Tomorrow is National Aboriginal Day and the MGEU will be
taking part in a number of events to celebrate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis
Manitobans.
“Several MGEU members are helping to organize the day’s festivities in Brandon,” said MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky, “and the union is proud to show their support as an official sponsor. With everything from hay rides to bannock demos to traditional drummers, the event will have something for the whole family.”
In Winnipeg, MGEU reps will be attending the National Aboriginal Day Career Fair in Winnipeg’s North End, hoping to reach out and build some bridges between tomorrow’s Aboriginal workforce and today’s labour movement.
Gawronsky said it’s vital that unions like the MGEU ensure Manitoba’s Aboriginal workers feel they have a place in their union and know their rights on the job.
“Aboriginal Manitobans are the fastest growing segment of our workplaces and it’s essential that labour leaders and Aboriginal leaders work together to remove barriers to employment and help create equitable and culturally-appropriate workplace policies.”
In Winnipeg, APTN’s Aboriginal Day Live takes place Saturday, June 25 at the Forks, with activities planned throughout the afternoon. Along with other labour organizations, the MGEU is sponsoring the family zone and all members are invited to come out and share in the celebration.
“Aboriginal Day is held on the longest day of the year,” Gawronsky said, “and it really is a time for all of us to not only pause and consider past wrongs and ongoing challenges, but to also come together, as Manitobans, in a spirit of healing and reconciliation.”