Convention Capsule 2 – Friday, May 29
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CUPE Ontario Convention 2015 Friday, May 29, 2015 Ready for the austerity fight CUPE Ontario Secretary- Treasurer Candace Rennick greeted delegates in dramatic fashion Thursday morning. Holding a copy of our loan agreement, Sister Candace informed delegates that every penny of CUPE Ontario’s debt has been paid off. Then, with a flourish, she tore up the agreement. “The good news I bring to you is that we did it … together. CUPE Whose power? Our power! Ontario is now debt free,” Sister Candace said to loud applause Hydro’s not for sale! from the convention floor. More than a thousand activists legal. It also strips Hydro One of its She added that with the debt fully chanted, cheered and shouted their status as a public entity and ends paid off, CUPE Ontario will be able determination to Keep Hydro public oversight and accountability. to devote more resources to Public as they converged on the fighting the austerity agenda. Members of the NDP caucus, lawn of Queen’s Park on Thursday including leader Andrea Horwath “For the first time in a while, we at noon. and energy critic Peter Tabuns, have real resources to fight It was a sea of pink flags as CUPE joined the rally to call out the back…we can focus our resources Ontario members joined members premier for her betrayal of public on resisting the Austerity Agenda, of OPSEU, Unifor, other unions, and trust. A chorus of voices followed, to stop the sale of Hydro One and student and community groups to calling on the Liberal government other public assets. We can put protest the planned sale of Hydro to Keep Hydro Public, including boots on the ground where they One by the Wynne government. ACORN, TTCriders and the are needed,” she said. Canadian Federation of Students. Emcee Candace Rennick introduced Continuing the good news, she speakers just as MPPs inside the CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn noted in the past year CUPE legislature began their clause-by- concluded the rally with a Ontario has grown by 2600 clause review of Bill 91, the barnburner of a speech that left the members as more locals chose to omnibus budget bill that includes crowds echoing his cry, “Hydro affiliate. changes intended to make the sale belongs to us! And it’s not for sale!” Reflecting on a year which saw the birth of her son Jackson, Sister Candace closed by telling Historic restructuringto grow u p in a province where all delegates she looked forward to Following a year-long formal the wealth that we and other six equality chairs and a even more dramatic changes in review, a large majority of workers generate through our representative from the Northern the coming year. delegates voted in favour of labourOntario is putcaucus. to the The common equality good, chairs “historic change,” as CUPE Ontario notwill into be theelected hands in oftheir profiteers,” respective “I want my child and your President Fred Hahn put it, by shecaucuses said. and will serve as co-chairs children to grow up in a province changing the CUPE Ontario where all the wealth that we and of the equality committees. Executive Board to meet the needs other workers generate through The new structure maintains the of our diverse membership. Nulla facilisi. Sed maximus nulla id our labour is put to the common lorempositions mollis of blandit. president, Fusce secretary sed - good, not into the hands of The new structure moves from tincidunttreasurer, eros. four Ut vice ut e-presidents,nim quis six profiteers,” she said. three diversity vice-presidents to magnamembers rhoncus at large malesuada and sector ut chairs. fringilla lectus. Sed maximus ornare metus sit amet congue. Aliquam Friday, May 29, 2015 Resourcing union power Invoking the power we have when we stand together, and citing recent victories across the country, Brother Charles Fleury, National Secretary-Treasurer, addressed delegates about the strength of our union’s resources. Highlighting the nearly $4 million CUPE National committed to Ontario in 2014, Brother Charles addressed our election work, cost- share campaigns to stop privatization and contracting out, and precedent-setting legal cases. How austerity failed the U.K. He told delegates that in the first Austerity is a self-perpetuating “These polices have failed to reduce quarter of 2015, CUPE has already policy, akin to economic the deficit. They’ve failed miserably committed more than 2.5 million masochism said Lucia McKeever to bring people out of poverty. They dollars to Ontario campaign work. the president of UNISON, the UK’s have not led to prosperity. A million He praised the impressive capacity largest public sector union. more public sector jobs will be lost of Ontario members to mobilize by 2020,“ she said. across sectors, and assured them She recounted how, in a short five- they will continue to have the year span, the UK’s Conservative- Throughout these challenges, said support of CUPE National. Liberal Democrat government McKeever, UNISON has learned to pushed an “unprecedented assault step out of “our comfort zone” and Brother Charles outlined a National on the public sector. And campaign, recruit and organize Strike Fund that has grown to $80 privatization is rampant.” They differently. Using a dedicated team of million, and highlighted the have shed services and hundreds organizers, UNISON has been able to investment CUPE will make in of thousands of jobs. They have increase membership considerably, fighting hydro privatization, passed new anti-labour legislation and mobilize against these cuts. organizing new members, and in known as the “gagging Act.” All the federal election work. while doling out £ 7 billion in tax cuts and eroding workers’ wages. Sisters in AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS Solidarity Award This year’s Sisters in Solidarity Day 3 Award was presented to Pam Parks of CUPE Local 1999 in Oshawa. 9:00 am Call to order Sister Pam, who works at Lakeridge Guest Speaker: Health, was nominated for her Tom Mulcair – Leader of the NDP of Canada support of social justice, union solidarity and fairness. Her 12:00 pm Equality Lunch nominees cited her encouragement 1:30 pm Call to order of new and young workers, which led one of them to join the CUPE Retirees Recognition Ontario Health & Safety Committee. Injured Workers Award Politically active, Sister Pam worked 3:00 pm Guest Speaker hard on campaigns for NDP Hassan Yussuff – CLC President candidates Jennifer French and 8:00 pm Dance/Social Trish McAuliffe and is very active with the Durham Health Coalition and the Health Accord Campaign. In 1999, she was elected President of Local 1999. Cope 343 .