Last week, 1000 delegates to the annual CUPE Ontario Convention approved an escalating plan of action to fight the Ford government's cuts.
“The next year will be an important one for working people in Ontario. There is a lot at stake for us. But we are ready,” said CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn.
"We will mobilize with allies in communities to confront the PC government in every way possible.”
The plan features escalating actions to defend public services and workers’ rights and mobilize against the rising tide of hate and white supremacy.
The Ford government has tabled legislation that would violate public employees' right to engage in free collective bargaining and drive down their wages, benefits, and working conditions.
In CUPE, our members make an average salary of $40,000 a year, and over the last decade, if there have been pay increases at all, they have not kept pace with inflation.
"A government which forgoes billions in revenues, wastes hundreds of millions more by breaking contracts, and then tries to balance the books on the backs of thousands of hard-working Ontarians should be considered a disgrace," said Fred Hahn.
“Ontarians need to make their voices heard—in their MPPs offices, in their communities, on the streets, and on the grounds of the Ontario legislature. Left to their own devices, Doug Ford and his government will inflict irreparable damage on this province. No one can sit this one out,” said Hahn.
Cheering, Convention delegates made history last week, unanimously passing CUPE Ontario’s Anti-Racism Organizational Action Plan (ARAOP). “AROAP is just one step on the way to making sure members feel included in our union and making our union stronger,” said Veriline Howe, chair of the Racial Justice Committee.
AROAP sub-committee chair Yolanda McClean thanked the committee members and outside facilitators: “We laughed, we cried, and then we learned”. She concluded on a personal note: “This is a historic moment. We have many stairs to climb, but today made me feel like we’re going to do it and we’re going to do it together”.
Check out the photos from Convention on our flickr account.
