International solidarity with Cuba
Cuba is not alone
By Andrée Gacoin, BCTF staff
For the past 30 years, the BCTF has had an international solidarity partnership with the Cuban National Union of Education, Science, and Sports Workers (SNTECD). Through this relationship, our union has had the opportunity to learn from the experiences of educators from across Cuba who are deeply committed to an inclusive and equitable education system for all children. Amid extreme shortages of basic supplies and materials, our Cuban colleagues demonstrate what it means to be deeply committed to public education.
Throughout this time, we have also witnessed the tangible effects that the ongoing US blockade on Cuba has on the people, denying them of many of the basics of life and work that we in Canada take for granted. These pressures have only intensified under the current administration of the United States. Weaponized executive orders, such as those targeting energy companies and further blocking fuel shipments, seek a complete siege of the Cuban economy and pose serious threats to the well-being and survival of its population. US economic sanctions have also forced Canadian companies to shut down operations in Cuba, demonstrating the broader reach of US economic power in limiting other countries from freely trading with Cuba.
As Director of the BCTF’s international solidarity program, I have had the privilege to sit in relationship with leaders of SNTECD and other Cuban activists. When I’ve asked what we can do, their response is two-fold. One is material: there is an urgent need for basic supplies (such as powdered milk, vitamins, and menstrual products). Through the WR Long International Solidarity Fund, the BCTF has sent supplies, in suitcases and shipping containers, and continues to co-ordinate with other labour unions and civil society organizations in Canada to meet this urgent need (see Julia MacRae’s piece below).
The second request is for Canadians to witness what is happening in Cuba and to speak out. The history of Cuba is entangled in US imperialism, and it is a stark illustration of what happens when a country chooses self-determination and sovereignty over US intervention. This includes the stories from right-wing media that seek to undermine democratic processes and silence the Cuban people. The use of social media propaganda to silence and control the debate on Cuba must be seen as part of an ongoing colonial project.
Every country has its challenges, and the Cubans who I have spoken to and learned from recognize this. However, as Canada defends its own sovereignty, rallying for “elbows up,” we must also defend national sovereignty as a principle that applies to all nations. This includes respecting Cuban sovereignty and the self-determination of its peoples. As a union, we can stand in solidarity with Cuban workers who are dedicated to the well-being of their people within an independent and sovereign country.
May Day in Cuba and labour movement solidarity
By Rozhin Emadi, BCTF staff
In May 2026, the BCTF sent a small delegation to Cuba to meet with SNTECD and to participate in Cuba’s International Workers’ Day events. In the current political context of the world, this was an important act of resistance to US imperialism.
Unions play an essential role in Cuba’s political system. Every union has representation in Cuba’s National Assembly, giving workers a direct role in influencing legislation and governance. As a result, International Workers’ Day is a significant occasion in Cuba. It is a day when workers and their unions take to the streets not only to celebrate working people around the world but also to participate in international events focused on global solidarity and discussions about the struggle to build a better world for working people everywhere. On May 1 this year, half a million Cubans and more than 800 international delegates walked past the US Embassy in Havana to both celebrate workers and demand an end to the US-imposed blockade on and ongoing military threats to Cuba.
Despite external pressures harming their economy, Cuba has developed strong public infrastructure, particularly in education and health care. For example, in Havana, there is a school for students with complex medical needs. The level of care provided at the school is striking: 200 students are supported by 100 staff members, including dentists, nurses, doctors, and physiotherapists. Students receive regular health check-ups and medication, class sizes are limited to no more than ten students, and parents meet monthly with educators to monitor their children’s progress. Many of the students move on to receive higher education, and some even came back as teachers at the school they graduated from.
Alongside this, students with disabilities are not marginalized; rather, their education is prioritized. When fuel shortages forced the complete shutdown of public transportation, the government continued to provide bus services to ensure these students could still attend school.
This reflects Cuba’s long-standing emphasis on providing quality public education, a central tenet of the Cuban Revolution since its early years. Within just three years of the revolution, in 1961, Cuba launched a nation-wide literacy campaign that dramatically expanded access to education and achieved near-universal literacy. Cuba shared its eight-month literacy campaign internationally, where it served as a model for literacy initiatives in other countries. In fact, Cuban literacy methods have also been shared with Indigenous and rural communities in BC through initiatives like the ArrowMight Program. These exchanges have strengthened ties between the BCTF and Cuba’s teachers’ union, but we are not alone. Cuba’s history of internationalism is precisely why solidarity with the country has been important to the labour movement across Canada.
Meanwhile, as the union saying goes, “An injury to one is an injury to all.” This principle is especially relevant when considering the broader history of US efforts to undermine Cuba’s sovereignty, including Operation Peter Pan (1960–1962), which separated approximately 14,000 Cuban children from their families under the guise of freedom. Many were placed in US institutions resembling residential schools, where they experienced abuse, cultural disconnection, and in some cases permanent family separation. The ongoing economic blockade reinforces this pattern, setting a dangerous precedent that countries pursuing alternative societal paths — particularly those that prioritize people over profit — may face economic warfare and relentless pressure. Thus, another reason solidarity is important.
This wider commitment to solidarity with Cuba was also reflected at the 2026 Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Convention, where delegates nearly unanimously passed a resolution in solidarity with Cuba. The CLC committed to strengthening its ties with the Workers’ Central Union of Cuba (CTC), making a financial contribution to the Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC), and calling on the broader labour movement to build solidarity with the Cuban people. From the convention floor, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario also pledged an additional $20,000 to the campaigns organized by CNC. Earlier in the year, the BCTF also contributed $22,000 toward CNC’s solidarity initiatives with Cuba. The CNC has been using these funds over the past year to send energy supplies, including generators and solar panels, to Cuba.
At the same time, Cuba has committed itself to a national renewable energy strategy for more energy independence, thus increasing the share of renewables from 4% in 2014 to approximately 15% this year. The renewed national strategy, approved in 2025, first aims to reduce dependence on imported fuels by using 40% of Cuba’s own oil, but ultimately strives to achieve 100% renewable electricity generation by 2050. Together, these initiatives reflect Cuba’s efforts not only to navigate its current challenges but also to build a more sustainable future.
During International Workers’ Day events this year, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel emphasized that every act of solidarity strengthens Cuba’s ability to with-stand the blockade and build a more just society. At the same time, he stressed that this solidarity carries a responsibility for Cuba to continue serving as an example of hope and internationalism to the world.
Reflections on solidarity exchanges
By Carole Gordon, BCTF President
Our solidarity exchanges to Cuba were guided by curiosity — both in what we could learn from and what we could offer to the Cuban teachers. Our time together began with introductions in true teacher style. A roll of the dice determined the topic, but after one go around everyone wanted to hear more. From favourite food to personal hero, we learned about each other and found much in common from the outset.
In addition to discussions on our respective priorities and planning, we ensured we had time to visit the Fidel Castro Ruz Centre to learn from Havana’s people and culture. For we can’t truly stand in solidarity unless we understand the history, the people, and the struggle.
Initial presentations about SNTECD and the BCTF highlighted some key similarities but many differences. While the Cuban education union is national and the BCTF is provincial, the representative structures are similar. A significant difference is that the union is represented at the national government level as part of decision-making, while the BCTF’s role is political advocacy, lobbying, and ministerial advice. It is a fundamental difference in the relationship of government to its people and, in particular, its workers.
Visiting the SNTECD’s union training centre, a long-time project with the BCTF, was a highlight for me. The centre supports regional training for Cuba’s teacher union leadership and one ave-nue through which our solidarity stands strong. Our 2026 suitcases included power banks that could keep the centre’s technology going during the grid disruptions.
In discussing how the BCTF and SNTECD could continue to work together and support union training, the idea of the local president visit came about. While on hold since fall of 2025 due to widespread illness and fuel shortages, the SNTECD leaders remain ever hopeful at the opportunity for BCTF local leaders to visit Cuban teacher union leaders in the regions and schools where they live and work. And a reciprocal, co-ordinated, and comprehensive Cuban visit to the BCTF would also support continued solidarity efforts benefiting both unions.
As we wrapped up the Cuban exchange in 2025, it was clear that there was one final common front for us — joy. Singing and dancing brought joy to each aspect of our exchanges in Cuba, even as part of adjourning a workshop. It’s that spirit that keeps Cuban teachers hopeful and strong, and it’s that spirit that called us to stand with them in solidarity for May Day 2026.
That opportunity to join with dozens of countries and hundreds of allies from around the world in solidarity with Cuba was incredible. Using our voice to speak directly to the people and unions of Cuba on behalf of BC teachers was more than just a demonstration and statement of solidarity, but a commitment to share the story of Cuba.
Action and advocacy
By Julia MacRae, BCTF staff
Unions and civil society organizations in Canada, and across the world, are organizing solidarity actions for Cuba. There are two main ways to respond: sending aid and advocating. I am the volunteer Board President of CoDevelopment Canada, a small NGO that has facilitated most of the BCTF’s solidarity work in Latin America for decades.
In response to the intensified crisis in Cuba brought about by the fuel blockade, CoDevelopment Canada initiated the Power Up Cuba campaign to purchase requested items such as solar panels, batteries, and tons of rice, beans, cook-ing oil, and other items for SNTECD to distribute to union members. Thus far we have raised more than $80,000, which has been spent and distributed immediately.
As for advocacy, we see advocating for Cuba’s sovereignty as also defending Canada’s sovereignty. We are saying, “You are not alone!”
How can you participate in action and advocacy for Cuba?
As part of the Power Up Cuba campaign, you can send a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling on the Government of Canada to show solidarity with Cuba and reject US measures that block fuel from reaching Cuba. You can also write to your MP or arrange a constituent meeting with your MP to discuss the situation in Cuba.
The Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC) has launched a No War on Cuba Campaign, encouraging unions and the broader labour movement to get involved. The Vancouver and District Labour Council has passed motions supporting the CNC’s solidarity initiatives. You can bring CNC initiatives to your local union meetings to garner support for Cuba. Individuals can also order a No War on Cuba lawn sign by emailing campaigns@canadiannetworkoncuba.ca.
If you’re travelling to Cuba, there is an organization called Not Just Tourists that enables travellers to take a suitcase of medical supplies with them to deliver to health clinics and hospitals. Tourists use their luggage allowance in a concrete way to help with an urgent need. You just notify them a couple of weeks before your trip and they will arrange a suitcase for you to pick up. Although Canadian airlines have stopped flying to Cuba, there are still flights through Mexico or Panama.
