A Report on the Meeting with the Executive Board Members of the British Columbia Government Employees Union (BCGEU)
On the morning of Friday, March 21, 2025 (1st of Farvardin, 1404 in the Iranian calendar), a delegation from the Campaign for the Freedom of Imprisoned Workers in in Iran-Western Canada, met with the president and board members of the British Columbia Government Employees Union (BCGEU) at the union’s headquarters.
The delegation included: Tahmineh Sadeghi, Mina Behroozi, Arad Raha, Ebrahim Lashkari, Zhino Ebtehimi, and Abbas Mandegar.
The goal of this meeting was to express gratitude for the solidarity and support of this union towards the workers’ movement in Iran and to congratulate the new board members on their success in the election. At the beginning of the meeting, Paul Finch, the president and a strong supporter of the workers’ movement in Iran, congratulated the delegation on Nowruz (the Persian New Year) and welcomed the Free Them Now team. He then praised Free Them Now’s efforts to highlight the struggles of workers in Iran. Tahmineh Sadeghi, Mina Behroozi, and Abbas Mandegar introduced themselves and other members of the Free Them Now team, and they expressed their appreciation for the unwavering support of the BCGEU for the workers’ movement in Iran.
According to a report by Abbas Mandegar, during the meeting, Tahmineh Sadeghi spoke about the challenging situation faced by migrant workers in Canada. She expressed the willingness of Free Them Now activists to collaborate in helping newly arrived workers understand their rights and, if necessary, provide them with advice on how to pursue their rights. Tahmineh and Abbas Mandegar emphasized that this work would be more effective and successful if done in cooperation. Massoud Argang, the vice president and international activities coordinator of the union, welcomed the idea and stated that this initiative could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between Free Them Now and the BCGEU, enhancing their level of collaboration. These statements were supported by Paul Finch and other board members.
In the meeting, the Free Them Now activists also discussed the ongoing struggles of workers at Life Lab, a chain of medical clinics, who are on strike. They announced their participation in the picket lines and expressed their support for the workers’ rightful demands. Following this meeting, the Free Them Now activists planned to join one of the picket lines.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Free Them Now activists presented several “Women, Life, Freedom” hats to the board members and took a group photo to end the session. They also expressed their gratitude to Massoud Argang for organizing the meeting.
During the meeting, the leaders of the BCGEU, along with Free Them Now activists, held a large Free Them Now banner and posters featuring political prisoners at risk of execution, such as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Abbas Daris, and Verisheh Moradi, as well as imprisoned workers and activists. This was a clear declaration of their opposition to the repressive policies of the Iranian regime.
March 22, 2025
Campaign for the Freedom of Imprisoned Workers
Shahla.daneshfar2@gmail.com
