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2010-05-01

Tamara Cherry

Toronto Sun

It wasn't just about jobs for a group of Torontonians marching through the city Saturday.

For many who gathered around St. Clair Ave. and Bathurst St. under the umbrella of the May First Movement Coalition, May Day was about the barriers that migrant workers face when they arrive in Canada.

Language, economic and immigration barriers - they were all part of the discussion as dozens of Torontonians took to the streets with flags, banners and chants of, "The people united will never be defeated."

Though often unnoticed in Canada - we have Labour Day in September - the demonstration that moved through the city Saturday was a microcosm for demonstrations happening around the world on a day that is synonymous in many countries with International Workers' Day.

"There is a lot of oppression here in our own city, there are a lot of workers undocumented, there is a lot of temporary workers that are always in desperate need to have those rights advocated for," said El Salvador native Claudia Samayoa. "It is solidarity time. We are here for everybody."

For Maru Maesa, who arrived in Canada from the Philippines more than a year ago as a live-in caregiver, Saturday was about advocating change for her line of work, which she said leaves people vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

"We have a lot of struggles," Maesa said. "We want genuine change."

"Immigration and the migrants issue shouldn't be separate from the working people's issue," said Marco Luciano. "The right to have better working conditions, the right to have a living wage and it's not necessarily (immigration) status that we're calling for. It is, I think, equality."

"I moved here about 20 years ago (from the Philippines), but it still feels like I moved last week," Luciano added.

• 
  May Day marchers focus on migrant workers (http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/05/01/13793266.html)
  

Agriculture and horticulture workers, Occupations in services - Domestic work, Sales and service occupations - general, Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations - general et Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing

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