Dear Black Lives Matter,

CUPE 1281 continues to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Toronto and all Black Lives Matter chapters.

At the July 4th CUPE 1281 Convention, our members unanimously voted to make an additional donation to BLM-Toronto. The direct action you took as honoured participants in the Toronto Pride Parade is leading to an important victory. CUPE 1281 members are grateful for your work to bring the Pride march back to its roots as a direct action against police brutality and challenge PrideTO to prioritize empowerment for marginalized LGTBQ2S folks. Our pride is political, not corporate.

CUPE 1281 urges PrideTO to respect the agreements they made to meet the demands of Black Queer Youth, Blackness Yes, and Black Lives Matter – Toronto.

The tragic news of the murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castille, and Delrawn Small, three more lives taken by police violence in the United States, reminds us how urgent your work is. The massive peaceful protests across the U.S. in response to the murders are a testament to the resilience and bravery of the Black community and allies who are taking action to insist Black lives matter.

CUPE 1281 urges Mayor John Tory to have an open community meeting with Black Lives Matter – Toronto and the Toronto City Council to act on all of Black Lives Matter – Toronto demands. That is the first and necessary step toward being able to say Black lives matter in Toronto.

CUPE 1281 will use our position in the labour movement to continue to advocate for union support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with specific requests for support.

In Solidarity,

Orion Keresztesi
CUPE 1281 President

Cc:
John Tory, Mayor of Toronto
Andrew Pringle, Chair of Toronto Police Services Board
Mathieu Chantelois, PrideTO Executive Director
Black Queer Youth
Blackness Yes