Looking back at 2024, and Going Forward in Struggle

by Barry Weisleder

Socialist Action is a revolutionary workers’ party that puts a great emphasis on political education. At the same time, SA is an activist organization. It has many practical accomplishments to its credit. Presenting candidates in local elections, fighting to build a class struggle left wing inside mass working class organizations including unions and the NDP, and promoting international solidarity are examples. From Palestine to Haiti, from railroad workers to dock workers, to the strike by postal workers across the country now, 2024 has been a year of revolt against austerity and repression.

While a ceasefire was declared for south Lebanon, it has been violated multiple times by Zionist forces. Meanwhile, the genocide continues in Gaza. According to news reports on Nov. 17, more than 3,400 people were killed in Lebanon by Israeli fire. In Gaza, where the suffering is horrendous, officially over 44,400 are dead due to Zionist state bombardment. The Lancet medical journal estimates that mortalities exceed 200,000 due to famine and the destruction of housing and medical facilities in Gaza. Shootings by settlers and house demolitions in the West Bank add hundreds more to the deadly count. At the same time, IOF soldiers met stiff Hezbollah and Hamas resistance in south Lebanon and Gaza. Rockets pierced the Iron Dome, exacting a price for genocide. Dockworkers in Greece, South Africa, Spain, Morocco and other countries refuse to handle cargo, especially weapons destined for Israel. Container ships are avoiding the Red Sea and Suez. While Trump offers Netanyahu a blank cheque for genocide, the largest anti-war movement since Vietnam is mobilizing millions globally, and doing so in record time. Socialist Action pledges to participate everywhere possible to demand an end to the Apartheid state, for a Democratic and Secular Palestine, From the River to the Sea. It is also important to protest Biden’s ‘permission’ to Volodymyr Zelensky to use long-range U.S. missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia. Socialists say ‘Negotiate, Don’t Escalate’. Stop the inter-imperialist war over Ukraine.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently stared down a mini-revolt by Liberal MPs, hopes to prolong his leadership by insisting he is best qualified to handle the eccentric, authoritarian U.S. President-elect. Donald Trump threatens to impose 25% tariffs on all imports. The likely outcome would be very high inflation in the US, and significant job losses around the world, including Canada. Trudeau claims he can cope with this, as he did in 2016-2018. Coincidentally, Trudeau has not openly disagreed with Ontario Premier Doug Ford who urges that Mexico be cut out of the continental trade pact. Socialists oppose protectionism by the imperialist states, and we oppose the growing economic war against China. In the final analysis, there is no remedy to the misery and chaos of late capitalism short of permanent revolution.

COP 29 leaders meeting in oil-rich Azerbaijan fiddled while the world burns. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels will reach a record high in 2024, according to the 2024 Global Carbon Budget . It projects fossil carbon dioxide emissions of 37.4 billion tonnes, up nearly 1% from 2023. An international team of over 120 scientists published the report in the journal Earth System Science Data on November 13.

Despite the urgent need to cut emissions to slow climate change, the researchers say there is still “no sign” that the world has reached a peak in fossil CO₂ emissions. With projected emissions from land-use change (such as deforestation) of 4.2 billion tonnes, total CO₂ emissions are projected to be 41.6 billion tonnes in 2024, up from 40.6 billion tonnes last year.

This year, both fossil and land-use change carbon emissions are set to rise, with drought conditions exacerbating emissions from deforestation and forest degradation fires during the El Niño climate event of 2023-2024. This continues to drive dangerous global warming. Sadly, the radical slogan remains true: Eco-socialism or Extinction!

Postal Workers are on strike across the country. To keep pace with the cost of living of the past 4 years, they demand a 22% wage increase. CUPW asserts the need for job security, improved benefits, adequate staffing, guaranteed hours for permanent relief employees, improved rights for new hires, and no contracting-out or modification of work. Socialist Action has a long-time relationship with CUPW, remembering well the historic 41-day strike in 1981 that won 17 weeks of paid maternity leave. That benefit soon spread to millions of workers. Currently, the right to strike is under attack. Dockworkers in Quebec and BC, and railroad employees in September, were legislated back to work by the federal Liberal government. The government-appointed mediator walked away from the talks with Canada Post. Management wants Ottawa to do its dirty work, while they lay off posties as a scare tactic.

We say No to strikebreaking legislation! Victory to the postal workers! Let’s take our solidarity to the picket lines.

The Ontario Socialist Caucus is now campaigning for SC resolutions and candidates for ONDP Executive, heading towards the provincial NDP Convention in Toronto, January 17-19. Numerous riding associations have adopted the resolution to reinstate Hamilton Centre MPP Sarah Jama, along with motions on Social Housing, the minimum wage, public ownership, and party democracy. The team of SC candidates for ONDP Executive is headed by Dirka Prout for party president. Supporters need to raise $3,000 to publish the 2025 edition of Turn Left magazine. Donate now if you can.

Still stalked by scandal, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was compelled to reverse his plan to sell-off the Greenbelt to his rich developer friends. Aiming to call a snap election in Spring 2025, Ford strives to precede the RCMP investigation report. Ford further diverts attention by ripping up bike lanes, by proposing to build a 60-kilometer tunnel for a highway under the 401, and by issuing a $200 cheque to every resident of Ontario. $200 is not enough to cover rent for even three days.

Meanwhile, hospitals are at the breaking point, food banks are unable to cope, and the house-less are more numerous and desperate than ever. We are at the brink of a recession due to hyper-inflation. Guess what the big banks are doing. Last year the RBC spent $13.5 billion cash to buy HSBC Bank Canada. It was the largest domestic banking deal ever. Earlier, TD Bank bought First Horizon, and BMO purchased Bank of the West. RBC just reported that its profits jumped 7% to reach $4.22 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, and $16.2 billion for the year. So, now you know what RBC, TD and BMO were doing while the rest of us hunkered down to survive COVID and pay our bills. Is there a better argument than this for nationalization of the big banks under workers’ control?

SA has not seized any banks lately, but we have been busy. The following is a chronology of some of the activities of Socialist Action, primarily in the Toronto region, over the past 12 months.

In January 2024, SA continued to show its commitment to the global Palestine liberation movement. Mass street protests against the Zionist genocide, and against Canadian govt and business complicity with the occupation, attained a higher profile since October 2023. On January 7, we joined thousands in a Toronto action. We marched again on January 14, and again on January 21. Across the country, SA members gathered in BC, across the west, in the Toronto Region, south-west Ontario, in the Ottawa-Montreal region, and in Atlantic Canada to plan stepped-up efforts. Over the span of 14 months, it is increasingly common to see folks everywhere sporting the SA button “End the Occupation – Free Palestine”. Why? Because comrades sold 3,000 of them in Toronto alone. To that sum add thousands of SA leaflets distributed, and hundreds of booklets and magazines sold to refute the lies told by the capitalist media about the colonial-settler state, Israel -- the cat’s paw of imperialism in the Middle East.

SA promoted and joined a pro-Palestinian rally on February 4 at Bay and Front Streets, and at other places across the country in February, March, April and May. We hosted a Feb. 29 webcast on the dangers of nuclear energy, and joined the celebration of International Women’s Day held at OISE U of T on March 2. Rubina spoke for SA at a Kurdish socialist IWD event in Scarborough on March 10. Also in March, SA inaugurated a series of webcasts titled “Theory Thursdays” and “Friday Forums”, including panel discussions and feature films. Topics included: the Transitional Program, Socialists and Religion, Does Canada Support the Zionist state and Genocide?, the Greatest Propaganda Lies, Left Wing Communism, the United Front, the On-Line Harms Act, the Marxist Theory of the State, and Permanent Revolution. Many of them are posted on the SA YouTube channel. We also held discussions on The Red Review, SA’s monthly magazine. 11 editions were published in 2024.

On Saturday, March 16 we marched for Migrant Workers’ Rights and against Racism, setting out from Christie Park.

SA hosted Yves Engler and the launch of his new book “Canada’s Long Fight Against Democracy” at U of T on March 26.

On Saturday, March 30, we joined the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian communities to mark Land Day, and on April 6, to celebrate Al Quds or Jerusalem Day.

Art Gallery of Ontario workers went on strike in April. SA marched on their picket line, April 9 and 13.

The SA Central Committee met on April 3, as it does each month. All SA members in good standing, not just those elected to the CC, are welcome to observe. This promotes a very high degree of political transparency.

SA belongs to the Canadian BDS Coalition, the Canadian Network on Cuba, the Cross-Canada Network for Peace and Justice, the NDP Socialist Caucus, the Workers’ Action Movement, the Municipal Socialist Alliance, and the Toronto Coalition Against NATO.

At the OPSEU convention, April 25-27, SA comrades staffed a booth - busy with literature and buttons for sale.

Friday, May 3 was the date for the SA 38^th annual International Workers’ Day cultural and political showcase at the Free Times Café, with an array of poets, singers and trouble-makers.

On the next day SA gathered with others at City Hall Square to celebrate May Day. Julius Arscott spoke for SA. Most marchers came from the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement.

SA joined the Nakba 76 Palestine protest at University Avenue on May 11. On May 15, and on many subsequent occasions, we visited the pro-Palestinian student encampment at U of T. On May 18, SA joined the Indigenous-led rally demanding justice, from Turtle Island to Palestine.

The Ontario Health Coalition held a rally at Queen’s Park. The SA canopy and display table attracted hundreds.

The SA Spring Education Conference convened on June 8, followed by the SA Convention on June 15. The latter is where members voted on party policies and leadership.

SA marched on Toronto Pride Day, June 30, starting at Grange Park. LCBO workers went on strike and we joined a rally for them on July 6 and Bay and Bloor.

On July 28, thousands participated in a Run for Palestine on Lakeshore Blvd. SA comrades ran and tabled there.

SA hosted Socialism in the Park, at Christie Pits on Wednesday, July 31. On August 9 the SA table was present at a Palestine film showing in Christie Park.

On August 14, SA joined a number of Latinx groups outside Chrystia Freeland’s office to demand “Hands Off Venezuela” in the face of US attempts at regime change.

At the OPSEU Center on August 22, SA hosted a public forum titled “France Between Olympics and Political Revolt”, featuring a speaker from the Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste.

The annual SA end of Summer Picnic took place on August 31 at Kew Gardens on the Beach. The Consul General of Cuba spoke to the gathering.

SA comrades marched in the annual Toronto Labour Day Parade, September 2. Some of the 25,000 unionists there visited our table under the SA canopy.

On September 15, SA participated in Migrant Workers’ Rights actions across the country, including at Toronto City Hall.

River Run, an Indigenous-led protest against water pollution in northwest Ontario, drew over a thousand marchers, including Socialist Action.

Socialism in the Park returned on September 22, featuring an SA comrade from China speaking about the Situation of the Working Class in that country.

An SA webcast on Sept. 28 featured Dimitri Lascaris and Radhika Desai talking about recent major elections.

The NDP Socialist Caucus held a virtual conference on October 13 to plan its intervention at the ONDP convention in January.

Palestine solidarity actions continued weekly throughout September, October and November, with SA participating in almost every one of them. Tens of thousands marched to Stop the Genocide, Halt Arms sales, and End the Occupation. The SA banner, Smash Israeli Apartheid, was a photo favourite.

The November 9 SA Fall Education Conference featured quality presentations, now posted on YouTube.

Postal workers went on strike on November 15. SA members in Toronto have walked the picket lines at the huge South-Central Plant on Eastern Avenue, and in Scarborough on Progress Avenue, as well as at local post offices. We sang songs, chanted loudly, and widely distributed information about the struggle. CUPW is fighting for all workers. How long will it take to win? “One day longer, one day stronger!”

What’s in store for the year ahead?

There will be many more struggles against capitalist austerity, against imperialist wars, and greater efforts to stop environmental plunder! We are more determined than ever to overcome conservative labour leadership and social democratic obstacles to a militant workers’ agenda.

WAM aims to build chapters in more unions. The NDP Socialist Caucus will continue to fight for socialist policies and to hold the NDP leadership accountable. The MSA will fight for the working class at the local level.

But whatever we decide to do, one thing is crystal clear. No one can do everything that needs to be done. No one can be everywhere to advance the struggle for social justice in a world that is choking on pollution, war, and economic misery.

And we also know this: Collectively and together, in Socialist Action, we can have an impact, we can make a difference.

Together, we can have a greater effect than any one individual can. And in the process, we build the revolutionary workers’ party which is indispensable to leading the working class to victory, to make a better world, a world truly fit for humanity. What better New Year’s resolution can there be than that?

Barry Weisleder is the Federal Secretary, Socialist Action / Ligue pour l’Action socialiste in the Canadian state