Resolution No. 121
Submitted by CUPE Prince Edward Island, the Airline Division, the Hospital Employees’ Union (B.C.), Locals 4041 (Que.), 1004 (B.C.)
Committee recommendation: Covers resolution 122
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
- Lobby governments in all jurisdictions to ensure enforcement of current provincial laws and federal health and safety laws; and
- Lobby the various levels of government for greater repercussions to employers for being in violation of the health and safety laws.
BECAUSE:
- Too many employers are shirking their responsibilities under the various health and safety acts; and
- Consequences for employers who injure their workers are too small.
Resolution No. 191
Submitted by CUPE Alberta
Committee recommendation: Covers resolution 122
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Lobby the federal government to continue funding literacy programs at the national and provincial levels.
BECAUSE:
- Literacy programs funding from the federal government is essential to improve the working lives of our members and their families.
Resolution No. 191
Submitted by CUPE Alberta
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Develop a strategy by the CUPE National convention in 2013 to ensure that our global justice project work is sustainable on a continuing financial basis.
BECAUSE:
- Our commitment to global justice must be founded on the principle of solidarity and involvement on a long-term basis and not be dependent on donations;
- Issues facing public sector workers in other countries are the same issues facing Canadian workers;
- There is a growing momentum to support CUPE’s international work as a way of energizing CUPE members in Canada;
- Greater understanding of the connections between CUPE’s work in Canada and our support for workers’ rights in other countries;
- Speaking out on international solidarity issues enhances CUPE’s credibility and reputation as an advocate and defender of human rights and workers rights;
- Reliance on fundraising limits and detracts our ability to continue and expand this important work.
Resolution No. 50
Submitted by CUPE British Columbia
Committee recommendation: covers Resolutions 51 and 52
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
1. Establish a national post-secondary sector task force;
2. Provide more support to the post-secondary sector through bi-annual sector conferences/meetings and ongoing dedicated research and communications support; and
3. Appoint a staff representative as a national coordinator dedicated to the post-secondary sector to do the following:
- Develop CUPE National’s plan of action for open, accessible, public and affordable post-secondary institutions;
- Develop a strategy to ensure CUPE’s plan is a priority at the federal level;
- Develop a strategy for coordinated bargaining at the National level;
- Coordinate inter-provincial and national actions around post-secondary issues that impact CUPE members; and
- Develop coalitions with other education sector organizations to ensure CUPE’s interests are at the forefront of any discussion of post-secondary education.
BECAUSE:
- Sector meetings on the day before the national convention are not adequate to meet the continuing needs of sectors;
- CUPE locals in BC have been coordinating since 1995 and need to connect more effectively with locals in other provinces;
- CUPE post-secondary locals have not had a national sectoral conference/meeting since 2006 and are struggling to coordinate on a national level.
Resolution No. 251
Submitted by Local 3943 (Ont.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Develop educational materials for all CUPE locals on the threats posed to social services and social service workers by social enterprises.
BECAUSE:
Governments are increasingly abandoning their role in the provision and delivery of social services and turning the delivery of services over to the private sector.
AND BECAUSE:
Most organizations and agencies are embracing the philosophy of social enterprise; that is, that it’s possible for an organization to provide a social service and at the same time make a profit from it.
AND FURTHER BECAUSE:
This philosophy runs counter to our belief that social services should be provided and administered from money raised through taxation, and that entities that deliver services to the public should only be concerned about the quality and delivery of those services, and not about making a profit.
Resolution No. 225
Submitted by Local 3943 (Ont.)
Committee recommendation: covers Resolutions 226 and 227
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Provide support and/or training to local union leadership and national staff to defend members of local unions not only in dealings with their employer, but also in situations where the workers’ jobs are governed by a “professional college”.
BECAUSE:
- Professional colleges are being founded, covering an increasing number of the jobs CUPE members perform including social services workers, early childhood educators, personal support workers, speech pathologists, ambulance paramedics, all skilled trades’ workers, etc.
- Workers are forced to join these professional colleges in order to maintain their credentials and employment and can face discipline by their respective professional colleges. This can happen even after an internal investigation with the employer finds no need to discipline but college proceedings result in actions up to and including discharge by the employer.
- Our members who are involved in any proceedings with a college are currently left alone to defend themselves over matters that relate directly to their work with their employer.
- Other unions with members in this situation defend their members at their respective colleges.
Resolution No. 167
Submitted by Local 15 (B.C.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
1. Actively lobby the federal government to establish a national housing strategy that will respect, promote, and fulfill the right to adequate housing as a guaranteed under international rights treaties ratified by Canada; and
2. The national housing strategy will include clear objectives for its implementation and ensure housing is safe, secure, sustainable, adequate, affordable, and accessible to all; and
3. The strategy will further include financing and creation of new social housing; and
4. Include specific strategies to address homelessness, with special attention to the needs of Aboriginal Peoples.
BECAUSE:
- Housing is a basic human right; and
- Statistics indicate that about 225,000 people are homeless in Canada; and
- Canada must live up to its human rights obligations and end homelessness and inadequate housing.
Resolution No. 55
Submitted by Local 2669 (Sask.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Establish a national library committee.
BECAUSE:
- CUPE represents over 10,000 public library workers and thousands of library workers in public schools, colleges, and universities across the country; and
- CUPE library workers face similar threats across the country, including increased workloads, privatization, outsourcing and public funding cuts; and
- There is currently no effective means for library workers to meet and discuss issues, exchange information and provide support to one another; and
- A national committee would facilitate this communication need, particularly between national conventions.
Resolution No. 9
Submitted by CUPE Saskatchewan
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
1. Call on the federal government to recognize that there is a disproportionate amount of violent acts committed in Canada against aboriginal women;
2. Lobby the government to act together and immediately form a task force to investigate the missing women across Canada; and
3. Call on the Canadian Labour Congress to provide the same support.
BECAUSE:
- Aboriginal women are more likely to experience violence in their lifetime than non-aboriginal women;
- An aboriginal woman is more likely to die from an act of violence than a non-aboriginal woman;
- Hundreds of aboriginal women across Canada have gone missing or have been murdered; and
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper needs to recognize that this is a reality for aboriginal women throughout our nation.
Resolution No. 96
Submitted by Local 957 (Que.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL:
Joins with pressure groups concerned by shale gas in lobbying all levels of government to put an end to development of this energy resource.
BECAUSE:
- The industry has failed to demonstrate that such development would not have serious consequences for the environment and the health of citizens;
- Governments were clearly unprepared for this issue, and have done a poor job of responding to public concerns.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Resolution C702
Replacing Resolutions C13, C14 and C17
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
1. Amend Article 6.3 (c) to read:
“(c) The National Executive Board will set the registration fee for each delegate and guest after considering the consumer price index published by Statistics Canada, based on a fee of $150 for each delegate and guest at the 1997 regular Convention. $5.00 of the registration fee for delegates shall be used to offset at-home child care and family care expenses of delegates.”
2. Amend Article 6.3 (d) to read:
“(d) A delegate may apply to the National Union for reimbursement of child care and family care costs up to a maximum amount set by the National Executive Board. The delegate must apply through their Local Union no later than two months after the end of Convention. The National Secretary-Treasurer will establish a form and guidelines for reimbursement and will send the form to all Local Unions.”
Resolution C703
Replacing Resolutions C15 and C16
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Amend Article 6.3 (d) to read:
“(d) A delegate may apply to the National Union for reimbursement of child care costs up to a maximum amount set by the National Executive Board. The delegate must apply through their Local Union no later than two months after the end of Convention. The National Secretary-Treasurer will establish a form and guidelines for reimbursement and will send the form to all Local Unions.”
Resolution C706
Replacing Resolution C20
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Amend Article 6.11 (a) to read:
“6.11 Resolutions and Constitutional Amendments
(a) A chartered organization may submit a resolution or constitutional amendment to a regular Convention. The resolution or constitutional amendment must be signed by the President and Secretary of the chartered organization and sent to the National Secretary-Treasurer at least 90 calendar days before the start of Convention. The National Union will post these resolutions and constitutional amendments on its website at least 30 calendar days before the start of Convention. The National Union will send these resolutions and constitutional amendments to any chartered organization that asks for a printed copy.”
Resolution C707
Replacing Resolutions C21, C22 and C23
Convention Decision: Defeated
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Amend Article 6.12 to read:
“6.12 Quorum
A quorum is 35% of the registered delegates.”
Resolution C708
Replacing Resolutions C24 and C25
Convention Decision: Defeated
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
1. Amend Article 7.2 (a) to read:
“7.2 Composition
(a) The members of the National Executive Board are elected by majority vote at Convention. The members of the Board are: the National President, the National Secretary-Treasurer, five General Vice-Presidents, fourteen Regional Vice-Presidents and four Diversity Vice-Presidents.”
2. Add a provision as Article 7.2 (c) to read:
“7.2 (c) The Diversity Vice-Presidents represent:
(i) Aboriginal workers
(ii) workers of colour
(iii) workers with a disability; and
(iv) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Transsexual, Two Spirited, Intersexual, Queer and Questioning workers.”
3. Amend Article 11.9 (c) to read:
“(c) Four alternate Diversity Vice-Presidents are elected at Convention. If an office of Diversity Vice-President becomes permanently vacant, the alternate Diversity Vice-President will fill the office for the rest of the term.”