This Labour Day, Let’s Stand with Workers

SEPTEMBER 1, 2025

On this Labour Day, we honour the workers who keep our communities running. We pay special tribute to Filipino workers, whose hands have built economies, whose voices have shaped movements, and whose courage has changed lives.

Whether in Canada or in the Philippines, Filipino workers have stood at the heart of labour — often in the most invisible and undervalued places. They have raised children not their own, cared for the sick, harvested our food, staffed our factories and hospitals, and kept our cities moving. But they have done more than work. They have organized, resisted injustice, and helped lead some of the most important fights for dignity, fair wages, and the right to be seen, heard, and respected.

Unions, built and strengthened by workers, have been one of the most transformative forces in that struggle. They have turned individual hardship into collective power. They have fought for safer workplaces, fair pay, and human rights. They have reminded us that progress does not come as a gift — it comes when people come together, speak out, and demand it.

This Labour Day comes at a time of massive change in how we work and live. Technology, global migration, and economic upheavals are reshaping our workplaces, while human rights, civil rights, and even the most basic protections for workers are being challenged around the world. In these uncertain times, the lessons of solidarity and collective action matter more than ever.

Today, we remember that every gain workers have won was the result of organizing, sacrifice, and unity across borders.

And so, on this Labour Day, we do not just celebrate labour. We honour the struggle behind it. We recommit ourselves to building a society where no one is disposable, where every job carries dignity, and where every worker — no matter where they are from — has the right not just to survive, but to thrive.

In solidarity and struggle,

RJ Aquino | Board Chair, Filipino BC

Kristina Corpin-Moser | Executive Director, Filipino BC