Just over a week ago, the Canadian Labour of Congress held its convention in Montreal. With close to 5,000 delegates, this mastodon of a convention is big enough to give our teeny-weeny convention a size complex!
During the convention, Hassan Yussuff was elected president; he is the labour organization’s first racially visible president. Yussuf promised delegates that the CLC would be more active.
In her blog, PSAC President Robyn Benson wrote that Yussuf’s election is a reflection of “strong feeling within the labour movement that we need different tactics, a new inclusive strategy, a tougher, member-based approach.”
The landmark election was just one of many noteworthy moments. For Evelyn Beckert, a convention delegate, the event was a great place to be inspired by powerful speakers from a legion of unions across the country. It was also a stark reminder that unions from all sectors are fighting some pretty serious battles.
“I heard from the nurses’ union in British Columbia – about the horrible cutbacks they’re facing,” explained Beckert. “There’s an increased need for medical services, yet there’s more cutbacks.”
Speaking of decisions that don’t make sense: the scrapping of Canada Post’s door-to-door service was front-of-mind for many delegates. Speaking at the convention, Montreal Mayor Dennis Coderre called the move unacceptable.
“I find it unacceptable how Canada Post conducts itself – not only in regards to its workers, but in how it treats all citizens,” said Coderre. “And I demand that Stephen Harper intervenes once and for all.”
Coderre said the issue goes beyond labour; it’s about respecting citizens. He also pointed out how changes to door-to-door service will affect those with mobility issues and the elderly.
“Getting your mail is essential,” he declared. “There are 6,000 to 8,000 people who could lose their jobs. No one’s going to come around and make me believe that it’s all going to magically happen through attrition.”
“There are jobs that are going to be cut. And I want you to know that the municipal sector is behind you and we’ll support you to the end.”
Delegates were moved by the show of solidarity. From Beckert’s point of view, solidarity is what’s desperately needed right now.
“We need to support each other in this fight,” she said. “If it’s just your union supporting your thing, you don’t have as much clout as you can get from all unions saying ‘if you attack one of us, you attack us all.’”
Beckert says she’ll happily join any rally in support of sister unions; she hopes other unions will join us if we ever have to fight for our rights. One of those looming fights could be over pensions.
During the event, the PSAC submitted an emergency resolution regarding pensions. According to the PSAC, “the government wants to provide significant incentives to employers to get rid of the much better defined benefit plans and convert these to targeted pension plans.”
This would undoubtedly inject some instability into retirement income – income already paid for through pension contributions!
But the convention wasn’t all doom and gloom; Beckert says she was pleasantly surprised to find out that leaders of Quebec’s student movement were now actively involved in the labour movement.
“Some of the student leaders are now in the workplace,” she explained. “Several of them were at the CLC convention; they’re very active as unionists and they’re working with us. Their activism didn’t end with the fight to over tuition fees.”
So if anyone ever asks what happened to those students, now you know: they’re with us!