The Spring Podcast

Canada’s exploitation of migrant student workers - Migrant Students United

Labour migration plays a crucial role in upholding global capitalism. Immigration systems, including the one in Canada, are exploitative and discriminatory by design. Canada’s international student program is one such stream aimed to attract “skilled” labour but in truth, pushes workers into precarious employment. This means migrant student workers have to regularly deal with bad bosses, low wages, and unsafe working conditions - further entrenching racialized inequality within the Canadian economy. In this episode, we speak to migrant student workers Harshill and Abu who have been organizing to challenge the discriminatory immigration system in Canada with Migrant Students United [https://migrantworkersalliance.org/migrantstudentsunited/]. Migrant Students United is a group of self-organized current and former international students who are demanding fair rules and equal rights for all migrants. Harshill and Abu talk about how the best way to fight back against the role borders play in global capitalism is to demand full and permanent immigration status to all Take action for migrant rights, regularization, and status for all on September 18: https://migrantrights.ca/events/sep18/ [https://migrantrights.ca/events/sep18/]

Episode 11 - Katerina Nikas and Free Palestine Halifax

Katerina provides a thorough historical context on the current struggle in Palestine.

Episode 10 - Lisa Cameron and the Halifax Workers Action Centre

On today's episode, we hear from Lisa who is an organizer with the Halifax Workers Action Centre. She talks about the most common issues workers face in Nova Scotia, and the barriers workers face when faced with unfair treatment.

Episode 9 - Rajean Hoillett on Abolition in Canada

Abolition with Rajean Hoilett   The prison system is entrenched in capitalism’s need to divide the working class and suppress resistance. In Canada, prisons function as an extension of the settler-colonial nation-building project. For socialists fighting for an alternative, abolition is the only way forward. But what does it actually mean to abolish prisons? How can socialists achieve this? And what does the world without prisons look like?   We spoke to Rajean Hoilett, community organizer and member of the Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project to understand what abolition means in the Canadian context and why socialists need to center an abolitionist framework in our movements for social justice.

S1E8 - Setting a workers first agenda in Ontario with Elise Lee Lai

The Spring Podcast spoke with labour activist Elise Lee Lai about how labour is approaching the upcoming election in Ontario. Lee Lai outlines the most pressing issues facing the labour movement in the province and how trade unions are organizing for May 1 day of action to put forward a workers first agenda.