The 2023 MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts presents the launch of Ron Romanowski’s new book:

This is avant-garde writer Ron Romanowski’s 9th poetry collection. His first, Sweet Talking, was published in 2004. His 8th book was If 30,000 Strikers Marched Today in commemoration of the centennial of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. His work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies and has been read on national CBC Radio. Recently he won the Gimli Icelandic Festival and the Lake Winnipeg Writers’ Group poetry contests. His work continues to find beauty of vulnerability in the natural world and hope in alternative politics for our planet in a challenging, entertaining, and often humorous manner. Ron tends gardens in both Winnipeg and Grand Marais, Manitoba.

Book launch:

McNally Robinson Book Sellers

1120 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg

Wednesday May 17, 7:00 PM

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MayWorks is holding a Pierogi Sale.

We are selling bags of frozen potato and cheddar pierogies. Each 2kg bag contains approximately 5 dozen pierigies and are ready to cook.

These pierogies are on sale through MayWorks for $15.00.

You can place your order -pay thorough etransfer or directly through a MayWorks Board member – and have them delivered in the beginning of April.

Deadline for orders is March 31, delivery will be the following week.

Send us your order and pay by etransfer to MayworksManitoba@gmail.com.

***Don’t forget to provide your contact details.***

Thursday, April 28
Day of Mourning
Manitoba Federation of Labour/Safe Workers of Tomorrow

11 a.m. Gather at Union Centre
11:30 a.m. Safe Workers of Tomorrow Leaders’ Walk
Noon: Ceremony at Memorial Park

Please join the Manitoba Federation of Labour in marking the National Day of Mourning. This year the official unveiling of the new Workers Memorial will take place

Friday, April 29
AL Café
Building Solidarity, Waging Peace
7 p.m. Ukrainian Labour Temple
591 Pritchard

Sponsors: Ethnorama News Winnipeg/Las Americas and Chilean Human Rights Council/Peace Alliance Winnipeg/Assoc. of United Ukrainian Canadians/Migrante Manitoba/Solidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners/Philippine Advancement Through Arts and Culture. Co-sponsor: Councillor Jason Schreyer

With its origins in the progressive Chilean community, AL Café is Winnipeg’s long standing evening of progressive politics and culture in a coffeehouse setting. The evening’s theme is Building Solidarity, Waging Peace.

Artists: Victor Bustamante, Julius Eugenio, Christine Mazur, Daniel Tabo-Oy, Rubin Kantorovich, Jason Schreyer, Levy Abad, Nandita Selvanathan, Carolina Fuentes

Guest speakers: Leah Gazan – MP for Winnipeg Centre; Marianne Cerilli – Change Agent/ Community Activist

Sunday, May 1
May Day Rally
Celebrate International Working Class Day
A Better World is Possible – Building It Together
12 p.m.
City Hall
MayWorks and others

International Working Class Day will be celebrated with a rally at City Hall. It will feature speakers on the urgent issues facing us – from the increasing erosion of social programs to climate change and the war – working people and their communities are organizing for change. May Day is the day to gather and renew the collective struggle for change.

Sunday, May 1
1919 VIRTUAL Brookside Cemetery Tour
12 p.m.
Winnipeg Labour Council

Due to snow and ice at Brookside Cemetery the tour is a virtual event alongside a Q & A session with Paul Moist. Tickets at eventbrite.ca

Other tours on the last Sunday of each month M ay through September. Register for tours by email to paulmoist@gmail.com

Sunday,May 1
‘Whatever happened to the A-Zone’ Reunion
2 p.m.
Old Market Square

Its been 10 years since we celebrated at the collective/co-operative purchase of 91 Albert – many of us have left the building, but has the building left us? Following the May Day rally join the reunion for a space that became home to many progressive, political events.

Sunday, May 8
Waiting for Lefty
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
On-line presentation
Register at: jhcwc.org/programs

The Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada in partnership with United Jewish People’s Order/UFCW Local 832/MayWorks

Waiting for Lefy, by Clifford Odets, first produced in 1935, is a play reading with commentary and discussion. It is the story of a meeting of a New York cab driver’s union on the verge of a strike. The union’s corrupt leader tries to discourage it, and the mysterious absence of left-leaning advocate, Lefty, doesn’t bode well for the would be strikers.

Emcee: Harriet Zaidman
Commentary: Lionel Steinman and Paul Moist
Starring: Some of Winnipeg’s finest actors

Saturday, May 28
Rally Against the U.S. Blockade of Cuba
1 p.m.
The Forks
Manaitoba Cuba Solidarity

Featuring speakers including youth just returned from the 28th Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade to Cuba during which they participated in the May Day events in Revolution Square in Havana as well as the International Solidarity Conference. The rally will also feature a cultural component.

For further information
manitobacubasolidarity@gmail.com
204 783 9380

Saturday, May 28
Sunday, May 30
Doors Open Ukrainian Labour Temple

591 Pritchard Avenue
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tours from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Free event

The Ukrainian Labour Temple is again proud to be part of Doors Open Winnipeg’s annual look inside historic and unique structures.

The Ukrainian Labour Temple was constructed in 1918-1919 and had its official opening in February 1919. It is the only surviving Labour Hall associated with the events of the Winnipeg General Strike.

Come join us for some Ukrainian hospitality and entertainment. We will also be conducting some exciting guided tours of our 100 year old building…. opening some long closed rooms, poking into some dusty corners, and reviling some long lost secrets of this historic building with a somewhat controversial past history!

The Ukrainian Labour Temple holds heritage designations from all three levels of government. The building continues to be a vibrant centre for progressive culture and politics and remains a focal point for the Ukrainian community.

Hi Everyone

MayWorks is holding a Perogi Sale – just in time for the holiday season.

We are selling bags of perogies. There are 5 dozen perogies in each bag. Perogies are potato and cottage cheese and come frozen – ready to cook.

These bags are on sale through MayWorks for the low low price of $15.00.

This is a great opportunity to support this MayWorks fund raiser and get your supply of a great bag of perogis in time for the holidays.

You can place your order — pay through etransfer or directly thru a MayWorks Board member (Derek Black, Ken Kalturnyk, Glenn Michalchuk, Rubin Kantorovich, Jane Graham) — and have them delivered in mid-December.

We hope you will jump on board for this special event in support of May Works.

Deadline for orders is December 9. Delivery will be around December 16.

How to purchase: By etransfer to MayWorksManitoba@gmail.com – remember to provide your contact details.

By now you have noticed the art work for MayWorks this season. I hope!!

This piece done as a poster is the work of a Minneapolis artist -Ricardo Levins Morales and was the inspiration for the theme for this season-“Time for Change -Organize” When May Works began a few years ago in a new direction doing specific programming based on a theme we began issuing a program book as a method of publicity each “season”. We developed a theme for the year that we would use to promote not only the performances offered but the theme/idea itself. conceived in thought and supported by the artwork. So began a relationship with the artist and I was never sure which came first-the theme or the art work that spoke to the ideal/idea.

Each season the process follows the same route and eventually ends with a phone call to the artist-a long conversation between two old friends and a new year/season is born with a new idea and a new piece of cover art. MayWorks pays a negotiated rate for the use of the piece each year which works for both the artist and for May Works. We are very proud of the special relationship that we have with this artist and look forward to more collaboration down the road.

Enjoy the performances offed this season – a new experience for us!