Originally posted on our national union’s website, copesepb.ca
When union members are threatened, we stand together in solidarity. We have each other’s backs, and we don’t back down from a fight.
That is even more important for us now as Canadians who care about our friends, family, and neighbours, as we face the attacks directed towards our communities by Trump.
Within a week of assuming office, Trump has thrown lives and institutions into chaos, making orders that have attacked our cost-of-living, our health care, our economy, the environment, and our human rights. And we know there is worse to come because, at his core, he is a bully, plain and simple.
His threats and actions will deliberately make life more expensive for all of us. He will threaten our healthcare, our families, our sovereignty, and all the things we hold most dear. To achieve his goals he will pit Canadians against one another, distracting us and dividing us.
Attack on equity, diversity, and inclusion
Trump wants to end equity, diversity, and inclusion programs because he knows those initiatives empower people, make communities safer and stronger, and provides us with more freedoms and more choices.
Trump and those who enable him think they can get away with these things because they are counting on us to fight amongst ourselves.
But, make no mistake, this union will always fight – not each other, but against corporate greed and attacks on our human rights. We will always stand up against racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and fascism. These are the tactics that Trump and his followers both in the US and here is Canada will use.
Twenty years ago, we stood up against an international union that wanted to limit our rights and freedoms. Our members rallied together to form our own autonomous Canadian union. Now, we will collectively fight against Trump’s surrogates, like Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith, who are set on selling out our freedoms and rights as Canadians. We are proud to be Canadian and to have control over our own freedom and destiny. We are not for sale. Not now. Not ever.
We will support our members, we will embrace empathy, and we will ensure that our union, our communities, and our labour movement, are open and welcoming to everyone.
We will always stand up against bullies like Trump and we will work together with our comrades in labour to fight against those that try to divide us.
We know you will too. We encourage you to learn how the labour movement is standing up against bullies like Trump and Pierre Poilievre by going to workerstogether.ca or texting WORKERS to 55255.
In solidarity,
Annette Toth
President, COPE SEPB
