VANCOUVER About 500 CUPE activists are gathering here for CUPE BCs four-day convention, which begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Hyatt Regency Hotel with a major address by provincial president Barry ONeill.
CUPEs national president Judy Darcy will deliver her keynote speech on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Convention delegates will discuss more than 100 resolutions, many condemning the Campbell governments drastic cuts to public education, health care, legal aid and social services.
CUPE BCs provincial campaign strategy to oppose the Campbell Liberals agenda is expected to dominate debate at the convention.
The Campbell governments assault on the public sector which has targeted our jobs, our collective agreements and our communities will be the major topic of this convention, ONeill says.
Our members need to talk about the damage caused by the Campbell cuts. But they also want to talk about the actions they are prepared to take to protect their jobs and their communities.
Other speakers include: Jim Sinclair, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour; Bill Wilson of the First Nations Summit and Claude Gnreux, CUPEs national secretary-treasurer.
The convention concludes on Saturday afternoon.
Media kits and credentials are available in the Queen Charlotte Room at the hotel.
- 30 -
Contact:
Beth Smillie, CUPE Communications,
604-639-4928 or cell 778-772-5116