National President's Report - September 2019

Sisters, Brothers and Friends:

Summer is often a little quieter in our movement, and I hope you were able to carve out some time to spend with friends and family, in preparation for what is no doubt going to be a busy fall.

I know you also took time to participate in community celebrations and events through the summer. I had the chance to participate with CUPE Nova Scotia at Halifax Pride, and joined hundreds of our Ontario members for the Toronto Labour Day parade. I joined CUPE NB for a CUPE Gives Back picnic in Moncton and stopped by the CUPE BC Think Tank at Harrison. I spent some time with our activists and staff in Manitoba as we campaigned to represent health care workers during health care votes. I also visited our members on picket lines in Placentia, NL and Bathurst, NB.

No matter the province or the event, I am always proud to see our members in action.

National Convention

Preparations continue for our 29^th biennial National Convention, being held in Montreal from October 7-11.

I look forward to spending the week with dedicated CUPE activists as we consider and debate many of the 48 constitutional amendments and 289 resolutions submitted by our locals, councils and divisions, and collectively set our path for the next two years.

Federal Election

We look forward to welcoming NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to our convention, which is being held in the middle of the federal election campaign.

Election Day is set for October 21. And with the recent trend towards right-wing governments across the country, this election could not be more important.

People are afraid of Andrew Scheer. And for good reason. Since becoming leader of the Conservative Party, he has shown us he will side with corporate interests over working people every single time. We already have Doug Ford, Jason Kenney, and a whole raft of new right-wing provincial governments. Canada can’t afford to let another Conservative government into office.

At the same time, we can’t let Justin Trudeau off the hook for his broken promises. Canadians elected the Liberals in 2015 based on their promises to reform Canada’s electoral system, change course from Stephen Harper’s weak climate targets, and make bold steps towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Trudeau has broken every one of those important promises - and more. He doesn’t deserve another term.

I’m excited about what the NDP is offering in this election.

The NDP platform includes “head-to-toe” health care that will extend coverage to prescription drugs, dental care, and addictions and mental health care. It has a real plan to tackle climate change and offers a just transition for workers into the economy of the future. The NDP is committed to building 500,000 affordable housing units, close corporate tax loopholes, and finally pursue meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples at the federal level.

The truth is, at the federal level, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP have the best plan to help working people across Canada.

With 680,000 members across the country, CUPE has the ability to make a difference in this election – but only if we talk to our members about what’s at stake and encourage them to participate.

Collective Bargaining/Strikes/Lockouts

There were four disputes involving job action during the reporting period; two were resolved.

PROVINCE	LOCAL	EMPLOYER	# OF MEMBERS	STRIKE BEGAN	DURATION (days)
Alberta	1505	Wood Buffalo	46	May 10, 2019	On-going
New Brunswick	1282	City of Bathurst	25	July 25,2019	On-going
Quebec	1294	Université du Québec in Montréal	1742	September 3 to 17, 2019	11
Quebec	1186	Université de Montréal	18	March14 to July 5, 2019	113
Newfoundland And Labrador	1761	Town of Placentia	15	July 16 to August 28, 2019	43

CUPE 1505 – Wood Buffalo Housing – Alberta

Wood Buffalo Housing (WBH) in Fort McMurray, locked out its 49 employees on May 10, 2019 and employees were forced to hit the picket lines. WBH is a non-profit subsidiary of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo which provides housing to residents of Fort McMurray.

The main issue in the dispute is Wood Buffalo Housing’s insistence on laying off groundskeepers, maintenance staff, and housekeepers and replacing them with minimum wage contractors without benefits, while also demanding the elimination of strong collective agreement language that protects these jobs.

CUPE 1282 – City of Bathurst – New Brunswick

The members of CUPE 1282, inside workers of the City of Bathurst, were locked out by their employer on July 23, 2019, after they rejected the City’s last offer which did not provide them with a real wage increase. An impressive rally brought hundreds of CUPE members and allies to Bathurst on August 12, and the employer agreed to go back to the table that same afternoon. The parties are now working with a conciliator.

CUPE 1294 – Université du Québec in Montréal - Québec

CUPE 1294 represents more than 1,700 UQAM support staff, namely, office, technical and professional personnel, who together ensure the smooth functioning of the University. CUPE 1294 went out on strike to disrupt the launch of the university’s fall session, beginning in the first week of September. The parties had been unable to agree on the matter of compensation. After 11 days on strike, the Local Union reached an agreement in principle that stipulates salary increases of 2% in 2018 and 0.75% plus a lump sum payment of 1% for 2019. With regard to 2020 to 2023, the members will receive a 1.25% increase for the first year and then 1.5% for the following years, or the Government’s compensation policy, should the latter be greater. Other interesting gains were won: namely, a review of the agreement to improve work and personal life balance, notably with the launch of a pilot flexible schedule project for everyone, and increased flexibility in terms of taking personal leaves.

CUPE 1186 – Université de Montréal – Québec

The building mechanic technicians and stationary engineers at the Université de Montréal were almost unanimous in rejecting the employer’s final offer to renew their collective agreement. These 18 specialized workers had been without a collective agreement since April 2015. The employer consistently refused to consider even the most reasonable of the union’s proposals, while pursuing the use of subcontractors and refusing to treat these workers fairly in comparison with other bargaining units. CUPE 1186 members walked off the job on March 14, 2019 and after almost four months on the picket line, they accepted the mediator’s recommendation for a collective agreement, although reluctantly. A number of elements were not settled to their satisfaction, but they will bring them back to the table in the next round of bargaining.

CUPE 1761 – Town of Placentia – Newfoundland and Labrador

Employees with the Town of Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador, took strike action on July 16, 2019. The members of CUPE 1761 are employed as clerical staff, arena attendants, maintenance/water treatment operators, labourers and municipal enforcement officers.

These members ratified a new collective agreement on August 28^th, ending their strike after 43 days. The local was able to push back against the employer’s insistence that wage increases be frozen for 4 years. The members will receive a $500 signing bonus in the 1^st and 2^nd year of the contract, with a 30 cent per hour increase in the 3^rd year and a 40 cent per hour increase in the 4^th year.

The local was also successful at pushing back the town’s demand of changing employees’ schedules at the town’s discretion and agreed on a schedule that was suitable to both the members and the employer’s operation. Other improvements to the collective agreement include stronger harassment language and access to sick days for part-time and casual employees.

Non Strike­/Lockout Bargaining

CUPE 118 – City of Port Alberni – British Columbia

After a strong strike mandate in March, and limited job action in June, ACRD Workers in British Columbia have ratified a new 5-year agreement that allows for wage increases from 2 to 2.5% in each of the five years. long term casual and temporary staff won seniority provisions, which was a priority for the local. Benefit increases were also achieved. CUPE 118 represents 230 members working at the District of Tofino, District of Ucluelet, City of Port Alberni and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.

CUPE 1949 – Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission

After years of protracted and difficult bargaining, legal aid workers in the province of Saskatchewan finally reached a 5-year agreement in July. They successfully fought off significant concessions with respect to sick leave and hours of work, and obtained wage increases of one per cent in year three, and two per cent in each of years four and five. In addition, members will see an increase in vision care benefits as well as vacation provisions.

CUPE 4705 – City of Sudbury – Ontario

After a strong strike mandate, and with the help of a conciliator, CUPE 4705 ratified a new four-year agreement covering 1,500 city employees at the City of Sudbury. Highlights include spending to deal with mental health issues as well as general increases in each of the four years.

Regional Services Division Updates

Maritimes

Prince Edward Island

In PEI, CUPE took advantage of a number of opportunities to submit briefs to the new minority government. A report in favor of increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour was presented to the Employment Standards Board. We also continued to monitor the Pension Plan review in the Education sector. CUPE PEI participated in important community events over the summer, such as Old Home Week and the Gold Cup Parade, which celebrated Acadians this year.

New Brunswick

Inside workers at the City of Bathurst were locked out by their employer on July 23, 2019 after they rejected the City’s last offer, which did not provide them with a real wage increase. Bathurst City Council did not even vote on this lock-out. Taken by surprise, CUPE 1282 quickly organized picket lines, with tremendous support from CUPE members and locals in the region.

Along with hundreds of CUPE members and allies, I attended an impressive rally in support of our locked out members of CUPE 1282 in Bathurst on August 12. Our show of strength prompted the employer to return to the bargaining table that same afternoon. The parties are now working with a conciliator, and we are hopeful this dispute will be resolved with fair wage increases.

The New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions was successful again in their legal battle against the government over essential services legislation. The Court of Queen’s Bench confirmed the decision of the New Brunswick Labour Board that declared the essential services provisions were unconstitutional because they infringed on Charter rights to associate and bargain freely. As expected, government is appealing that decision. In the meantime, members in the sector continue to mobilize to get a fair collective agreement.

CUPE New Brunswick held a number of well-attended “CUPE Gives Back” community events over the summer. I had the pleasure of going to Moncton this year to meet with our leaders, activists, members, their families and their communities. These summer activities are a great way to connect, share, have fun, and talk about our union work and solidarity.

Atlantic

Nova Scotia

Continuing the fight against a P3 highway project, CUPE Nova Scotia was appalled to see the Department of Transportation block its application to view the Request for Proposals for the twinning of Highway 104 in Pictou County. Although they had first promised to provide a redacted version of the document, the Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Deputy Minister eventually refused to disclose any information, based on exemptions in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This lack of transparency is one more example of why P3 highways are a bad idea. The government provided no compelling reason why the proposed 38-kilometre stretch of highway couldn’t be built, financed and managed as a public highway.

At the end of June, Nova Scotia Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development announced that more spaces would be created in child care centers. However, once again, the minister failed to address serious issues of fair compensation, recruitment and retention in the sector. A report released in January 2019 by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Nova Scotia, using the most up-to-date wage data currently available, showed that Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in Nova Scotia still earn the lowest wages in the country. Wages for ECEs working in child care centers range from $27,000 to $38,000 a year, depending on qualification level and years of service. In comparison, wages for ECEs working in pre-primary classrooms range from $44,000 to $46,000 annually, and they have pensions and benefits that most child care centers do not offer. All of these educators teach ‘play-based learning’. The disparity is obviously causing recruitment and retention issues that need to be addressed before more spaces are created. The people who educate our children deserve to make living wages that allow them to lead healthy, productive lives and to retire with dignity.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Members of CUPE 1761 employed by the Town of Placentia walked off the job at the end of June after 14 months of frustrating negotiations with their employer. With great support from the community and union allies, the Local was able to reach a fair agreement at the end of the summer, resisting the concessions that were on the table. I was impressed by the strength and solidarity of this small group of workers when I had the chance to visit their picket line in August.

CUPE members in the province are getting ready for a broad mobilization in the fall, with seventeen mass membership meetings being scheduled in communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. With “Boots on the Ground”, the CUPE NL Division is preparing for the next round of bargaining in the public sector, making sure that this time around, real wage increases will be obtained through a fair bargaining process.

Quebec

I would like to welcome into CUPE’s ranks the one hundred or so blue-collar workers at the city of Thetford Mines, who recently decided to join our union. They will be represented by CUPE 5434. Their membership in CUPE will reinforce our presence in the Chaudière-Appalaches region.

CUPE’s campaigns to repatriate municipal employee work that was being outsourced are often quite successful. One recent example took place in Quebec City, where CUPE 1638, representing Quebec City’s blue-collar workers, applauded the employer’s decision to bring garbage collection in the borough of Beauport back in-house. This provides work for 11 employees and will translate into better services for the residents.

On the other side of the St Lawrence River, in Lévis, the 850 white-collar workers who are members of CUPE 2927 ratified an agreement in principle, secured after 30 respectful bargaining sessions. The highlight of this new agreement is the fact that temporary employees will now be able to enjoy benefits, which is one of the key components of CUPE’s bargaining policy objectives, which seeks to reduce the consequences of precariousness.

On a less positive note, the staff shortages in the health and social services system has reached a critical threshold in many establishments across the province and in numerous job classifications. CUPE’s Provincial Social Affairs Council (CPAS) recently sounded the alarm and invited the government to redouble its efforts to rectify this appalling situation. Substantial improvements to these employees’ working conditions are urgently needed.

Exasperated by seeing the City of Sherbrooke underpay its student employees, CUPE 2729, representing Sherbrooke’s blue-collar workers, filed an application for certification to integrate some 80 students into its bargaining unit. These young workers are assigned to various tasks, including park maintenance and horticulture, but they’re being paid less than the City’s regular employees. This practice is clearly discriminatory, and CUPE 2729’s initiative will compel the City to review its practices and to eliminate these salary disparities.

CUPE 1294, that represents employees at UQAM, went out on strike recently just as everyone was going back to school. After having applied pressure on their employer all summer long through various visibility initiatives, the Local Union moved on towards the next stage of their action plan, in order to sign an acceptable collective agreement on behalf of all their members. With the support of the student associations and various union allies, their strike sufficiently disrupted the university’s activities such that a collective agreement was indeed reached in which acceptable salary increases were won, with a guarantee that they will not be less than the public sector’s compensation policy, over the next few years.

Ontario

A restful summer was not in the cards for Ontario.

Doug Ford’s falling popularity prompted a cabinet shuffle in June. Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton was appointed Minister of Labour. McNaughton is on record as an advocate for right to work legislation, which does not bode well for us.

In July the entire Board of Directors of the Brant Family and Children’s Services (FACS) resigned, citing chronic underfunding by the government and an expectation to further cut services. Brant FACS had been forced to lay off 26 workers in March, members of CUPE 181. In an open letter to the community, the Board indicated they would rather resign than cut more vital services from children and their families. Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are slashing roughly $1 billion from the Ministry for Children, Community and Social Services over the next three years, according to the provincial budget, further stretching a sector that is stretched to the breaking point.

The Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) is in a tough round of bargaining, with the employer tabling significant concessions to sick time, benefits, and job security. OSBCU filed for conciliation on July 31 and held a leadership meeting on August 11 to approve a plan of province-wide strike votes and escalating job action. Brother Charles and I joined over 300 leaders of school board locals from across the province at the meeting, where we committed to support them in their fight against this regressive conservative government.

Funding and staffing cuts to healthcare facilities across the province continues. The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) started a summer campaign to draw attention to the hospital budget cuts outlined in the provincial budget and their impact on hallway medicine. OCHU released their Protecting What Matters Most reports in communities across the province. These briefs highlight the real threat to hospital beds and staff as a result of the cuts proposed by the Ford government over the next five years.

Ontario health care workers did have something to celebrate this month. After years of pressure to address violence in their workplaces, the Ministry of Labour has written to facility administrators across the province to remind them of their legal obligations concerning workplace violence, including the legislative protections against reprisals for workers who report or refuse unsafe work. The Ministry has also provided all facilities with posters for display which indicate that violence will not be tolerated.

CUPE Ontario held leadership meetings in communities across Ontario this summer. Focusing on membership engagement, involvement and activism, this tour reached out to the rank and file and highlighted the importance of solidarity while facing the challenges that loom ahead. Out of these meetings, a broad public campaign was created. The campaign will mobilize our members and build public support against cuts and privatization, and put significant pressure on the Ford government at every turn. The Communities Not Cuts campaign was launched in early September.  

Manitoba

Health care members across Manitoba finally had the opportunity this August to cast their ballots in the long-awaited representation votes. I had the opportunity to join our teams on the campaign trail in places like Selkirk, St. Boniface and Steinbach, and was so impressed by their energy and enthusiasm. Hundreds of CUPE members, leaders and every one of our regional staff played an important role in this campaign, and their commitment and dedication paid off. Once all the votes were counted, CUPE had gained almost 9,000 new members.

Of course, we were not successful in every vote, and we are sad to see some of our members leave to join other unions. But we look forward to working in solidarity with other unions through the transition and as we head into bargaining.

The provincial government has also initiated an education review, and we are watching this file closely, as we anticipate the final report may recommend a reduction in the number of school divisions in the province, which would result in representation votes in that sector as well.

Our activists in Manitoba leapt from one campaign directly into another, with a provincial election called for September 10. CUPE sent a strong message in support of the NDP and its leader Wab Kinew. We also ensured that protecting public services was top of mind for our members and voters, with campaigns to stop the funding cuts to health care and keeping Manitoba Hydro in public hands. While Pallister was re-elected with a majority government, which does not bode well for workers in the province, the NDP will return to the legislature with a stronger caucus.

Saskatchewan

We continue to feel the effects of health care reorganization across the province, stemming from the government’s decision in 2017 to establish one provincial health authority. The employer is examining services and proposing contracting out of several services, restructuring their management positions and proposing exclusions from our bargaining units, and making changes to information management systems.

All of this raises concerns about potential job loss, through both technological change and centralization of work. CUPE 5430 is on top of these issues and continues to work closely with the other health care unions to ensure a consistent approach.

In the education sector, our locals continue to face challenges – driven in part by a lack of funding. The resulting cuts to programming and staff have garnered media attention. Employers are tabling concessions in bargaining and our locals are pushing back, with strike votes and information pickets. A 3-day strategy session is planned for our Saskatoon-area locals to help coordinate efforts.

Alberta

The new United Conservative Party (UCP) government has wasted no time in attacking workers. They’ve already cut minimum wage for young workers and workers in the service industry, and reversed protections that ensured fair payment of overtime hours.

They also passed and implemented the Public Sector Wage Arbitration Deferral Act (Bill 9) in late June, which delays access to a negotiated wage reopener and binding arbitration in provincial collective agreements. This matter has gone back and forth in the courts, with the AUPE winning an injunction in July, only to have the Court of Appeal overturn that injunction at the beginning of September.

In May, Jason Kenney struck a “Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances” to find ways to “balance” the provincial budget – “without raising taxes”. With that mandate, it’s no surprise that many of the 26 recommendations contained in the report, released in early September, take direct aim at public services and the workers who deliver them. The report lays out a strategy to legislate public sector wages, anticipates the use of back-to-work legislation, and even contemplates using the notwithstanding clause.

There is no doubt we have a battle looming in Alberta.

British Columbia

BC, under the leadership of NDP Premier John Horgan and Finance Minister Carole James, continues to lead the country in economic indicators. The province has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, the best economic growth, and has eliminated the operating debt for the first time in 40 years – all while continuing to invest in public services and the workers who provide them.

Having reached a provincial framework agreement in 2018, many of our 57 school board locals in BC spent time over the summer at the local bargaining table. 44 of these locals have now achieved collective agreements, with others moving towards a deal early this fall. However, we have reached an impasse at three tables over local issues, and at least one local, CUPE 441, has taken a strike vote.

Bargaining continues in the university sector. Component 3 of CUPE 4163, representing sessional lecturers and music instructors at the University of Victoria, has taken a strike vote and launched a campaign to call attention to the low wages, lack of job security, and precarious working conditions their members face. They will be entering mediation in September.

The 2019 BC Summer Reading Club is a wrap. This year, CUPE BC partnered with the the British Columbia Library Association (BCLA) on this popular children’s program run in public libraries across the province. CUPE represents the majority of library workers across the province, and much of the creativity evident in the program is a result of their hard work. It was great to see CUPE BC representatives participating in the end- of-summer events celebrating the program and handing out reading medals to those who participated.

I was pleased to join members of the CUPE BC Executive Board in September for a workshop aimed at ending violence against women. The “Be More than a Bystander” session was offered in partnership with the Ending Violence Association of BC and the BC Lions football team. It was a good reminder that harassment and violence against women is still widespread, and a good opportunity for all involved to learn new tools we can use, as allies, to step up and speak out when we see inappropriate behaviour – in our workplaces and in our union.

Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU)

HEU celebrated their 75^th anniversary this summer.

Formed when the men’s and women’s unions at Vancouver General Hospital joined forces in 1944, the Hospital Employees’ Union was certified to represent 390 members. Within a decade, they had grown from that one local union to 19 locals across the province.

Since then, HEU has established themselves as the oldest, largest and strongest health care union in BC. They have made great strides forward for health care workers, despite some setbacks at the hands of government along the way. Today, HEU is more than 50,000 strong. Congratulations on your 75^th anniversary!

HEU members who have struggled to secure compensation following a job-related illness or injury are welcoming a long-awaited review of the province’s workers compensation system. The B.C. government has launched the review with a goal of making the system more worker-centered. In public hearings held across the province, 12 HEU members came forward to share their personal stories and describe the devastating impact WorkSafeBC decisions have had on their lives. Their stories detail lengthy delays for decisions and appeals, poor communication, mistakes made in initial descriptions of their injuries, and having their needs ignored or dismissed altogether.

HEU’s submission to the Review included 31 recommendations. A final report is expected to be delivered to the Minister of Labour in late September.

Airlines

One more step has been taken in Air Canada’s initiative to acquire Air Transat. Transat A.T. shareholders recently approved Air Canada’s offer by a substantial margin. We are continuing to closely monitor the situation to defend the interests of our flight attendant-members at each stages, wherever it is possible to do so.

Within the framework of reforms to minimum employment standards under Canada Labour Code, several new rights have been granted to employees that fall under federal government’s jurisdiction. Some of these new provisions seek to achieve better work-family balance. For example, employers will be required to provide prior notice to an employee before changing their work schedule, and it will now be possible to refuse overtime for reasons that are related to family obligations.

However, the government did stipulate that employers could ask for exemptions from employment standards in situations where they face operational constraints. The ministry has undertaken to evaluate such requests, but the consultation process appears to lack transparency and does not enable the labour movement to make their own observations, given their extensive knowledge of the issues involved. I’ve called the Minister of Labour, Patty Hajdu, with regard to this matter, and I’m hoping that the government will modify its approach so as to be equitable and respectful of unions and their members.

Organizing Report

For the period June 1, 2019 to August 31, 2019 CUPE welcomed 743 new members in 17 newly certified bargaining units. Staff and member organizers organized 300 members in education, 286 members in long term care, 30 in health care, 28 members in municipalities, 59 members in social services, 24 members in government agencies (cannabis) and 16 members in transportation.

Currently there are 26 new campaigns underway that, if successful, would increase our membership by 4,923. There are 14 files for certification at Labour Boards that would bring in 828 new members.

The third quarter of 2019 has been extremely busy across the country.

By far the most significant event we have witnessed this quarter is the conclusion of the government-mandated restructuring votes in Manitoba Health Care. Although CUPE was not successful in every health region, we did gain approximately 9000 new members in these votes. This was a long, protracted campaign which no union desired. We know that our real work begins now in welcoming and integrating these new members into our CUPE family.

We continue to focus on long term care and home support in our organizing in New Brunswick, as well as wall to wall organizing in existing locals.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters Union is raiding New Brunwick’s biggest local, going after the biggest classification, the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). LPNs have been frustrated by their compensation rates, local leadership and perceived lack of recognition for their classification and have massively participated in this decertification campaign. The Labour Board will hold a hearing to review the application. It is scheduled for four weeks in January, February and March of 2020.
In Quebec we continue to organize new workplaces and have been successful in two locations of the Quebec Cannabis Corporation.

We also continue to protect our existing members in the City of Sherbrooke who were raided by the FISA. CUPE Local Union 2729 represents 520 blue collar workers. Staff representatives were deployed into the field from July 12 - 25. On July 24, FISA announced that it had ceased its raiding campaign.

In Ontario the Conservative government restructuring in most CUPE sectors requires that we focus organizing resources on drives that will better position our union for upcoming representation votes. CUPE has a strong track record of winning representation votes during mergers and amalgamations, largely due to superior collective agreements and our reputation for good servicing and standing up for workers.

In British Columbia, recent provincial funding announcements in the community social services sector are providing increased opportunities for wall to wall certifications in agencies where we currently hold partial certifications. We continue to organize new units in this sector.  

We anticipate an increase in organizing childcare workers, also as a result of new funding announcements.

In Memoriam/Personal

Messages of Condolences

I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the following CUPE members, active staff and retirees who have passed away or lost a loved one in the reporting period.

Members

• Lorraine Evette Belanger
  • Member of Local 5271 Ontario
• Henry Montpellier 
  • Member of Local 4705 Ontario
• Gordon (Cody) Cote    
  •  Member of Local 709 Alberta
• Rick Bourre                   
  •  President of Local 4807 Ontario
• Donald Anthony Watts
  • Retired Secretary-Treasurer CUPE Ontario Division
• Michel Ethier 
  • Member of Local 503 Ontario
• James Wilbur Martin                            
  • Member of Local 11903 New Brunswick
• William Rose                                          
  • Member of Local 416 Ontario

Retired Staff

• Lynn McKenzie                                     
  • Secretary Peterborough Area Office
• Margaret Rose 
  •  Secretary Kelowna Area Office
• Jean-Marie Beaudry                             
  • Machine Operator National Office
• Melanie Medlicott                                  
  • Regional Director Saskatchewan Regional Office
• Michel Sauvé                                         
  • National Representative North Bay Area Office

Labour Movement

• John Rafferty                                         
  • Former N.D.P.  M.P Thunder Bay.
• Ken Signoretti                                        
  • Former Executive Vice-President Ontario Federation of Labour

In solidarity,

MARK HANCOCK

National President