Register NOW to join us for Worker Wednesday, happening October 30th, at 6:00pm on Zoom!

What is Worker Wednesdays?

Every last Wednesday of the month, workers and community allies gather virtually on zoom to mobilize and organize for worker justice in BC. Worker Wednesdays offers a space to find pathways to obtain worker-led demands and to take action for legislative change to ensure workers are protected.

Every Worker Wednesday, we wrap up by taking collective action together. We will be making time to call other members, connect with them, build rapport and solidarity; before ending by calling our Ministers themselves to push for our demands. If you have never taken a direct action, all support and guidance will be provided - we will help you every step of the way, and ensure you are empowered and confident in taking action as we do so.

What is happening this Worker Wednesday?

We are witnessing one of the most significant rollbacks to migrant rights and access in Canadian history. This is a unacceptable betrayal on the part of government. At the start of his mandate on December 2021, Trudeau promised permanent resident status for migrant workers, students, and undocumented people. On May 2024, the Minister of Immigration reiterated that the way to shrink the number of temporary residents is to offer permanent residence.

Instead - here is what the Trudeau government announced:

• Slashing 90,000 permanent residency spots in 2025, with even deeper cuts to come.
• Canceling 775,000 work and study permits— 1.2 million permits will expire by the end of next year, forcing people to choose between uprooting their lives or becoming undocumented.
• Pushing a lie that migrants are responsible for rising rent. It’s corporate greed and bad housing policy, not immigration, driving this crisis. Migrants are some of the hardest hit, paying up to 21% more in rent than Canadian-born people.

In a atmosphere of increased racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and divisive right-wing rhetoric blaming migrants and the most marginalized members of our society for crisises in affordability and housing; these attacks on migrants are dangerous. While migrants continue to face racist violence and attacks; these policies will only ensure migrants will stay trapped in temporary resident status, more migrants be pushed into poverty, more migrants will face the choice of either upheaving their entire lives or becoming undocumented, more migrants will be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and more migrants will risk being the targets of xenophobic and racist violence.

This is an unacceptable betrayal and we are taking action.

Following the appalling announcement from the Government of Canada about its changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the Worker Solidarity Network is counting on YOU, members of our network, to stand in solidarity with migrant workers. Migrant workers have long been waiting for the permanent status that PM Trudeau promised back in December 2021; so this response that unfairly targets migrant workers’ rights to live and work in Canada, rather than targeting the human rights violations perpetrated by exploitative employers, is completely unjust.

We need you at this Worker Wednesday more than ever. This month, we are inviting some of our most powerful allies in the migrant movement to speak to the moment, speak to their work, and take action with us. This Worker Wednesday, you will get to hear from the Migrant Workers’ Centre, Migrante BC, Migrant Students United, the Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers’ Rights, Sanctuary Health, and more.

We will be taking action throughout the call - from letter signing to a phone zap to more. We hope that many of you will feel up to coming off camera - and we encourage you to bring a sharpie and blank sheet of paper for one of our many activities.

We encourage everyone to participate in whatever way feels best to them, whether that's camera on or off, being a listener, or using the chat to share their thoughts.

Whether you're an experienced organizer or this is the first action you have ever taken; whether you are a seasoned labour rights activist or just wanting to learn more, there is a place for you at Worker Wednesday! Join us to hear what will be happening next and find out how you can stand with workers across the province and fight for your collective rights!

Join us for Worker Wednesday on October 30th, at 6pm PST