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!

MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts is now accepting submissions to the 2020 Festival: Time for Change – Time to Organize. MayWorks is a multi-disciplinary festival concerned with social justice in all its forms. It celebrates the contributions of working people to this struggle. The Festival takes place in the month of May but can include events in late April and early June. All artists, organizations or anyone proposing an event is requested to submit a description of their event by January 17, 2020 to info@mayworks.org. Applicants will be notified if accepted into the Festival.

Terms and conditions:

There are no fees associated with being part of the Festival;

Organizer(s) of an event are responsible for venue, tickets and any support required for holding the event and are required to promote the event independently;

Events are also expected to promote the MayWorks Festival at their event;

MayWorks provides overall publicity for the Festival and will:
• promote your organization and event in our online and print calendar;
• include you in our event listings and large festival media release which is launched in May;
• offer advice in promoting your event(s);

Please provide the following details:

Name (artist or organization which is making the submission);
Contact information (email and telephone number);
Description of project/event (please explain how your project addresses how it fits the overall mandate of MayWorks);
The following is for the promotion of your event (the information you provide here will be how the event is advertised in MayWorks promotional material so please ensure it is accurate);
Day(s), date(s) and time(s) of event;
Event name or title;
Event description (not to exceed 150 words – though we reserve the right to edit);
Event location;
Ticket price and, if applicable, where tickets can be purchased in advance;
For more information; (provide a reliable way you can be contacted about the event)

Send the above information to info@mayworks.org

The Winnipeg General Strike was about working people uniting against the conditions imposed on them by a social and economic elite, backed by the authority of government and the rule of law.

It is a history that is fresh and relevant to the present day because the same struggle and social divisions are still with us: unions cannot determine how they will bargain with the employers, new immigrants face the same prejudices and hostilities, the gap between rich and poor has grown and social inequality remains.

There are some new twists to the old struggle. Social protections such as pensions and social programs long considered milestone achievements of a “caring” society are now described as “entitlements” and “legacies” to make it easier to cut and slash them in the name of fiscal responsibility. The environment, sustainability and food security are at the mercy of the bottom line.

The Winnipeg General Strike is a part of our history that should be remembered because of what those brave workers to fight injustice. It should be remembered because history has lessons for the present. The wealth of events marking the 100th anniversary of the General Strike is testimony to its legacy and importance.

We owe a lot to the many who have kept this history alive, added new stories and understandings to our collective consciousness about the strike.

MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts was first organized in 1994 on the occasion of the 75^th Anniversary of the Strike. This is our 25^th year of programming a Festival devoted to working class culture and themes. We are proud that it has both lasted and grown.

Welcome to MayWorks 2019!

Glenn Michalchuk,
President
MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts