As we gather this Labour Day, I want to thank each of you for the vital role you play in shaping our workplaces, our industry, and our communities.

This year’s Labour Day Parade theme, A Canada for Workers: Made Here, Paid Here, is as relevant to our industry as any other. Many of you have covered stories about Canadians choosing to support our economy by changing their travel choices, buying Canadian products, and investing in what is made here by Canadians.

As Canadian media workers, we play a critical role in keeping people informed about the issues that affect them locally and globally. Our work not only fights misinformation and disinformation, it also reflects the identities, interests, and experiences of Canadians from diverse backgrounds across the country.

It is our Canada, our voice. It is our media, whether we are the workers creating it or the people consuming it. Whether we are part of a five-member team at a privately owned outlet or working at a publicly funded broadcaster, our labour sustains a healthy Canadian media ecosystem that strengthens our country’s sovereignty.

As Canadian workers, we deserve access to fair wages and the dignity of decent work. Our labour rights are human rights.

That is why I look forward to continuing to fight for your rights this fall as we keep our newly elected government accountable to its promises.

I also look forward to marching alongside some of you in the Toronto Labour Day Parade, together with other CMG branch presidents. We will be celebrating our victories this year and showing our strength and solidarity for the challenges ahead. When we fight together, we win together.

In solidarity,

Annick R. Forest, President, Canadian Media Guild