The 31st biennial convention of the Canadian Union of Public Employees has come to a close. Delegates from around the country looked back at the last 60 years of struggle for workers’ rights and charted a course for the future. We engaged in principled and in-depth debates and built solidarity across borders.

 

After 60 years, our union is stronger, larger, and more diverse than ever. With a renewed commitment to building our capacity to improve member support, training, and engagement, the outlook for the future is bright. Our delegates made their voices heard on the convention floor, and in the street outside the National Assembly of Québec.

 

As we forge ahead, we will continue to work together to ensure that CUPE’s 740,000 members across the nation are united. Thank you to the thousands of delegates who helped make this convention an overwhelming success.

Delegates rallied in front of Québec’s National Assembly on Thursday in a show of support for the 420,000 members of the Common Front who are set to strike on November 6. Members of the Common Front, which represents health and education workers, have been bargaining with the provincial government and recently achieved a historic strike mandate of 95 per cent.
 

Delegates also rallied in support of locked out longshore workers at the Port of Québec, as well as striking workers at the SQDC cannabis stores who have been on the picket lines for more than a year.
 
The message to the government was that workers won’t back down in the face of  flagrant disregard by employers.

On Wednesday, delegates attended caucuses to elect the two diversity vice-presidents and their alternates, five general vice-presidents, and 14 regional vice-presidents. Along with the two national officers, these vice-presidents comprise CUPE’s National Executive Board, which takes the action needed to carry out the direction set by convention delegates. On Thursday, delegates chose two national trustees who will, along with three other trustees, examine the books and records of the National Secretary-Treasurer.

See the full election results →

The Safe Union Spaces Working Group presented its final report to CUPE’s National Convention on Thursday.

 

The working group detailed its efforts over the past two years to combat violence, discrimination and harassment in CUPE union spaces. Key focus areas for the group have included revamping the ombudsperson program and member trainings, expanding the use of restorative practices, developing resources for locals and rethinking event design and planning. 

 

In a significant step, the working group also unveiled plans for CUPE’s new Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment Prevention and Support Office, slated to open in spring 2024. This independent body will operate with an intersectional, anti-racist approach, emphasizing prevention and education while providing trauma-informed support.

 

However, as working group members stressed, the key to safer union spaces is member action. “Real, lasting change in CUPE won’t only come from the top,” National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick stressed to delegates. “It begins with you, at the grassroots level, in your locals. Making our union safe for everyone is a collective responsibility, and each one of us needs to play our part.”

 

Members can check out a variety of safer union spaces resources at cupe.ca.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh brought delegates to their feet Friday morning with a rousing speech taking aim at both the Liberal government and Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

 

Life for working families has gotten harder under Justin Trudeau, but it won’t get any better under Pierre Poilievre, said Singh. Both parties represent two sides of the same coin—representing the entrenched interests of the wealthy and well-connected, not those of everyday people.

 

The NDP, on the other hand, has made significant strides for workers in Parliament despite having just 25 seats. Singh and the NDP have used their power in the minority Parliament to win commitments from the Liberal government on dental care, pharmacare, federal anti-scab legislation, and more. 

 

Singh thanked CUPE members for their activism across Canada and their vital role in strengthening the voice of workers in the House of Commons.

 

“Labour is the lifeblood of our movement,” said Singh. “People need CUPE and New Democrats now more than ever.”

The 2023 Disability Rights Award was posthumously granted to Yves Bélair, an exemplar of dedication and generosity who passed away on May 16, 2023, at age 69.

 

At a time when many students with disabilities didn’t complete their degrees, Yves graduated with two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Quebec (Montreal). After receiving his second B.A. in 1982, he began working at UQAM’s School of Management Sciences as an information agent.

 

A member of SCFP 1294 SEUQAM, Yves firmly believed that access to post-secondary education is the hallmark of an inclusive, equitable, and diversified society. Using a significant portion of his own salary, he established the Yves Bélair scholarship fund to help students with disabilities achieve their academic goals and join the workforce. Thanks to Yves and the many contributors over the years, the fund to date has paid out $142,000 to 134 students with disabilities.

 

SCFP 1294 President François Laplante-Lévesque accepted the award.

For Raymond Basilio, union organizing is a question of life and death. The Secretary General of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Basilio draws courage from the 240,000 educators he represents. He’s also deeply aware of the extra-judicial killings, forced disappearances, arrests, and detention of unionists in his country.

 

Basilio spoke at our 2019 Convention while facing death threats. This week he addressed CUPE delegates again, this time without private security and largely free of safety concerns. 

 

“That’s the power of international solidarity. We have a government in the Philippines that is concerned with their image. So long as governments in the West are paying attention, so long as CUPE is paying attention, our movement has a chance.”

 

His faith in organizing despite all obstacles comes from his country’s history of opposing colonization and toppling dictators. That history holds a key lesson for us all: right-wing governments are on the rise, and gains that feel secure to CUPE members are vulnerable. 

 

“Trade unionists must always be on guard,” said Basilio. “Progress isn’t guaranteed.”

For more than 30 years, the Toronto Education Workers Action Centre has provided essential supports and education for CUPE 4400 members. They provide training and support for members from a wide range of backgrounds and linguistic capabilities, empowering them with skills to find and maintain employment. Through the training programs, workers learn skills such as resume writing, effective job interview techniques, understanding the collective bargaining process, and more.

 

This continued dedication and exemplary advocacy for working people has earned the Toronto Education Workers Action Centre the 2023 Literacy Award. 

Arisledys Hidalgo Levya, secretary-general for the provincial division of Cuba’s National Union of Public Administration Workers (SNTAP), has an urgent message for CUPE convention delegates: worker solidarity across borders is needed more than ever. 
 
Despite challenges imposed by the ongoing U.S. blockade and embargo, and Cuba’s inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terror, Cuban workers have found creative ways to survive and thrive as they continue to mobilize, organize, and even advance international solidarity. 
 
SNTAP, a big tent union made up of a range of public sector workers, has a history of supporting resistance movements around the world as well as sending Cuban doctors to countries in need. To strengthen their efforts, CUPE provides SNTAP with resources such as a training room in Havana, equipment like printers, and even a car for union work.
 
“This collaboration is one of mutual respect—I hope this partnership continues long into the future,” said Levya.

CUPE members, especially women and those from equity-deserving groups, have reported experiencing violence, harassment and discrimination in our union.

 

This is unacceptable.

 

As trade unionists, we must all do our part to build a culture that unites members, where every member feels they can participate and thrive.

Commit to a safer, more inclusive CUPE →