At Monday’s MFL Executive Council meeting, American Income Life (AIL) Canada presented two local community organizations with $2,500 in support.

AIL Canada Director of Labour Relations Darryl Barnett was on hand to make the presentation. He presented a $2,000 donation to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) to support the Errol Black Chair in Labour Studies, a research position dedicated to advancing the case for workers’ rights, including union rights. He also presented $500 to SAFE Workers of Tomorrow, an organization that provides workplace health and safety training to high school students across Manitoba.

AIL Canada has a long track record of supporting working families, including taking very public positions in favour of the Canadian Labour Congress’s plan to improve pensions for all, the fight against the federal Conservatives’ attack on workers and their unions (Bill C-377), and the campaign to defend public, not-for profit medicare.

Board Chair Wendy Land received the donation to the Errol Black Chair on behalf of CCPA Manitoba. She thanked AIL Canada and urged MFL affiliated unions to consider supporting the CCPA. She noted a new campaign through which individual labour activists can support the Errol Black Chair through small monthly payments.

Treasurer Monica Girouard accepted the donation on behalf of SAFE Workers of Tomorrow (SWOT). She expressed the gratitude of SWOT and provided an update on SWOT’s current activities. She reported that this school year, SWOT had already managed to reach more than 20,000 Manitoba high school students with a face-to-face message about their workplace health and safety rights.