a call to action for communities throughout Mexico, Canada and the United States to join together on January 31, 2014, and say “ENOUGH!” to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other corporate “trade” deals.”
London-area groups participating in this event include: The Council of Canadians: Trade Justice London; the London and District Labour Council; LACASA; and the National Farmers’ Union. We will be walking in solidarity with employees of Kellogg’s, Heinz, and Canada Post, who have seen, or will see in 2014, significant job losses.
Globalization, and in particular new investor-state trade deals, beginning with NAFTA and continuing with CETA and the upcoming TPP, are of great concern to everybody, it seems, except our governments. NAFTA, touted by Prime Minister Mulroney as a great job-maker for Canada, actually saw the loss of about 500,000 manufacturing jobs in the past 20 years. It is a deal that has also destroyed jobs, businesses and industries in Mexico, where new economic prosperity was promised. Experts see CETA and the upcoming TPP as having even more drastic consequences for employment, public services, and for municipal governments across Canada.
Please feel welcome to join us in the Walk of Solidarity and Resistance to Free-Trade Globalization! At the conclusion of the walk, come in out of the snow and enjoy good company and food at the brand new East Village Coffee House, as we show the documentary Hoodwinked! We invite participants and the public to this powerful film that focuses on the truth about free trade in Canada. The film starts at 2:00 pm and admittance is free to all.
For information, please contact:
Trade Justice London Chair, Jennifer Chesnut, at: tradejusticelondon@gmail.com, or Trade Justice London editor/writer, Aldous Smith: aldoussmith@gmail.com, Aldous: 519-433-5841
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