WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MOBILIZE FOR THE OFL’S MARCH 6, 2022 ACTIVIST ASSEMBLY!
With the rise of the hateful convoy in recent weeks, there is an even greater urgency for the labour movement to mobilize towards a positive and hopeful vision of the better Ontario we need for working people and their families. That means the stakes are even higher for the May 1 day of action and what we aim to achieve during the election and beyond.
To that end, we must urgently turn our attention towards the March 6 Activist Assembly: Building the fight for a workers-first agenda. The Activist Assembly takes place on Sunday, March 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is fully online.
With just over two weeks left before the Assembly, we need your help to sign up 1,000 participants – a goal we committed to at the 2021 OFL Convention in November. This is what the Activist Assembly aims to accomplish:
- Bring together labour and community activists from across Ontario to form local organizing bodies for the May 1 day of action (confirm time, location, main slogans, etc.);
- Launch an eight-week mobilization towards May 1 (share resources including all promotional materials), and
- Launch the OFL’s Workers-First Pledge, the member-to-member mobilization tool.
In the coming days, we will be following up with each of you by phone to discuss what we can do together to ensure the Assembly is a success. Here’s what would help:
- Register for the Assembly. We need labour leaders, from all levels of our movement, to attend and be visible participants in the discussions. Your presence, insights, and leadership build the confidence of our members. Please sign up here now.
- Mobilize your members to attend the Assembly. This is a huge opportunity for your members to build their campaign skills, promote your issues to the wider movement, and connect with community activists who want to mobilize for the May 1 day of action.
- Set a goal for the total number of members you think you can mobilize. The Assembly is online, so there is no limit to how many people may attend. Could you commit to signing up 10, 25, 50 or more participants?
- Ensure participation from all regions of Ontario. Because the Assembly is online, participants can join from anywhere in the province. This is your chance to build your membership in regions where members have less access to centrally organized in-person events.
- Direct your campaign/ organizing staff to attend. The Assembly is meant to complement the campaigning work you are already doing, not compete with it. We urge you to use the Assembly to amplify that work and bring it to a bigger audience.
The turnout and level of engagement at the March 6 Activist Assembly will determine the success of the May 1 day of action. We are currently planning demonstrations in 13 cities in seven regions of the province on May 1. The Assembly will finalize the details of each demonstration and launch an eight-week mobilization of labour, community, and the wider public towards May 1.
And what we do on May 1 – the numbers we mobilize, the issues we raise, the audiences we connect with – will determine the outcome of the June 2 election. Read more about our vision for the May 1 day of action here.
We face an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of Ontario for the better, not just in this election, but for years to come. But we need your commitment to make it happen.
The next step to that vision is making the March 6 Activist Assembly an absolute success.
We look forward to talking soon!
In solidarity,
PATTY COATES
President
AHMAD GAIED
Secretary-Treasurer
JANICE FOLK-DAWSON
Executive Vice-President
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