National Executive Board Meeting
June 12-13, 2013
Resolution of CUPE’s National Executive Board
Re: Labour Day 2013
CUPE NATIONAL WILL:
- Celebrate the important contribution working people make to economy and society in Canada by making the coming Labour Day the largest celebration of labour Canada has seen to date;
- Participate in and support Labour Day activities across Canada that will celebrate working people and the contribution we make to the economy of Canada;
- Encourage CUPE locals to become involved in Labour Day preparations in their communities;
- Provide a member organizer in each region to work with CUPE locals over the summer to promote Labour Day activities;
- Promote Labour Day celebrations via earned media and social media;
- Speak to all Local presidents about Labour Day and the Fairness Campaign via a telephone town hall in August 2013.
BECAUSE:
- The Conservative Party and Government are tooling up their attack on labour;
- Conservative MP Blaine Calkins introduced Bill C-525 on June 5, 2013 to reform the Federal Labour Code making it more difficult for workers in this sector to form unions and introducing a minority driven decertification process in the federal sector;
- Bill C-525 follows on Bill C-377, a previous private members’ Bill forcing intrusive financial disclosure on unions which is now before the Senate;
- At its convention to be held in June 2013, the Conservative Party will debate policy resolutions committing the Government to take direct aim at the labour movement with legislation eliminating the Rand formula and curtailing union spending on political action;
- Weakening the labour movement is a very clear priority of the Conservative government;
- A strong labour movement is vital to workers’ economic and social security and to the economy of Canada;
- The labour movement needs to build commitment among working people and support amongst the general public.