UFCW Canada Supports April 13th International Day of Pink
The International Day of Pink occurs annually on the second Wednesday of April. In 2014, the Day of Pink engaged more than 9.2 million people across the world. This day has its history in Nova Scotia, when in 2007, grade 12 students Travis Price and David Shepherd defended a grade 9 student who was being bullied at school for wearing a pink shirt. In solidarity with this student, Travis and David bought and wore pink tank tops and inspired other students to don pink shirts at school a few days later. Their bold stand against bullying then grew into a global movement.
International Day of Pink is not about Travis Price or David Shepherd. It is about the power that we hold as individuals and as a union to be part of the solution to bullying. The statistics tell us that bullying – defined by the Day of Pink organization as a targeted and repeated form of abuse at the hands of peers – affects 1 in 3 kids in Canada.
UFCW Canada is honoured to celebrate International Day of Pink this Wednesday, April 13th. The Day of Pink is intended to send the message that when we see discrimination, we must stop it. Bullying will stop in less than 10 seconds when someone does something about it. As a union, our commitment to worker safety extends beyond workplace rights. It is about supporting workers’ access to safe spaces through allyship and the support of important initiatives such as the Day of Pink.
Below are some ways that you can support the International Day of Pink:
1. Choose solidarity over ignorance: Wear pink on Wednesday, April 13th
2. Pass it on: Tell at least one person why you have chosen to wear pink. Tell at least one youth why gender stereotypes are wrong and how to stop them!
3. Communicate it on Social Media: The impact of bullying is communicated immediately through cyber space. On April 13th, communicate a message of love through your social media accounts. Add a reminder on your outlook calendar with these examples: “Bullying has no place in my space!”, or “I Stand up to bullying on International Day of Pink.”
4. Be an Ally in your community: Contact the EGALE Human Rights Trust or visit www.dayofpink.org to find out how your Local Union can get involved.
Ending bullying is within our reach!
In solidarity,
Paul R. Meinema
National President
UFCW Canada
Posted on: April 05,2016