Solidarity Winnipeg Podcast

Final statement from Solidarity Winnipeg: "We don't have the person-power needed for the work of laying the basis for a political organization, the mission of 'Solidarity Winnipeg 3.0' since 2018, so we've decided to fold. The remaining members are still committed to ecosocialism from below and want to promote these politics so we've formed Thicket: A Winnipeg Ecosocialist Collective. We'll be sponsoring a discussion group with the goal of building political relationships through the shared process of education." To participate in Thicket's first (in-person) reading group session in January, send an email to thicketwinnipeg@gmail.com. We will be reading PALESTINE: A SOCIALIST INTRODUCTION edited by Sumaya Awad and Brian Bean. Get the free e-book from Haymarket Books: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/blogs/307-free-ebook-palestine-a-socialist-introduction.

Join us for a discussion "Voting is not enough" Tuesday, Sept 19, 2023 6:30PM (CDT) @ The Hive, University of Winnipeg Please wear a mask! Childcare will be available on site. Please email us so we can prepare (info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca)

The 2023 PSAC strike saw more workers out for a single strike than in any prior labour action in so-called Canada. In this episode, Solidarity Winnipeg members David and Teddy interview three organizers from PSAC about their experiences of the strike and what we can learn for future actions. We highly recommend reading Brian McDougall's excellent analysis of the strike recently published in Midnight Sun magazine. https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/skipping-the-strike-vote-but-going-to-the-picket-lines/

Solidarity Winnipeg has a monthly online reading group. Our next meeting on June 28th at 7:00pm CST will be on "The Two Souls of Socialism" by Hal Draper. Please send an email to info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to get the Zoom link. We hope to see you there!

For International Whores' Day (June 2nd) we are releasing an interview with members of Sex Workers of Winnipeg Action Committee (SWWAC). If you are in Winnipeg and listening to this on the day of release, please join us for a protest led by SWWAC on June 2nd at the Manitoba Law Courts, 408 York @ York & Kennedy. For more info please see the event: https://fb.me/e/1b4asje5i For further learning, you can explore recordings of SWWAC's 2021conference on sex work here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/swwacsummit Naomi Sayers and Sarah Hunt on why calls to abolish sex work only cause further harm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/abolition-of-sex-work-wont-end-violence-against-native-women/article22572753/ Amy Lebovitch and Shawna Ferris' book Sex Work Activism in Canada: https://arpbooks.org/product/sex-work-activism-in-canada/#:~:text=Sex%20Work%20Activism%20in%20Canada%20also%20looks%20deeply%20at%20commonalities,The%20book%20also%20includes%20a

Solidarity Winnipeg has a monthly online reading group. Our next meeting on May 31st at 7:00pm CST will be on "Communism for Kids" by Bini Adamczak. Please send an email to info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to get the Zoom link. We hope to see you there!

Universities and other post secondary institutions present themselves as being in the service of teaching, learning, and developing ideas. At the same time, we live in a moment where an increasing number of people first encounter radical left ideas, not in workplace struggle, but in the classroom. So, let's explore, this! What are some of the strengths, potentials, and limitations of post secondary institutions as a locus of organizing, for workers, students, and the left more broadly? Where do these institutions fit within capitalism? On the syllabus of this episode, we're talking degrees, direct action, and dissent. Join Misha and David for a discussion about all these questions and more, with a few chapters of personal reflections and a few annotated summaries of historical reference to tie it all together. There won't be a final exam on this, but it is required listening. And...don't worry about being late for class. We're happy for you to join in the class struggle. Check it out! Some links to check out: Podcast: Anti-Girlboss Socialist Club "The Campus Sexual Assault Industrial Complex: A Story of Professionalization & Bureaucratization " https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-anti-girlboss-socialist-club/id1589070128?i=1000543751558 Book: "Complaint!" By Sara Ahmed https://www.dukeupress.edu/complaint

Abolition an urgent task. The Winnipeg Police take up over a quarter of the city's entire budget, draining resources away from social services. The cops regularly terrorize unhoused people and perpetuate anti-Black and settler colonial violence. Many people in Winnipeg are sympathetic to abolitionist politics. The petition created by Justice 4 Black Lives Winnipeg calling for the abolition of the Winnipeg police received over a hundred thousand signatures and massive numbers of people joined protests in 2020 to oppose the cops. This wave of activity has subsided but abolitionist organizing continues. Solidarity Winnipeg invites you to our next public discussion over zoom on April 19th at 7pm. Titled What kind of world comes after the police? A discussion on socialism and abolitionist politics. We will raise questions like: What kind of future are we talking about when we call for abolition, and what kind of coalitions do we need to build to make this vision into a reality? How do we ensure calls for abolition are not co-opted by reformists? What systems must be dismantled in order to be rid of police, and what systems could working class people begin to build in their absence? If you'd like to join the discussion, please email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca and we will send you the zoom link. We also have an upcoming reading group on April 26th at 7pm over zoom. We will be reading the second chapter of the book Unspeakable Things by Laurie Penny to discuss socialist and feminist perspectives on masculinity and gender oppression. You can order the book online or you can email us and we will send you a PDF of the chapter. Please email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca and we will send you the zoom link to join the reading group.

Solidarity Winnipeg has a monthly online reading group. Our next meeting on March 29th at 7pm central time will be on Feminism for the 99% by Cinzia Arruzza, Nancy Fraser, and Tithi Bhattacharya. You can buy the book directly from the publisher Verso Books, or you can get it from the Winnipeg public library. Please send an email to info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to get a zoom link. We hope to see you there!

On International Day Against Police Brutality we are releasing an interview with Haley from Tempest Collective about socialism and abolition. If you are in Winnipeg and listening to the on the day of release (March 15th), please join us at the rally against police brutality at 5pm outside of the Millenium Library! Bronwyn Dobchuk-Land on the bloated police budget in Winnipeg https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/03/14/brutality-baked-into-budget Haley Pessin on abolition and left politics https://www.tempestmag.org/2021/02/defund-the-police/ Tapji Garba on policing and abolition in Midnight Sun https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/what-are-the-police-what-is-abolition/

If you would like to join us on March 1st at 7:00pm to discuss "Women, Race & Class" by Angela Y. Davis, please email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to get a Zoom link. Looking forward to seeing you there!

In this episode, Misha and Serena continue their conversation about trans liberation. Our release of this episode tragically coincides with the murder of Brianna Ghey amidst a storm of transphobic hate from the UK media and government. Please consider making a financial contribution to Transgender Action Block or if you live in the UK, showing up to one of the rallies they are hosting over the coming days to help fight back against transphobia: https://linktr.ee/transactionbloc. Articles for further reading: Samuel Ng: Sylvia Rivera's STAR and the Black Panther Party https://lh.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/lh/article/view/39213. Syrus Marcus Ware: All Power to All People https://read.dukeupress.edu/tsq/article-abstract/4/2/170/84689/All-Power-to-All-People-Black-LGBTTI2QQ-Activism

Solidarity Winnipeg will be hosting a public discussion on Wednesday, January 25th at 7:00pm CST: "We know that the PCs and Liberals are parties of business, but what should we expect from an NDP government?" Please take a listen to our recent episode on this topic (Episode 22) before attending. Email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to register the event and receive the Zoom link!

With a provincial election coming this year it's important to understand what the Manitoba NDP governments of 1999-2016 were like, why they did so little for working-class people, and what those of us who want radical change should learn from this. With guest Bronwyn Dobchuk-Land. Some articles mentioned or quoted in this episode: https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/prison-unionism https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/gary-doers-manitoba https://policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/fastfacts-labours-future-streets Also worth reading: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/manitobas-ndp-and-unions-are-helping-advance-a-police-state

When Your Union Breaks Your Heart: A Winnipeg Case A discussion with two municipal workers about why unions matter in spite of their many problems, CUPE Local 500 (the union for most people who work for the City of Winnipeg, which recently came close to going on strike) and working to change our unions. Two articles connected to this episode: Steward's Corner: What to Do When Your Union Leaders Break Your Heart https://labornotes.org/2020/02/stewards-corner-what-do-when-your-union-leaders-break-your-heart Sexism in Winnipeg's labour movement https://www.rankandfile.ca/sexism-and-winnipegs-labour-movement/

Solidarity Winnipeg will be hosting a public discussion about Trans Liberation on November 24th at 7pm. If you haven't already, please take a listen to our last episode on the topic. Please email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to get a zoom link for the event! We are also opening our monthly reading group to the public! If you would like to join us on November 30th at 8pm to discuss the speculative fiction novel Everything for Everyone: An Oral History or the New York Commune, 2052-2072, please email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to get a zoom link. Looking forward to seeing you there!

In this first installment of a two part series, Solidarity Winnipeg members Misha and Serena discuss transphobia and why the left must seriously engage with transgender liberation. A follow up episode will focus more on what kind or organizing is needed to bring about trans liberation and what the revolutionary horizon of trans liberation might look like. Solidarity Winnipeg will be hosting a public discussion about trans liberation in the last week of November. Stay tuned for details! Articles for further reading: Misha Falk: Neither Liberalism nor Fascism, but Trans Liberation and Socialism https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/neither-liberalism-nor-fascism-but-trans-liberation-and-socialism/ Jules Gleeson: How Do Gender Transitions Happen? https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/how-do-gender-transitions-happen/

How do you think ecosocialists should relate to the upcoming elections? Elections are upon us in Winnipeg, and if you don't live here, you've probably experienced some elections wherever you live too. Yes, they are cyclical--but how should ecosocialists relate to them? In this episode, Misha, Taylor, and Travis have a nuanced discussion about municipal elections. They explore topics like voting, urbanism, the police budget, and much more. Check it out and let us know what you think! Some resources mentioned in this episode: https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/is-voting-really-harm-reduction https://newsocialist.org/socialists-and-elections-how-can-we-participate/

Join us for a discussion about capitalism vs. capitalism and the ecosocialist response at 7pm on Sept 12 at Vimy Ridge Park. Hope to see you there!

In this episode Misha and Jesslyn have a conversation with authors M. E. O'Brien and Eman Abdelhadi about their new book Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072, a utopian novel that is set in a post-revolutionary world. The book is an opportunity for readers to explore what a post-capitalist world could look like. To find out more about the book or to purchase a copy, please go to https://www.commonnotions.org/everything-for-everyone

Join us for our first in person event since 2020! We'll meet on Tuesday, August 9th at 7:00pm to discuss the 2022 Municipal Elections in Winnipeg and how anti-capitalist should relate to them. We'll meet in the park behind the Millennium Library Downtown. And if it looks like it's going to rain, we'll switch to a virtual event over zoom. To get the zoom link for that, send us an email at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca and we'll send you the link.

In this episode David and Misha talk about the different ways people understand the word socialism and how this informs political practice Solidarity Winnipeg - Our Ecosocialism https://www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca/?p=276 Charlie Post - Actually Existing "Socialism"--A Critique of Stalinism https://newsocialist.org/actually-existing-socialism-a-critique-of-stalinism/ Colin Barker - What Do We Mean By... The State? https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/barker-c/1985/03/state.htm David McNally - Socialist Politics in the Age of Trump http://newsocialist.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Pamphlet-01.pdf Hal Draper - The Two Souls of Socialism https://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1966/twosouls/

In this episode Posy, Teddy, Misha, and Vivienne talk about the future of union organizing. The articles we reference are: James Wilt: https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/parasitic-solidarity Kim Moody: https://spectrejournal.com/payback-time/ Mostafa Henaway: https://breachmedia.ca/infiltrating-amazon-what-i-learned-going-undercover-at-the-corporate-giant/ https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/fighting-amazons-new-fordism/

In this episode, Travis and Danielle talk to teacher and trade union activist Tara Ehrcke about organizing for climate justice. If you enjoyed this episode, join us for a public discussion on April 21st, 2022 at 8pm CT. Email info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca for a zoom link.

E-mail info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca to register and we'll send you the Zoom link in advance. If you can, please listen to the latest episode of our podcast before the discussion: https://soundcloud.com/solidarity-winnipeg-sw/swpod-ukraine-ep-final. Solidarity Winnipeg is committed to ensuring that discussions are respectful and constructive. Anyone whose words or actions violate these norms will be cautioned. If they do so again they will be removed.

Russia Out of Ukraine, and No to NATO Too! A discussion of what stance leftists should take to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to NATO, whether it matters, and what we can do in Winnipeg. Want to learn more? Statement by LeftEast: No War But Class War https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/no-war-but-class-war/ Statement by the Transnational Social Strike Platform https://www.transnational-strike.info/2022/02/24/no-to-war-for-a-transnational-politics-of-peace/ People and Nature - Simon Pirani's site has lots of good material on Russia and Ukraine https://peopleandnature.wordpress.com/ episode of Politics, Theory, Other with Richard Seymour Interregnum - Russia invades Ukraine by Politics Theory Other https://soundcloud.com/poltheoryother/interregnum-russia-invades-ukraine episode of Politics, Theory, Other with James Meadway Russia and the West - the economic war w/ James Meadway by Politics Theory Other https://soundcloud.com/poltheoryother/russia-and-the-west episode of The Dig with Tony Wood https://www.thedigradio.com/podcast/russia-invades-w-tony-wood/ If you want to support socialists in Ukraine, we suggest donating to the organization Social Movement (see this page in English on their website: 'Sotsialnyi Rukh': who we are?) The easiest way to do that is to send money by PayPal to Yuliya Yurchenko at margerinescotch@gmail.com Money will be spent on food, medicine, housing, transportation and other evacuation needs. You can learn more about Social Movement on their socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/social.ruh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/social.ruh/

In this episode, we open with a brief comment about the horrendous, so-called Freedom Convoy, and what the left needs to do to fight fascism. Then we proceed with the main focus: Mass collective struggle is where we will learn how to become better organizers. Workplace strikes are a crucial opportunity to put our ideas into practice. Now that the 2021 University of Manitoba Faculty of Association(UMFA)Strike has ended, we can reflect and draw some lessons. Listen to Travis, Mads, David and Joe reflect on lessons from strike both from a worker and student organizing perspective. In their discussion they share experiences, challenges, and next steps. Check it out and Happy Organizing! Resources: -Article by Judy Rebick and Corvin Russell "The left is nowhere on covid and that's a big problem" https://rabble.ca/columnists/the-left-is-nowhere-on-covid-and-thats-a-big-problem/ -Our Episode 11 (December 2021) talking about the UMFA strike while it was going on https://soundcloud.com/solidarity-winnipeg-sw/episode-11-umfa-strike -Jo Freeman's "Tyranny of Structurelessness" was mentioned. Here's the wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tyranny_of_Structurelessness A google search can help you locate the short essay.

JOIN US FOR DISCUSSION! "Our Health > Their Profits" Thursday, January 20th, 2022 at 7PM (CST) over Zoom. Email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca so we can send you the zoom link! Check out article by Daniel Sarah Karasik: "Against Pandemic Realism" http://www.midnightsunmag.ca/against-pandemic-realism We will discuss the politics of the pandemic. Here in Manitoba we have seen case counts sky rocket, test positivity rates go off the charts, and we are seeing an increase in hospitalizations too. People are frustrated, people are suffering, while capitalists have everything to gain from people acting like, and believing that, there's no alternative to the current approach of essentially letting the virus rip through our communities. But there has always been an alternative that uses the best of science, challenges the existing power structures of society, and most importantly puts our health and well-being before the profits of capitalists. And it is important for those of us who want to create a world that's more fair and more safe to clearly understand that and communicate it. For this discussion, we are excited to be joined by socialist writer and activist, Daniel Sarah Karasik! More details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/426532979204009

The Canada Goose company markets itself as a socially and environmentally conscious provider of rugged winter wear, proudly manufactured in Canada. The recent union drive by their workers in Winnipeg contrasted this image with the reality of working conditions within their plants. This episode is an interview with worker organizers from the Canada Goose plants in Winnipeg and a rep from Workers United, who recently won a historic vote to unionize 1200 workers, most of whom are immigrant women. For more information: https://linktr.ee/CGWorkersUnited

What's the University of Manitoba Faculty Association strike about? A socialist discussion of the strike, its causes and some of its implications with a founder of Students Supporting UMFA and two UMFA members. Students Supporting UMFA https://www.ssumfa.ca Instagram @ supportingumfa https://www.instagram.com/studentssupportingumfa/ A great meme about the Manitoba Tory agenda for post-secondary education: https://twitter.com/supportingumfa/status/1454959039226466304/photo/1 For analysis of what's happening to universities, check out Alan Sears and James Cairns' article "Austerity U" https://newsocialist.org/austerity-u-preparing-students-for-precarious-lives/

In this episode, Posy and David with Todd Gordon talk about imperialism. How should eco-socialists in the capitalist Canadian State think about it? What should our anti-imperialist politics be like? Check out the episode to find out more.

A federal election is upon us in the so-called land of Canada. How should radicals understand what's happening and orient ourselves? Listen to Danielle, David and Robin talk about this Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter: https://solidaritywinnipeg.us16.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d60775a104d5b0821a89c1e71&id=373b1aac7f And here are some resources to check out as well: John Clarke, “Justin Trudeau wants to bring back austerity” https://jacobinmag.com/2021/09/justin-trudeau-canada-build-back-better-austerity Rawan Abdelbaki, “Erin O'Toole is no ally of labour—he's a conman” https://breachmedia.ca/erin-otoole-is-no-ally-of-labour-hes-a-conman/?fbclid=IwAR2zOkjfBS2RbnoiGwxIkZwDqb3kVgdsLbGxcI0syG3c3Gcl8_Vpm9HhoY0 Colin Barker, “What do we mean by the state?” https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/barker-c/1985/03/state.htm

What do socialists need to understand about settler colonialism? Listen to Taylor, Posy and David discuss this question and what it means for socialists in so-called Canada.

In this episode, Teddy and Posy discuss the broad types of feminism you may have encountered, the importance of anti-capitalist feminism in socialist movements, and some key concepts from feminist thought to apply in our fight against all forms of oppression. The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about some of the topics discussed, check out these resources. For further reading, start with: Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya and Nancy Fraser, Feminism for the 99% Combahee River Collective Statement For more: Cinzia Arruzza, “Remarks on Gender” published online in Viewpoint Magazine Susan Ferguson, Women and Work: Feminism, Labour and Social Reproduction Jules Joanne Gleeson & Elle O'Rourke (eds), Transgender Marxism Or if you want to listen/watch a video: Kate Doyle Griffiths speaking on “Beyond Everyday Feminism”, on Solidarity Winnipeg's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/SmEaKRNOw0I

In this episode Posy, Taylor and Teddy discuss the idea of regular people running society. Who counts as regular people? What is meant by running society? What are the common objections to this idea? How do we get there and how can we learn from the past? This discussion explores these questions and more. Check it out! www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca

In this episode David, Posy, and Teddy talk about the politics that unite Solidarity Winnipeg and from there discuss some of the socialist ideas and lessons from history that shape our politics today: Rosa Luxemburg, internationalist solidarity, and the types of socialism that centre the struggles against all forms of oppression. www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca

Audio from Solidarity Winnipeg's February 28, 2020 event: "What Kind Of Politics Do Radicals Need Today?" Featuring a talk by Brooklyn based feminist and socialist organizer, Kate Doyle Griffiths. Austerity, rising greenhouse gas emissions and right-wing forces getting stronger make this a frightening time for radicals. We're under pressure to give up visions of liberation -- or to hold onto them in marginal isolation. What politics are best suited to winning struggles within capitalist society and ultimately moving beyond capitalism? Kate Doyle Griffiths on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=7000871

BONUS EPISODE: THIS IS HOW TO FIGHT! What Manitoba teachers and education workers can learn from West Virginia This bonus episode of the Solidarity Winnipeg podcast includes a recording from 2018 of Kate Doyle Griffiths and David Camfield discussing the West Virginia Teachers' and Education Support workers' strike, which we are sharing in light of the current PC attacks on education in Manitoba. Kate Doyle Griffiths lives in New York and is a member of Red Bloom Collective. You can read an article they wrote about the West Virginia Strike here: https://viewpointmag.com/2018/03/13/crossroads-and-country-roads-wildcat-west-virginia-and-the-possibilities-of-a-working-class-offensive/ At the end of the recording, David and Posy discuss the relevance of this struggle for Manitoba teachers and education workers today. www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca

David shares his thoughts on building an ecosocialist political organization then Posy and Robbie join him to break it down. www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca

Interview with Ottawa based activist Brian MacDougall on advice for workplace and social movement organizing. Posy, Teddy, David and Jon discuss "bottom up" approaches to organizing. An injury to one is an injury to all! www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Email us at info@solidaritywinnipeg.ca

Why Ecosocialism Is Necessary, Possible and Worth Fighting For 1. Capitalism as a system is the problem. Therefore an alternative is needed 2. An alternative to capitalism, ecosocialism, is possible 3. Working class mass movements are the way to win ecosocialism https://www.solidaritywinnipeg.ca https://climateandcapitalism.com/ Richarld Wolff on capitalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMdIgGOYKhs

COVID-19, Manitoba public health policy, and our proposed alternative: Suppression and Mitigation Sign the petition to Suppress The Virus in Manitoba! https://www.cncmanitoba.ca/suppressthevirus

Solidarity Winnipeg's podcast pilot. Members discuss the results of the Green Party of Canada's leadership race, the state of the left on the prairies and across the country, and as always - what can be done about it.