In memory of Peter Leibovitch

In memory of Peter Leibovitch

The spirit of Peter Leibovitch continues to inspire and touch us, long after his sudden departure from life in September last year. His life was an intensely active one, since he was passionately devoted not only to union workers’ causes but to the cause of the rest of the labour movement in Ontario. We know that he in his lifetime had been active in several fields – he was a steelworker, a postal worker, a union organizer, a political activist, a campaign manager.

We, members of iWworkers, a mass organization of Filipino live-in caregivers, have been honoured by his involvement in the development of our organization. Our very name – iWworkers – is the name he had wanted us to have!

As we struggled to put up our organization in 2008, we suffered from the lack of resources and services for our members. In the first place, although we had a great number of labour issues, we could not unionize, since we were individually one-employer workers, living in our employer’s home. We could not therefore fight for our rights as a union, and we could not access services that unions would have. Peter offered to link us up with the United Steelworkers, and as an affiliated community of workers, we were able to be assisted by the union regarding these two needs – for labour issues and for some services. Although the iWworkers enjoys the support of other labour unions, agencies and programs, we have only good memories of our relationship with the USW, which was a very fruitful one, thanks to Peter.

Our campaign for changes to the Live-in Caregiver Program was very well supported by Peter and the USW. We held a number of activities to highlight our campaign, and Peter was always there for us. We warmly recall a time when we were sorely in need of a venue to hold the launch of our organization, because a place we had counted on became unavailable at the last minute. Peter, with his usual gentle and efficient way, found us a much better alternative, and it was for free! “Well,” he commented later, as a way of explaining his swift action, “you broke my heart!”

In the successful campaign of many Filipino organizations, including the iWworkers, for cancer-stricken caregiver Juana Tejada to stay in Canada and for a law (the Juana Tejada law, named after her) to abolish the 2nd medical examination for LCP workers, a requirement for their Permanent Residency application, we knew we could count on Peter for advice regarding many aspects of the campaign.

His involvement in the cause of Filipino migrant workers was deep enough for him to be part of the Canadian Trade Union Mission to the Philippines (CTUMP) in 2008, along with representatives of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the Canadian Auto Workers, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. Peter integrated with workers of the export processing zone in Cavite, visited and learned from the experiences of detained labour and peasant leaders and advocates, and other political prisoners. In the process, his commitment began to transcend mere support for rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers and the building of trade union and community links here in Canada. It grew to its fullest in his internationalism, in his invaluable contribution to solidarity work for the Filipino people’s fight for a free and democratic Philippines.

We are deeply inspired by Peter’s life-work, and are grateful for his encouragement and help not only in building our organization, but in helping forge worker-to-worker and people-to-people solidarity in the struggle against global capitalism.

[The Executive Committee, Association of Filipino Women Workers (iWworkers), 19 September 2011]

File photo of iWworkers