Darcy 53

JUDY DARCY INSIDE UNIONS AT THE BARGAINING TABLE: want to try to distil some KEYNOTE ADDRESS OF THE of the lessons from our ADVANCING THE EQUITY Iexperience in fighting for AGENDA CONFERENCE equity within the trade union movement - at the bargaining table Judy Darcy and in society over the past thirty Secretary-Business Manager, years, and also put forward some Hospital Employees Union (HEU), ideas and challenges about the Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada future. So let me start with where we’ve come from. I want to paint a picture about a few experiences,

INTRODUCTION BY LINDA starting with the 1974 Canadian BRISKIN Labour Congress (CLC) convention in Vancouver, the first one that I Judy Darcy was a union activist in attended as a very young, new Toronto for seventeen years before activist. Women’s equality rated a becoming the national secretary- couple of paragraphs in a much treasurer for the Canadian Union of bigger policy paper. There was no Public Employees (CUPE) in 1989. In talk of racism and disabilities or 1991 she was elected National President about gay and lesbian rights. Most and re-elected five times. As the of the women who spoke on that national leader of CUPE Judy gained policy paper felt defensive and wide recognition for building introduced themselves by saying membership activism, taking on “I’m not one of those women’s privatization and concessions, and libbers, but…” and then went on to promoting an equity agenda in the offer an opinion. union and at the bargaining table. Judy The first woman ever elected stepped down as CUPE President in at the CLC was elected at that 2003 and began as the new Secretary – convention: Shirley Carr from Business Manager for the Hospital CUPE. It was about getting public Employees Union in British Columbia sector representation on the slate for in March 2005. People like Judy Darcy the first time. There were no women throughout the labour movement have leaders of major national or made a difference.1 international unions in Canada that year. It was only the next year that Grace Hartman was elected the first woman national union leader in our country as President of the Canadian 1 Introduction by Linda Briskin of York University. Union of Public Employees (CUPE). 54 JUST LABOUR vol. 8 (Spring 2006)

There was not another woman the laws we’ve changed, the national leader elected until I was committees we’ve created, the elected President of CUPE in 1991. policies we’ve adopted, the positions In 1974 we didn’t talk about to which we’ve been elected and the harassment. It wasn’t a word. And union culture that we’ve begun to in some of the hospitality rooms at change. that convention there were go-go girls in very skimpy costumes. There HOW DID WE CHANGE THE was probably more than one woman LABOUR MOVEMENT? who gave a militant speech and before she sat down had someone We did it by caucusing, by approach her to say “I like the way bargaining, by mobilizing, by you talk when you’re angry. Will demonstrating, by coalition you go to bed with me?” Equal pay building, by lobbying, by speaking for equal work was beginning to be out, by demanding, by laughing, by talked about, but certainly not equal crying and most of all we did it by pay for work of equal value. Paid organizing. When I say organizing, I maternity leave was virtually mean organizing ourselves to win. unheard of. There were almost no Getting together, caucusing, part-time workers, strategizing, defining casual workers, or The paramount equity issue our demands and our contingent workers facing our current goals and then organized in unions. A generation of activists and mapping out what we national childcare the trade union movement needed to do to program was not even today is the challenge of achieve them, which a twinkle in anybody’s raising low paid workers’ allies we needed to eye. And as for wages. build, which affirmative action and resolutions we needed employment equity programs, it to draft, which leaflets we needed to was generally assumed, in the get out, which picket lines and workplace and in the unions, that bargaining struggles were most the best person for the job was a important, and so on. We did it by straight, white male. building a powerful movement and I could go on, but I think that a force for change that could not be paints you a bit of a picture about ignored by governments, by where we were in 1974. It’s clear employers, by union leaders or by when you contrast that picture with power structures within the trade today, that we’ve made incredible union movement. We did it in one gains in the trade union movement union after another. We did it in one with an impressive list of collective agreement after another. achievements: The changes we’ve We did it in one convention after negotiated in collective agreements, Darcy 55 another. We did it in one campaign Nations, with disability rights after another. groups, and so on. Our gains were certainly The strength of what was uneven and remain so. In some happening in the women’s unions and sectors the gains we’ve movement had an impact on what achieved on the equity front are far we were able to do internally on greater than they are in others. And women’s equality in the trade union there’s no question that there have movement. The work we did for been far more significant advances women’s equality in the trade union in some areas, for some equity- movement helped to build, reinforce seeking groups compared to others. and strengthen the broader women’s I think women’s equality and gay movement. Today, we can see a and lesbian rights have been the decline in the advances we’re areas where we’ve made some of the making for women’s equality, and most significant advances. The the decline in the broader women’s advances for people of colour, for movement. aboriginal workers and for people Those equity struggles and with disabilities have not been coalition building efforts broke new nearly as great, both in the union, as ground and laid the basis for the well as in our workplaces. wide acceptance and support for In the course of those social unionism in the Canadian struggles for internal union equity trade union movement today. We we changed the parameters of what can be proud that trade unions in was considered a legitimate union Canada have profoundly issue, whether it was reproductive contributed to fundamental choice for women or childcare or advances for equity that affect racism or immigration policy or everybody who lives in this country. same sex marriage. In the course of This history includes: taking on those struggles we did some of the first, and most effective, • Early bargaining and strikes for coalition building the trade union equal pay that led to legislation movement engaged in. For covering hundreds of thousands example, with the women’s of women; movement, especially in the case of • Strong support of the movement the NAC2 and OWW3 and the equal for reproductive choice - a very, pay coalition in Ontario, with gay very controversial issue - but and lesbian rights organizations, one that feminists in the trade with anti-racism groups, with First union movement worked closely with feminists in the pro-choice movement to 2 National Action Committee on the Status of advance; Women 3 Organized Working Women 56 JUST LABOUR vol. 8 (Spring 2006)

• Negotiating same sex benefits in The forces of globalization, a local union collective privatization, cutbacks and agreement and taking forward deregulation threaten our equity court challenges on issues like gains. Attacks on free collective pensions and benefits for same bargaining in one province, and one sex, as CUPE did. sector after another, also threaten them. Our gains for equality are A lot of the work we have threatened by the Wal-Martization done in local and national unions of our economy. Our gains are certainly helped to pave the way for threatened by the race to the bottom major advances we’ve seen in and by social conservatism as an Canada today, like organized political force in this same sex marriage. All The trade union country. of those struggles are movement needs to Problems within the far from over and all of come together labour movement also threaten those gains are an around economic our equity gains, such as incredible tribute to a justice issues for backlash in our own ranks. lot of the people who low paid workers. Our gains are threatened by a are in this room and That is the most profound lack of commitment the tens of thousands fundamental or to equality and understanding of activists who aren’t overarching equity of equality by some people in in the room but who issue of the day. If power in our trade union are working on the we don’t refocus movement. Our gains are also ground from coast to our efforts as a threatened by our own coast. trade union weaknesses as equity activists movement on doing in learning lessons from our SO, WHERE ARE WE that we will become own history about how to most TODAY? increasingly effectively bring about change. irrelevant to the I want to focus on just a couple I don’t know major challenges of major ones. that there is a trade that we’re facing in The first critical lesson union movement that the new economy. is: We need to have a has achieved as much fundamental debate in the as we have achieved. Significant as labour movement today about those gains are, we live in an era what’s happening to equity gains in where a lot of the equity gains are this new economy and how we need fragile. We need to look closely at to change as a trade union both the external and internal forces movement. We need to learn lessons threatening the gains we made from our experiences about how to through many years of hard become even more effective, far struggle. stronger, and far more powerful, in Darcy 57 order to defend our equity gains and ensure that we improve workers’ to build on those gains in the future. lives, that we defend our equity We’re beginning to move gains and that we build on them? backwards in a number of equity More and more we talk areas. In one industry after another, about the importance of solidarity one employer after another, one and of coordinating our efforts corporation after another, one sector closely with trade unions around the after another, employers try to world because we’re taking on the contract out and subcontract our same multinational corporations at work, trying to replace full-time the bargaining table, or in fighting permanent employees with part- privatization. Yet, at home, what time casual, contingent workers. The happens in one company, in one employers try to replace decently collective agreement, in one union or paid or well-paid unionized jobs with one employer has a profound with low pay workers who have no impact on what happens to benefits at all. everybody else in that corporation, We have to ask ourselves or sector, or industry. But hard questions about whether cooperation and working together is raising low paid workers’ wages, something that is still foreign to a lot (mainly women and workers of of the work we do. We need to ask colour), is our collective goal as a ourselves, as a movement, whether trade union movement - not just we can tackle low wages and something we pass resolutions on at equality issues effectively when conventions, but whether we will we’re almost as competitive with focus our collective and cooperative one another as contractors are when energies in working to achieve it? they’re bidding for new work. Will we decide that cutthroat One way competition gets competition belongs in corporate played out is when unions rush to boardrooms, not in the trade union sign voluntary recognition movement and replace our agreements with employers, trying relationships of stiff competition to convince employers that they can instead with real relationships of be the best, the most reasonable cooperation in solidarity? Will we union to deal with. This often comes make concrete commitments - one at the expense of the workers who union to another, working together will be covered by that collective with trade unions through our agreement, as well as being central labour bodies that we will detrimental to trends in the sector, not undercut one another in industry, or corporation. attempting to secure a foothold in some new sector or corporation? Or, will we say instead that our efforts will be put into working together to 58 JUST LABOUR vol. 8 (Spring 2006)

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF which has gone down now to about CENTRAL LABOUR BODIES? twelve percent. Without getting into what we might agree or disagree Fundamentally, unions are with about this position, there is a about collective bargaining, about fundamental debate happening making gains for our members, about direction. There are clashing improving the position visions being proposed. It’s of working people, men, difficult, it’s tough, it’s women, and people from The issue is not controversial, and it’s all equity-seeking whether we need to acrimonious. have special or groups. We do that first I believe that we designated seats. and foremost through must have the courage to The issue is what collective bargaining. have the same kind of we have to do to And yet, our central debate. Some issues will be ensure that the labour bodies deal with the same. Some will be very representatives of just about everything equity-seeking different. I personally except collective groups actually believe that encouraging bargaining. That’s why have some power mergers, not forcing them, is it’s crucial that we have a and strength behind a good thing because I debate in the labour them when they strongly believe industrial movement today about speak at that table. unionism is fundamental to what we want our The major way to advancing workers’ gains central labour bodies to do that is to focus and equity gains. We must be all about. our efforts back on rebuild a sense of industrial An important bargaining, back on unionism, which is about debate is happening in organizing, back on bargaining power. But I can the American labour mobilizing for say over many years, in movement about this. A economic justice, many situations where there proposal spearheaded by especially for were attempts to try and Andy Stern in the AFL- groups like the discuss some of those issues, CIO is to reduce the lowest paid workers it was virtually impossible. number of trade unions in our society who In the early years it was from fifty-eight to mainly come from “There, there little girl, twenty, I believe, equity-seeking you’re new, you don’t through forced mergers, groups. understand, nobody’s pure. and also to cut dues to It’s about turf and we all the AFL-CIO by fifty care about defending our percent, putting that money back in turf, don’t we?” unions on the condition that it be used for organizing the unorganized. This is to deal with union density in the United States, Darcy 59

WE NEED BARGAINING POWER affecting our members and equity- TO RAISE LOW WAGES seeking groups across the country. We do some of those things But these issues are not about very well. We do some others not turf or union jurisdiction. very well. But, I believe the Fundamentally they’re about paramount equity issue that is bargaining power and bargaining facing our current generation of strength. They’re about whether activists and the trade union we’re going to organize ourselves in movement today is the challenge of such a way to give ourselves power raising low paid workers’ wages. It and strength to defend and advance is integrally linked to being able to our equity gains and raise wages for defend our gains for equity and the low wage workers in particular. It’s gains we’ve made for our members about whether we’re going to be in general throughout the trade effective in taking on the Sodexos union movement. The relevance of and Aramarks and Wal-Marts of this the labour movement, of our central world. It’s about whether we will labour bodies, and of our equity have one union pitted against agenda will be measured in large another continually and race to the part by how successful we are in bottom line or, whether we’ll work achieving some of those goals. in solidarity to raise the wages of I don’t pretend to have the those people who need our support answers. We have to work together the most. to develop those answers as a The trade union movement’s movement. But, if we don’t start equity agenda is a very broad one asking the hard questions now about and it needs to continue to be a very our effectiveness, about our ways of broad one. We need to continue to working together, about the role of work for that equity agenda on a our individual unions and of our variety of different levels, working central labour bodies in particular, I on national policy issues, working don’t think we’re ever going to get on legislation, continuing to fight for there. We need to ask questions like: a national childcare program, continuing to take on issues like ƒ Why can’t we come together to same sex marriage and making our define common bargaining voices heard so that what the goals that we’re going to take on majority of Canadians support together as a trade union becomes the law of the land. movement? Speaking out on issues like racial ƒ Why can’t we work together on profiling and the effect of EI changes cooperation agreements for on a contingent workforce, in organizing the unorganized addition to all the other issues that rather than wasting scarce are really critical equity issues 60 JUST LABOUR vol. 8 (Spring 2006)

resources on competing to HOW TO STRENGTHEN EQUITY represent the same groups? REPRESENTATIVES? ƒ Why can’t we go to our members and our locals and our That brings me to the final leaders and convince them to issue of how do we strengthen the sign onto solidarity pacts that role of equity activists, of equity really are about one group of committees, and of our elected workers, one union being there equity representatives on leadership for another when we need them bodies in the course of taking on the most? these other struggles. We have taken ƒ Why can’t we commit that no a whole lot of steps forward on union will sign voluntary equity representation in our recognition agreements that movement. But we’ve also taken undermine the interests of all some big ones back and we’re in workers? danger of taking even more back. ƒ Why can’t we agree that when We have equity committees at work is contracted out, or various levels, at almost all levels of subcontracted, that unions many unions, and at all levels of our should be able and supported in central labour bodies. Today we following that work? have several women union leaders, ƒ And why can’t we lead a five I think, who are heads of movement in this country that unions, which is very exciting. brings together a wide variety of We’ve lost some. We’ve gained equity-seeking groups? some. Hopefully, the trend is an upward trend, but I really worry In some cases we need to about that. rebuild some of those equity- We have many folks from seeking groups, like the women’s equity-seeking groups on executive movement, bringing them together boards, not as national union leaders with the trade union movement to or international union leaders yet, build a powerful movement for but on many executive boards. We economic justice, especially for the have equity activists who have made lowest paid workers in our country. a very, very important difference in I think it’s within our power to do ensuring that equity issues are all of those things. It’s going to take raised on various leadership bodies vision, leadership and some good, and that all of the issues that we old-fashioned organizing too. look at are seen through an equity lens. But the role that equity reps have been able to play in those positions varies widely from what is essentially tokenism, in some situations, to having a very deeply Darcy 61 respected role at the table in other levels of the trade union movement situations. The role has everything are marginalized, are not consulted to do with having a base. It has before a consensus is declared on a everything to do with having an major issue of the day, imagine the organized movement for change out marginalization that occurs for there happening in workplaces, in people who come not with a wide the unions, and in society at large. elected base, with an entire union When I think back through behind them or an entire our history about when some of our convention, but who come there equity representatives have been the chosen from an equity caucus at a strongest at the table, one period convention. They have a voice, but it that comes to mind is in Ontario in has not necessarily meant a change the 1980’s when, for the first time in in the fundamental power the country, there were five relationships in our movement. affirmative action positions for women created on a union executive WE NEED TO MAKE EQUITY board, at the Ontario Federation of GAINS THROUGH COLLECTIVE Labour. That came about as a result BARGAINING of the tremendous influence and organizing of the women’s I want to be very clear. I am a movement in the province, in the strong advocate and defender of country, and within the trade union affirmative action seats in the trade movement. It gave those women a union movement at all levels. The very powerful voice at that table and issue is not whether we need to have reinforced the work that women special or designated seats. The activists were able to do throughout issue is what we have to do to the trade union movement. I think ensure that the representatives of there is a real direct connection equity-seeking groups, who sit at between the strength of that those tables, actually have some organizing work at the base, the power and strength behind them strength of the movement for change when they speak. Learning from our that we’ve built in our experience, I believe that the major organizations, the movement for way to do that is to focus our efforts, change that’s happening out there in as equity activists, back on society, and our ability to have a bargaining, back on organizing, back voice, a powerful voice, at the table. on mobilizing for economic justice, I hate to say it, but without that especially for groups like the lowest organized force behind us we aren’t paid workers in our society who going to get any respect at the table. mainly come from equity-seeking Let me also speak from groups. If we wait for somebody else personal experience here. If women to give us a greater role at the table who have been elected at the highest we’re going to wait an awfully long 62 JUST LABOUR vol. 8 (Spring 2006) time. In fact, we probably could lose DEVELOP EQUITY ACTIVITIES those places at the table. THROUGH STRUGGLES One of the most critical ways to advance our equity agenda It is also our experience that internally in the labour movement, leadership develops first and as we strive towards greater, foremost through struggles; by stronger, and more powerful activists coming to the fore who are representation, is for us to seize the fighting for issues that really matter leadership as equity activists on the and affect the daily lives of their most important economic and social fellow workers. A whole generation justice and equity issues of the day of activists came to the fore in many and run with them. Let’s provide the of our equity battles. Leadership leadership to make sure that that develops in the course of those debate happens in the trade union battles, those strikes, those struggles, movement about what we want our that bargaining, and campaigning trade union movement to be. Equity for change. If we are able to take on activists are uniquely positioned to our equity issues in a way that really be able to do that. reaches, touches, involves, and And let’s also make sure that mobilizes the vast majority of our we strengthen our commitment members, we will see a whole new rather, than weaken our generation of leaders emerge in commitment, to build a broader those struggles, leaders from equity- social justice movement, to work seeking groups, leaders who will with coalition partners, to build a indeed have the force and power women’s movement, an anti-racism behind them when they speak at the movement, a people with disabilities tables at the highest level in the movement, and a gay rights trade union movement. movement. That work with our So, let me just conclude by coalition partners is more important saying this conference provides us than ever before. As those with a badly needed opportunity to movements have weakened, so too strategize across unions and across has the movement within trade equity groups. I think we’re at a unions for equity weakened. So it’s crossroads in this country and in the absolutely critical that we commit trade union movement in our battle our resources and our energies to for equity and also in our strengthen those broader fundamental definition of ourselves. movements so that we, in turn, will And I believe that the people in this be stronger in taking on our fights. room have the courage to take on what need to be very tough debates in order to ensure that the trade union movement is up to the Darcy 63 challenge. So let’s let the debate advance and continue to advance begin. Thank you very much. through unions to build an equity agenda, how do we ensure that QUESTION PERIOD we’re building a union movement for the future? QUESTION RESPONSE My name is Denise Hammond and I’m a member of There is a real danger of our CUPE. Your first convention was equity work being reduced to the actually the year that I was born and work we do in those committees, the your last convention was my first resolutions we bring to conventions, national convention. I don’t have a the seats that we gain, the voice that lot of those gains to talk about and we raise at a table when the way we to feel the collective capacity and got there in the first place was movement that’s been built through through collective struggle, through the union. collective organizing, through How do we make equity movement building. And that’s why issues our collective goal? I see a lot I really believe that we need to focus of resolutions come to the floor. back on that. People pass them and a year later Once we’ve adopted they haven’t been implemented or something at convention, it doesn’t they haven’t been circulated. They necessarily mean very much unless don’t mean much more than the we’re organizing in local unions and piece of paper that they’re handed in communities and on picket lines out on. That’s a really frustrating and in demonstrations and in thing to realize. You go through lobbying and in conferences and that process and then at the end of workshops and going out there and the day you don’t really feel like reaching our members, member by you’ve moved anywhere. member, local by local, across the And how do we bring youth country. I think that’s an area where into the movement so that they we’re really slipped backwards and don’t feel tokenistic? How do we where we absolutely need to focus actually build a capacity where our energies. Our folks at the table young workers stand up and say, “I will not have power and strength want to belong to a union because I behind them until we rebuild that believe in it and because I think it’s movement at the base. important?” Because right now a lot We’ve got to be strategic and of people my age, and that I work talk together union by union, sector with, don’t want to belong to a by sector, but also collectively as union. If we’re going to look equity activists about what are those forward and talk about how do we key demands and issues and goals 64 JUST LABOUR vol. 8 (Spring 2006) that we can most effectively mobilize around. We can’t do a hundred at once. We need to say this is the goal, this is the demand that we’re going to take out to our local unions and do the grass roots organizing and mobilizing around it, and then be in a position at the bargaining table and in our unions to really make a difference. It’s about the approach that we need to take to inspire youth. A lot of young activists I talk to get pretty frustrated with the bureaucratic process. We need to do organizing, we need to do mobilizing, and we need to be out there with the issues that affect young workers the most in order to organize young workers. And I do think that the issue of low wage contingent workers is one that affects youth in particular because those marginalized groups are women and workers of colour and First Nations people and young people in particular.