Labour Day 2026 in Toronto was not just our time for a lovely parade and a picnic. It isn’t what it used to be when we were just kids, going all out on the last day of summer holidays. And it’s not simply our small habitual part for global solidarity, either.
Labour Day is the ultimate show of strength that workers should be expressing when we’ve united actively in the fight against exploitation by the ruling class. Real democracy has never been compatible, it seems, with capitalist dreams. Real democracy itself is clearly synonymous with a desperately needed Workers’ Agenda — a world designed and led by the working class — to decrease far right extremes.
A Workers’ Agenda is needed more than ever to halt the so-called “progress” which under capitalism is just the unabated destruction of the planet. Imperialist oppression is meant to stop ordinary workers from demanding accountability from our elected leaders, from mega corporate conglomerates, and from every size of business who thinks it’s open season on workers’ rights; from attacks on our rights to statutory holidays, a living wage, insurance for injured workers, access to decent employment insurance, and incorrect job classifications; from ignoring unsafe work environments, to legalizing unprotected gig work, to refusing any paid sick days with no access to health resources for undocumented workers even though they are paying through salary deductions into resources that are denied to them. These cruel government regulations cause extreme hardship.
Regardless of creed or class, workers need to stand up together and provide support for each other every day, or divided we will continue to fall under the colonialist masters’ thumb. As more of us become enlightened after learning during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that we are all essential workers, as well as equal human beings, Labour Day has taken on a whole new and deeper meaning. It’s like the veil has been lifted to reveal the truth about the power that we have as workers.
Labour Day is our opportunity to freely display our network of relationships in the struggle. These parades symbolize and embody our daily solidarity across our lives as the working class. This year , thousands of unionized workers were extra incentivized to show up in tight solidarity with other unions and workers from across the province in the face of both provincial and federal cuts. Our country, as a whole, has been soundly struck with austerity, lay-offs, lost businesses, and the recessional consequences of more U.S. tariffs, taxes, and escalating trade wars. The fate of our economy is at stake, which means every towns’ wealth and our ability to thrive in good health is in danger. There is no doubt that workers understand the moment we are in right now.
Though the elites will try to make us, workers won’t throw all our resources into all kinds of war like we did before. We’ll raise fists against all this monetized militarism that global capitalism has in store.
While hugely profiting from division, governments always find a way to defend cruel and inhumane decisions, such as blatantly victim-blaming and scapegoating, and then claiming it’s too complicated to fix the very crises they created. This of course involves exploiting us even further. All the while, we are directed to tighten our belts and to suck it up with our elbows up!
Aside from a lack of compassion and plenty of political and financial corruption, fascist leaders have no other vision; only to keep us divided using a brainwashing system of xenophobia fueled by biases and stereotypes to stir up racial hatred, pit rich against poor, and greedily extract resources more and more, with no plans to restore. This makes other countries vulnerable to war, and all Indigenous people vulnerable to colonial violence, just like before.
Calling for a workers’ agenda
When the Workers’ Agenda arises from the united power of the people, vital green jobs will be here at last, alongside Indigenous wisdom and stewardship that has always existed despite colonial repression. Together, workers will learn how to heal the ailing planet earth. I pray we have time to reverse the worst.
“The workers united will never be defeated” is not just a catchy slogan — it is effectively the remedy to the tragedy heaped upon us by every stripe of government that makes future plans only for the elites, never for the working class. The entire planet has been lethally afflicted by the global capitalist agenda. We are literally sick and tired of voting for people who pretend they will protect us when their policies do irreparable harm. This is why people came out in droves on Labour Day to support workers’ rights, which are so directly tied to our future survival.
At the Labour Day parade in Toronto, I spoke with a worker who expressed this urgency at length while speaking of his work on the Gordie Howe Bridge. Workers know that it is not just business as usual, especially since the U.S and other world leaders are in economic deadlocks. Being a special target of tariffs here in Canada is challenging, and we were already up to our elbows in the fight for workers rights. But this year, in unfair fascist fashion, workers are once again bloodied pawns in the drama of trade wars. While experiencing the dire consequences of tariffs and trade wars and foreign investments, plus new policies that don’t protect workers, our solidarity must grow stronger than ever. Every limb needs empowerment, not just elbows.
The many shades of solidarity
Labour Day isn’t the only day to display the fierce resilience that’s needed going forward. From the many conversations I had with Labour Day attendees, I can affirm with hope that our trade unions are gearing up to the challenge. The sentiment is neatly summarized by one comment from OPSEU President J.P. Hornick as I waited for them to finish an impromptu on-the-street interview during the parade: “There is nothing I love more than solidarity!”
Throughout the parade, the chanting was solid and led by leaders with mad skillz on the megaphones. We were also riled up by the excellence of various union member musicians and soul stirring beats from powerful drummers. All of it likely encouraged the merging and mingling and assuring each other that we did not wish to be anywhere else but with committed comrades on Labour Day 2026 in Toronto.
So we march!
I was with a group of Spring comrades marching with the Labour for Palestine contingent. While waiting patiently for our cue to join the parade, we began to wonder if any of the other unions noticed us fenced in by cops. Were we being punished?
But just then — suddenly we heard a humongous welcoming cheer specifically for L4P from another union rolling slowly by. We were treated to a long, loud welcome of enthusiastic waves, whistles, and excited drumming from other union workers, cheering unmistakably for L4P and expressing the utmost solidarity! Such an incredibly delightful display of confidence-building solidarity at its finest! Any doubts I had were decimated in that moment! Global solidarity was actively experienced by all who were on that corner of University Street before even taking our first step to join the Labour Day parade of 2026. And so we marched, to show that the workers united will never be defeated!
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