M-312 is a private member’s motion introduced by Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth that, if passed, would strike a parliamentary committee to study changing the criminal code definition of the term “human beings”. This is a back-door attempt to allow the re-criminalization of abortion in Canada.
CUPE has a proud history of advocating for women’s rights in our workplaces and society.
We are encouraging CUPE divisions and locals to make connections with activists at the local level to lobby members of Parliament to vote against M-312 and to help make the public aware of the importance of reproductive freedom to women’s empowerment and human rights.
We want to mobilize activists to:
- Write, telephone or meet with their Member of Parliament
- Circulate and collect signatures on the M-312 petition
- Write letters to local media, particularly in response to anti-choice letters, editorials or articles
- Make connections with local Planned Parenthood offices, women’s organizations and other equality-seeking activists to engage them in joint actions
- Work with grassroots activists to organize creative actions at MP offices, such as visits from Radical Handmaids.
Tools at your disposal
The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) has collected a number of excellent resource materials and information about a range of actions. All of the information is collated on their M-312 Action Page:
- Fact sheets, counter-arguments and other commentary
- Postcards that can be downloaded and printed
- An online petition and versions that can be downloaded and printed for gathering signatures
- Sample letters to members of Parliament
- Information about creative actions like the Radical Handmaids.