Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.

CUPE 855 members strike

Municipal workers at the City of Kawartha Lakes - CUPE 855 - went on strike February 4 over contracting out and retiree benefits.

After months of bargaining, CUPE 855 president
Lyn Edwards said the employer was still bent on unlimited contracting out and a laundry list of rollbacks, including:

* end flex time practices in place for 16 years;
* end benefits for those who work past age 65;
* no overtime for winter maintenance workers who start before 7am; and
* no wage parity with city workers in Peterborough.

To support CUPE 855 visit:

http://cupe.ca/action/kawarthalakes


Know your medicare rights

CUPE teamed up with nurses unions this week to launch Know your Medicare Rights, a campaign aimed at enforcing Canada’s medicare laws.

Despite the protections provided for by the Canada Health Act – we know that patients sometimes get charged for medically necessary care.  This practice is both morally wrong and illegal,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist.

The campaign features a website where people can go to tell their story, find out what constitutes an illegal fee under medicare and write their MP to encourage the government to defend medicare.

For more information see:

http://yourmedicarerights.ca


CUPE’s second national pension trustee strategy meeting

CUPE’s second pension trustee strategy meeting takes place May 12 -14, 2008 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.  Trustees from across the country will share knowledge and experiences of the many complex issues they face.

They will continue to develop strategies to defend and strengthen our members’ pensions and expand pension coverage to all.

The meeting is free, but trustees must pay for hotel and travel costs.  Registration deadline is April 11, 2008.

For more information see:

http://www.cupe.ca/pensions/CUPEs_second_nationa


CUPE Aboriginal leaders meet with Phil Fontaine, Manitoba aboriginal business community

Leaders from CUPE’s Aboriginal Council, as well as CUPE Manitoba, attended a reception for Aboriginal leaders and First Nations organizations interested in economic development in Winnipeg, January 31.

The event, sponsored by the Assembly of First Nations and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs gave Brian Barron, CUPE National Diversity Vice President, CUPE Manitoba Aboriginal Council member Shirley Langan, CUPE Manitoba President Kevin Rebeck, CUPE Manitoba Secretary-Treasurer Gale Morton, CUPE 500 President Mike Davidson, and national staff Denise Harder and Don Moran, a chance to network with others working on First Nations economic development in an informal atmosphere.

Many of the parties have different opinions regarding economic development and social conditions,” said Langan.  “An event such as this gives the opportunity to identify common grounds through dialogue.”

Langan said the event helped Aboriginal business and political leaders understand each other better which will ensure more cooperation in the future.


Disabilities group member gets award

Richard Sherring, of CUPE’s National Persons with Disabilities Working Group, got his Breaking Barriers award certificate at the group’s recent meeting in New Brunswick. 

NEB member Frank Mentes handed Sherring the Canadian Association of Labour Media award certificate, which recognizes the video “Challenging Attitudes:  Disabilities, Discrimination and Doing Something About It.”  While members of the working group all participated in the video, Sherring contributed his production expertise as well.

Anyone who watches this fascinating, thoughtful and at times moving video will learn a lot about disabilities in the workplaces and why it is so important to honour everyone’s right to employment without discrimination,” said CALM judge and former CBC journalist
Bruce Wark, who teaches at King’s College University. 


Jean Doré, union pioneer at Le Journal de Québec

Jean Doré, a retired journalist and desk editor at Le Journal de Québec has died at 65, following a battle with cancer.

The news was a blow to CUPE members locked out and on strike against the newspaper since April 2007.  Doré, who worked at the newspaper for more than 30 years, signed the first collective agreement for the journalists and photographers union.

He is survived by two sons, Robert and Stephane - who is also on strike against the newspaper - and his partner, Denise Laperrière. Céline Bourgault, his wife of 30 years, died in 1996.

:te/cope 491