Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) union members from across Ontario showed their support by raising $70,000 in donations and pledges for the thousands of striking Sudbury workers and their families.
CUPE Ontario delegates cheered last night when John Fera, president of Steelworkers Local 6500, took the stage to tell the story of how his community has been pitted against the giant multinational Vale Inco in what is now nearly a year long epic struggle to protect workers’ jobs and pensions.
The CUPE delegates put their money where their mouths were as speaker after speaker went to the mikes to commit donations from their local union. After $30,000 was committed from CUPE Ontario local unions, Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) president Sid Ryan committed a further $5,000 from the OFL. To cap the evening and bring the donation total to $70,000, CUPE National leader Paul Moist promised to match everything raised on the floor that night.
With tears in his eyes, John Fera thanked the delegates “from the bottom of my heart” and said he’d be happy to come back to a CUPE Convention “anytime.”
For more information, please contact:
Chris Watson CUPE Communications 416-553-9410 cwatson@cupe.ca