Focus: Convention 2015

More than 2,000 CUPE members came together in Vancouver from Nov. 2 to 6 for CUPE’s 27th National Convention.

Top ten highlights:

  1. Elected a new National President – Mark Hancock. He is CUPE’s sixth National President and will provide strong leadership in the coming years. Reelected Charles Fleury for a third mandate as National Secretary-Treasurer.
      
  2. Took the leap! With a rally to show our support for the leap manifesto, we called on Canada to act decisively to transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a pollution-free economy.

  3. Passed a resolution to reorganize our National Defence Fund so that more resources can go to funding our critical ongoing work while protecting a healthy strike fund.

  4. Paid tribute to our activists and honoured our award recipients in Literacy (Danny Cavanagh), Health and Safety (Pearl Blommaert), the Grace Hartman award (Katie McGovern), the Ed Blackman award (Elizabeth Paris) and the National Disability rights award (Ann Ramsay).

  5. Launched a convention app – a first for CUPE – with more than 1,900 people accessing convention resources and communicating with fellow delegates on their mobile devices.

  6. Set an ambitious course for the next two years by adopting Strategic Directions with a focus on building workers’ power.

  7. Increased our knowledge and capacity by sharing our challenges and successes at forums, sector meetings, caucuses, the CUPE Village, and on the floor of convention.

  8. Built international solidarity with guests who reminded us that our issues are similar around the globe and the important role we can play across borders.

  9. Celebrated the defeat of the Harper government and highlighted the important work ahead for the NDP in holding the Liberal government to account in Parliament.

  10. Found inspiration and insight in passionate speeches from Naomi Klein, Justice Murray Sinclair, Lee Saunders, Rosa Pavanelli, Hassan Yussuff, Mohamed Fahmy and Tom Mulcair.