In the latest of his cross-country breakfast meetings with CUPE secretary-treasurers and trustees, National secretary-treasurer Charles Fleury told British Columbia’s local financial officers on Thursday morning that better financial reporting structures are improving the union’s ability to serve its members nationwide.
At the convention event, attended by about 80 delegates, Fleury’s presentation outlined the union’s new financial reporting tools. It also included a summary of Bill C-377 (currently before the Senate), which would saddle unions with cumbersome and costly new financial reporting requirements not applied to other organizations—thus putting extra demands on CUPE local secretary treasurers.
“If you are a newly-elected secretary-treasurer, it is important to receive training, and we can provide that,” said Fleury. Copies of a brief survey distributed among the audience canvassed secretary-treasurers on their level of experience and asking them to either take the CUPE Financial Officers Training Course or assist other secretary-treasurers and trustees in improving their skills.
Delegates had several questions for Fleury and Per Capita assistant accountant Linda Marcoux about the reporting process, including how out-of-pocket expenses (honoraria) should be dealt with, and the challenges of dealing with pushback from local executives resistant to reform.
CUPE’s new financial reporting tools, comprised of the financial officers handbook, the trustees report package, the CUPE ledger for local union financial officers, the local per capita form, and the average monthly wages, can be found at cupe.ca/nsto/forms.