This week, our president is in Montreal at the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Convention. The CLC is an umbrella organization that supports the full breadth of the labour movement across Canada. For several decades, we have been under fire. Budget cuts and undemocratic legislation at every level of government have been felt by members of every union. The CLC has been pushing…
Read moreBill Johnston, former president of CUPE 951, retired from the University of Victoria in April after an impressive 33 years of service. While he was no longer a CUPE member, our Local felt it was important to recognize the work and service Bill provided while he was a member — including his negotiating our much-loved annual paid December closure. On…
Read moreEvery April 28, workers gather to mourn and remember those who were injured or killed on the job, and to fight so that everyone can go home “alive after five” — or whatever hour their shift ends. It grew from CUPE in 1984 to other labour unions in 1985 and was federally recognized with the Mourning Day Act in 1991.…
Read moreThe Friday session of Convention included energizing talks from Federal NDP finance critic Nathan Cullen and policy advisor for the Broadbent Group Kathleen Monk. Both spoke to the importance of getting members out to vote. One fact that struck me was how much power our voice has at the municipal level. There are more seats to be affected — especially…
Read moreAs resolutions came to the floor, the energy in the room changed. In a year without major elections, this is the meat of the convention, as delegates direct our executive to fight for those issues most important to the member locals. Thursday included resolutions from Universities Committee, Young Workers’ Task Force, International Solidarity Committee, Transportation Committee, CARD, and more. Following…
Read moreThe Canadian Union of Public Employees was just a year old when employees at the University of Victoria started our drive to certify and negotiate our first contract. Here’s a publication commemorating that first year of CUPE:
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