Resolution No. 250
Submitted by CUPE Ontario
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
- Commit resources to the immediate review of all CUPE course and educational materials so as to ensure that they promote working class perspectives and anti- oppression ideas and practices.
- Utilize the findings of the above review to integrate knowledge of anti-oppression, intersecting layers of oppression, equality, human rights and working class perspectives throughout all relevant CUPE courses and educationals.
- Undertake this review no later than April 1, 2012 and present a report and implementation plan to the 2013 National Convention.
BECAUSE:
- Union principles are based on equality and the promotion of a working class outlook;
- Education strengthens our understanding and practice of equality and working class politics;
- These principles need to be thoroughly integrated into “bread and butter” courses such as bargaining, labour law, and occupational health and safety;
- The current global economic crisis has reinforced how important it is that workers be conscious of our collective interests;
- Equity and anti-oppression education strengthens class solidarity.
Resolution No. 198
Submitted by CUPE Prince Edward Island, Hospital Employees’ Union (B.C.), the Toronto District Council (Ont.), Locals 3017 (N.L.), 1979, 2191, 2204, 2936, 4092 (Ont.), 998, 1543, 2348 (Man.), 4828 (Sask.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Develop a Canada-wide organizing campaign of the YM-YWCA and other large public/non-profit child care centres.
BECAUSE:
- The YM-YWCA exists across Canada and is one of the largest early learning and child care employers; and
- CUPE has developed research papers on the value of unionization which demonstrate a direct link to quality care; and
- Child care workers remain among the lowest paid, forced to bear the burden of the existing fragmented under-funded patchwork of services.
Resolution No. 199
Submitted by Local 3909 (Man.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
1. Organize all academic and non-academic workers in Canada’s post-secondary education sector; and
2. Organize all student and non-student workers in Canada’s post-secondary education sector; and
3. Produce materials promoting unionization specifically for the post-secondary education sector.
BECAUSE:
- Many post-secondary education workers remain unorganized, and are thus underpaid, with few benefits and protections in the workplace; and
- Many unorganized workers at post-secondary education institutions are young workers and CUPE has made organizing young workers a priority; and
- Many CUPE units at post-secondary education institutions exclude student workers, even where they perform the same job functions as CUPE members; and
- High tuition fees and rapidly increasing student debt has made fair employment income, benefits and job security of even greater importance for student post-secondary education workers; and
- Post-secondary workers, both academic and non-academic, student and non-students, deserve to be paid decent wages and benefits, have access to a strong collective bargaining process grievance and arbitration procedures and the right to strike.
Resolution No. 258
Submitted by CUPE Prince Edward Island, the Airline Division, the Hospital Employees’ Union (B.C.), Locals 4041 (Que.), 4047 (Ont.) 1004 (B.C.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Mount a campaign to lobby the federal and provincial governments to offer the same compensation protection for pregnant and breast-feeding women that Quebec provincial workers have.
BECAUSE:
- In Quebec, under the Act respecting occupational health and safety, if a pregnant woman cannot be reassigned to a safe job, the worker may stop working without loss of benefits and pay is provided through the CSST (La Commission de la Santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec); and
- Forcing pregnant women to work in dangerous workplaces during the later stages of pregnancy puts the health and safety of the mother and unborn child at risk; and
- Right now, pregnant federal workers only have the right to be reassigned or take an unpaid leave when the jobs they are performing are dangerous to the fetus.
Resolution No. 174
Submitted by the National Executive Board
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
Engage in an internal campaign to encourage CUPE locals and chartered organizations to contribute one dollar ($1) per member per year to CUPE’s Global Justice Fund.
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 individual donations;
- Fundraising efforts are time consuming and costly detracting from our ability to expand and build important networks and alliances through our international projects;
- CUPE’s international work energizes and mobilizes CUPE members in Canada as the issues facing public sector workers in other countries are the same issues facing Canadian workers; and
- Speaking out on international solidarity issues enhances CUPE’s credibility and reputation as an advocate and defender of human rights and workers’ rights.
Resolution No. 82
Submitted by CUPE Prince Edward Island, CUPE British Columbia, the Hospital Employees’ Union (B.C.), the Toronto District Council (Ont.), Locals 2191, 2936 (Ont.), 998, 2348 (Man.), 4828 (Sask.), 1004 (B.C.)
Convention Decision: Adopted
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
- Work with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) to include disability benefits in their “Retirement Security for Everyone” campaign, to ensure that disability pension benefits are protected and improved;
- Lobby the New Democratic Party to make Canada Pension Plan disability benefits a priority issue.
BECAUSE:
- The discontinuation of Canada Pension Plan disability benefits at age 65 results in a substantial reduction of income for older workers with disabilities, an already economically vulnerable group;
- Current levels of the Canada Pension Plan disability benefits are inadequate to meaningfully assist older workers with disabilities.