“The Social Justice Fund opened my eyes to what’s going on and to where I can make a difference, because in the end, it’s possible.” - Matt Arsenault, CEIU Local 531

On December 15, 2020, PSAC held a webinar intended as a conversation on what PSAC members are doing to advance climate justice in Canada and around the world, and on the connection between injustices in Canada, Guatemala and Chile. In this webinar, you’ll learn:

• about the Social Justice Fund and why it matters for PSAC;
• why education and worker-to-worker exchanges are critical to promoting labour solidarity.

In October 2019, Chilean students staged massive protests against the extreme right-wing government of President Sebastian Piñera, a disciple of former military dictator Augusto Pinochet. The repression was brutal, and the 25^thUnited Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) had to be relocated from Santiago to Madrid. On October 31, over one million people took part in the largest protest held in Chile since the restoration of democracy. Amid this social crisis, a delegation of Quebec union representatives, researchers and Quebec National Assembly members travelled to Chile to assess the country’s human rights situation.

Concurrently, in December 2019, COP25 took place in Madrid. With the support of the Social Justice Fund, for the first time, a PSAC representative, Caroline Couture, attended COP along with CLC, FTQ and ITUC representatives. Upon its return, the delegation confirmed the need for a just economic transition in response to climate change, and echoed union and civil society calls to engage communities and workers in the process. 

In March 2020, PSAC young worker delegates travelled to Guatemala as part of the 13^th Education In Action delegation. This project is organized each year by the Social Justice Fund, in collaboration with Education In Action and the Comité Campesino Del Altiplano (CCDA). While in Guatemala, members met with Indigenous communities and organizations advocating for justice, Indigenous rights, access to land and women’s empowerment.

Please note that this webinar will be in French only. An English webinar is also available. 

This webinar was hosted by PSAC’s Education Section and Social Justice Fund.

Invited panelists

Frédérique Conradi

Frédérique is a member of Yukon Employees Union (YEU) Local Y018. She serves as a local’s shop steward and young workers’ director on the YEU Executive. Read the blog she wrote as a member of the Guatemala delegation: Lessons on Indigenous Rights, Food, and Land Sovereignty.

Caroline Couture

Caroline is a member of the executive of Local 17751 at Université de Montréal (SERUM) and a member of the Environment and Sustainable Development (and Just Transition) Committee of the FTQ. In November 2019, she represented PSAC in the COP25 labour delegation in Madrid. Read the article PSAC in the fight for climate action and a just transition.

Neydi Morales Juracán

Neydi is a young Indigenous leader from the Comité Campesino del Altiplano (Peasant Committee of the Highlands). She coordinates the organization’s women empowerment and sustainable agriculture programs.