Dear ACTRA Manitoba members,

Join us on Monday, September 4th in Memorial Park as we join other unions in the annual Labour Day March! Look for the yellow ACTRA flags and other ACTRA members. Please wear any ACTRA swag you may have and bring water, sunscreen and snacks.

This year’s event will be different than in the past, so here are some details provided by the Winnipeg Labour Council:

• Rally at Memorial Park will start at 3pm with a chance to mingle and hear from labour leaders and very special guests.
• We will be marching to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights following the rally.
• Once at the Museum, we will be providing snacks and some fun children’s activities and we will be hearing from speakers on how Labour Rights are Human Rights and how we can all relate in collective struggles for human rights. It should be fantastic.
• All attendees (friends, families, etc.) will be provided with free museum passes to be used at a later date to come back and explore the exhibits. The CMHR is highlighting Labour Rights through the month of September, with the kick off being our event!

It is a pivotal time for labour organizations right now. So many of our fellow workers are either on strike or in the midst of negotiations. There is no industry without workers, and while ACTRA is not currently on strike, we are dealing with a battle for fairness in the commercial sector with many of our members having lost their livelihoods these past 16 months. Shame on the ICA for not bargaining in good faith! Our national team continues the fight by rallying, protesting, and making as much noise as possible to get the attention of the big corporations who hire those ad agencies. And it’s working, bit by bit. We need to keep up the pressure! Don’t support these big brands that use ad agencies that have locked us out: 

Rogers
Wendy’s
H & R Block
Canadian Tire
Home Hardware
Sleep Country

We anticipate many of the same issues that SAG-AFTRA are fighting for will come up when we renegotiate the IPA next year. It’s a daunting, but important time in the history of our union. There are so many unknowns and the world is changing fast, but one thing will remain constant – that we are stronger together! Let’s show Winnipeg that we march in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and all the other unions who are fighting for decent wages and a fair share of RECORD PROFITS. See you at the rally!

Alan Wong
President and National Councillor
ACTRA Manitoba Branch Council