Dear Sisters and Brothers:
I hope that this first quarterly report for 2006 finds each of you in good health and good spirits. As always things have been very busy within our union from coast to coast.
At a national level, the January 23rd federal election saw a new minority government elected, one which will pose challenges for all Canadians, especially those of us interested in advancing social programs such as child care and Medicare.
At a regional level there seems to be an unprecedented level of activity, especially in Ontario, where thousands of our members have mobilized in the face of very challenging legislation on both the health care and pension fronts.
We have also embarked upon one of the key directions from our last national convention, the formation of a National Women’s Task Force to examine and make recommendations on eliminating both the external and internal barriers that women face as CUPE members. This is an historic undertaking, some 31 years after former National President Sister Grace Hartman undertook a similar initiative coinciding with the UN’s International Year of the Woman.
On these, and many other fronts our union remains a very active movement. As always, we are also at hundreds of bargaining tables, in addition to providing direct servicing to the membership on a daily basis.
This report covers the following topics:
- Federal Election
- National Women’s Task Force (NWTF)
- Child Care
- Health Care
- CUPE National Committees and Working Groups
- Staff Conferences
- Organizing
- Regional Reports
- Our Retirees
- In Memorium
- Closing Remarks
