Paul Moist elected to top post
CUPE members have elected Paul Moist to succeed Judy Darcy as national president.Defending our members and the services they provide is my top priority, said Moist, the president of CUPE Manitoba and a general vice-president on CUPEs national executive board.
Moist had a warning for employers, Be forewarned…we will fight back in every instance and by all means, any attempt to turn back the clock. If you move to privatize our work, you will be met by resistance from women and men in every corner of the country.”
Moist became a CUPE member at age 19 in 1975, when he started working as a greenhouse gardener for Winnipegs parks and recreation department. He got involved in his local executive, and from 1983 to 1993, worked as a CUPE staff representative. In 1993, Moist was elected president of his local, CUPE 500, representing 5,000 municipal workers in Winnipeg. He was elected president of CUPE Manitoba in 1997.
Moist is CUPEs fifth national president in its 40-year history, and the first national president from the West. He received the support of 83.5 per cent of the votes cast.
Gnreux wins second term
Claude Gnreux has won a second term as National Secretary-Treasurer. He was acclaimed in the position.Gnreux, a health care worker from Quebec, has called for strong and militant action by CUPE to protect jobs and public services.
We want to send a strong message to governments and employers across the country that we will resist efforts to contract out our work or undermine our rights as workers, said Gnreux.
Delegates direct wrath at IWA, call for immediate action by CLC
The Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers (IWA) was put on hard notice that the labour movement will not tolerate their continued attempts to sell out workers or to undermine the efforts of the Hospital Employees Union to protect the jobs of their members.One HEU member, wearing a Stop IWAs attack on HEU sticker, drew a standing ovation when she described how the IWA came along and took our jobs. Another described how health care workers had been tossed out on the street.
I knew wed have to fight with the government. I knew wed have to fight the employer. But I never thought Id have to fight another union, she said.
Outgoing national CUPE president Judy Darcy called on the CLC to tell the IWA to get the hell out of those scuzzbag agreements. Newly elected CUPE national president Paul Moist added that the IAWs actions were shameful.
The actions of the IWA mean that people have to beg for their jobs, said HEU president Fred Muzin. They are blacklisted, demeaned and isolated.
Toronto activist wins health and safety award
Doug Jones from CUPE 79 is the recipient of the 2003 Health and Safety Award. Jones, who has chaired his locals health and safety committee, has been instrumental in Day of Mourning activities in Toronto. Since 1989, he has been an occasional instructor for CUPE and the Workers Health and Safety Centre.GVPs elected
Barry ONeill BC/ABTom Graham SK/MB
Sid Ryan ON
Mario Gervais QC.
Rick MacMillan Atl./Mar.
Our pensions arent for P3s
Delegates expressed their indignation with pension boards that take workers wages and invest them in taking jobs away from workers. Convention passed a strong resolution calling for an end to investments in privatization schemes including P3s by the CPP and other pension boards.Communicator awards
Awards for local union and staff communicators were handed out Wednesday. Newsletter editors and webmasters from across the country were honoured for their efforts to reach out to CUPE members.For a complete listing of award winners and to see the winning newsletters or surf the best union sites visit the Communications Branch booth in the Gallery.