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.
Those challenges include longer, bigger and costlier strikes and many fightback campaigns against privatization and contracting out of public sector jobs.

Employers are asking for more and more concessions at the bargaining table, said Genereux, in highlighting the many important labour struggles faced by CUPE local unions over the past two years. They include the strike by 20,000 Toronto municipal workers the biggest in CUPEs history. And, the year-long strike by 2,200 Videotron workers- the costliest in CUPE history.

. Strikes, said Genereux, are about holding out for as long as you can, until you win. But winning has come at a hefty price. Nearly all the $35 million collected into the strike fund has been used to pay members out on strike.

Our members must be sure they can receive strike pay when they take a stand against their employer. This is why we need to support each other. We are one, he said in asking delegates to support the resolution extending the solidarity levy.

CUPEs leadership now has full control of technology spending and Genereux promised members continued transparency and fairness in dealing with union finances. He assured members, that the national union is examining everything to see if we can do it better. We have looked in all the drawers for spare change and initiated changes on many levels of the union to ensure funds are spent where they will do the most good.

Assessing how locals access services available through the national union is on-going and new tools are being developed to provide members with better services. This is resulting new initiatives including locals using the CUPE National website to host their own local union sites, the replacement of SALAD with a new system called CASE (Collective Agreement Information System) and union development working with equity in mind.

In closing, Genereux gave thanks to the young people in the union, the staff and to CUPE National president Judy Darcy who, Genereux said, has devoted her life to bettering the life of working people. It has been an honour working with you as you work for members.