Ontario
Since the last President’s Report there have been a number of elections at both the local and provincial levels of government.
On October 2nd, the Eves government was soundly defeated by the Liberals in Ontario. While the NDP fell one seat short of party status, it is clear that Ontario voters rejected the Harris/Eves agenda of the past nine years.
We are deeply indebted to all CUPE members who were active in the Ontario elections, including our own Brother Sid Ryan who came a very close second in the Oshawa riding.
Saskatchewan
On November 5th, the NDP in Saskatchewan, under the leadership of Premier Lorne Calvert, were elected to their 4th consecutive term!
An important element in the campaign was speculation that the opposition in Saskatchewan was set to sell-off Crown Corporations. This became a defining issue, and through the efforts of thousands of volunteers, including many CUPE activists, a fourth mandate was achieved.
Our own Brother Andy Iwanchuk (Representative – Saskatoon Area Office) was re-elected in the riding of Saskatoon-Fairview.
City of Toronto
On November 10th, municipal elections were held in Ontario. One key race which received national attention was the mayoralty election in the City of Toronto.
Labour-endorsed city councillor, David Miller, won a clear mandate on a campaign to promote public services and to pursue a New Deal for the City from senior levels of government.
Many thanks to the hundreds of CUPE activists from all sectors of our union who worked tirelessly on this and other municipal and school board campaigns in Toronto and throughout the province.