Welcome to CUPE's 50th anniversary national convention.
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Strategic directions

Debate on the final two sections of the draft Strategic Directions wrapped up on Thursday morning, with convention delegates giving the committee a wide range of suggestions for revisions.

Priority 1c focuses on making political and social progress in Canada and internationally through the many tools and actions at our disposal. The document reaffirms CUPE’s commitment to working to elect a New Democratic Party government and remain involved in our party to ensure it remains true to workers’ interests.

Priority 1d—Supporting Strategic Directions—outlines how CUPE will fund and implement the plan. It also puts additional emphasis on fighting privatization and building public support for unions and the rights of workers.

Delegates’ suggestions will be considered by the committee as it revises the plan and the document will be brought back to Convention Friday for final debate and a vote.

Sector power in our union

Convention adopted Resolution 904 creating a Sector Council.

“This is about sectors embracing new technologies so that sectors can communicate more regularly with each other,” said Paul Moist, national president. “When we held our first-ever national bargaining conference locals sent diverse candidates and young workers like we’ve never seen before. Support this resolution and we will have more rank and file involvement and we will become a stronger union for it.”

Grace Hay from CUPE 1764 said: “As a proud child care worker, I want to say thank you for acknowledging our sector in this resolution.” (read more »)

Flight attendants save lives

Convention adopted Resolution 27 calling for a stop to the Harper government’s plans to reduce the number of flight attendants on planes.

“We represent 10,000 flight attendants in our union,” said Michel Cournoyer, president of the Airline Division. “The Harper government wants to change our current flight attendant to passenger ratio from 1 to 40, to 1 for every 50.”

Cournoyer explained that in August, 2005 when an Air France plane overshot the runway at Pearson International Airport, it ended up in a small ravine and a fire broke out.

“With just over 300 passengers on board, every single passenger survived. The ratio of flight attendants to passengers on that flight was one for every 30, meaning there were 10 trained safety professionals on board,” he said.

“Flight attendants save lives when disasters happen. The Harper Government is putting corporate profit ahead of passenger safety,” said Cournoyer.

Michael Reed of Local 4078 at Transat Airlines said, “They want to reduce passenger safety with no public consultation. Help us protect your safety in the air.”
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Election results

Regional Vice-Presidents
Danny Cavanagh (NS),
Wayne Lucas (NF),
Sandy Harding (NB),
Lori MacKay (PE),
Denis Bolduc (QC),
Marco Lutfy (QC),
Michael Hurley (ON),
Candace Rennick (ON),
Henri Giroux (N. ON),
Mike Davidson (MB),
Judy Henley (SK),
Don Munroe (AB),
Mark Hancock (BC),
Victor Elkins (BC)

Diversity Vice-Presidents Brian Barron
(Aboriginal workers),
Yolanda McClean
(Workers of colour)

Award winner


A health care local in Nova Scotia, CUPE 835, is the first ‘group’ recipient of the literacy award. The local has worked diligently to promote literacy including rewriting their bylaws in clear language, purchasing books to achieve grade equivalency diplomas and working with their employer to provide ongoing support for workplace education programs.(read more»)

Communications Awards

Union solidarity depends on good communication. CUPE’s local communicators put in long volunteer hours to make sure our members are informed. This year we honoured our communicators with 10 Communications Awards. For a complete list of winners, and more convention coverage visit cupe50.ca
This bulletin is published daily by CUPE Communications, and is distributed by email and on the convention floor each morning.



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