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NATIONAL
EXECUTIVE
BOARD
REPORT
TO THE
2013 TRIENNIAL
CONVENTION
(OTTAWA – JUNE 14-16, 2013)
OF THE
NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC
AND GENERAL EMPLOYEES
Thanks!
THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

National Executive Board
REPORT
to the
2013 Triennial Convention
(Ottawa – June 14-16, 2013)
of the
NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC AND
GENERAL EMPLOYEES

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
PART A – WHO WE ARE
Our Components ................................................................. 1
The National Executive Board ................................................ 2
The National Office ............................................................... 4
National Union Finances ......................................................... 5
PART B – OUR RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT
Analysis, Education and Advocacy on Public Policy Issues ............ 6
All Together Now! Campaign Overview .................................. 7
Labour Rights ....................................................................... 21
Promoting the Value of Public Services
Fighting New Forms of Privatization ............................ 25
Campaign to Protect and Expand Medicare .................. 26
Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat (CHPS)......... 33
Public Education and Training ...................................... 33
Social Services ............................................................35
Early Childhood Education and Child Care Campaign ... 37
Criminal Justice System .............................................. 38
The Environment ...................................................... 41
Public Liquor Sales and Distribution ............................. 43
Work with other Public Sector Occupational Groups .... 44
Pensions and Retirement Security ........................................... 46
National Union Action on Retiree Concerns ............................ 48
Leadership on Women’s Issues .............................................. 49
Equality and Human Rights .................................................... 52
Young Workers Forum .......................................................... 55
Occupational Health and Safety .............................................. 57
Harper’s Democratic Deficit .................................................. 57
Globalization and International Trade ...................................... 61
Leadership Development ...................................................... 63
Building Our Capacity and Outreach ....................................... 65
Associate Membership .......................................................... 66
Inter-Union Cooperation ....................................................... 66

PART C – COMPONENT ASSISTANCE
Component Research Requests ............................................. 68
Support for Component Bargaining ........................................ 68
NUPGE Defence Fund .......................................................... 73
Direct Assistance to Components ........................................... 73
PART D – NUPGE AND THE BROADER
LABOUR MOVEMENT
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) .......................................... 74
Public Services International (PSI) ............................................ 75
PART E – INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND
SOCIAL JUSTICE
NUPGE – CCLA Breach of the Peace Public Hearings .............. 77
Social Justice Solidarity Fund ................................................... 77
Colombia Solidarity Campaign ............................................... 78
Campaign to Free Leonard Peltier .......................................... 82
Bangladesh Textile Factory Collapse Disaster............................ 83
CONCLUSION ................................................................... 85
APPENDIX I ....................................................................... 86
Meetings, Working Sessions, Conferences and Conference Calls
APPENDIX II ..................................................................... 91
Leadership, Activists and Staff who attended NUPGE Meetings,
Working Sessions, Conferences and Conference Calls
APPENDIX III ................................................................... 111
Members of NUPGE Standing Committees
APPENDIX IV ................................................................... 114
NUPGE Scholarships and Recipients

FOREWORD
In accordance with Article X (26) of our Constitution, we are pleased
to submit this report, on behalf of the National Executive Board (NEB),
on the activities of the National Union of Public and General Employees
since our last Triennial Convention held in Vancouver, BC on June 18-20, 2010.
The objective of this report is to provide delegates with a summary of the
various activities and issues the National Union has dealt with during the last
term of office.
We are proud of the National Union’s many accomplishments over the last
three years, and hope our record of achievement will meet with the approval
of all delegates to this Convention.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the
National Executive Board,
James Clancy
National President
Larry Brown
National Secretary-Treasurer

A
union of unions. The National Union of Public and General
Employees is one of Canada’s largest unions with more than
340,000 members in nine Canadian provinces.
The National Union has a federated structure and is, in effect, a union
of unions. Individual workers become members of NUPGE through their
membership in one of our provincially based Components.
PART A
WHO WE ARE
Our Components
THE NATIONAL UNION has 11 Components:
• Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private
Employees (NAPE/NUPGE)
• PEI Union of Public Sector Employees (PEIUPSE/NUPGE)
• Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union
(NSGEU/NUPGE)
• New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees
(NBU/NUPGE)
• Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE)
• Canadian Union of Brewery and General Workers, Component 325
(CUBGW/NUPGE)
• Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union
(MGEU/NUPGE)
• Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union
(SGEU/NUPGE)
• Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE)
• BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU/NUPGE)
• Health Sciences Association of British Columbia (HSABC/NUPGE)
Your National Voice
The National Union is your national voice. We represent you and your
colleagues from across the country on issues of national and international
importance. We are much more, however, than a national organization based
in Ottawa. We are the sum of our Components – 11 provincially-based
unions that are often the largest, strongest and most dynamic unions in
their provinces.
The collective talents and resources of our Components, along with the
diversity of our 340,000 members, give the National Union a strong and
effective voice.
1

The National Executive Board
OUR COMPONENTS ARE linked by the National Executive Board, by our
various standing committees and working groups, and by our Convention which is
held every three years. The Triennial Convention is the union’s supreme governing
body.
NEB Members
Members of the current National Executive Board are as follows:
National Officers:
• James Clancy, National President
• Larry Brown, National Secretary-Treasurer
National Vice-Presidents:
• Carol Furlong, Newfoundland and Labrador National Vice-President
• Joan Jessome, Nova Scotia National Vice-President
• Debbie Bovyer, Prince Edward Island National Vice-President (replaced
Karen Jackson, Interim President at December 2012 NEB meeting,
who replaced Shelley Ward at the September 2012 NEB meeting)
• Susie Proulx-Daigle, New Brunswick National Vice-President
• Warren “Smokey” Thomas, Ontario National Vice-President
• Michelle Gawronsky, Manitoba National Vice-President (replaced Lois
Wales at the December 2012 NEB meeting, who replaced Peter
Olfert at the November 2010 NEB meeting)
• Bob Bymoen, Saskatchewan National Vice-President
• Elisabeth Ballermann, Alberta National Vice-President
• Darryl Walker, British Columbia National Vice-President
2
Board Members:
• Bert Blundon, NAPE/NUPGE
• Jason MacLean, NSGEU/NUPGE
• Debbie Tungatt, OPSEU/NUPGE (replaced Nancy Pridham at the
June 2013 NEB meeting, who replaced Patty Rout at the May 2011
NEB meeting)
• Glen Hamilton, Component 325 (CUBGW/ NUPGE)
• Wally Fletcher, MGEU/NUPGE (replaced Stephen Roznowsky at
the December 2012 NEB meeting, who replaced Lois Wales at the
November 2010 NEB meeting)
• Helen Hrynchak, SGEU/NUPGE
• Trudy Thomson, HSAA/NUPGE (replaced Melissa Field at the
September 2012 NEB meeting, who replaced Kelly Garland at the
September 2010 NEB meeting)

• Reid Johnson, HSABC/NUPGE
• Stephanie Smith, BCGEU/NUPGE (replaced Judi Filion at the
September 2011 NEB meeting)
• Doug Evetts, GLBT Equity Seat (OPSEU/NUPGE)
NEB Meetings
The National Executive Board met a total of 26 times since reporting at
our last Convention in Vancouver in June 2010. The dates and places of the
meetings were as follows:
Meeting #242 – September 20 & 21, 2010, Gatineau
Meeting #243 – October 19, 2010, Conference Call
Meeting #244 – November 16 & 17, 2010, Winnipeg
Meeting #245 – November 25, 2010, Conference Call
Meeting #246 – December 14, 2010, Conference Call
Meeting #247 – January 5, 2011, Toronto
Meeting #248 – January 7, 2011, Conference Call
Meeting #249 – February 18, 2011, Conference Call
Meeting #250 – February 28 & March 1, 2011, Ottawa
Meeting #251 – March 24, 2011, Conference Call
Meeting #252 – May 8, 2011, Vancouver
Meeting #253 – June 15, 2011, Conference Call
Meeting #254 – September 19 & 20, 2011, Fredericton
Meeting #255 – October 4, 2011, Conference Call
Meeting #256 – November 8, 2011, Conference Call
Meeting #257 – December 5 & 6, 2011, Ottawa
Meeting #258 – February 6, 2012, Conference Call
Meeting #259 – April 11, 2012, Conference Call
Meeting #260 – September 17 & 18, 2012, Ottawa
Meeting #261 – December 10 & 11, 2012, Ottawa
Meeting #262 - February 7, 2013, Conference Call
Meeting #263 – March 25 & 26, 2013, Toronto
Meeting #264 – April 12, 2013, Conference Call
Meeting #265 – May 1, 2013 Conference Call
Meeting #266 – May 21, 2013 Conference Call
Meeting #267 – June 13, 2013, Ottawa
3

The National Office
THE NATIONAL OFFICE, located in Ottawa, has only a small staff but
it produces an impressive amount of high quality work on behalf of our
Components and membership.
The current staff of the National Union are:
• Carol Meyer, Managing Director (Office of the President)
• Derek Fudge, National Director of Policy Development and Liaison
• Mike Luff, Communications and Research Co-ordinator
• Brenda Hildahl, National Representative / Projects Co-ordinator
• Len Bush, National Representative / Research
• Deborah Duffy, National Representative / Collective Bargaining,
Organizing and Membership Outreach
• Andrew McNeill, National Representative / Research
• Andy Pedersen, National Representative / Communications
• Maggie Frampton, Research Officer
• Skip Hambling, Communications
• Kathryn Carruthers, Network Administrator
• Lynda McGuigan, Financial Administrator
• Deb Sonego, Assistant to the National Officers
• Danny Wells, Administrative Representative
• Maria Reitano, Administrative Representative
• Evan Meyer, Administrative Representative
• Lisa Bullée, Administrative Representative
Immediately after this Convention, Mike Luff, who has been on staff since
1999, will be leaving us to start a new phase of his union career as a senior
researcher with the Canadian Labour Congress. On behalf of the National
Executive Board, we wish to thank Mike for his 14 dedicated years of service
and wish him the very best in his new job with the CLC.
4

National Union Finances
THERE IS A Finance Committee of the National Executive Board, which
works with Larry Brown, NUPGE’s National Secretary-Treasurer, on an
ongoing basis to review in detail the financial statements of the union and
recommend to the full National Executive Board the annual budget and
appropriate financial policies for the union.
At present the Finance Committee is made up of: Stephanie Smith
(BCGEU/NUPGE), Joan Jessome (NSGEU/NUPGE), Reid Johnson
(HSABC/NUPGE) and Bert Blundon (NAPE/NUPGE).
This Committee is an invaluable source of guidance and assistance to the
National Officers. It helps reinforce that the budget of the National Union is
the property of, and concern of, the full Board and not just the Officers.
The Committee also provides the National Executive Board with constant
reassurance that there is proper oversight of the finances. In short, the Finance
Committee plays a very valuable role within the National Union.
Since our last Convention, the National Union has twice held meetings of
Components’ Finance Officers consisting of each Component’s elected finance
officer (generally the Secretary-Treasurer) and senior financial staff.
These meetings provide NUPGE’s Secretary-Treasurer the opportunity
to review the National Union’s finances and annual budget with Component
Finance Officers. Participants also have the opportunity to be briefed on
external events / issues that may impact on their union’s finances as well as
share information on a wide range of financial issues such as defence and strike
funds, union donations, staff benefit plans, insurance policies, membership
records systems and human resources policies.
The background and specific details of the National Union’s finances since our
last Convention can be found under the ‘Finance’ tab of the Convention binder.
5

PART B
OUR RECORD OF
ACHIEVEMENT
FOR THE PAST
THREE YEARS
T
he last three years have been an extremely busy period. The
members of our National Executive Board, who represent
the leadership of our Components, have dedicated a great
deal of time and energy to building our capacity to respond to the
challenges and opportunities we face. The list of issues that the National
Union and our Components have dealt with together is wide-ranging
and diverse.
At the workplace level, our Components continue to develop new
strategies, approaches and better co-ordination in order to negotiate strong
contracts and provide quality services for members. But the scope of the
National Union’s work goes well beyond the workplace. We continue to
focus on a number of major public policy issues from a domestic and global
perspective. These issues have an impact upon the quality of life for our
members, their families, Canadians and the global community.
Our work with Components, the broader labour movement and
many social justice groups during the past three years has been guided
by the mandate provided to us by delegates attending our 2010 Triennial
Convention. The following sections of this report will outline the
comprehensive program that the National Union has put in place to
support the mandate provided by the 2010 Convention delegates.
Analysis, education and advocacy on
public policy issues
THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE Board recognizes that valuable gains are
made on behalf of our members at the bargaining table. We are also fully
aware of the far-reaching impact that public policy can have on the lives of
our members, their families and their communities.
6
That is why the National Union has taken a leadership role in many public
policy debates. We have no choice but to respond when our key interests
are at stake. Just as importantly, we know we have to put forward our own
progressive alternatives.
The National Office has produced an impressive amount of high quality
work on behalf of our membership. In the 36 months since our last
Convention, we have produced over 100 publications, an average of just
over three per month. We’ve distributed an average of 14,500 copies of
those publications each month.
These publications range from educational pamphlets designed to give
members a broader understanding of an issue, to a specific advocacy
initiative of the National Union, to a comprehensive research report that
provides detailed analysis of a policy issue, to campaign materials such as
posters and postcards.

ALL TOGETHER NOW!
Campaign Overview
Background
At the start of 2007, the outlook for Canada’s economy was positive.
There was strong economic growth. Unemployment was low. Interest rates
were moderate and stable. Governments had budget surpluses. Consumer
spending was high. The housing market was strong.
But there were some worrisome trends. The American and European
economies were showing some weaknesses. While the Canadian economy
had been growing for years, more than one in ten Canadians still lived in
poverty, including more than one million children. Rather than investing in
quality public services, the priority of most governments was cutting taxes and
reducing debt. The Harper government in Ottawa cancelled the new national
child care program, ripped up the Kelowna Agreement for First Nations,
slashed programs for women and youth, and cut health care spending. Most
families felt they were working harder and longer but not getting ahead.
NUPGE anticipated that tough times were ahead. We knew it would be
important to contrast our progressive vision for tough times (we’re all in this
together) with the conservative vision (you’re on your own). We produced
research and communications tools built around the theme of Common Wealth,
Common Good, Common Values. We held 26 town hall meetings across the
country under the theme: The Bread and Butter Tour: Cut Me a Slice.
The global economic decline started in early 2008. The bottom fell out
with the financial crash in September 2008. The world was quickly facing
the most dangerous economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression. The
financial crisis was sparked by the outbreak of the U.S. sub-prime mortgage
crisis and the fall of the giant U.S. bank Lehman Brothers. Major panic broke
out in the financial sector, especially the inter-bank loan market. Other risky
lending practices were exposed. Bank loan losses mounted. Major investment
and commercial banks in the U.S. and Europe suffered huge losses and faced
bankruptcy. Housing prices fell, hundreds of thousands of full-time jobs were
eliminated in Canada, personal bankruptcies were rising, retirement savings
took a beating and families were very worried about the future.
The Harper government in Ottawa was in denial. They argued that the
economic fundamentals were strong and Canada would not fall into recession.
They vowed to never run a deficit and to continue with program cuts and
paying down the debt. They refused to introduce an economic stimulus
package to boost the economy, protect jobs and support vulnerable families.
NUPGE, along with the rest of the labour movement and other
progressive allies, fought hard for an economic stimulus package. The
opposition parties in Parliament, understanding the new economic reality
facing Canada and the world, set out to defeat the government and form
7

a coalition government. The Governor General permitted the Harper
government to prorogue Parliament. The government returned in 2009 with
a stimulus package but it was not large enough, not delivered fast enough, and
did not provide the social investments that would help struggling families make
ends meet.
NUPGE’s National Executive Board (NEB) anticipated that the battle for
a stimulus package was only the start of what would become a longer and
bigger struggle. The NEB understood that once the stimulus was delivered,
governments would use the economic crisis and deficits as an excuse to
implement an austerity agenda that would include drastic spending cuts,
privatization, and an attack on public employees and unions. NUPGE started
to plan a campaign to get ahead of this austerity agenda.
Convention 2010: All Together Now! Campaign
At the 2010 NUPGE Convention in Vancouver, B.C., delegates voted
unanimously in favour of a national campaign called All Together Now! The goal
of the campaign is to frame the political debate and public discourse to reflect
our analysis of what was the real cause of the economic crisis and to promote
our alternative to the austerity agenda.
Campaign Strategy
The strategy of the campaign is based on five key elements:
• National – NUPGE and all our Components must be actively
involved because all governments are attempting to implement an
austerity agenda and we need a loud, consistent voice across the
country to change the debate.
• Long-term – We recognize that changing the debate will take years,
not months or weeks. We need a multi-year campaign with the
first phase being the three year period between the June 2010
and June 2013 NUPGE Conventions.
• Education And Mobilization – The focus is on educating people
about our progressive alternative and mobilizing them to take
actions in support of that alternative.
• Our Members – The initial focus of the campaign is engaging our own
members and then reaching out to larger audiences.
• Word-Of-Mouth Communications – The best way to reach our
members and others, and ensure our alternative vision resonates,
is through word-of-mouth communications (both face-to-face and
through social media).
8
Campaign Analysis
The core analysis of the campaign is this: The financial crash in 2008 was a
symptom of a more fundamental problem called income inequality. The gap

etween rich and poor has been growing in Canada and around the world for
the last 30 years. There is no dispute about this. Even conservative institutions
such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Conference
Board of Canada agree this is the defining issue of our time.
In Canada, the income inequality gap has increased so drastically over the
last 30 years that it has virtually wiped out all of the gains made in the post-
WWII period. A shocking 80% of Canadian families are taking home a smaller
share of the economic pie today compared to a generation ago. Meanwhile,
corporate profit shares are at a 40-year high. The economic wealth in Canada
has grown over the last 30 years but the prosperity is not being shared fairly.
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, prominent social epidemiologists in the
United Kingdom, have studied in depth the consequences of rising income
inequality. They published the results of their research in a book called The
Spirit Level: Why greater equality makes societies stronger. Some of the serious
consequences of rising income inequality include:
• It is bad for the economy. Inequality peaked right before the Great
Depression in the 1930s and the Great Recession in 2008. Experts
say that is not a coincidence. You cannot build a stable and sustainable
economy with more families living in poverty, the middle class
being squeezed and household debt at record levels. Rising income
inequality explains why so many Canadians are working longer and
harder but still not getting ahead.
• It has serious social and health costs. Societies with greater income
inequality have lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality rates,
more crime, more imprisonment, more cases of mental illness and
addiction, and lower math and literacy scores.
• It causes social divisions. Rising inequality means most of the
economic gains go to the people at the top while everyone else
struggles with growing costs and shrinking pay cheques. People feel
the system is rigged against them. This can affect the temperament
of a country. It breeds cynicism. Trust declines. Fear flourishes.
Community life and social solidarity break down.
• Income inequality undermines freedom and democracy. The superrich
gain an enormous amount of political power during elections
and between elections when critical public policy decisions are made.
Governments become more authoritarian. The real life concerns of
most families are ignored. Their confidence in democracy and public
institutions erodes.
The All Together Now! campaign is asserting that income inequality
has been growing in Canada for several key reasons:
• Governments and corporations have attacked labour rights. Over the
last 30 years, more than 95% of all labour laws passed have restricted,
suspended or eliminated labour rights for workers and their unions. As a
result, union density has been declining in Canada. Research shows there is
a direct link between shrinking union density and rising income inequality.
9

• Governments and corporations have adopted a hands-off approach
to economic development through deregulation, bad trade deals,
privatization and corporate tax cuts. It’s left our economy drifting
without a vision and purpose. Hundreds of thousands of good jobs
have been eliminated.
• Governments and corporations eliminated tax fairness and attacked
quality public services. The richest Canadians pay an effective tax
rate that is lower than middle class families and the bottom 10%.
The super-rich are hiding billions in offshore tax havens. Corporate
tax rates have been reduced to the lowest of all G8 countries.
Tax fairness has been flipped upside down in Canada and income
inequality in after-tax incomes has been growing. The lack of tax
fairness has also resulted in less revenue for public services.
• Governments and corporations have attacked public services like
health care, education, old age security, services for autistic children
and adults with developmental disabilities. These services are
the great equalizer. They create opportunity and make life more
affordable for families. But the share of total government revenue
spent on these services has been shrinking every year.
The alternative vision promoted by the All Together Now! campaign is
this: Large and growing income inequality is not inevitable. Governments in
Canada can reduce income inequality through a public policy agenda that
includes strong labour rights, a modern industrial strategy, tax fairness and
quality public services. That is how we will improve our economy, society
and democracy. That is how we will build a Canada of hope, fairness and
opportunity for everyone.
10
Campaign Internal Tactics
Immediately following the 2010 NUPGE convention, a national Campaign
Coordinating Team was established. The team consists of a National
Coordinator and a Coordinator from every NUPGE Component. The team
is responsible for executing the campaign in their Component and province.
The first major tactic of the campaign involved the creation of an internal
group of 100 Champions 4 Change (C4C). In September 2010, NUPGE
held a national training conference for the C4Cs. They learned to deliver
a presentation/conversation which promotes the campaign analysis and
alternative. They spent time in workshops customizing and personalizing
the presentation to improve its resonance with audiences. Each of the
C4Cs was responsible for delivering the presentation/conversation to other
NUPGE members and other union members at least 10 times. Thousands
of presentations/conversations have been held and the campaign analysis and
alternative has been promoted throughout NUPGE’s membership and the
broader labour movement.
The campaign developed two tools for the C4Cs to use with their
presentation. The first was a campaign pledge which outlined a commitment
to promote the campaign’s policy solutions for reducing income inequality.

Each of the C4Cs was responsible for getting at least 100 pledges signed.
So far the campaign has more than 12,000 signed pledges. The second tool
was a proclamation which outlined a commitment to support tax fairness
and quality public services. The C4Cs were responsible for asking union,
political and community leaders to have their picture taken while signing the
proclamation and then posting the picture on the campaign website and
Facebook page. The campaign has hundreds of photos of leaders signing the
campaign proclamation.
In June 2011, NUPGE held another conference for the C4Cs. At this
conference they reported on their experiences with the presentations/
conversations, they heard about how unions in other countries have
been fighting the austerity agenda, and they put forward ideas for next
steps in the campaign. They urged NUPGE to develop other internal
tactics to empower more members to deliver face-to-face presentations/
conversations. In the months ahead, NUPGE developed several new
internal campaign groups.
We created a group of 120 activists called Writers 4 Change (W4C).
NUPGE monitors the daily newspapers across the country every morning.
We look for articles which attack labour rights, promote policies that will
eliminate good jobs, argue for tax cuts for the wealthy, and attack the
public sector. When we spot one of these articles we draft a letter to the
newspaper and ask one of our W4Cs in that city to submit the letter. More
than 200 of our letters have been published across the country.
Working with the National Union Action on Retiree Concerns (NUARC)
committee, we created a group called Retirees 4 Change (R4C). This is a
group of retired NUPGE members who are responsible for talking to other
retirees about the link between tax fairness and improved long-term care
services for seniors. Members of this group have been using a NUPGE
research publication called Dignity Denied as a tool to raise awareness about
the crisis in long-term care for seniors.
We created a group called Champions 4 Pensions (C4P). We trained 70
activists to deliver a presentation that promotes the value of Canada’s public
pension system (e.g. Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and Guaranteed
Income Supplement) and defends good workplace pension plans (e.g. defined
benefit pension plans). We developed unique campaign materials for this
group including a logo, pledge, and series of pamphlets and fact sheets.
We created a group called Women 4 Change. We trained 50 women
activists to deliver a presentation/conversation to other members. The
presentation/conversation highlights the disproportionate impact of the
economic crisis on women and it outlines the links between the quality
of women’s lives, labour rights, good jobs, tax fairness and quality public
services. We developed unique campaign materials for this group including a
logo, pledge and leaflets.
11

12
Campaign External Tactics
In addition to the internal groups spreading the campaign analysis to other
NUPGE members, we recognized the need to develop other vehicles to spread
the word externally to reach deeper and wider within the labour movement and
broader progressive community.
We created the Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights (CFLR). The CFLR Board
of Directors consists of prominent human rights activists, progressive labour relations
academics, trade union leaders and union-friendly labour lawyers from across the
country. The Foundation has established itself as a national voice in the promotion of
labour rights as an essential means to strengthen democracy, equality and economic
prosperity in Canada and around the world.
The CFLR recently held an international conference to share and discuss research
which affirms the role of unions in advancing democracy, creating greater economic
equality and improving the social well-being of all citizens. NUPGE produced a
background paper for this conference called Unions Matter: How the ability of labour
unions to reduce income inequality and infl uence public policy has been affected by
regressive labour laws.
The CFLR has been involved in many initiatives to analyze and counter the
legislative attack on labour rights including the Supreme Court of Canada Fraser
decision, the Harper government’s Bill C-377, and the Saskatchewan government’s
Bill 85. The CFLR has exposed the failure of the federal government to ratify
conventions of the International Labour Organization. For more information about
the CFLR and their work in defending labour rights please see the next section of this
report. You can also visit the website for more details: labourrights.ca
NUPGE and the All Together Now! campaign have closely monitored and
responded to the potential introduction of Right to Work legislation in Canada.
We produced a research paper countering the arguments put forward by Right
to Work proponents. We also created a leaflet called Right to Work laws are all
wrong: They create more inequality not more jobs.
We created a group called Canadians for a Modern Industrial Strategy (CMIS)
to produce research, promote discussion and advocate for a modern industrial
and environmental strategy. The CMIS Board of Directors includes people with
backgrounds in both the private and public sectors. In 2012, CMIS produced a
discussion paper called: Canada needs a modern industrial strategy. This paper
argues that governments need to work with key stakeholders to develop a
strategy that puts people and nature at the centre of economic development.
In 2013, CMIS released a research paper called: Enhanced Apprenticeship: Key
to solving Canada’s skills crisis. This paper provides a framework to improve
apprenticeship training in Canada in order to address skills shortages, reduce
unemployment and increase economic growth.
CMIS has spoken out on current public policy debates including the Temporary
Foreign Worker Program, trade deals, and the export of raw materials without
creating enough good jobs in Canada. For more details about CMIS you can visit the
website: industrialstrategy.ca

NUPGE helped establish a group called Canadians for Tax Fairness
(CTF). The mission of CTF is to build a national campaign to promote tax
fairness. The group supports the development and implementation of a
progressive tax system, based on ability to pay, to fund the comprehensive,
high-quality network of public services and programs required to meet our
social, economic and environmental needs in the 21st century. CTF has
become a “go-to” organization for the media on tax issues. The group has
implemented effective campaigns on tackling tax havens, stopping corporate
tax cuts and promoting a financial transactions tax. In 2012, the group held a
national summit which brought together more than 100 people to discuss tax
reform ideas, how to better communicate tax reform ideas and how to build
campaigns on tax issues. For more information about CTF you can visit the
website: taxfairness.ca
NUPGE is coordinating the Robin Hood Tax campaign group in Canada.
We are running the website and social media sites for this campaign in
Canada. We produced T-shirts, buttons, stickers and leaflets. In 2012, we
organized a day of action in downtown Ottawa. NUPGE has represented the
Canadian campaign at international strategy sessions. For more information
you can visit the website at robinhoodtax.ca
In 2011, we created the Public Services Foundation of Canada (PSFC). The
PSFC is a national research and advocacy organization dedicated to defending
and promoting quality public services. The Board of Directors includes
prominent Canadians from various backgrounds including academics, trade
union leaders, and former political and public sector leaders. Board members
have spoken at various NUPGE events including the National Executive
Board, the 2011 All Together Now! conference for C4Cs, our Young Workers
Forum in 2012, and our Leadership School in 2011 and 2012.
In addition to commentaries on current debates, the PSFC has produced
several research publications including:
• The case for public services
• The sky is not falling: Public sector and health care spending is under
control in Canada
• Public services and taxes: A question of values
In January and February 2012, the PSFC worked with the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) to conduct hearings and town hall
meetings in 12 cities across Ontario on the issue of tax fairness and quality public
services. More than 1,000 people made presentations at these meetings. All of
the forums received good local media coverage. A short video was produced
for each of the meetings. The PSFC produced a 96-page report called Something
to Value. The report contained 16 key recommendations and several of these
were included in the 2012 provincial budget. For more information about the
PSFC you can visit the website at publicservicesfoundation.ca
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Campaign Communications, Outreach And Social Media
We communicate with our 12,000 campaign supporters regularly through
email and distribute a print newsletter every few months.
The campaign website alltogethernow.nupge.ca is updated regularly and
provides good resources and opportunities for people to take action.
The campaign’s social media presence continues to grow:
• The Facebook page www.facebook.com/ATNcampaign has more
than 6,500 supporters and people engage in conversations regularly
on the page.
• We have more than 550 followers on Twitter @ATNcampaign and
activists regularly re-tweet our campaign tweets. We have engaged in
conversations through Twitter with union members, journalists and
social activists.
• We have posted more than 75 videos on the campaign YouTube
channel www.youtube.com/AllTogetherNowNUPGE and have more
than 10,000 video views.
In October 2010, we created Operation Maple operationmaple.com to use
social media to encourage social change. Operation Maple has produced hundreds
of videos and covered issues in ways that cannot be found elsewhere. Their content
is delivered constantly to hundreds of thousands of people by email, Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube. It has provided NUPGE and our All Together Now! campaign
with a national online vehicle to share our analysis with a much broader audience.
Operation Maple has more than 4,700 supporters on Facebook and more than
1,500 followers on Twitter. On average, each month they have more than 19,000
video views on YouTube and more than 8,000 website views.
Over the past three years, Operation Maple released videos tackling issues
facing Canadians in various sectors such as health care, social services and
corrections. These videos were seen by Canadians across the country, and in
the United States. Operation Maple has produced many videos on issues such
as tax fairness, industrial strategy and public services. Here are a few examples:
• Crashes, Cannonballs, and Taxes: shows all the public services that
citizens use on a daily basis.
• Death of a Community: A three part series on how the lack of an
industrial strategy is killing a Cape Breton community.
• How Irish Eyes Killed Hamilton: A video on the changes to Hamilton’s
manufacturing industry.
• Crooks and Criminals: A music video on big banks fleecing consumers.
• Tax Havens: The Men Who Stole The World: John Christensen,
Director of Tax Justice Network discusses tax havens and why they
are allowed.
• Small Town Rocked By Free Trade: A look at the town of Smith Falls after
the Hershey Plant was closed and over 500 good jobs were lost.
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In the upcoming months Operation Maple will be releasing a series of
videos from the 2013 Canadian Labour Rights Foundation International
Conference with Richard Wilkinson from Equality Trust and David
Barsamian from Alternative Radio.
In recent years we have worked with experts in Canada and
internationally to develop persuasive messages to reframe the debate
about taxes and public services. We produced the following four booklets
which provide clear, persuasive and relevant messages which people can
use in speeches, letters to newspapers or politicians, press releases, calling
a radio talk show or having a conversation with co-workers or friends:
• Words That Work: Defending Public Employees
• Words That Work: Fighting for Tax Fairness
• Words That Work: Promoting Public Services
• Words That Work: Strategic Recommendations For Communicating
In November, 2012, we held a meeting of Component Communications
Officers. A main goal of this meeting was to continue our work on framing
key campaign messages. Elaine Mejia, Senior Program Associate with
Public Works, gave an extensive presentation on how to effectively frame
issues such as taxes and the role of government. Public Works is a U.S.-
based grassroots organization that has done comprehensive research and
training in this area. In addition to the presentation, Elaine facilitated a
group exercise to create a communications message box. The exercise
was intended to show in a practical way how to keep communications
focused on our vision and values first.
In 2012, we produced an animated video called Income Inequality:
The monster in the closet which communicated our campaign analysis and
alternative to the austerity agenda. We produced a companion booklet
to be used with the video. The video is posted on the campaign website.
It has been viewed more than 4,500 times on the campaign YouTube
channel and it has been distributed to tens of thousands of people by
email, Facebook and Twitter. Many people have been using it as part of
their presentations to explain our campaign analysis.
Every NUPGE meeting held over the last three years has featured a
presentation about the campaign. NUPGE National Officers James Clancy
(National President) and Larry Brown (National Secretary-Treasurer) delivered
presentations to Component provincial executive board meetings and
conventions over the last three years.
The National Officers also did extensive outreach to external organizations
including delivering a campaign presentation to the following groups: Canadian
Teachers’ Federation; Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation; Elementary
Teachers’ Federation of Ontario; Parkland Institute; Canada Without Poverty;
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police; Alberta Federation of Labour;
Canadian Labour Congress; United Food and Commercial Workers Canada;
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Public Services International; Harvard Trade Union Program; Queen’s
University School of Industrial Relations; Ontario Nurses’ Association; Ontario
NDP leadership; United Steel Workers; Council of Canadians; Federal NDP;
Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association; Service Employees International
Union; Society of Energy Professionals.
Campaign Materials:
We have distributed more than 400,000 pieces of campaign material including:
• Buttons, stickers, key chains, pledges, proclamations.
• A video starring Canadian actor Greg Malone explaining the real
causes of economic crisis and our alternative.
• A video called Stand up for the champions!
• A video created for the 2011 conference for Champions 4 Change to
promote the achievements of the first year of the campaign.
• Campaign newsletters.
• Advertising in print magazines and newspapers.
• A 2011 federal election poster series called: Whose Canada?
• A leaflet called: Facts and arguments about tax fairness and public spending
• A leaflet called: What’s wrong with our economy? Five simple truths
• A leaflet called: Robin Hood was Right!
• A leaflet called: No Health without Mental Health: More resources for
mental health services vs. more corporate tax cuts
• A leaflet called: Here they go again: Negotiating federal transfers to the
provinces
• A booklet called: Life as we know it: A day in your life with public services
• A booklet called: 100 things not to do if you hate taxes
• A booklet called: The 1% versus fairness and you
• A research report and leaflet called: New forms of privatization
• A research report and leaflet called: Social Impact Bonds: A new way to
privatize public services
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Campaign Educational Course
One of the tools the Champions 4 Change encouraged us to develop
was an educational course for the broader membership. NUPGE and
OPSEU/NUPGE worked with Tomee Sojourner, a freelance Training and
Organizational Development Consultant, to develop the course. The course
is organized into four modules:
• Module 1: Making the links between income inequality, labour rights,
industrial strategy, tax fairness and public services
- This module includes a 45 minute powerpoint
presentation, 45 minute facilitator notes, and 3 hour
facilitator notes.

• Module 2: Income Inequality and Tax Fairness
- This module includes 3 hour facilitator notes.
• Module 3: Income Inequality and Public Services
- This module includes 3 hour facilitator notes.
• Module 4: Mobilizing People Around the ATN Campaign
- This module includes 3 hour facilitator notes.
On October 22 & 23, 2012, we held a meeting of Component Union
Education Officers. A main focus of this meeting was the new ATN educational
course. The course was presented to Education Officers and the information
on each slide was explained. Various areas were highlighted where it would
be appropriate for Components to tailor the presentation to reflect their
provincial or local situation.
There was a good discussion about various opportunities for implementing
the ATN course. Some options discussed included offering it as:
• A stand-alone course as part of the union’s regular education
program.
• Integrated with existing courses that cover similar themes.
• A stand-alone course at upcoming Component conferences and/or
Federation of Labour week-long schools.
• A workshop for members that takes advantage of pre-budget
consultations by provincial governments.
• An outreach tool to other unions, civil society allies and community
groups.
Days of Action
We organized two separate Days of Action. The first focused on the issue of
more resources for mental health services versus more corporate tax cuts. Actions
included town hall meetings, rallies, leafleting, news conferences and social media
events. The second Day of Action focused on the issue of tax fairness. Events
included a live online town hall, telephone town hall meetings and a two-day
conference in Vancouver. The online town hall is posted and can be viewed at:
alltogethernow.nupge.ca/webcast-apr28
Fairness Test
Every year for the last three years NUPGE and our Components sent
letters to the federal and provincial governments asking them to develop a
Fairness Test for their budgets. The Fairness Test would assess the impact of
major tax and spending policies in budgets on income inequality. Will their
budget make the problem better or worse? We are also asking governments
to publish the test and the results in their budgets. The Winnipeg Free Press did
a column on this proposal and several online news sites also published an oped
on the idea.
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Ontario Labour Leaders Campaign Initiative
We have been working with 8 Ontario-based unions to bring the All Together
Now! campaign analysis to their membership and train Champions 4 Change from
their membership.
The 8 unions are: Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE),
Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), Society of Energy Professionals (The Society),
Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA), Elementary Teachers’
Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Service Employees International Union (SEIU),
United Steelworkers (USW), Canadian Media Guild (CMG).
The first town hall meeting was held in Sudbury, in January 2013. More
than 500 people attended in person and more than 2,000 people participated
by telephone town hall. Plans are underway to follow up the town hall
meeting with training for Champions 4 Change in Sudbury. The next event
is scheduled for Kingston in June 2013. We have partnered with the Social
Planning Council of Ontario to produce local research for each of these cities.
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Other Campaign Initiatives
There have been many other important initiatives aimed at educating and
empowering people around the campaign analysis, including:
• $100 letter writing contest: This initiative asks people to go to the
campaign website and send the prime minister and premier a
personal letter about tax fairness and adequate federal funding for the
Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and Canada Social Transfer (CST).
Their letter is published on the website and their name is entered
into a random draw for $100. More than 150 letters have been sent.
More than 15 winners have been selected. When possible we have a
Champion 4 Change present the cheque to the winners, take a photo
and post it in the campaign newsletters, on the website and Facebook
page.
• “Add your voice” photos: We ask people to write a message on a sign
which captures why they are fighting for tax fairness and quality public
services. We then take a picture of them holding the sign and add it to
our campaign website. All of the photos can be viewed on the campaign
Flickr stream at this link: www.flickr.com/photos/54347494@N08/
• Our Times Magazine: The June 2011 edition of Our Times Magazine (one
of Canada’s leading progressive magazines) featured the All Together Now!
campaign on its cover and in an eight page article. The article included
interviews with five of our Champions 4 Change from across the country.
• Submissions to the federal fi nance committee: We made written submissions
to the House of Commons Finance Committee on issues such as income
inequality, tax fairness and quality public services.
• Tax reform: We are working on a tax fairness project with experts to
produce new research that encourages a debate about comprehensive
tax reform. We have called for the creation of a Royal Commission to
undertake a review of the tax system and make recommendations to
improve fairness, simplicity, certainty and sustainability.

• A new book on tax fairness: We helped get a new book on tax fairness
published by Between the Lines publishers. The book is called: The
Great Revenue Robbery: How to stop the tax cut scam and save Canada.
The prologue for this book was written by NUPGE National President
James Clancy.
• Protested Caterpillar Inc. shutdown of plant in London, Ontario: The 2012
decision by U.S.-owned Caterpillar Inc. to close its Electro-Motive
Diesel (EMD) plant in London, Ontario symbolized everything our
campaign analysis is about. Caterpillar made record profits in 2011 –
close to $5 billion dollars. Their CEO was paid $10 million. The EMD
plant received a $5 million tax break from the federal government and
benefited from across-the-board corporate tax cuts by the federal and
Ontario governments. Despite all of this, when it came time to bargain
a new collective agreement with their workers, EMD demanded a
50% cut in wages and benefits. When the workers refused to accept
the dramatic cut, EMD locked them out and then decided to shut
down the plant entirely and move the production to Indiana. NUPGE
National President James Clancy walked the picket line in solidarity
with the locked-out EMD workers. The All Together Now! campaign
organized an online petition to protest the shutdown of the plant and
more than 1,000 people signed the petition. We also produced a poster
demanding that Caterpillar pay back the tax breaks they received.
• Wisconsin: NUPGE had a delegation go to Wisconsin, including
James Clancy (National President), Larry Brown (National
Secretary-Treasurer), and several Component activists and staff,
to show solidarity and help organize the fight back against the
attack on labour rights and public services.
• Occupy Movement: We provided a lot of resources and support
to the Occupy Movement events in cities across Canada and
helped them get out the message of the 1% versus the 99%.
Making A Difference:
At the NUPGE 2010 Convention, we pledged to start a debate about
income inequality, labour rights, good jobs, tax fairness and public services.
Our campaign has certainly made a difference in a short period of time.
We have consistently promoted the ATN analysis in all our work. We’ve
educated and mobilized thousands of NUPGE members who are spreading
the word and fighting back. There’s a growing echo chamber of the ATN
analysis as our members, other unions, advocacy partners and civil society
groups repeat the key messages.
The public discourse and political debate is shifting:
• Income inequality is now a top public policy issue in Canada and
around the world. There is little debate about the seriousness of the
problem. Most countries are now turning their attention to what they
should do about it. The House of Commons Finance Committee
recently conducted hearings on the issue and a final report is
expected soon.
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• Corporate tax cuts have been a high profile issue in all of the recent
federal and provincial elections and have been suspended or reversed
in several provinces including New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario,
Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
• The Governor of the Bank of Canada and the federal Finance Minister
have both expressed public frustration that corporate tax rates
were slashed over the last decade, but rather than investing in the
economy, corporations are sitting on $500 billion dollars of ‘dead
money’.
• Several provinces, including New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, and
British Columbia, recently raised personal income tax rates on highincome
earners.
• In Canada and other G8 countries there is recognition of the
large, costly and urgent problem of offshore tax havens. The U.K.,
U.S., European Union and Australia are all taking steps to tackle
tax havens. In Canada, the CBC recently released a huge leak of
information received by the U.S.-based International Consortium
of Investigative Journalists on tax havens. The House of Commons
Finance Committee recently studied the issue and the Canadian
government has announced steps to address the problem.
• Momentum is building on the Robin Hood Tax (RHT), with
campaigns in more than 40 countries. The campaign is supported by
thousands of unions and NGOs, several G20 nations, the European
Parliament, Nobel economists, business leaders, and in August 2012,
France passed legislation to implement a RHT.
• There is a growing national discussion about the need for a modern
industrial strategy in Canada. Serious concern has been expressed by
leading economists that Canada’s economy is far too dependent on
the natural resources and financial sector. Canada is being particularly
criticized for our obsession with fossil fuel production which has very
little Canadian content in the overall production chain and comes at
a high price in environmental and climate terms. There is a national
debate about the need for stronger and clearer rules on foreign
takeovers of Canadian companies. Canada’s generous system of
Research and Development tax incentives has been criticized as an
ineffective way to spark innovation.
• Public opinion research shows that an overwhelming majority of
Canadians do not support deep cuts to key public services like
health care, education and social services and we have succeeded in
exposing new forms of privatization like Social Impact Bonds.
• There is growing recognition that labour rights are human rights and
the role unions play in reducing income inequality, strengthening
democracy and enhancing fairness in the workplace and society.
We are proud of the role our campaign has played in reframing the political
debate and public discourse in this country. But we still have a long struggle
ahead of us.
The Canadian and global economies remain weak. A lot more needs
to be done to create good jobs for Canadians. Some governments are
still implementing an austerity agenda that includes cuts to public spending,
privatization, and an attack on public employees and unions.

It is important that we stay committed to a long-term fight, committed to
staying on the offensive, and committed to pushing the public and political
debate to reflect the All Together Now! analysis and alternative vision.
As we have said all along: “We are running a marathon, not a sprint!”
All Together Now!
Labour Rights
ONE OF THE cornerstones of the All Together Now! campaign is our
work in the area of labour rights. For over a decade now the National
Union has been running our Labour Rights are Human Rights Campaign
designed to create greater public awareness and understanding of labour
rights as a key critical component of human rights. Over the past three
years, however, we have gradually shifted our emphasis to focus on the
critical role that strong labour rights and unions play in reducing income
inequality, promoting the social well-being of all citizens, and advancing
democracy within nations.
The vehicle which we created to promote our labour rights work is the
Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights (CFLR). Over the past four years,
the Foundation has built itself as a national voice devoted to promoting
labour rights as an important means to strengthening democracy, equality
and economic prosperity in Canada and internationally. The CFLR Board
of Directors are well-respected human rights activists, progressive labour
relations academics and union-friendly labour lawyers from across the country.
International Conference on Labour Rights and their Impact
on Democracy, Economic Equality and Social Justice
The most recent venture of the CFLR was the hosting of an international
conference in Toronto in March of this year on Labour Rights and their Impact
on Democracy, Economic Equality and Social Justice. NUPGE, along with
our partner unions, UFCW Canada and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation,
sponsored the conference.
The Conference participants included NUPGE Component activists
from across the country as well as Canadian and international human rights
advocates, progressive labour relations academics and union-side lawyers. It
was designed to provide a forum to advance social science research affirming
the critical role labour rights play in advancing democracy within nations,
creating greater economic equality and promoting the social well-being of all
citizens. The keynote speaker of the Conference was Richard Wilkinson, one
of the world’s most preeminent researchers on social inequalities, and coauthor
of the bestseller Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone.
NUPGE produced a comprehensive background paper entitled
Unions Matter for the Conference which reviews international research
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showing the significant social and economic benefits for countries with
strong labour rights. This paper, along with several of the conference documents
can be downloaded from the CFLR web site – www.labourrights.ca. In the
coming months, NUPGE will be producing a more popular version of the
Unions Matter paper. We have also recently reached an agreement with a
Canadian publisher to publish a book containing the various papers presented
at the conference, which should be available later this fall.
The Labour Movement After Fraser
Another major event hosted by our CFLR was a seminar on the April 2011
Supreme Court of Canada Fraser decision. The Fraser decision concerns
a constitutional challenge against the Agricultural Employees Protection
Act (AEPA), legislation that denies collective bargaining rights to 80,000
agricultural workers in Ontario. The challenge was brought forward by
UFCW Canada, which has led a 20 year struggle to achieve labour rights
for domestic and migrant farm workers in Ontario. Shamefully, the decision
denied UFCW Canada’s challenge, even though the AEPA does not provide
any statutory obligation on farm employers to engage in collective bargaining
with their workers. Besides being a major setback in achieving fairness and
dignity for Ontario’s vulnerable agricultural workers, the Fraser decision will
likely have a major impact on future court challenges aimed at protecting
and enhancing the labour rights of Canadian workers.
The seminar allowed progressive labour law academics and union-side
lawyers to share analysis and interpretation of the decision, as well as insights
on how Fraser may be applied in current and future labour litigation. NUPGE
produced a report on the seminar, entitled The Labour Movement After Fraser,
which summarized the various presentations of a number of prominent
Canadian union leaders, lawyers and labour law academics who spoke at
the seminar.
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Current Charter Challenges Impacting On Union
Security In Canada
Recognizing the importance of Fraser and other Supreme Court decisions
on labour rights; NUPGE, under the auspices of our CFLR, has produced
a report providing a summary of each of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
challenges against labour laws and union security which are currently before
the Courts in Canada. Over the past year, this report has been updated on a
regular basis as each of the Charter cases proceeds through the Courts.
Our objective in producing this report, is to reinforce NUPGE’s
longstanding position that the labour movement needs to develop a
coordinated approach to these extremely important judicial decisions, and use
them to strategically advance labour rights in Canada.

Countering the Continued Attack on Labour Rights
NUPGE’s work on labour rights has taken on significant importance in
recent months as the federal government and various provincial governments
have ramped up the attack on unions. Since our last Convention in June 2010,
eleven pieces of legislation were passed in various jurisdictions of Canada
(bringing the total to 200 labour laws enacted since 1982) that restricted,
suspended or denied the collective bargaining rights of workers. NUPGE has
summarized each one of these 200 anti-union labour laws on our CFLR
web site – www.labourrights.ca.
The Harper Government recently passed Bill C-377, which imposes strict
and excessive financial reporting measures on unions that will add costs and
time-consuming administrative requirements to their normal activities. Under
the auspices of our CFLR, in October 2012 we produced a Submission to
the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-377, which
maintained that the draft legislation is a thinly disguised anti-union measure,
designed to upset the balance of power in collective bargaining relationships
across Canada.
The Harper government is also reportedly set to take a page out of
Ontario Conservative leader Tim Hudak’s anti-union book by introducing
American-style Right to Work legislation that will outlaw the Rand formula.
This will allow workers to opt out of paying for the union services they benefit
from. Right to Work legislation has been pushed by large corporate interests
to weaken unions and undermine their ability to negotiate fair wages and
benefits for workers. Earlier this year, NUPGE produced a research report
entitled Right to Work Laws and pamphlet entitled Right to Work Laws are All
Wrong, both countering the corporate myths behind Right to Work.
Saskatchewan Labour Law Reform
In May 2012, the Saskatchewan government released a Consultation Paper
on the Renewal of Labour Legislation which contained a series of anti-union
proposals which, if implemented, would have taken Saskatchewan from being
one of the most progressive jurisdictions on labour rights to the most antiunion
jurisdiction in North America. Some of the proposals included enacting
right to work legislation, excluding thousands of employees from the right to
collective bargaining, restricting unions from democratically deciding how they
spend dues revenues, and eliminating ‘dues check off’.
The National Union, recognizing the major threat to labour rights in
Saskatchewan and the possibility of this type of attack on unions spreading across
the country, was quick to provide support to our Saskatchewan Component,
SGEU/NUPGE, in building a strong fightback campaign. We produced a
research study entitled Saskatchewan’s Labour Law Review in relation to its
compatibility with ILO Freedom of Association Principles and Jurisprudence, which
identified over 20 of the proposals under consideration which would have
violated Canada’s international human rights and labour law commitments.
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Under the auspices of the CFLR, we produced a comprehensive
submission warning the government if it adopted the U.S.-style legislative
proposals, it would lead to labour relations instability and conflict which
would ultimately hurt the province’s strong economic growth. We also
commissioned a study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
(CCPA) entitled Unions in a Democratic Society: A Response to the
Consultation Paper on the Renewal of Labour Legislation in Saskatchewan,
which provided a critical review of the Consultation Paper’s orientation,
namely its lack of recognition of the role of labour rights in advancing
democracy, equality and economic justice.
Because of our work, and a strong on-the-ground campaign against the
legislative proposals by SGEU/NUPGE, the Saskatchewan government backed
off most of its radical proposals. The government, however, did pass Bill 85,
the Saskatchewan Employment Act last month which seriously erodes labour
rights in the province.
Among the changes, Bill 85 dramatically increases the number of
employees who are not eligible for union membership by declaring their job
duties confidential; imposes a separate bargaining unit for supervisors; and
encourages carve-out raids that will allow for the break-up of existing unions
into small fragments. It also allows for decertification attempts anytime after
the first 24 months of a certification order; imposes increased restrictions on
the bargaining process, such as a 14-day cooling off period before strike or
lockout can occur and a 48-hour strike notice requirement. Bill 85 also allows
an employer to identify any of its offers — including its first — as a ‘final offer’,
and can force a union to vote on it. It weakens workers’ rights to reasonable
work hours, overtime pay, meal breaks and weekends off.
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International Labour Organization (ILO)
The National Union continues to raise the profile of the International Labour
Organization (ILO) here in Canada. The ILO is an agency of the United Nations
responsible for developing and promoting international labour standards and
monitoring the adherence to them by countries around the world.
We have continued our campaign aimed at exposing the federal government’s
poor record at ratifying the ILO Conventions, which increasingly is becoming
an international embarrassment for Canada. Of the 31 ILO Conventions that
have been passed since 1982, Canada has only ratified eight. Of the ILO’s
total 189 Conventions, Canada has only ratified 34.
The National Union also has a longstanding tradition of submitting complaints
to the ILO’s Freedom of Association Committee against labour laws passed here
in Canada that violate the ILO’s international labour standards which Canadian
governments have agreed to respect. NUPGE has submitted more ILO
complaints than any other union in North America, filing a total of 32 complaints
over the past three decades. The ILO has ruled in our favour on every
complaint NUPGE has filed, finding the legislation which caused the complaint to
be in violation of the ILO’s Freedom of Association principles.

Labour Rights are Human Rights E-Bulletin
For the past seven years the National Union has been sending out monthly
Labour Rights are Human Rights E-Bulletins. These electronic bulletins are a way for
us to share news, research and trends on labour rights across Canada and around
the world with our Component activists and some 2,500 human rights activists,
progressive labour relations academics and union-side labour lawyers.
Promoting The Value Of Public Services
Fighting New Forms Of Privatization
THE NATIONAL UNION has consistently fought hard against privatization.
It flies in the face of our commitment to quality public services that support
families and strengthen communities.
Since privatization of public services was first introduced, there has been a
steady increase in the number of methods used to privatize public services.
Over the last three years, we’ve seen several new ways to privatize public
services emerge.
As with previous pushes to introduce new privatization schemes, the
National Union has been producing material to make people aware of the
damage new methods of privatization will cause and working with partners to
stop them.
Our report, New Forms of Privatization, and flyer, Privatization Same Old
Game Brand New Threats, provide an overview of latest schemes.
Of the new forms of privatization, Social Impact Bonds appear the most
dangerous. Because they allow governments to borrow money without it
appearing on their books as debt, Social Impact Bonds are spreading like the
flu in January.
The National Union has been at the forefront of the fight against Social
Impact Bonds. With working groups and allies, as well as through the Public
Services Foundation of Canada and the All Together Now! campaign, we’ve
raised awareness of how Social Impact Bonds can be used to privatize
services. Our publications, Social Impact Bonds: A new way to privatize public
services and Top 10 Reasons to Worry About Social Impact Bonds, provide
details on why Social Impact Bonds are a problem and are helping increase
opposition both inside and outside Canada.
From coast to coast, Components have been leading fights against
proposals to privatize services.
In British Columbia, the BCGEU/NUPGE succeeded in defeating the
government’s plan to privatize liquor warehouse services. In several other
provinces Components are working to stop liquor store privatization and
ensure residents continue to receive the benefits of keeping them public.
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NAPE/NUPGE is pointing out the weakness in the Newfoundland and
Labrador government’s plans to privatize Adult Basic Education as part of their
cuts to the College of the North Atlantic.
The New Brunswick Union (NBU/NUPGE) played a key role in the fight
against selling NB Power to Hydro Québec. Working in coalition with other
groups, NBU/NUPGE was part of the successful effort to stop what amounted
to the privatization of NB Power.
OPSEU/NUPGE is making the public aware of the problems with
privatizing ServiceOntario. In addition to the revenue impact of selling a
service that brings in $2.7 billion a year, privatization would result in reduced
government oversight and control over what happens to personal information
like birth certificates, drivers licenses, and health cards.
As part of the Seniors Task Force of Public Interest Alberta, HSAA/NUPGE
has been helping lead the fight against privatization of long-term care.
While new forms of privatization have the potential to do incredible
damage to quality public services, they are also a sign that campaigns against
privatization are having an impact.
With new ways to privatize services like Social Impact Bonds, proponents
are trying desperately to avoid using the word privatization. They know
people increasingly associate privatization with poorer service, reduced access,
higher costs, and less transparency and accountability.
We have spent a lot of time fighting privatization. When many privatization
proponents are trying not to use the word “privatization” to describe their
proposals, we know that was time well spent.
Campaign to protect and expand medicare
MEDICARE REMAINS THE quintessential Canadian social program. A
true marriage of values and vision. As such it is Canadians’ most prized public
service. However, it has been under sustained attack by those who would
turn it into a for-profit system. The National Union has been a strong and
active voice in the movement to defend and expand Canada’s single-payer
public health care system.
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Coalition Building
We continue to build and strengthen partnerships with other unions and
social justice allies both within Canada and internationally. As a member of
the Canadian Health Coalition, including a seat on the Board of Directors,
we keep up to date on national policy developments. Along with our
Components we continue to be one of the most prominent and important
organizations in supporting, and promoting, provincial health coalitions. We
continue to work closely with both Canadian Doctors for Medicare and the

U.S.-based Physicians for a National Health Program.
Promoting Public Solutions
The National Union continues to promote its 10 step plan to defend,
expand and improve on the quality health care that Canadians enjoy. While
initially promoted as a way to address long wait-times, we have found that
these issues remain a pressing concern for Canadians. We are gratified that
other organizations are starting to adopt and promote many of the initiatives
we have advocated. The 10 Steps to Better and Faster Care are:
• STEP 1 – More Health Professionals
• STEP 2 – A National Home Care Program
• STEP 3 – A National Pharmacare Program
• STEP 4 – Better Nursing Home Care for the Elderly
• STEP 5 – More Public Investment in Dental Care and Oral
Health Promotion
• STEP 6 – A National Mental Health Strategy
• STEP 7 – Accurate Information and Evidence to Make Better Decisions
• STEP 8 – Primary Care Reform and Expansion
• STEP 9 – More Focus on Prevention, Promotion and Public
Health Initiatives
• STEP 10 – Better Chronic Disease Management
Our campaign materials continue to be requested and widely distributed. With
the expected demise of the 2004 Health Accord, we are developing material
based on the 10 steps which argues that we can afford them if the federal
government chose to play a more positive role in health care.
Fighting Private Health Care
Unfortunately, the privatization threat appears to be, once again, rising.
The National Union and our Components have, along with coalition partners,
been on the front lines of efforts to oppose health care privatization initiatives
across Canada.
As a member of the Canadian Health Coalition, we have participated
in national campaigns against health care privatization. This includes strong
participation on the anti-privatization working group of the Canadian
Health Coalition. Furthermore, the National Union and our members
have been prominent participants in the annual Medicare Week lobby of
Members of Parliament.
Despite ample evidence of the policy failure of Public-Private Partnerships
(P3s), they continue to be advanced by governments across Canada. We have
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worked with health coalition partners to once again update the influential, and
widely read, report P3s: Flawed, Failed, Abandoned and will be re-releasing
it during the upcoming meeting of Premiers in July, 2013. This report builds
upon the original report that described100 P3 projects from across Canada
which have been proven to be failures.
We continue our partnership with Canadian Doctors for Medicare
with the intent of lobbying the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to
be stronger supporters of public Medicare. These efforts have had some
success as recently elected CMA presidents have been defenders of public
health care. The National Union endorsed the recent CMA report Principles
to Guide Health Care Transformation (HCT) in Canada that showed definite
improvement over previous policy statements by the CMA.
The 2008 economic crisis is still being felt by all governments in Canada.
The false argument that the system is financially unsustainable is being used
once again to push for increased introduction of for-profit health care. Since
our last Convention we have seen funding cuts and increasing pressure on
hospitals to reduce spending. The National Union and our Components and
coalition partners continue to fight these budget cuts and defend services for
families and communities wherever they arise.
The National Union, our Components and our health care allies have also
played an important role in demanding that the Harper government enforce
the provisions of the Canada Health Act.
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Demise of the 10-year Health Accord
The 2004 Health Accord (which pertains to the Canada Health Transfer
[CHT]), negotiated between the federal government and the provinces and
territories, expires in 2014. It has played a significant and positive role in
putting our Medicare on a more stable footing. The provinces were able to
budget on stable and predictable funding from the federal government.
However, the Harper government is not committed to renewing the
Health Accord. The federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, has announced that
the federal government will extend the six per cent escalator clause, part of
the 2004 Health Accord, for the CHT only until the 2016-17 fiscal year. After
that, until at least 2024, annual increases in the CHT will be tied to the growth
in the nominal Gross Domestic Product (the GDP adjusted for inflation).
Ultimately, this would reduce the amount of money transferred to the
provinces for health care. The Ontario Department of Finance projects that
the Harper government’s decision could remove as much as $36 billion in
support for health care across the country. Indeed it reflects the desire of the
Harper government to play almost no role in establishing national standards
for Medicare.
The National Union presented a Submission to the Parliamentary Committee
on the Review of the Progress in Implementing the 2004 Health Accord, which
served as the foundation for future work on campaigning for a renewal of the

Health Accord. While making the submission the National Union criticized
the Harper government’s decision to have the unelected Senate conduct
the second mandatory review of the 2004 Health Accord. The previous
review was conducted in 2008 by the House of Commons Standing
Committee on Health.
From the submission we produced the pamphlet Medicare: the Big Kiss Off
and the fact sheet Our Medicare: Back to the Negotiating Table.
The National Union and our Components have been vocal in arguing that
health care spending is not a problem. Total health care spending, as a per
cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is currently just slightly higher
today than its previous peak in 1992. However, all levels of government have
cut taxes so drastically that they’ve reduced their revenue by six per cent of
GDP – that’s a loss of $90 billion in revenue every year. That’s more than
enough money to not only strengthen our current Medicare system, but to
also expand it. It’s all about priorities and choices.
To highlight this fact, in the build up to the May 2011 federal election the
National Union produced a popular poster called Whose Canada! Health
Care. The poster highlighted that while Canadians placed a high priority on
expanding and defending health care, the Harper government gave more
priority to things like tax cuts and military spending.
The National Union worked closely with our ally the Public Services
Foundation of Canada to produce the research paper The Sky is Not Falling in
2011. The paper was well-researched but accessible, debunking the myth that
health care spending is out of control.
The National Union and our Components will be playing a strong and
vocal role during the public events taking place in Niagara-on-the-Lake in July,
2013, around the Council of the Federation meeting. This is the last meeting
of the Premiers and Territorial Leaders before the 2004 Health Accord expires
and it is hoped that our actions will help push the negotiations back onto the
public agenda.
Pharmacare
The single biggest cost driver to our Medicare system is prescription
medications. We know from international examples that a national pharmacare
program would not only benefit millions of Canadians, it would significantly
reduce many health care budgets. Under the umbrella of the Canadian Health
Coalition we assisted in the publication of the costs and benefits of a Pharmacare
program. The report, The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare, received
considerable attention and coverage in the major media.
Expanding on the successful release of the report, the National Union
and Components have been lobbying provincial health ministries to further
advocate for pharmacare. We are seeing some progress as the provinces are
starting to call for a national bulk buying program.
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To keep the pressure up the National Union and our Components
helped the Canadian Health Coalition host a highly successful conference on
pharmacare. The conference was attended by policy and decision makers
from across Canada.
Mental Health Services
Since presenting our 14-page report to the Mental Health Commission
of Canada (MHCC) in 2008 we have enjoyed a strong relationship with the
organization. Many of our recommendations, in particular in the criminal justice
sector, were included in the MHCC’s recently released national strategy for
mental health care.
The National Union and our Components have continued to advocate for
the adoption of the mental health strategy. While it may not go as far as we
might hope, it does represent a strong step forward.
From out of the MHCC was launched the organization Partners for Mental
Health, which is intended to be an advocacy organization for mental health care
in Canada. The National Union has worked closely with Partners for Mental
Health and is supporting their new Not Myself Today Campaign about mental
health issues in the workplace.
As part of the All Together Now! Campaign, days of action were held nationally
focusing on the theme of No more corporate tax cuts. We want more resources
for mental health services.
Events took place across Canada from February 28 to March 6, 2011, and
highlighted the growing public demand for increased resources for mental health
services at a time when governments are choosing to cut corporate taxes even
further. The National Union prepared a poster for distribution and provided
support to participating components.
In addition, the National Union convened two roundtables on mental health
and addiction issues for our members. The first involved members from a
broad range of sectors that work with people with mental health and addiction
problems. The other focused exclusively on the justice sector.
We also convened a meeting of Correctional Officers and Youth Facility
Workers to coincide with a meeting of Justice Ministers in Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island in order to highlight the situation of offenders with mental health
and addiction problems. Our members participated in a press conference and
meetings with government officials to great effect.
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Long-Term Care And Canada’s Elderly
The National Union continues to demand widespread reforms to the
manner in which long-term residential care for seniors is financed and
delivered. We updated and distributed the research document Dignity Denied:
Long-term Care and Canada’s Elderly. This report has been widely used by

oth our activists and other organizations in lobbying for changes to Canada’s
long-term care services.
We also continue to collaborate with researchers at York University on
international comparisons of working conditions for those employed in
long-term care. More recently we assisted them on their study of the use of
regulations in the sector and the impact on workers.
During the 2011 Medicare Week, home support workers from across the
country participated in the Canadian Health Coalition’s lobby of Members
of Parliament. They presented a number of MPs and policy makers with the
need for reform of Canada’s support for our elderly.
Home Support Workers Meeting
Representatives of Component Home Support Workers met in Ottawa
in November 2011 to discuss issues of importance to the sector. Two
key issues discussed were the challenge of recruitment and retention
of workers, especially as the existing workforce ages, and the need for
improved training opportunities.
The recruitment and retention issue is strongly connected to the low wages
that workers in the sector are paid. Trained and experienced staff working in
home support will often take jobs in facility based health care as the wages
and benefits are better. This results in, for most regions, an almost constant
turnover of staff. This is especially difficult for many clients who develop a
relationship with the care provider. It can also result in increased caseloads
for existing workers as they are forced to fill in for vacant positions. The
recruitment and retention issue is also becoming more pronounced as many
of the older workers in the sector retire or leave as a result of the physical
demands of the job.
Participants also reported a substantial problem with increased demand
for credentialed workers in the sector. As clients are released from hospital
with more acute health care needs the demand for greater training for home
support workers increases. This has put some increased pressure on those
workers who have been employed in the sector for considerable periods of
time. Also, given the low wages, as the demand for greater training increases
fewer workers are motivated to enter the sector.
Another issue that was common for most workers in the sector was unpaid
work. In particular this refers to not being compensated for the time required
to travel to appointments. But, in addition, many workers will not claim extra
time spent with clients out of concern for the individuals’ needs and fear of
management reprisal.
A growing concern for the participants was the demand by employers for
criminal records checks. Often, with some exceptions, the burden of paying
for these is placed on the worker.
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Licensed and Registered Practical Nurses Working Session
In January 2012, the National Union convened a meeting of Component
Licensed and Registered Practical Nurses (LPNs/RPNs) in Victoria, B.C. to
coincide with a meeting of the Council of the Federation. Joining the meeting
were a number of guests from B.C.’s Health Employees Union (HEU/CUPE).
The meeting was intended to provide an opportunity for the LPNs/RPNs
to discuss and develop strategy around the following issues:
• Government relations and collective bargaining environment across
the country.
• Negotiations for a new Canada Health Transfer and Health Accord,
and the meeting of the Council of the Federation being held at the
same time.
• Health human resources and LPNs/RPNs scope of practice.
• Building greater respect and recognition for LPNs/RPNs and how to
ensure they are recognized as independent professional nurses that
have the ability to work to their full scope of practice.
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Participants were also able to share information and strategies on issues
such as collective bargaining, significant grievance decisions, campaigns and
other major developments.
When we met, several unions were either currently engaged in or gearing up
for major rounds of collective bargaining. Most recognized that they were facing
a tough round of bargaining with several governments setting a mandate of zero
percent wage increases and/or threatening wage freezes through legislation.
There are several media and advertising campaigns underway across the
country as a way to raise the profile of LPN/RPNs and the important role they
play in the health care system.
In several provinces, the budget for health care services has been frozen
and there have already been program cuts and layoffs. There was significant
concern expressed about the potential for deeper cuts in upcoming
government budgets and the impact on individuals, families and communities
across the country.
In response, there are provincial campaigns underway to oppose any cuts to
health care funding and any attempt to privatize services. In several provinces there
are strong health coalitions in place to develop and coordinate these campaigns.
It was agreed that it is important for the constituent unions to continue
working with their allies in the labour movement, community organizations
and progressive coalitions to spread the message that investing in public
services such as health care is the best way to support vulnerable families and
create good jobs.
Participants also had an opportunity to join with their allies in rallies, press
conferences and other public events highlighting health care that were organized
by the British Columbia Health Coalition in response to the Premiers’ gathering.
Afterwards participants drafted and released a Statement Urging Premiers to
Adopt Key Principles to Protect and Strengthen Public Medicare.

Canadian Health Professionals
Secretariat (CHPS)
OUR HEALTH SCIENCE professionals play a vital role as members of
Canada’s health care system. The Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat
(CHPS), an advocacy body created by the National Union, brings together
about 80,000 unionized health science professionals represented by National
Union Components and independent unions in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and
Newfoundland & Labrador.
Since our last Convention, CHPS has held six meetings, providing an
opportunity for representatives to discuss bargaining and public policy as well
as to develop strategies to raise the profile of health science professionals.
In addition, the CHPS meetings have allowed members to develop and
strengthen relationships with the numerous professional associations who
have been invited to present.
CHPS members have become increasingly interested in the ongoing
negotiations for a Health Accord. In 2011, along with the National Union,
CHPS drafted a Submission to the Parliamentary Committee on the Review of
the Progress in Implementing the 2004 Health Accord. We have heard that
the Submission was well received by some members of the committee and
provided valuable discussion points.
In recent years, NUPGE has worked closely with the members of CHPS
to pressure governments to strengthen the capacity to protect health care
workers and all Canadians during a pandemic. Most recently, our efforts in
this area have focused on preparing for, and responding to, the H1N1 flu
virus which hit Canada in the spring of 2009. More details about our work on
Pandemic Planning and the H1N1 outbreak can be found in later sections of
this report.
Public Education And Training
Education and Training Working Group
The National Union’s Education and Training Working Group have met
twice since our last Convention (February 2011 and 2012) to discuss issues
related to bargaining and public policy in the post-secondary education (PSE)
sector. Specific issues explored included:
• Recent collective bargaining trends.
• Financing of Canada’s colleges and universities.
• Workload issues.
• Privatization.
• Changing role of colleges.
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• Policies and procedures for dealing with student appeals.
• Intellectual property rights.
• Academic freedom.
• Trade deals that will impact Canada’s public education system.
Given the importance of apprenticeship issues to the Working Group it
was decided to create an advisory committee to the group to focus specifically
on apprenticeship. Once all Components have identified members for the
advisory committee a conference call will be convened.
Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and CLC
Apprenticeship Committee
Despite the purported commitment of the Harper government
to education and skills training, they cut all funding to the Canadian
Apprenticeship Forum (CAF).
The CAF is a federally chartered, multi-partite, not-for-profit organization
working to influence pan-Canadian apprenticeship strategies through research,
discussion and collaboration with the apprenticeship community. It has
provided research insights, facilitated dialogue, profiled promising initiatives and
promoted apprenticeship. By creating opportunities to share successes and
address common issues, CAF has contributed to effective local, regional
and national solutions.
The CAF has managed to raise enough funds to be self-sustaining for the
short to medium term. As a result of funding pressures, the new board for
the CAF has been reduced from 40 members to 10. To compensate for
the reduced participation on the board two committees have been created
looking at promotions and research. NUPGE is looking into having Brother
Dan Bradford (BCGEU/NUPGE) sit on the research committee.
In addition, Dan is also the National Union’s representative on the
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) apprenticeship committee. The CLC
committee has scheduled meetings and one of the issues they will be looking
at are the education and training announcements in the 2013 federal budget.
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Apprenticeship and Canada’s Skills Crisis
The weakness of Canada’s apprenticeship programs is a major reason
Canada has a skills shortage even though over one million Canadians are
unemployed. In response, the National Union worked with Canadians for
a Modern Industrial Strategy (CMIS) to produce a wide-reaching paper,
Enhanced Apprenticeship: Key to solving Canada’s skills crisis, looking at why
more Canadians aren’t in apprenticeship programs.
This paper looks at the issues in concrete terms and proposes possible
solutions. The hope is that the paper generates a much-needed dialogue
around solving Canada’s skills issues – a dialogue we feel is well overdue.

Coalition building
We continue to work with other unions and allies in the public education
sector. We are a member of the Public Education Network (PEN), which
includes national education unions and student groups. In recent years,
this coalition has focused on pressuring the federal government to increase
transfers to provinces for PSE and to ensure greater accountability in how the
funds are used.
We continue to support the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and
have provided logistics and financial assistance to the annual CFS Day of Action
to reduce tuition fees.
Social Services
WITH THE CANADA Social Transfer (CST), a critical source of funding
for social services, coming up for renegotiation in 2014, the National Union
has been working to increase awareness and mobilize support for protecting
and strengthening it. Letter writing campaigns through the All Together Now!
campaign call on the federal government to increase the Canada Social
Transfer (CST) and Canada Health Transfer (CHT). We produced a fact
sheet specifically for community-based social services and it has been
discussed at the working group meetings for social services workers.
Partnering with allies like the Canadian Association of Social Workers
(CASW) has allowed us to co-ordinate strategy and actions.
NUPGE has been at the forefront of efforts to make people aware of
the threat Social Impact Bonds and other new forms of privatization that
target social services pose and the need to oppose them.
Through the Public Services Foundation of Canada (PSFC), the hearings
of the Ontario Commission on Quality Public Services and Tax Fairness
provided a safe public space for providers, clients and families to discuss
common concerns.
November 6th, Community Social Service Workers Appreciation Day,
continues to provide an opportunity to draw attention to the valuable
service provided by community-based social service workers and the
challenges they face. Since 2010 Walk a shift in our shoes has been a
chance to educate politicians about the importance of the work done by
our members and the consequences of cuts. The CST postcard campaign
which accompanies the day has helped generate support for renewing and
improving federal funding for social services.
Campaign tools for our Components and community partners to use
have been updated, and new materials have been added to the website
at www.cssworkerscare.ca.
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The number of official proclamations issued for Community-based
Social Service Workers Appreciation Day continues to grow. We are now
at over 100.
The National Union has recognized the valuable contribution made
by social service workers by supporting the Community Social Services
Awareness Month, held in March, and its associated activities.
The National Union has supported our Components and front
line community-based social services workers in their efforts to gain
reasonable wages, benefits and working conditions. All too often, with
funding for social services frozen or failing to keep pace with demand,
employers expect workers to pay the price. Even though wages and
benefits for workers in community-based social services are already low,
getting fair agreements has required tough bargaining and, in some cases,
strike action.
Working Session for Child Protection Workers
In February 2012, the National Union held a two-day Working Session for
Child Protection Workers from across Canada to discuss a range of concerns.
The participants discussed the challenges facing workers in the sector, including:
• Problems with recruitment and retention of workers.
• Public inquiries around incidents involving children in care.
• Changes to protection services for Aboriginal children.
• Workload issues.
• Violence in the workplace.
Working Session for Developmental Services Workers
In May 2012, a two-day Working Session for Developmental Services
Workers was held to discuss issues of common concern. Among the policy
and labour relations issues participants discussed were:
• Multi-union sectoral bargaining.
• Property management issues regarding group homes.
• Retention of workers.
• Workplace violence.
• Inadequate funding.
• Staff/client ratios.
Working Session for Income Maintenance Workers
In April 2012, the National Union held a two-day Working Session for
Income Maintenance Workers in Ottawa to discuss a broad range of policy
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issues and labour relations developments across the country. Delegates
discussed issues affecting the sector including:
• Introduction of computerized record systems.
• Recruitment and retention of workers.
• Excessive workloads.
• Bullying of workers by management and an increase of instances of
threats by clients.
Publications
• In September 2010 we produced an updated version of the
Community-based Social Services Appreciation Day Kit.
• In May 2012 we produced Canada Social Transfer Fact Sheet,
Community-based Social Services.
• In June 2013 the first version of our audit of how communitybased
social services are delivered in each province or territory was
released (and is available on request at this convention).
Early Childhood Education and
Child Care Campaign
WORKING WITH COALITIONS and our Components, the National
Union has continued to campaign for a universal, affordable and high
quality Early Childhood Education and Care program in Canada. The
statistics continue to reinforce the drastic need for child care such as
the fact that there are only regulated spaces for approximately 20% of
children even though 70% of Canadian women are in the workforce.
The urgent need for a national child care program is a central message
in both the Life/ Work Balance: Quality of Women’s Lives project and the All
Together Now! Campaign’s Women 4 Change.
The Quality of Women’s Lives Survey conducted in 2010 reflected the
strain placed on women dealing with their workplace responsibilities
while juggling the difficulties of arranging and scheduling child care. It
highlights the fact that the resulting strain is creating increased health
issues for women, curtailing their ability to be active within their union
and their community and in the pursuit of political office.
Women 4 Change highlights the issue as well and points to the fact that
there has been no economic investment in child care. Women 4 Change
promotes the message that public policies on issues such as child care
must become a priority for all levels of government.
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The National Union has continued to promote and provide financial
support to the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada, a national
coalition of labour, women’s groups and social justice organizations.
We have also promoted and financially supported the Child Care
Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, organized by
the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. The purpose of this annual
event is to acknowledge the important contributions that ECE workers
make to children and to our society.
The National Union was an active member of the Federal Child Care
Human Resources Sector Council (CCHRSC). The CCHRSC brought
together child care and labour organizations and representatives of the
child care workforce to address the sector’s human resources problems.
Since its inception, the CCHRSC has developed major research,
products and resources pertinent to the sector. In 2011 the government
announced that core funding for all sector councils would be phased out
March 2013. In September 2012 the CCHRSC Board made the difficult
decision to dissolve the organization as of March 2013.
Criminal Justice System
38
A National Voice For Provincial Criminal Justice Workers
The National Union represents possibly the greatest range of occupations
in Canada’s justice system. We have members in every aspect of the criminal
justice system. As such we offer a unique and positive perspective on the
administration of justice in this country.
We have established ourselves as a leading voice for progressive measures
in the justice system that protect public safety, defend our members’ rights and
safety, and further the rehabilitation of offenders and their reintegration back
into society.
Unfortunately, our criminal justice system, and our members, are being
stretched to the limits. Our members in the sector have unmanageable
workloads and are facing growing levels of violence. In the adult correctional
system we are seeing severe overcrowding of inmates, aging and run-down
facilities and high workloads. It is not if a serious incident will take place in
many facilities, but only when.
Recent labour disputes in Ontario and Alberta have served to highlight the
health and safety problems confronting correctional officers. This is a problem
in every province in this country. Health and safety concerns are highest in
those facilities that utilize a Direct Supervision model without adequate staff to
inmate ratios.
It is also expected that the overcrowding crisis in our provincial correctional
facilities will only worsen, as federal legislation increasing mandatory sentences

and curtailing the use of conditional sentencing will increase the counts in
our jails. There is a serious disconnect between the federal government
implementing legislation that affects provincial justice systems without also
providing the necessary financial resources to respond.
Following the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) we saw
a significant decline in the number of youth being placed into custody in almost
every jurisdiction. Unfortunately, there remains a decided lack of community
programs available for young offenders. We have seen a number of youth
correctional facilities closed and the layoff of a number of our members who
work in youth corrections.
As the National Union and its Components warned legislators, the YCJA
has both created problems for some young people in conflict with the law and
made our communities less safe. Despite promises by the Harper government
to reform the YCJA, to date we have only seen minor revisions to the Act.
We have repeatedly brought problems with the YCJA to the attention of the
Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice. As the union that represents so many
of Canada’s justice workers, we feel that the federal government should be
consulting our members more extensively on any legislative or policy changes
that affect our criminal justice system.
Need for federal government to step forward
In many cases the National Union has supported provincial governments
in calling on the federal government to provide the provinces with more
financial resources. It stands to reason that any federal legislation implemented
that represents a stronger response to crime will increase Canada’s inmate
population. This will first be felt by our provincial prisons and justice services.
From increased numbers in remand to those serving sentences of less than
two years, our provincial facilities will feel the pressure.
This analysis has been confirmed for our members in a number of
provinces. Many provinces are starting to plan for 10% - 25% increases in the
number of offenders under their administration.
Many of these new pieces of federal legislation come with large price tags,
much of which is being placed on provincial budgets. This has been confirmed
by the federal Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO). Sahir Khan,
Assistant Parliamentary Budget Officer on Expenditure and Revenue Analysis,
presented on this issue to our members at the 2010 Working Session. Sahir
explained the methodology of the research that the PBO conducted and the
implications for provincial correctional facilities.
This has had a direct impact on the working conditions of our members
and the quality of treatment and rehabilitation programs. The National Union
and our Components strongly think that if the federal government is going to
pass tough on crime legislation then it must also provide the provinces with
more financial resources.
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Mental health and the criminal justice system
The National Union and its Components have been, and will continue to
be, leaders in demanding more humane ways of dealing with offenders with
mental health and addiction problems. These offenders far too often present a
danger to themselves, other prisoners and our members.
We have worked to highlight the problem of individuals with mental
health and addiction problems ending up in our prisons instead of receiving
the supports they need. The growing number of mentally ill offenders in our
provincial facilities is exacerbating an already difficult overcrowding problem.
We worked closely with the Mental Health Commission of Canada to
ensure that our concerns were included in the national mental health strategy.
A large number of representatives from the justice sector attended a
National Union conference in October 2010 that focused on Mental Health
Issues. One of the sessions of the conference looked at mental health and
addiction problems in provincial correctional facilities. This helped build
support for our demands in the justice sector among the professionals from
other sectors in attendance. It also led to the holding of national days of action
in early 2011.
To further push this issue we convened a Working Session for Correctional
Officers and Youth Facility Workers to coincide with a meeting of provincial
Justice ministers in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, for January 2012.
Our members participated in a national press conference on the issue and
met with some key provincial government ministers.
40
Working session for Correctional Officers and Youth
Facility Workers
The annual Working Session for Correctional Officers and Youth Facility
Workers continues to be an important venue for our members to meet and
discuss common issues. The meeting is held just prior to the Peace Officers’
Memorial Service held on Parliament Hill on the last Sunday in September.
One of the projects the National Union undertakes regularly is the Collective
Bargaining Analysis for Correctional Offi cers and Youth Facility Workers. This
document provides a comparison of bargaining structures, wages, working
conditions and benefits for provincial correctional officers across the country.
Another research project from the Working Session is the comparison of
Correctional Officers’ wages with counterparts in the federal system and with
uniformed RCMP officers. The 2009 report, Unequal Partners, is currently
being updated with a plan for release in 2013.
The National Union web page for the corrections sector also provides
regularly updated information on developments among NUPGE Components
and at the national level. Many members of our union, the public and the
media use it as a resource.

Canadian Peace Officer Memorial Day
The National Union continues to support the Canadian Peace Officers’
Memorial Service, honouring those peace officers who have died in the line
of duty. As the national memorial service has gained prominence we have
seen, assisted by our Components, the establishment of memorial services
in most provinces.
Working session for Probation Officers
Working Sessions for Component representatives of Probation Officers
were held in January of 2008 and October 2009. These sessions examined
a broad range of challenges facing workers in the sector, including collective
bargaining, working conditions, caseloads and health and safety issues.
During the 2008 session we met with federal opposition justice critics:
Liberal MP Marlene Jennings and NDP MP Joe Comartin. We urged the
MPs to advocate for Probation Officers to be included as Public Safety
Occupations under the Income Tax Act so they can be eligible for a higher
pension accrual rate.
Pension accrual rate
In 2005 the federal budget, as a result of lobbying by the National Union
and other organizations, increased the pension accrual rate to 2.33% for all
public safety officers, including correctional officers. The National Union has
used this victory as the basis to continue urging the federal government to
expand the definition of public safety occupations to include other workers
in the justice system – such as Sheriffs, Conservation Officers and Probation
Officers. To date the Harper government refuses to expand the list.
Unfortunately, there has yet to be a union that has successfully bargained
the increased pension accrual rate. Some Components feel they are getting
closer and it is hoped that this breakthrough will happen in the coming years.
The Environment
THE NATIONAL UNION and our Components continue to be a strong
voice on behalf of the environment. We have created a number of documents
that remain important tools in our work:
• Keeping our Cool: A Climate Change Primer
• Go Green Now: Top 5 ways for governments to confront the climate crisis
• Confronting Climate Change: A just transition to green jobs
• Fact sheet: Building a green economy
These publications remain among our most popularly requested
and distributed.
41

Continue to advocate for action on the climate crisis
The climate crisis is one that demands coordinated action within Canada
and internationally.
Unfortunately, the Harper government continues to be a block to progress
both domestically and around the globe. It is an embarrassment that Canada
is frequently called out by international organizations as a barrier to progress
– winning Fossil of the Day awards for comments made at a number of
international gatherings – on the issue.
In 2011, the National Union played a strong role in organizing a protest
on Parliament Hill about the oil sands. At the gathering a large number of
protesters, including members of the National Union, participated in nonviolent
civil disobedience actions.
Through letters, opinion pieces for newspapers and online
commentaries we continue to call on the Harper government to take
action on the climate crisis.
Coalition building
The National Union and our Components recognize that addressing
climate change requires working with a diverse group of organizations. For
that reason we have joined a number of coalitions and networks.
We remain an active member in the Climate Action Network – Canada
(CAN-C). The membership of this national coalition includes a broad range of
environment, labour, development and social justice organizations.
The National Union has also participated in the creation of Blue Green
Canada, an alliance between Canadian labour unions, and environmental and
civil society organizations. Blue Green Canada advocates for working people
and the environment by promoting solutions to environmental issues that
have positive employment and economic impacts.
We are also a member of the Green Economy Network which is
comprised of unions, and environmental and social justice organizations to
form a common front of civil society groups to build a green economy in
Canada. Currently the Network is working on a campaign about sustainable
transportation.
The National Union also joined thousands of Canadians in a mass online
action opposing a Conservative budget bill that dramatically transformed our
environmental protections. In the absence of transparent public discussion,
NUPGE joined with faith groups, trade unions, associations, businesses, First
Nations, environment groups, human rights groups, pro democracy groups
and seniors, across the country, to say “Silence is Not an Option.”
42
Taking practical steps to fight climate change
We recognize that unions as organizations can take practical steps to help
address the climate crisis. Following our last Convention, NUPGE and its

Components continue to implement initiatives to raise awareness and reduce
our own carbon footprint, including:
• Increased use of video and web conferencing.
• Buying carbon offsets when required to travel.
• Conducting and acting on energy audits of our buildings.
• Using recycled paper.
• A bottled water phase-out.
• Support for community groups and coalitions.
• Member education.
• Suggesting ways to use collective bargaining to help workplaces
reduce their carbon footprint.
Other initiatives on environmental issues
The National Union has also endorsed and been actively involved in a
variety of other environmental events including:
• Earth Hour (2010, 2011, 2012)
• International Climate Day of Action (2010, 2011, 2012)
• Annual Earth Day on April 22nd
• Bottled Water Free Day on March 11 (2010, 2011, 2012)
Public Liquor Sales And Distribution
FOR THE PAST 25 years the National Union has been bringing
elected representatives employed with provincial Liquor Boards and
Component staff who work with these members together to discuss
bargaining, workplace issues and legislative and policy initiatives of
governments that impact our members employed in the public liquor
sales and distribution sector.
We held a meeting of this group in Vancouver in May 2012 which
primarily focused on assisting BCGEU/NUPGE develop a fightback
campaign against the B.C. government’s decision to privatize the B.C.
Liquor Distribution Branch. Our Components’ collective experience in
fighting the privatization of public liquor sales and distribution proved
to be of tremendous help to the BCGEU/NUPGE in designing a
successful campaign which ultimately led the B.C. government to back
off from its privatization plans.
The threat of privatization continues to be raised in several
provinces. Since our last Convention, the Saskatchewan government
has announced that it will allow private stores to open to compete
with public stores. We are also facing creeping privatization in some
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provinces through the expansion of private agency stores in rural areas.
In 2011, both the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick raised
the possibility of selling public liquor stores to private interests.
Again, because of our campaign efforts, both governments changed
their position, acknowledging the importance of the huge revenues
from public liquor sales in contributing to the costs of valuable public
services. We continue to monitor this threat and are ready to use the
collective knowledge and campaign skills of our Components in fighting
any further privatization attempts.
Work With Other Public Sector
Occupational Groups
44
Forest Fire Protection Workers Working Session
The National Union convened a working session for Component Forest
Fire Protection Workers in Victoria, British Columbia, in March of 2012. There
were a number of shared concerns expressed by the participants from across
the country.
Participants discussed how provincial budget issues, following the 2008
economic crisis, had resulted in a very difficult bargaining climate. This was
being compounded by serious restrictions being placed on the labour rights of
public sector workers in some provinces.
Another growing problem was with the recruitment and retention of
workers. When senior employees leave the sector there is a considerable
loss of knowledge and experience. The recruitment and retention issues are
particularly difficult in northern regions.
An ongoing concern for the participants has been the fitness tests required
to be completed by returning employees and new applicants. Historically,
many of the tests used had serious limitations. In particular, there was a
discriminatory aspect to these tests as a higher proportion of female applicants
failed them. Also, frequently the task assigned during the test did not reflect
the actual work required. The National Union and its Components had
repeatedly raised this concern with various governments.
In response to such concerns, a national study was conducted with
the intention of creating a national standardized fitness test, the National
Fitness Test (NFT), for fire protection workers. While Component forest fire
protection worker representatives felt that a new standardized test was a step
forward, they were concerned, upon examining the NFT, that the test may
result in increased injury for applicants. In particular, a test of going downhill
on a treadmill with a weighted pack was a task that members expressed
trepidation about.

Furthermore, there were worries that the NFT might discriminate against
older workers. This could have serious consequences for these members as
they may be ineligible for hire in their home province and will definitely not be
allowed to work out of province.
A follow-up conference call focusing on the NFT was hosted by the
National Union in April of 2013. Components reported that they were
waiting for a number of those who had initially failed the NFT to retake the
test before deciding how to proceed. There did seem to be a bias in the
test against older workers and, in one Component, a higher proportion of
female applicants failed. This remains an issue that the National Union and our
Components will follow closely.
Highway Maintenance Workers Meeting
The National Union hosted a meeting of highway maintenance workers
in Ottawa, Ontario, in May of 2012. It was intended to provide workers in
the sector, from across Canada, the opportunity to explore common issues
and concerns.
Participants also discussed the current bargaining climate for the sector. In
the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis, many provincial governments have
embarked on budget cutting exercises. This has put significant pressure on
Components and members. A number of employers are seeking to restrict wage
increases and to make cuts to pensions.
Participants were very concerned about the attack on labour rights in
Saskatchewan. In particular, they felt that the Wall government’s efforts to further
restrict the right to strike and the implementation of essential services legislation
could be policies that would be imported into their provinces.
Privatization was a considerable threat for the participants from Saskatchewan
and Prince Edward Island. Saskatchewan’s Wall government, prior to the last
provincial election, had publicly mused about privatizing the maintenance of the
province’s highways. This was partially a response to the impact that highway
maintenance had during the last SGEU/NUPGE strike.
However, based on the information gained at the 2007 Highway Maintenance
Workers meeting, SGEU/NUPGE worked closely with BCGEU/NUPGE to
prepare a response to the threat. While the government was re-elected with a
majority, they have moved considerably away from the sweeping privatizations
they had threatened. In particular, the Wall government has backed significantly
away from privatizing the maintenance of the province’s highways.
Participants from Prince Edward Island expressed concerns that the province
was moving towards privatizing highway maintenance. While there had been no
public announcement on the issue, there were some changes introduced that
gave hints that privatization is being considered.
The other participants noted that widespread privatization does not appear to
be a major threat at the moment but there has been some small moves in this
45

direction. The discussion reminded participants that they need to be vigilant in
watching for any possible moves towards privatization. It is much easier to prevent
it from occurring than to undo the damage later.
Health and safety issues were also a serious concern for the participants.
Following the presentation at the previous highway maintenance workers meeting,
there had been strong progress on provinces passing legislation about speeding
in a work zone. In particular, NAPE/NUPGE used some of the information
presented at the meeting to push for the adoption of the legislation.
The other major health and safety concern was the pressure on workers to
approve and operate unsafe equipment. Some mechanics are under pressure to
approve equipment that does not meet a full inspection. Many drivers, particularly
part-time and casual, fear losing their jobs if they refuse to operate equipment.
Pensions And Retirement Security
A MAJORITY OF Canadian workers who will retire in the next decade
do not have a pension plan and are unable to adequately save for their
retirement. As a result, Canada is facing a retirement security crisis.
Despite the Harper government’s best efforts to ignore this crisis, decent
pensions and retirement security remains on the top of Canada’s national
policy agenda. NUPGE has devoted a great deal of time and resources to
this important portfolio to ensure that we are at the front and centre of
the debate.
We continue to support our Components’ efforts to obtain pension
plans for those members who do not have access to a workplace pension
plan. We continue to promote and defend the quality defined-benefit
plans that many of our members have. We also continue to be active
participants in the CLC Retirement Security campaign by using every
opportunity to lobby for an expansion of our public pensions system to
ensure it provides adequate retirement benefits for all Canadians.
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ATN Champions for Pensions
Most of our pensions work over the last three years has been done
under the auspices of our All Together Now! Campaign. Our focus has been
twofold. First, we want to demolish the campaign of misinformation that is
being waged by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
and like-minded think tanks such as the Fraser Institute and C.D. Howe
Institute which argues that Canada can’t afford decent pensions for all.
Second, we want to focus on the positive impact workplace pensions have
in providing seniors with decent retirement income as well as creating a
strong and healthy economy.
The primary vehicle we used to spread our message on pensions has
been a cadre of some 40 Champions for Pensions (C4P) from across the

country who were trained in a two-day session that the National Union
sponsored in Ottawa in April 2012. The objective of our C4P campaign
is to begin to change the nature of the debate on pensions by having
our C4P activists engage in conversations with their co-workers, fellow
union activists, friends and neighbours about the importance of workplace
pensions. We asked our C4Ps to focus on both how pensions provide
workers with decent retirement income after decades of hard work,
and how they also serve as a powerful source of capital that drives our
economy.
To assist our C4Ps in undertaking this task, the National Union prepared
for them a member-to-member presentation template which they
could use to supplement their conversations with small groups. We also
prepared a number of other tools to assist them, including a devoted C4P
section on our All Together Now! website, a Champion for Pensions’ pledge
which they could have members sign and send back to the National
Union, as well as the following series of C4P pamphlets:
• Primer on Canada’s Retirement Security Crisis provides an overview
of the inter-related factors which are creating a growing retirement
security crisis in Canada.
• The Value of Workplace Pensions to the Health of Canada’s Economy is
designed to reinforce one of the key positive messages of our C4P
efforts. It examines the value of pensions beyond the stable income
they provide to retired Canadians.
• The Top 10 Advantages Of Defi ned-Benefi t Pension Plans counters the
myths that DB pensions are no longer affordable and sustainable. It
discusses the top 10 advantages of maintaining DB pension plans and
shows how eliminating them would only intensify Canada’s retirement
security crisis.
• Pension Myth Busters reinforces the fact that defined-benefit plans are
affordable and sustainable. It counters the campaign of misinformation
being waged by the mouthpieces of corporate big business about “taxpayer
subsidized, gold-plated” public sector pension plans.
• Rebuild and Reform our Pension System outlines three policy proposals
that provide a realistic, affordable and effective plan to strengthen
Canada’s public pension system: increase Old Age Security (OAS)
and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits; expand the
Canada Pension Plan (CPP); and better regulation of Canada’s private
retirement savings system.
• The Top 10 Reasons To Expand The CPP outlines ten excellent reasons
why an expanded Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is the best solution to
providing Canadians with adequate income in retirement.
Working with our Component leadership and our C4P activists from
across the country, we believe our collective efforts on pensions are making a
difference. We are helping to focus the debate on the real retirement security
crisis in Canada – the increasing percentage of a growing Canadian workforce
that has no pension coverage.
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Pensions web section
We continue building the NUPGE and Pensions section of our website. It
contains many of our publications as well as news stories on pension issues from
across Canada and around the world. The stories are updated on a regular basis
and the site has quickly gained the reputation as one of the best online resources for
pension activists within the Canadian labour movement.
National Union Action on Retiree
Concerns
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THE NATIONAL UNION recognizes that our retired members are a large and
powerful political force in our union and in the communities in which they live. The
National Union Action on Retiree Concerns (NUARC) committee was developed
to focus that energy and provide a vehicle and voice for union members once they
leave the workplace.
The National Union, through NUARC, provides an opportunity to mobilize our
active retirees and share information on common issues such as CPP, health care,
long-term care and retirement security. The energy and expertise of these longstanding
members can then be used as a strong voice on important public policy
issues that affect members and retired people across the country.
In September 2010, the National Union held its first meeting of NUARC
members. Since then we have gained representatives from several components
across the country and met via telephone and video conference, as well as in
person. These meetings established a firm basis on which to move forward on
policy and process.
Through the work of NUARC, retired members’ voices are stronger than
ever. NUARC released an updated version of Dignity Denied, one of the National
Union’s most popular publications, to highlight the issues facing seniors and their
families when it comes to long-term care in Canada. NUARC members circulated
copies to their retiree networks and organizations across the country.
Retired members also have been playing an important role in the National
Union’s All Together Now! Campaign as Retirees 4 Change and as Champions
4 Pensions. Both role’s provide retired activists an opportunity to share in the
important work we are doing on promoting good jobs and quality public services,
as well as tax fairness. Members can showcase our campaign on income inequality
to their networks and other retiree organizations.
Retirement security is another major campaign in which NUARC members
have been involved, passing resolutions to vigorously promote and defend defined
benefit pension plans as the best option to ensure a predictable and adequate
retirement income. Committee members circulated the resolutions through their
communities and networks complementing the campaign work of the Canadian
Labour Congress and our Champions 4 Pensions.

The National Union will continue to work with Components to strengthen the
retiree infrastructure to ensure we are maintaining relationships with these key
activists across the country.
Leadership On Women’s Issues
Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues (ACWI)
The National Union works closely with its Advisory Committee on
Women’s Issues (ACWI) to analyze the impact of government and employer
actions on women and to develop strategies to move women’s equality
forward in Canada. The Committee meets twice a year. Our website has a
Women’s Issues section where meeting reports, articles and links are posted.
Life/Work Balance: Quality of Women’s Lives
The Quality of Women’s Lives project focuses on the issue of life/work
balance and the additional stresses women face balancing their family
responsibilities with their workplace responsibilities. As a result of the
economic crisis and numerous austerity measures, these responsibilities
are increasing. A survey conducted in 2010 identified that women are
experiencing increased stress juggling issues such as child care and elder care,
growing personal and health concerns, workplace pressures and economic
insecurity. The key findings of the survey were compiled and released in a
report called Life/Work Balance: Quality of Women’s Lives. The report has been
updated twice to ensure the most up-to-date information on the issue.
At NUPGE’s 2010 Convention a resolution was passed to continue to
place a focus on life/work balance and to develop an educational on the
issue. The educational provides union leaders, activists and members
with ideas on how to identify life/work issues within the union and the
workplace, examines solutions and strategies to promote life/work
balance and provides tools for union members and activists to take
action. The educational uses presentations, interactive exercises and
facilitated discussions and has been developed in a module format to
allow flexibility to design 2-hour, 4-hour or full-day workshops.
Since receiving training on the educational, several ACWI members
have delivered the educational at Component Women’s Conferences
and Meetings.
Women 4 Change
The economic crisis has had a greater negative impact on women.
Government economic stimulus packages have focused on male-dominated
industries such as the construction and automotive industries. However, there
have been no economic investments in sectors such as health care, child care,
49

education and social services, all of which are predominately staffed by female
workers and are more frequently accessed by women.
As these services are cut, women have taken on more responsibilities for
caring for family members which has placed additional stress on women trying
to balance their life/work issues.
Building upon the Quality of Women’s Lives project, the National Union has
launched Women 4 Change (W4C). W4C focuses on moving the message
forward that public policies must change and issues such as health care, child
care, education, social services and tax fairness must become a priority for
all levels of government. Working with the ACWI, the National Union has
developed a W4C pledge, several pamphlets and a PowerPoint Presentation
for use by W4C activists while doing presentations.
The ATN Campaign website has a section specific to Women 4 Change.
The introduction page contains an overview of Women 4 Change and
also provides links to the PowerPoint presentation, the W4C pledge, the
pamphlets and W4C actions.
National Union Women’s Training Session
The National Union’s Women’s Training Session was held in January 2013.
It brought together activists from across the country to discuss two important
initiatives: the Quality of Women’s Lives project and ATN’s Women 4 Change.
The keynote speaker for the training session was Meg Soper, who is
recognized as one of the premier motivators on life balance in Canada. In a
humorous but informative manner, Soper walked participants through the
struggle to obtain life/work balance. She stressed the importance of women
taking time for themselves to ensure their own well-being while providing care
to so many others.
Participants received training on the W4C presentation which is designed to
outline the main issues, examine the impact of these issues on women’s lives
and review ways for more women to get involved. Participants also received
training on facilitating the Life/Work Educational. A presentation on social
media identified the most popular and useful networks for building an online
campaign. During the training session, participants took part in two workshops
– Women 4 Change and the Life/Work Educational. They enthusiastically
talked, debated, shared and strategized.
50
Bill C-400 – A National Housing Strategy
In 2012 the National Union was approached by NDP MP Marie-Claude
Morin to support her private member’s Bill C-400 – A National Housing
Strategy. The Bill once again called on the federal government to establish
a national housing strategy designed to respect, protect, promote and fulfill
the right to adequate housing. The National Union noted the alarming rise
in women and children’s homelessness and therefore asked our Women 4
Change to promote the issue.

An action page was developed under the Women 4 Change section of the
ATN website which included a petition, a sample letter, the legislation and
facts on homelessness and housing. Unfortunately the legislation was defeated;
however, Women 4 Change will continue to draw attention to this national
tragedy which reflects the devastating results of the growing income inequality
in Canada.
Sisters in Spirit
Since 2006, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and
its Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues have supported the Native Women’s
Association of Canada (NWAC) and its initiative Sisters in Spirit (SIS). SIS works to raise
awareness and address the issue of the hundreds of Aboriginal women and girls who
have disappeared or have been found murdered in Canada. NWAC has compiled
a database of the nearly 600 cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
The ACWI have attended several annual Sisters in Spirit Vigils held each
October as well as the Solidarity March for SIS which was held during the
Women’s Worlds 2011 Congress. NUPGE has been a signatory on the Joint
Statement in 2010, 2011 and 2012 which calls upon the federal government to
hold a national inquiry into the issue of violence against Aboriginal women and
girls. Through our website NUPGE has encouraged Canadians to sign the NWAC
petition which calls for a national inquiry.
Legislation to End the Long-Gun Registry
The National Union joined with women’s organizations, women’s
shelters and transition houses, and chiefs of police to oppose Bill C-391
– An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act. The legislation
was aimed at dismantling the long-gun registry and destroying nearly 8
million firearm records. The Bill was defeated on September 22, 2010.
Despite the fact that the majority of Canadians approve of the longgun
registry, and statistics confirm that the registry has been effective
in reducing gun violence, the Conservative government reintroduced
legislation in October 2011. Bill C-19 – An Act to amend the Criminal Code
and Firearms Act – Ending the Long-gun Registry Act once again was aimed
at dismantling the gun-registry and destroying firearm records.
The National Union joined with organizations such as the Coalition for Gun
Control, the Canadian Labour Congress and the Canadian Police Association
to oppose the legislation, stressing the importance of the registry in reducing
violence against women. Unfortunately the Bill passed in April 2012 ending
the administration, enforcement and use of the long-gun registry. It has
allowed the destruction of all the data contained about registered gun owners
in Canada with the exception of Quebec whose government sought an
injunction to protect the data pertaining to its residents.
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Women’s Worlds 2011 – Inclusions, Exclusions and Seclusions:
Living in a Globalized World
The 30th Women’s Worlds Congress was held in Ottawa from July
3 to 7, 2011. Entitled Women’s Worlds 2011 – Inclusions, Exclusions
and Seclusions: Living in a Globalized World, the Congress was the
largest women’s conference in Canadian history. The Congress brought
together 2,000 women from around the world to explore how issues
like equality, human rights, economics, labour, education, environment
and development relate to women. The National Union was a funder
and sponsor of the event. The ACWI, along with women activists from
our Components, took part in a variety of over 60 working sessions,
workshops and presentations each day.
Women Moving Women
The face of poverty in Canada is a woman’s face. One in seven women
in Canada lives in poverty. Over 60% of Aboriginal women live in poverty as
do 35% of single mothers. The ACWI and NUPGE supported the Women
Moving Women project established by the Canadian Women’s Foundation
(CWF). CWF researches, shares and funds the most promising approaches to
ending violence against women, moving low-income women out of poverty
and empowering girls with confidence, courage and critical thinking skills.
The premise for Women Moving Women is for 2,500 women (and men) to
donate $2,500 each to move 2,500 women out of poverty in Canada in the
next five years. This is done through funding women’s participation in a lifechanging
economic development program that provides skill-based training
and supporting the women in other aspects of their lives such as confidence
building, learning to network and securing child care. NUPGE pledged $2,500
to the project.
Equality And Human Rights
52
THE NATIONAL UNION has a strong tradition of promoting equality and
human rights. We support the struggle for equality and full participation of all
equity-seeking communities in all aspects of the trade union movement and
broader society.
For our union, the struggle for equality and social justice is an important
objective in its own right; but it also represents our future. If the National
Union and our Components are to continue to grow and remain strong, we
must reach out to all groups in society. We constantly need to embrace our
differences rather than let them divide us. We need to continuously reinforce
with our members that the diversity of our membership gives our union
strength, solidarity, energy, skills and new ideas.

Component Human Rights and Equality Rights Activists
Working Sessions
Since our 2010 Convention, the National Union sponsored two working
sessions in Ottawa of our Component equality and human rights activists
from across the country – in December 2010 and in November 2011. These
working sessions provided participants the opportunity to discuss current
equality and human rights struggles across the country, share information and
brief each other on the various equality and human rights activities and projects
that they are working on in their Components and the broader community.
NUPGE’s All Together Now! campaign was also highlighted at both sessions,
with a view to having participants consider the role of public services and fair
taxation in promoting greater equality in Canada.
The December 2010 session featured presentations by: Alex Neve,
Secretary General of Amnesty International-Canada, on the Harper
government’s attack on advocacy and dissent; Ian Capstick of MediaStyle
Communications on how to use social media to advance equality and human
rights issues / campaigns; Donna Jodham, a blind activist, on her successful
Charter challenge to have federal government websites accessible to blind
Canadians; and MP Libby Davies on making adequate, accessible and
affordable housing a basic human right.
The November 2011 session featured presentations by: Darren Shore
with the Voices-Voix Coalition on a long-term strategy to defend advocacy
and dissent; Philip Shearer, Co-Chair of OPSEU/NUPGE’s Rainbow Alliance
on the social determinants of health for an aging LGBT community; and, Trish
Hennessy with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on strategies for
promoting more equitable public services.
Celebrating and Promoting Human Rights Days – NUPGE posters
The National Union continues to commemorate and promote the
various national or internationally recognized human rights and equality days
throughout the year. To assist us in that regard, we have developed a series of
equality and human rights posters which have become quite popular amongst
equality and human rights activists within our Components and the broader
human rights community. The series is made up of the following posters:
• #1 March 8 – International Women’s Day
• #2 February – Black History Month
• #3 March 21 – Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day
• #4 April 17 – Equality Day
• #5 May – Asian Heritage Month
• #6 June – Pride Week
• #7 June 21 – Aboriginal Solidarity Day
• #8 March – Women’s History Month
• #9 December 3 – UN Persons with Disabilities Day
• #10 December 10 – UN Human Rights Day
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Website and E-Bulletin
We continue to update and expand the Equality and Human Rights section
of our website. For the last seven years, we have also produced a monthly
Equality and Human Rights E-Bulletin containing news, research and trends
on equality and human rights issues from across the country and around the
world. We send the E-Bulletin to over 600 activists from our Components,
other unions and various human rights organizations.
National Housing Strategy
Since our last Convention, the National Union has been actively involved in
a campaign to support the establishment of a national housing strategy. Much
of our work in this area has been undertaken by our Advisory Committee
on Women’s Issues, ATN Women 4 Change and our Component equality
and human rights activists. It has centred around supporting and promoting
two federal private members’ bills aimed at establishing a national housing
strategy designed to provide secure and affordable housing for all Canadians.
Unfortunately both Bills failed to get passed in the House of Commons.
The first Bill, C-304 – the Secure, Adequate, Accessible and Affordable
Housing Act, was introduced in the fall of 2010 as a private member’s bill by
Libby Davies, NDP MP for East Vancouver. It established a framework for
a national housing strategy, laying out the fundamentals of what needs to be
done to ensure the housing needs of all Canadians are met. Bill C-304 passed
second reading and was referred to committee. It would have ultimately made
it into legislation, as it had support of all three opposition parties in a minority
Parliament. Unfortunately the federal election was called in March 2011 and
Bill C-304 died on the order paper.
The Bill was again re-introduced in February 2012 as Bill C-400, a private
members bill sponsored by Marie-Claude Morin, NDP MP for Saint-
Hyacinthe-Bagot. Bill C-400 got through first reading but was defeated on
second reading in February 2013 by the Harper majority government.
54
Voices-Voix Coalition
At NUPGE’s 2010 Convention delegates unanimously passed a resolution
condemning the Harper government’s ideological attack on civil society
organizations. Unfortunately, this trend has intensified over the past three
years. Those who speak against the government’s policies and decisions, or
who advocate ideas which the Harper government does not support, have
been silenced, sidelined and punished.
At the time of our last Convention, a new organization, Voices-Voix
Coalition, had just been formed with a mandate to: document attacks against
organizations, individuals and institutions that have raised their voices; show the
pattern of government silencing of free speech; and offer solidarity to those who
have been targeted.

The National Union is a founding member of the Voices-Voix Coalition,
which now has more than 200 organizations as members. We have contributed
financially to the Coalition and provided background information that has
helped the Coalition document some of the 80 or more cases of individuals,
organizations and public service institutions that have been muzzled, defunded,
shut down or subjected to vilification. It has currently a further dozen cases
in development. The National Union will continue to support the great
and increasingly important work of the Coalition as it appears the Harper
government intends to continue its war on advocacy and dissent in Canada.
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The National Union and its Components have collectively contributed
$170,000 over the past five years to the building of the Canadian Museum for
Human Rights located in Winnipeg. The building is substantially completed,
with the inauguration of the Museum to take place in 2014. The Museum
will be dedicated to advancing the public’s understanding of human rights
in Canada and throughout the world with a special focus on equipping and
educating young people to become human rights leaders and advocates.
NUPGE has made representations to the Museum’s Content Advisory
Committee requesting that the Museum adequately portray the critical role
that the Canadian labour movement has played in the advancement of human
rights and equality in Canada.
Anti-Poverty
The National Union believes that the labour movement has an obligation to
campaign for the betterment of all Canadians and in particular for those who
are marginalized. For this reason, we have a long history of supporting the
work of anti-poverty organizations. NUPGE has a strong partnership with and
provides financial support to Canada Without Poverty (CWP). We were one
of the first supporters of the Dignity for All anti-poverty campaign launched
by several civil society organizations, and we continue to support ACORN
Canada, a national organization of low and moderate income families.
Young Workers Forum
IN JUNE 2012 the National Union hosted Component young worker
activists in Ottawa. Over the course of the forum they discussed and debated
issues of income inequality, tax fairness, the value of quality public services and
the workers that provide them, and the need to act!
National President James Clancy’s presentation “Where are we? What
could the future hold?” dealt with the dramatic shift in wealth from the bottom
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to the top over the past couple decades. He explained that income inequality
has become the most significant social issue of this generation.
Over the past twenty years we have seen an attack on workers’ rights, an
increasingly regressive tax system, and an assault on quality public services.
All of these measures have increased income inequality in Canada and
around the globe.
As greater numbers of people around the world recognize this we are
seeing an upswing of activism looking at issues of inequality. The Occupy
movement put the issue front and centre into the public debate.
Participants at the Young Workers Forum also compared issues confronting
young workers now with those in the past. Being a young worker has never
been easy, there has always been discrimination against the young. This is
especially the case in the workplace, where the old saying “last hired – first
fired” remains true.
Each generation faces its own challenges, hardships and opportunities.
Some of the challenges facing young workers today are much greater than
those faced by their predecessors. On the other hand, there are also greater
resources available to the current generation than those before them.
The young workers then discussed the National Union’s All Together Now!
Campaign. It was agreed that there is a great deal that governments in Canada
could do to address income inequality and make life better for its citizens,
what is missing is the political will.
The first myth that has to be addressed is the claim of lack of resources.
The fact is, our governments don’t have a spending problem. In 1992, total
spending was 53% as a share of our economy. In 2008, it was 39%.
What our governments have created is a tax fairness problem. The top
1% earners in Canada pay a lower total tax rate than the poorest 10%. As of
2012 Canada has the lowest corporate tax rates in the G7, yet governments
say they are running deficits and will need to cut public services.
The discussion shifted to cuts to programs and the effect on youth
employment. For young people, and many others, future prospects depend
on the overall labour market. Only when employers face pressure to hire
and expand will there be jobs for young workers. The goal must be full
employment for the entire labour market.
A discussion was held on the international campaign for a Financial
Transactions Tax, a tax of 0.05% on all financial transactions, commonly
referred to as the Robin Hood Tax.
Finally, Matthew Carroll, Campaign Director of LeadNow.ca, discussed
strategies for “Getting the message out.” He explained how one of the
greatest resources ever available to activists is the internet. The possibilities for
reaching large numbers of people has never been greater. A clever and well
crafted message can now break through the din of the mass media and hit
people at home or even on their phone.

Occupational Health And Safety
THE HEALTH AND Safety (H&S) portfolio is a broad and far reaching area
that impacts workers in all sectors. The National Union website continues to
track H&S issues emerging both provincially and nationally.
Workplace bullying
Workplace violence and bullying continues to be a serious issue for our
members. We have continued to build on the work that was done producing
the pamphlet Bullying: It’s a lot worse than kid stuff. The pamphlet described the
effect bullying has on the victims and everyone in the workplace, reviewed the legal
definition of bullying and touched on policy, legislation and action that can be taken
in the workplace. It remains one of the National Union’s most used publications.
Working sessions and health and safety issues
Health and safety issues are on the agenda for discussion at the occupational
working session that NUPGE holds. Some of the recurring issues include:
workplace violence and bullying; ergonomic hazards; and stress due to work
organization. At these sessions workers in the same sector from across Canada
share strategies for tackling these important workplace issues.
National Day of Mourning
The National Union has always marked April 28th, The National Day of
Mourning, with a web story and poster honouring workers killed or injured on the
job. The National Union and its Components are also active participants at Day of
Mourning ceremonies held in communities across the country.
Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Awareness Day is marked each year on Feb. 28th.
The day looks at ergonomic risks for young and old. Every year, the National
Union joins with other unions and organizations across Canada and abroad to urge
employers and workers to take these soft tissue injuries seriously.
Harper’s Democratic Deficit
SINCE HARPER BECAME prime minister in 2006, the National Union has
identified what it sees as a consistent pattern of what can only be called antidemocratic
behaviour by his government. The Harper Government has worked to
tightly control not only the members of his government but has tried to extend that
control to as many civil society groups as possible.
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He’s made it clear that he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to avoid public
scrutiny and silence dissenting voices. This behaviour diminishes the proud tradition
of Canadian democracy.
Areas in which we have seen this exercise of control and to silence oppositional
voices include the environment, human rights organizations, women’s groups,
development organizations and others.
Harper has hammered another nail in the coffin of our Canadian democracy. In
the government’s frenzied efforts to drive the expansion, development and export
of the tar sands he has labelled native, environmental and conservation groups
“enemies of Canada”.
The National Union has raised these issues with the Harper government
on numerous occasions. We are also a member of Voices-Voix, a non-partisan
coalition of Canadians and Canadian organizations committed to defending
our collective and individual rights to dissent, advocacy and democratic space.
More than 200 organizations are members of the coalition.
Following the last Convention the National Union decided to begin
tracking the individuals and organizations that were targeted by the Harper
government. It has become a challenge to keep an up-to-date list. As much
as possible an accounting of these actions has been recorded on the National
Union’s website. Below is a recent tally.
Organizations/watchdogs whose staff have been fired, forced
out, publicly maligned, or who have resigned in protest:
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (Linda Keen, chair)
• Foreign Affairs (Richard Colvin, diplomat)
• Military Police Complaints Commission (head, Peter Tinsley)
• Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the
Canadian Forces (Yves Coté)
• Parliamentary Budget Officer (Kevin Page)
• RCMP Police Complaints Commission (Paul Kennedy, chair)
• International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development
(Rémy Beauregard, President)
• Statistics Canada (Munir Sheikh, Deputy Minister)
• Veterans Ombudsman (Col. Pat Stogran)
• Victims of Crime, Ombudsman (Steve Sullivan)
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Community organizations, NGOs and research bodies
reported to have been cut or defunded:
• Action travail des femmes
• Afghan Association of Ontario
• Alberta Network of Immigrant Women

• Alternatives (Québec)
• Association féminine d’éducation et d’action sociale (AFEAS)
• Bloor Information and Life Skills Centre
• Brampton Neighbourhood Services (Ontario)
• Canadian Arab Federation
• Canadian Child Care Federation
• Canadian Council for International Cooperation
• Canadian Council on Learning
• Canadian Council on Social Development
• Canada Firearms Program
• Canadian Heritage Centre for Research and Information on Canada
• Canadian International Development Agency, Office of
Democratic Governance
• Canadian Labour Business Centre
• Canada Policy Research Networks
• Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
• Canada School of Public Service
• Canadian Teachers’ Federation International program
• Canadian Volunteerism Initiative
• Canadian Wheat Board
• Centre de documentation sur l’éducation des adultes et la
condition feminine
• Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)
• Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples (Toronto)
• Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
• Childcare Resource and Research Unit, Specialink
• Climate Action Network
• Community Access Program, internet access for communities at
libraries, post offices, community centres
• Community Action Resource Centre (CARC)
• Conseil d’intervention pour l’accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT)
• Court Challenges Program (except language rights cases and
legacy cases)
• Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Centre Toronto (Funding cut by
CIC in December 2010)
• Democracy Council
• Department of Foreign Affairs, Democracy Unit
• Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women Toronto: (Funding cut by CIC
in December 2010)
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• Environment: Youth International Internship Program
• Eritrean Canadian Community Centre of Metropolitan Toronto
(Funding cut by CIC in December 2010)
• Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy (FemJEPP) in Nova Scotia
• First Nations Child and Family Caring Society
• First Nations and Inuit Tobacco Control Program
• Forum of Federations
• Global Environmental Monitoring System
• HRD Adult Learning and Literacy programs
• HRD Youth Employment Programs
• Hamilton’s Settlement and Integration Services Organization (Ontario)
• Immigrant settlement programs
• Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services (Peel)
• International Planned Parenthood Federation
• Kairos
• Law Reform Commission of Canada
• Mada Al-Carmel Arab Centre
• Marie Stopes International, a maternal health agency – has received
only a promise of “conditional funding IF it avoids any & all connection
with abortion”
• MATCH International
• National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL)
• Native Women’s Association of Canada
• New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity
• Northwood Neighbourhood Services (Toronto) (Funding cut by CIC
in December 2010)
• Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH)
• Ontario Association of Transitional Housing (OAITH)
• Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
• Pride Toronto
• Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec
• Riverdale Women’s Centre in Toronto
• Sierra Club of BC
• Sisters in Spirit
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• South Asian Women’s Centre
• Status of Women (mandate also changed to exclude “gender
equality and political justice” and to ban all advocacy, policy research
and lobbying)

• Tropicana Community Services
• Womanspace Resource Centre (Lethbridge, Alberta)
• Women’s Innovative Justice Initiative – Nova Scotia
• Workplace Equity/Employment Equity Program
• York-Weston Community Services Centre Toronto
Globalization And International Trade
TRACKING AND RESPONDING to developments in negotiations for
international trade agreements remains an ongoing concern for the National
Union. The following are some of the international trade negotiations and
developments that we have been following.
Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement (CETA)
Despite predictions of a quick agreement, negotiations for the Canada-
European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) are still
ongoing. Major sticking points between Canada and the European Union include
government procurement provisions, agricultural, and intellectual property rights
(in particular drug patenting).
Canadian and European officials began negotiating the Canada-European
Union Trade and Investment Enhancement Agreement in the summer of 2009.
Indications are that it will be an extensive agreement to integrate Canada’s
economy with the European Union. Leaked drafts of the text indicate that CETA
involves deep economic integration negotiations.
As well as encompassing unrestricted trade in goods, services and investment and
the removal of tariffs, the CETA also includes labour mobility sections and an open
market in government services and procurement. The trade agreement would cover
everything from public services to agriculture to copyright laws.
The National Union, working with the Canadian Union of Public Employees
(CUPE), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), and the European
Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), was among the first organizations
to raise attention to this trade deal. Since then we have worked closely with the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives to produce provincially focused reports on
the impact of CETA (Nova Scotia, Manitoba).
The leadership of the National Union and our Components have met with
key provincial and federal politicians to share our concerns. There appears to be
growing concern in some provincial governments about how the agreement will
restrict their ability to act in their citizens` interests.
The National Union was instrumental in the creation of the Trade Justice
Network (TJN), comprised of other Canadian unions and allies, and remains an
active member of the steering committee. We will continue working with our
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allies in the months ahead to pressure the Canadian government and European
Union not to sign this disastrous trade deal.
One area where the National Union has had a strong impact in the CETA
negotiations is regarding provisions that deal with prescription drugs. Working with allies,
the National Union has been able to bring to public attention the increased cost to our
health care system that CETA’s proposed changes to drug patenting regulations would
have. This strongly shifted the debate in the House of Commons and has presented a
considerable challenge to the Harper government in negotiations.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
A new trade deal that the National Union is closely watching is the Trans-
Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP, it is claimed, will set a new standard for
trade policy in the 21st century but what has been made public about the
negotiations provides grounds for deep concern.
The TPP is a proposed trade agreement which originally only included the
United States and 10 other countries (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and potentially
Japan). However, the Harper government managed to have Canada included
in the negotiations. It appears that the TPP will continue to build on the
NAFTA trade model. Negotiations for the agreement are being primarily
led by the United States and continue to advance policies of deregulation,
privatization, tax and other preferences for businesses, weakened worker
bargaining power and reductions to the social safety net.
Of particular concern is the proposed inclusion of the investor-state dispute
settlement (ISDS) mechanism in the TPP. Investor-state provisions would
allow a foreign-owned business to bypass domestic courts to challenge a
democratically elected government’s legislation or regulations. Domestically,
these investment provisions could be and have been used to challenge
Canada’s public-interest regulations.
The National Union has participated in a number of conference calls, along
with allies in Canada, convened by the Washington Fair Trade coalition and the
U.S. based Citizens Trade Campaign to discuss joint work on the TPP. There
are discussions under way for future collaboration between organizations in
Canada, the United States and Mexico around the negotiations for the TPP.
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An International Services Agreement (ISA)
The National Union began monitoring new trade discussions for an
International Services Agreement (ISA) in early 2012. Through the Our World
Is Not for Sale Network and Public Services International, the National Union is
participating in international discussions about coordinating opposition to the ISA.
These new negotiations are significant as they represent a return to the
drive for the all-encompassing agreements that were the hallmark of the failed
Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks.

Starting in early 2012, approximately 20 WTO members (the EU counted
as one), calling themselves “The Really Good Friends of Services” (RGF),
launched secret unofficial talks towards drafting a treaty that would further
liberalize trade and investment in services. Furthermore, the treaty was
intended to expand “regulatory disciplines” on all services sectors, including
many public services.
Similar to past international trade agreements, the proposed “disciplines”
or treaty rules, would allow foreign providers access to domestic markets at
“no less favourable” conditions than domestic suppliers and would restrict
governments’ ability to regulate services. This essentially changes government
regulations for many public and privatized or commercial services from
serving the public interest to serving the profit interests of private,
foreign corporations.
Negotiations have started, with an aim to have major progress by the
December 2013 Ministerial of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Bali,
Indonesia, and then to finalize a very ambitious agreement on far-reaching
services the following year.
The Really Good Friends of Services currently include Australia, Canada,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New
Zealand, Norway, Panama, Pakistan, Peru, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Turkey, the United States, and the 27 member states of the European Union.
The services covered include a broad range of activities from transport,
communications, construction, retail, engineering, energy provision, water
distribution, accountancy, marketing, publicity, banking and insurance, to
nature conservation, entertainment, museums, education, health, funeral
services, and much more.
The National Union and our Components know that this model of global
trade and commerce has proven a failure. It has impoverished the world’s
peoples, led to countless human rights violations and eroded the democratic
institutions of most nations. It is time for a new model for trade agreements
that puts people before profits.
Leadership Development
LEADERSHIP ACTIVISTS AND staff in our Components face challenges
in responding to change in and outside of their organizations. It is not enough
for labour leaders to just have traditional skills in the areas of bargaining or
grievance handling. Today’s successful leaders must be able to adapt quickly to
the rapidly changing environment surrounding them.
To assist our leadership activists in meeting these challenges, the National
Union has designed a Leadership Development Program. The program has
evolved over the years and it now consists of four distinct blocks aimed at
various levels of our Components’ leadership and staff.
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• Leadership Development School – This is an intensive week-long school
aimed at senior leadership and staff. It is held every year at the end of
summer. Curriculum for the school is developed in conjunction with
the Harvard University Trade Union Program and derived from a
number of unique and challenging experiences faced by the Canadian
and international trade union movement in recent years. Central
themes explored during the week are: leadership and organizational
change; strategic choices for unions; building organizational capacity
and external leveraging for unions; and innovation and change in
unions. The school, which has been offered by the National Union
for the past 14 years, is limited to a maximum of 25 senior elected
officers and staff of the Components. Participants must be nominated
by their Component. We have had over 300 staff and leadership
activists graduate from the school since it was first offered in 1998.
The 15th annual Leadership Development School will take place this
year during the last week of August.
• Staff Negotiators Leadership School – The National Office has
developed a week-long leadership development school relating to
collective bargaining. It is an intensive educational course designed for
staff negotiators who have experience in negotiations. The course is
delivered when we have sufficient demand from our Components.
It is not intended to teach basic technical negotiation skills, but rather
to develop strategic thinking abilities. It provides detailed instructions
on a number of legal, technical and professional issues relating to
negotiations. The course concludes with a mock bargaining session
wherein participants get the opportunity to implement techniques
covered in the sessions.
• Specialized Leadership Training Seminars – The National Union has
developed a number of specialized leadership training seminars for
elected officers and/or a specific staff grouping. These sessions range
from one-hour seminars to full-day workshops and are tailored to
meet the particular needs identified by a Component.
• Activist-Based Training Seminars – At the request of a Component
or several Components, the National Union has developed and
provided a number of activist-based training seminars and workshops.
These events offer activist-based training in a specialized area that
generally supplements our Components’ programs.
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Elaine Bernard Bursary
A further extension of our leadership development program is the annual
Elaine Bernard Bursary established by the National Executive Board in 2005.
Elaine is a world-renowned trade union educator and the Executive Director
of the Labor and Worklife Program (LWP) at Harvard Law School. The
bursary is in Elaine Bernard’s name in recognition of her commitment and
ongoing work in our Leadership Development Program. She has been a key
instructor at our Annual Leadership Development School for 13 consecutive
years, leading sessions on leadership, organizational change and strategic
planning. She has also been a guest speaker at a number of National Union
and Component events.

The bursary covers the tuition costs for a National Union leadership
activist to attend the Harvard Trade Union Program (HTUP). It is an intensive
six-week executive training program designed for trade union leaders. It
teaches the essential skills for the management and leadership of unions, as
well as providing a unique opportunity to explore key issues for the labour
movement. It takes place between early January and mid-February each year.
Those candidates eligible for the Bursary must be Component provincial
executive members or senior staff who have graduated from one of the
National Union’s annual leadership schools (Leadership Development or Staff
Negotiators). They must also be nominated by their Component President.
The 2011 recipient was Carl Thibodeau, a member of the Executive Board
of OPSEU/NUPGE. The 2012 recipient was Reid Johnson, President of
HSABC/NUPGE.
Building Our Capacity And Outreach
THE PRIMARY NUPGE website, located at www.nupge.ca, is the primary
source of news and information for our members and our allies. The National
Union has increased its capacity in the number of issues we are covering, as
well as the number of articles published. The database-driven layout allows
stories to be categorized and cross-referenced. We provide RSS feeds from
every major category page on the site, allowing our articles to be read by a
larger audience who can subscribe to all of our content or specific interest
areas. Every story also has links to popular social networking services to allow
readers to share our content with a few clicks.
Social Media
Since our last Convention, the National Union has nurtured a consistent and
growing following for the All Together Now! campaign via various social media
tools. Using Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ATNcampaign), Twitter
(http://twitter.com/ATNcampaign) and YouTube, we have reached out to
establish an on-going conversation about income inequality, tax fairness and
labour rights with a broader community. Engaging both members and nonmembers,
we have debated ideas, shared information and motivated people
to push our agenda of equality forward.
We have used social media to highlight several events hosted by the
National Union to expand our reach to new communities and audiences. We
were live tweeting and organizing around the town hall forum in Sudbury on
the growing gap between “the rich and the rest of us” in January 2013. We
mobilized members through a live webcast during the 2011 federal election
to pressure federal parties to take a stand on tax fairness and public service.
We introduced social media to members at the National Union’s Leadership
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Development School and at the Women’s Training Conference to help them
campaign more effectively. Over the last three years, we have engaged a
wider audience than ever before.
We will continue to build our online capacity through social media to
ensure members, and our allies, have multiple ways to get more involved in
our campaigns, learn more through our resources and come together as a
broad based movement to create a fairer, more just society.
Associate Membership
THE NATIONAL UNION is committed to increasing our union
capacity through the recruitment of new members who do not fit the
traditional workplace mould. Many workers find themselves outside
of a unionized workplace. Others who are seasonal, casual workers,
or contract employees do not have the same benefits as full-time
employees. The unemployed, students and retirees also require a
flexible, alternative model of union membership. The National Union
has developed a program to fill the representational gap and to appeal
to non-traditional workers in order to provide them with an opportunity
to reap some of the benefits of union membership.
Our Associate Membership Program offers a way for workers,
retirees or those outside of the workforce to connect with the labour
movement in a different way that fits their situation. These individuals
can now receive many of the things that are lacking at their current
workplace, find a virtual gathering place to discuss issues of concern
and discover information about rights and benefits through a legislative
database. Members can also access cost-saving services such as home,
auto and life insurance. Associate members also have access to the
National Union’s research library and the NUPGE Advantage Purchasing
Plan (NUAP).
Associate.nupge.ca is the resource base for the National Union Associate
Membership Program. Members can participate in discussion forums, access
legislative research and receive quotes for discounted services.
Inter-Union Cooperation
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THE NATIONAL UNION has worked closely with many of the major
CLC affiliates over the last three years. We have met often with the
leadership of the major public sector unions to discuss common issues,
challenges and opportunities, and to consider how we can coordinate
our efforts in a more effective manner.
Interest in NUPGE’s All Together Now! Campaign has provided the
National Union with opportunities to work together with other unions.

In March of this year, NUPGE, along with our labour rights union
partners, UFCW Canada and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, cosponsored
the Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights international
conference in Toronto.
Over the past couple of years, NUPGE Executive Officers and staff
have made presentations on the ATN campaign to a number of unions
and Federations of Labour across the country. The National Union,
along with OPSEU/NUPGE, has been working closely with a coalition of
the following six Ontario-based unions and their leadership to integrate
the ATN campaign framework within their own membership:
• United Steelworkers (USW) District 6
• Ontario Nurses Association (ONA)
• Ontario Professional Firefighters Association (OPFFA)
• Society of Energy Professionals (SEP)
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU Canada)
• Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
In January of this year, the National Union and OPSEU/NUPGE,
along with the six unions noted above, hosted a “The Rich and the
Rest of Us” tele-town hall meeting in Sudbury. Over 500 union
members gathered at the meeting, with another 2500 participating via
teleconference, to talk and learn about the growing problem of income
inequality. Plans are underway to host similar tele-town hall meetings
in five other Ontario cities in the fall of this year.
We also work with other unions which share jurisdiction for similar
occupational groups. We have worked with sister unions to facilitate
meetings of local representatives from each union who work for
the same national employer or similar provincial employers. These
meetings provide workers represented by different unions with an
opportunity to discuss and strategize around a particular issue.
One such jurisdiction is the provincial Workers’ Compensation
Boards (WCB), which we share with CUPE. Components of the
National Union now represent WCB workers in six provinces
and CUPE represents WCB workers in three provinces. Union
representatives for WCB workers meet periodically and since our last
Convention they have met once, in Ottawa, March 2012.
Another jurisdiction that we share with CUPE and SEIU is Canadian
Blood Services (CBS). NUPGE Components represent CBS workers in
six provinces. CUPE represents these workers in two provinces. SEIU
represents them in one province. In November 2012, the National
Union, along with our Ontario Component, OPSEU/NUPGE, hosted
a national meeting in Toronto of CBS local union representatives
from across the country. They discussed and shared information
about bargaining, employer policy initiatives and other common interprovincial
issues and concerns.
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Component Research Requests
PART C
COMPONENT
ASSISTANCE
THE NATIONAL UNION provides direct research assistance to our
Components every year. The requests have been many, varied and often
challenging. We have responded to more than 150 specific research requests
from our Components since our last Convention. These requests range from
providing inter-provincial wage comparisons of different occupational groups
to providing a detailed analysis and comparison of specific pieces of legislation
between provinces.
Support For Component Bargaining
FOR SEVERAL YEARS in a row, our members across the country
have witnessed government and employer austerity measures up close
and personal. The pace of economic recovery continues to be slow
after one of the worst financial collapses in our history. More and more
governments have instituted zero percent wage mandates in order to rein
in deficits while taking every opportunity to freeze hiring, order program
closures and layoffs, and privatize more and more services.
Difficult contract negotiations are made worse by employers putting
forward major concessions at the table, with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.
As our members stand their ground for decent working conditions and
quality services for the public, they are being pushed to the brink of strike
action. The Wall government in Saskatchewan continues to put forward
regressive labour laws to make it more and more difficult for unions to
stand up for workers’ rights. The British Columbia government has been
fixated on its low wage job strategy forcing the poorest paid workers to
strike to get any meaningful improvements to their working conditions.
The onslaught of anti-worker commentary has risen to new levels
with much of it focused on the public sector. This feeds the overall
public frustration at the lack of leadership our governments are showing
with their failure to build our communities through good job creation,
or investment in proper infrastructure and programs that help families
succeed in difficult times.
Many of our Components have gone through, or are in the midst of,
major public sector bargaining. We will continue to see heavy bargaining in
the civil service, health care and the community sectors. We will need to
continue to put forth credible and consistent arguments as governments
and employers try to avoid negotiating decent wages and benefits.
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Collective Bargaining Advisory Committee
The Collective Bargaining Advisory Committee (CBAC) meets annually
to discuss negotiated settlements, share information on collective agreement
language and bargaining techniques, as well as to review the bargaining climate
on a national basis. Each Component has one designated representative to
attend meetings and respond to information and research requests between

meetings. To help facilitate discussion between meetings and to share
information more easily, the National Union has developed a password
protected website. Committee members are able to post questions and
receive rapid responses to assist in negotiations.
Bargaining Updates
The National Union reports on all major settlements negotiated by our
Components through the section of the National Union website entitled
Component Bargaining. These reports provide a snapshot of Component
bargaining activity occurring throughout the country. We will continue to
provide updates to record the progress our members are making at the
bargaining table.
Strike support
The National Union provides regular and on-going direct and indirect
support to Components to help them fulfill their bargaining priorities. Over
the last three years, the National Union has assisted most Components with
major negotiations. Some of the ways we have provided assistance has been
to develop and implement public relations campaigns, conduct research and
provide strategic advice during critical points in bargaining.
Our Components negotiate hundreds of agreements every year with more
than 95% of them settled through the collective bargaining process. In the
last three years, many agreements were settled after members provided their
Component with a strong strike mandate to back their bargaining priorities.
Over the last three years, collective bargaining was challenging as
governments focused on reducing debt and implementing austerity measures.
This agenda often came at the expense of public services and public sector
workers. Many collective agreements were reached through pressure at the
negotiating table, backed by strong strike mandates and with the assistance of
conciliation or mediation.
Despite the obstacles presented by governments and management, our
bargaining committees and members worked hard to bring settlements to
ratification without invoking strike action. When members needed to take to
the picket line to achieve their bargaining priorities, the National Union was
there to provide support and solidarity to help achieve victory.
Major strikes
The largest number of strikes took place in British Columbia in 2013. Over
47,000 members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union
(BCGEU/NUPGE) and the Health Sciences Association of B.C. (HSABC/
NUPGE) went on strike to fight for a fair and reasonable deal.
Health professional members of the Health Sciences Association of B.C.
(HSABC/NUPGE) and the BCGEU/NUPGE were forced into strike action
in December 2012. Members conducted three days of rotating strikes to
achieve improvements in the collective agreement covering 17,000 members.
In February 2013, a tentative agreement was accepted.
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70
After negotiations broke down in June 2012, 15,000 community-based
social service workers voted to take strike action. These members, who are
the lowest paid workers in the public sector, were fighting for reasonable and
fair improvements to wages, benefits, sick leave and expenses. The first strike
action took place in October 2012, as members targeted specific workplaces
for one-day job actions. Finally, after three months of rotating strikes and a
marathon 13 day bargaining session, a tentative agreement was reached in
March 2013.
The community-based social services strike action included nearly 3,400
community living workers who support adults, children and infants with
disabilities and their families.
BCGEU/NUPGE members employed by the Vancouver Aboriginal Child
and Family Services Society (VACFSS) went on strike in December 2012. A
tentative agreement was reached in March 2013.
The largest single strike action took place in 2012 when BCGEU/NUPGE
members employed by the B.C. provincial government went on strike These
members struck government workplaces on four different occasions, with
three rotating actions across the province over the summer of 2012. The
strikes were followed by a massive one day strike on September 5, 2012.
Over 25,000 members, affecting 700 government work sites, took to the
picket line workers for a fair and reasonable contract. A collective agreement
was reached on September 28, 2012.
Some of the other strikes involving members of the National Union and its
Components since our last Convention include:
• In Newfoundland, Labatt workers in St. John’s went on strike on
April 10, 2013. Workers remain on the picket line;
• In B.C., members employed by the Simon Fraser University
Childcare Society initiated strike action at rotating locations in
February 2013. A new collective agreement was reached in March
2013;
• In Ontario, on February 18, 2013, 70 members of the Ontario
Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) working at the
Homes First Society went on strike in support of improvements
in harassment and discrimination provisions as well as hours and
shift scheduling language. After four weeks on the picket line, and
much political pressure, the workers reached a new three-year
agreement;
• Members of the BCGEU/NUPGE employed at B.C. Place
went on strike on January 28, 2012 in support of reaching a
fair collective agreement from PAVCO. Members reached a
settlement with the employer on February 18, 2013;
• BCGEU/NUPGE members employed by LifeLabs took rotating
strike action in January 2013 at various locations across the
province. A settlement was reached on January 30, 2013;
• Strike action was taken by 434 BCGEU/NUPGE support staff and
vocational instructors employed by the B.C. Institute of Technology

(BCIT) on several occasions in November and December 2012.
Members initiated an overtime ban and a work to rule campaign to
add pressure to the negotiations. In February 2013, members ratified
new agreements;
• Three hundred and four support staff members of BCGEU/NUPGE
at Douglas College took strike action on two different occasions in
November 2012. A settlement to resolve outstanding issues was
ratified in January 2013;
• More than 50 developmental service workers employed by
Participation Lodge in Owen Sound went on strike in September
2012. The OPSEU/NUPGE members had been without a contract
since March 31, 2011. Workers were back on the job on November
13, 2012 after ratifying a new agreement. They had been on strike
for nine weeks;
• After working without a contract since March 2011, more than 130
OPSEU/NUPGE members employed by the Kawartha-Haliburton
Children’s Aid Society (KHCAS) went on strike in October 2011. Key
issues were related to workload, job security, hours of work and layoff
language. Workers reached a settlement in December 2011;
• Members of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’
Union (SGEU/NUPGE), in both the professional and academic
bargaining units at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and
Technology (SIAST), went on strike on September 6, 2011 after 26
months of negotiations. With the assistance of a mediator, the parties
were able to reach a settlement which allowed the members to return
to work. Members reached a collective agreement in June 2012;
• More than 8,000 community college support members of
OPSEU/NUPGE took strike action in September 2011 over the
employer’s unwillingness to withdraw concessions and claw backs.
The strike concluded after 18 days on the picket line;
• Four members of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees
Union (NSGEU/NUPGE) employed by the Elizabeth Fry Society of
Mainland Nova Scotia went on strike in July 11, 2012. The women
had been in legal strike position since June 25, but were reluctant
to exercise their right to strike out of concern for the women they
served. The strike ended on July 23;
• After being without a contract since 2009, 520 members of
SGEU/NUPGE employed by Saskatchewan Crop Insurance
Corporation went on strike for four days in June 2011. On June
24, a tentative agreement was reached;
• After two years of frustrating negotiations for a first contract, members
of the NSGEU/NUPGE employed by the Metropolitan Regional
Housing Authority went on strike on April 11, 2011 to back their
demands for wage parity with other housing workers in the province.
After six days on strike, the workers ratified a settlement;
• NSGEU/NUPGE maintenance and trades members at Cape
Breton University went on strike in October 2010 over issues of
wage parity with other university workers. The strike ended in
early November 2010 after reaching a settlement which included
an 8.67 per cent wage increase;
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• OPSEU/NUPGE members working for Maison de la Famille
(Family Centres) went on strike November 17, 2010. Members
ratified a new collective agreement in January 2011 after eight
weeks on strike;
• In August 2010, more than 150 clerical, administrative and
technical staff at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine,
OPSEU/NUPGE members, went on strike on August 15, 2010
over outstanding issues of overtime, workloads, job classification
and sick leave. With the help of a provincial mediator an
agreement was reached in early November 2010 after an 81 day
strike; and,
• Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of
Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) employed by the
Burin-Marystown Community Training and Employment Board
continued their strike until a deal was reached in December
2010. The 15 members, mostly women, had been on strike since
November 24, 2009.
Lockouts
Some of the bargaining disputes took a different turn, with employers
refusing to negotiate a fair deal at the bargaining table. In four instances,
workers were locked out of the workplace. In these acts of intimidation,
our members refused to back down and stood their ground to reach
improvements in their working conditions.
• BCGEU/NUPGE highway maintenance workers at Mainroad East
Kootenay Contracting Ltd. were locked out by the employer on
August 19, 2012. The lockout ended on September 12, 2012 when
a settlement was reached.
• Seventy-seven BCGEU/NUPGE members employed by the Pine
Acres Home for seniors in Westbank, B.C. were locked out by their
employer on June 25, 2012. The lockout ended after 10 days on July
12, 2012.
Members of NBU/NUPGE, Local 362 Brewery and Soft Drink
Workers (Moosehead) had been involved in negotiations with the
company since early December 2010. The parties requested the
assistance of a conciliation officer with no success. On February 19,
2011 the employer issued a notice of lockout to the 172-member
bargaining unit. The lockout ended after five weeks.
• In September 2010, NAPE/NUPGE members at Purity Factories Ltd.
in St. John’s were locked out after negotiations broke down in August.
Nearly half of the 52 employees forced out by the company had
worked at Purity for more than 30 years. Another five have worked
there for more than 20 years. The four month lockout ended in
January 2011, with employees voting to accept a $3 per hour increase
over five years.
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Participating in the bargaining process is always a challenge, but more so over
the last three years. We are grateful to the thousands of members across the
country who serve on bargaining committees, dedicating their time, effort and a
tireless commitment to getting the best deal for our members and their families.

NUPGE Defence Fund
SEVERAL DECADES AGO, the National Union established a Defence Fund
to support our Components in financing strike action. The Fund is comprised
of firm commitments from Components that specific amounts of money will
be available on short notice as required. At present those commitments add
up to over $5 million. The money is provided in interest-free loans to the
Component making the request. The expectation is that the Defence Fund
and any Component loans will be repaid within two years of the end of the
job action. It is generally expected that Components will carry the cost of their
job action for a reasonable period before accessing the Defence Fund.
The positive news about the Defence Fund is that we have not had to
utilize it since 2004. In the spring of that year, 16,000 members of our
Newfoundland and Labrador Component, NAPE/NUPGE, had a four week
strike against the government that ended with back-to-work legislation.
NAPE/NUPGE found itself in a position of having to draw $4 million from
our Defence Fund and were able to pay it back in full just prior to our last
Convention.
There have been several situations where simply knowing that the Defence
Fund was available has been a positive force in bargaining, ensuring that an
employer knows they can’t rely on financial hardship to get a settlement.
Direct Assistance To Components
THE NATIONAL UNION has assisted many of our Components in
adjusting to and leading change, including new membership growth as a
result of successful organizing efforts.
We have helped many Components develop strategic plans for their
organizations and helped with the redesign or development of Component
policies, structures and operations.
We have made presentations to Component Provincial Executives and
Conventions, ranging from the All Together Now! campaign to topics such as
labour law reform, International trade, pensions, the role of a Component
Provincial Executive, and accountability and good governance in unions.
We have assisted Components in the analysis of specific legislative or public
policy initiatives undertaken by provincial governments.
We have helped to design and implement Component campaigns in
support of bargaining, or against a government initiative that could have a
potential negative impact on our members and the general public, such as
funding cuts, privatization or the sale of a Crown Corporation.
We have also assisted Components with intermingling votes resulting from
legislation or provincial Labour Board rulings.
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PART D
NUPGE AND
THE BROADER
LABOUR
MOVEMENT
74
Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
THROUGH THE National Union, our Components are part of the three
million-member Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). We are the second largest
affiliate of the CLC. Our Components are also major funders of, and play a
full role in, the day to day operations of Federations of Labour and Labour
Councils across the country.
As National President of the National Union, James Clancy serves on the
CLC Executive Committee and Canadian Council as a General Vice-President.
NSGEU/NUPGE President Joan Jessome also represents the National Union
on the CLC Executive Committee and Canadian Council as a Vice-President.
The Congress has a number of Standing Committees and Working Groups
in which the National Union plays an active role. Our representatives on
these committees are either staff from the national office or leadership activists
and/or staff from Components. They are appointed by the NUPGE National
President to represent our union.
The CLC holds a constitutional Convention every three years. The last
Convention was in May 2011 in Vancouver and the next convention of the
Congress takes place May 5-9, 2014 in Montreal.
Reinforcing the value of unions in society
In March of this year, the CLC held two major conferences in Toronto.
The first, a one-day summit of some 350 labour leaders from across the
country was attended by the leadership of all Components of NUPGE. The
summit was organized to specifically talk about the need for a comprehensive
and consistent response from the labour movement to the Harper
government’s ongoing attack on unions, labour rights and social rights of
working Canadian families.
The CLC leadership used the summit as an opportunity to unveil its plans
to undertake a comprehensive campaign to reinforce the value of unions and
build support and activism of union members to fight any further legislative
attacks on labour rights. The campaign, which will be rolled out this fall,
will consist of two major components: a member-to member campaign
designed to engage members about the attacks on unions and labour rights
and a national public campaign to present labour’s positive image. NUPGE’s
National Executive Board has endorsed this campaign and our Components
plan to play an active role in the campaign.
Following the Summit, the CLC held a Political Action conference attended
by over 1,400 delegates. The conference featured workshops focused on
organizing and communications to equip union members to engage in the
public debate at every level. NUPGE participated with a delegation of leaders
and activists from across the country.

Effectively dealing with raiding
A significant issue within the Canadian labour movement which has
occupied the leadership of the National Union for over two decades has been
raiding. The leadership of the National Union has had a longstanding objective
of having our labour movement deal with raiding in a more effective manner.
Going into the CLC 2011 Convention, NUPGE’s National Executive Board
devoted a great deal of time and energy to working with the leadership of the
CLC and its affiliates, trying to achieve a consensus on how we can collectively
put an end to the practice of raiding within the labour movement. Because of
our determined efforts and significant contribution to the debate, the CLC and
its affiliates were able to find a solution that effectively deals with raiding and
strengthens the entire labour movement in Canada.
The solution reached and endorsed unanimously by the delegates to the
2011 CLC Convention, will now require every CLC affiliate leader to take an
oath of office and sign a pledge that his/her union will not engage in raiding. We
were also successful in having the constitutional process dealing with raiding and
justification completely revamped to make it much more transparent, impartial,
consistent and free from political interference. The other important change that
was agreed to is that automatic sanctions will be applied against a union found
guilty of raiding.
Your National Executive Board believes that this historic agreement has gone
a long way to change the culture of our movement towards raiding. NUPGE
and its Components played a critical role in achieving this important victory
for the labour movement. It would not have happened if we had not stood
shoulder to shoulder in our steadfast determination to have the collective
leadership of our movement confront and deal with raiding once and for all.
Public Services International (PSI)
THE NATIONAL UNION is affiliated with Public Services International
(PSI), an international federation representing 20 million public sector workers
who belong to over 650 unions in 148 countries. Through our membership
in the PSI, we work closely with other public sector unions in the international
community to represent and defend public services and public employees.
The President of PSI is Dave Prentis, General Secretary of the 1.2-millionmember
UNISON, the largest union in the U.K. and the largest public sector
union in Europe. The General Secretary of the PSI is Rosa Pavanelli formerly
head of the PSI affiliate the Federation of Public Employees in Italy.
The National Union plays an important role within the PSI. We are one of
four national Canadian public sector unions affiliated to PSI. The others are
the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Public Service Alliance
of Canada (PSAC), and the Service Employees International Union – Canada
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(SEIU). Five Québec-based unions are also affilated to the PSI. They are:
Alliance du Personnel Professionel et Technique de la Santé et des Services
Sociaux (APTS); Fédération interprofessionnelle de la Santé du Québec (FIQ);
Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ); Syndicat de la fonction publique
du Québec (SFPQ); and Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du
gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ).
PSI’s World Congress is held every five years. The 29th World Congress of
the PSI took place in November 2012 in Durban, South Africa and NUPGE
sent a small delegation headed by Secretary-Treasurer Larry Brown.
Canadian representation on the PSI’s Executive Board, the Inter-Americas
Regional Executive and the World Women’s Committee is rotated every two
and a half years among the leaders of the four Canadian national affiliates. SEIU
Vice-President Danielle Legault, is the current titular member for Canada on
the Executive Board and the Inter-Americas Regional Executive and will remain
in that position until 2014. National President James Clancy will succeed Sister
Legault as the titular member for Canada in 2014 and will remain in that
position until the next PSI Congress in 2017 in Singapore.
National Secretary-Treasurer Larry Brown chairs an advisory body to the
PSI Secretariat and World Executive on various issues. They include the role of
the state, public sector financing and structural adjustment in the public sector.
76

NUPGE / CCLA Public Hearings Into The
Toronto G20 Summit
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING OUR June 2010 Convention, the federal
government sponsored a summit of G20 leaders. What Canadians witnessed
during the June 2010 G20 summit was a sad and dark moment in Canada’s
history. Over $1 billion was spent on security measures and police made over
1,100 arrests, by far the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Detained citizens
were denied access to legal counsel, arbitrary searches occurred in countless
locations across the city, and peaceful protests were violently dispersed.
In response to this flagrant disregard for human rights, civil liberties and
the basic rule of law, the National Union partnered with the Canadian Civil
Liberties Association (CCLA) in November 2010 to organize three days of
public hearings in Toronto and Montreal to examine police activity during the
G20 Summit. The hearings were called: Breach of the Peace – G20 Summit:
Accountability in Policing and Governance. More than 60 speakers attended.
Peaceful protestors, journalists, innocent bystanders and others told horrific
stories of police violence, threats, mistreatment and unlawful detainment.
In February 2011, NUPGE and CCLA released Breach of the Peace, a
report of the hearings held in November 2010. The NUPGE / CCLA public
hearings and the report were our attempt to hold all levels of government
accountable. Both the hearings and final report received a great deal of
national media attention.
Based on the issues identified over the course of the public hearings, the
final report offered a comprehensive overview of the major civil liberties
violations that took place during the G20 Summit. It put forward a series of
recommendations aimed at restoring public confidence in policing in Canada
as well as to ensure that Canadians never again face such a shameful disrespect
of their human rights and civil liberties.
Our first and priority recommendation called for the establishment of a joint
federal/provincial public inquiry to determine who was responsible for the
serious violations of fundamental rights and freedoms at the G20 Summit.
Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, neither the federal nor the Ontario
governments acted on any of our recommendations. As a result, a lack of
public confidence in police and the governing bodies responsible for ensuring
our human rights and civil liberties still exists amongst Canadians.
PART E
INTERNATIONAL
SOLIDARITY
AND SOCIAL
JUSTICE
Social Justice Solidarity Fund
THE NATIONAL UNION Social Justice Solidarity Fund (SJSF) was
established through a policy paper adopted by delegates at our 2004
Convention. It supports the international solidarity work of the National Union
and its Components, as well as domestic projects undertaken by the National
Union in support of anti-poverty initiatives and disaster relief.
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Contributions to the SJSF come from an annual grant of $30,000 from the
National Union’s operating budget and annual grants from Components based
on 20 cents per member per year. Components that already have dedicated
funding for international solidarity work may apply to have this funding
considered as part of their contribution, up to a maximum of 10 cents per
member per year.
Since the fund was established, the SJSF has contributed over $335,000 to
over 40 projects in Canada and around the world.
The fund’s largest contribution since our 2010 Convention has been
$90,000 provided in three annual donations of $30,000 to the José Alvear
Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective, Corporación Colectivo de Abogados José
Alvear Restrepo (CCAJAR). CCAJAR has for the last three decades worked
in the defence and promotion of human rights in Colombia. The organization
works with the families of victims of human rights abuses and crimes to force
the Colombian police to conduct investigations and trials and punish the
perpetrators of these crimes.
Our contribution to CCAJAR was mandated by a resolution passed at our
2010 Convention after delegates listened to CCAJAR representative Yessika
Hoyos Morales give a powerful presentation on the ongoing violations of
workers’ rights and violence against union leaders in Colombia. (see the
section below on ‘Colombia Solidarity Campaign’ for further information on
our solidarity work with the Colombia trade union movement).
The other major contribution the SJSF made since the 2010 Convention
was a $15,000 contribution to Oxfam Canada towards relief related to the
July 2010 Pakistan flood disaster.
Colombia Solidarity Campaign
THE NATIONAL UNION and our Components continue to work with
our allies in solidarity with labour and civil society organizations in Colombia.
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Our partner CCAJAR
At the 2010 Convention, following a speech by Yessika Hoyos Morales
about the situation in Colombia, delegates unanimously approved a
resolution to provide annual funding to Corporación Colectivo de
Abogados José Alvear Restrepo (CCAJAR), a collective of human rights
lawyers in Colombia. The National Union continues to support and work
closely with CCAJAR on a range of issues.
Unfortunately, since last Convention CCAJAR has experienced a period
of serious threats made against its legal staff. This was an issue of concern
for the National Union and our Components, and numerous letters
calling on the Colombian, and Canadian, government to intervene and

protect them were sent. Fortunately, our comrades in CCAJAR report
that the situation has stabilized and the security situation is much better.
CCAJAR has been very active in an ongoing scandal involving what are
referred to as “false-positives”. Under the previous president, Uribe, the
military carried out a program of kidnapping and killing activists as well as
others and then disguising them as guerillas and claiming that they were
killed in combat. The number of people involved in this “false positive”
campaign is in the 1,000s though an exact figure is not known. The
current President, Santos, was Minister of Defence during this practice
and there is increasing media attention being paid to this.
CCAJAR feels, albeit cautiously, that there is an opportunity to make
some headway in human rights in Colombia in the future. They are
organizing an international Symposium in Bogota for July 3-7, 2013 to
coincide with their 35th Anniversary. A similar event was held in 2009
and had a positive impact in the region. Currently the National Union is
looking to send representatives to the Symposium.
Frontlines Tour
Most recently, representatives of the National Union, as part of the
Frontlines group of unions, joined those from CUPE, CUPW and the PSAC
in a solidarity tour of Colombia from March 7 – 17, 2013. Participating for
NUPGE was National Executive Board member Carol Furlong (NAPE/
NUPGE) and national representative Len Bush.
The tour agenda was quite full, with meetings scheduled with organizations
in the cities of Bogota, Cali and Medellin. In Cali there were also visits to small
affected communities in the rural area. There was also a meeting with the
political staff of the Canadian Embassy in Bogota.
Political Situation in Colombia
During the tour the National Union’s representatives learned that the
current President, Juan Manuel Santos, was a recruit/protege of the previous
President Uribe. However, significant differences in approach and focus have
arisen and there is now a pronounced split between the two.
The armed conflict and international reputation of the country is a
considerable impediment to business investment in the country. Uribe
advocates a hardline militaristic approach and fostered a relationship with
the paramilitaries. As President Santos has committed to a process of
“modernization” of the country. This includes the peace process, some efforts
to reign in the military, free trade negotiations and re-establishing relations with
Latin American neighbours as well as the international community.
There was a noted upturn in the violence in the early days of the peace
process as both sides apparently tried to gain an upper hand going into
negotiations. This does seem to have dropped a little.
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One of the important developments in the modernizing process was
an effort to demobilize and disarm the paramilitaries. The program was,
however, by all accounts not very successful. In the end many of the former
paramilitaries merely changed their names and some of the focus.
For the labour movement there are some interesting developments. In
the past couple years the Colombian government has approved a number
of Decrees and Proclamations that enshrine the labour rights of public sector
workers. While Decree 1092 pertaining to ILO’s 151, regarding the rights of
PS workers, comes a little short it could be a move forward. Unfortunately,
the implementation has been poor.
In response public sector unions across the country have met and drafted
a common platform of demands for change to the labour legislation of
Colombia. The goal is to have a million workers endorse the platform and to
present this to the government at the end of March.
Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement
Almost every organization and community the Frontlines tour met with
made reference to the various Free Trade Agreements that Colombia
was negotiating. The consensus was that these various agreements were
having a negative impact on the Colombian people.
There have been changes to Colombian legislation, particularly in
mining and agriculture, in order to comply with the CCFTA. We were told
that new legislation around patents was trying to prevent farmers from
collecting and using their own seeds and instead force them to purchase
from the multinationals.
The major source of concern was that the CCFTA, and others, were
making it easier for multinationals to move into Colombia. This process, often
involving Canadian mining corporations, inevitably resulted in the displacement
of Indigenous peoples or Afro-Colombian communities. Once present these
companies often employed security companies, usually former paramilitaries,
and engaged in serious repression of trade union activists.
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The Case of the Cuban Five
Following presentations to the National Executive Board by representatives
of the Cuban Embassy and the families of the men involved, the National
Union has begun to work in solidarity with the Cuban 5. The National Union
has drafted a background document on the case, The Cuban 5: political
persecution of the innocent, and is in the process of preparing other materials
for distribution.
In September 1998, officers from the Miami office of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) arrested five Cuban men, accusing them of conspiracy
to commit espionage. Since then Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino,
Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and René González have been held

in custody in U.S. prisons. They have become the subjects of an international
campaign to win their freedom.
The Cuban Five have always maintained that they never committed
espionage or conspired to do so. Indeed, they point out that they were
not in Miami to monitor or spy on the U.S. Government, but rather to
gather intelligence on terrorist groups that were targeting Cuba. They
had infiltrated Cuban-exile terrorist organizations based in Miami as a
way to prevent attacks on Cuba or those visiting the country.
For many, the Cuban Five are heroes. They point out that the Five,
by monitoring the terrorists and exposing their plots, have saved the
lives of many who would have been targeted by the terrorists. To their
supporters it is clear that the Cuban Five are being politically persecuted
by the U.S. government.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, on May 27, 2005,
after reviewing the evidence, concluded that the imprisonment of
the Five was arbitrary, and urged the U.S. government to rectify the
situation. The Working Group stated that, based on the facts and the
circumstances in which the trial was held, the nature of the charges and
the severity of the convictions, the imprisonment of the Five violates
Article 14 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Liberties,
to which the United States is a signatory. This was the first time that the
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention denounced as arbitrary a
conviction in a case in the United States due to violations committed
during the legal process.
Breaking the Silence: Peoples’ Tribunal & Assembly
In late September 2012, at Toronto’s City Hall, a National Union
representative joined organizations supporting the Five as they convened
a forum entitled Breaking the Silence: Peoples’ Tribunal & Assembly. This
event was significant in that it brought together a broad range of experts
on the case to systematically present evidence on the case to a panel.
The two day event received considerable media attention both within
Canada and the U.S. Furthermore, out of the proceedings came a
comprehensive report on the case and a strong final declaration of action
on behalf of the Five.
Another positive development from the Tribunal was the engagement
of a number of Canadian organizations (human rights, trade unions, faithbased
and others) in the campaign.
Recent Developments In The Case
The legal defense for the Cuban Five made repeated attempts
to move the trial out of Miami where it was felt, due to a history of
antagonism towards the Cuban government in the media and among
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some Cuban-American organizations, that they could not receive a fair
trial. These motions were repeatedly denied by the judge, with the
U.S. government insisting that they be tried in Miami.
The situation was perhaps worse than even the Five and their
legal team suspected. It has recently been revealed that the U.S.
Government, through the Broadcasting Board of Governors, was
covertly paying a number of prominent Miami journalists. These
same journalists who, as the government conducted its prosecution,
filled the Miami media with reports and editorials that were highly
inflammatory and prejudicial to the Cuban Five.
The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, along with the
civil rights legal organization the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund and
Liberation newspaper, has uncovered thousands of pages of previously
unreleased materials exposing this government operation.
These contracts indicate that the U.S. government’s payments to
journalists in Miami were part of an effort to create an atmosphere of
hysteria and bias against Cuba and the Cuban Five. Three of the Cuban
Five have filed habeas corpus appeals arguing that their constitutional rights to
due process were grossly undermined by the government’s media operation in
Miami and payments to the Miami reporters.
The other significant development in the case is that a U.S. court has granted
a motion to allow René González to serve the remaining portion of his threeyear
parole in Cuba, after which he will remain in Cuba.
Prior to this ruling the court required him to serve that parole at an
undisclosed location in Florida. This placed him in virtual seclusion due to threats
to his life from anti-Cuban terrorists based in Florida, the same individuals René
and the other members of the Cuban Five came to the U.S. to expose.
René was in Cuba attending a memorial service for his father Cándido, who
died recently, when the announcement came. The 7-page court order by
Judge Joan Lenard describes the requirements for his right to remain in Cuba.
The principal requirement is that he renounce his citizenship, which he willingly
offered to do previously (René held dual U.S.-Cuban citizenship). To renounce
a U.S. citizenship, it must be done outside of the United States, as per U.S.
federal code, Section 1481 (5).
Campaign To Free Leonard Peltier
82
THE NATIONAL UNION remains an ongoing supporter of the campaign to win
freedom for Leonard Peltier. We continue to work with the Leonard Peltier Defense
Committee (Canada) as well as other organizations to raise public awareness of the
case. The National Union pamphlet, Why this Hell?, continues to be widely used by
Leonard’s supporters.

Leonard Peltier is an activist from the American Indian Movement who is unjustly
serving a double life sentence for the 1975 shooting deaths of two FBI agents.
It is unjust because there is no solid evidence even to accuse Leonard Peltier
of the deaths—let alone convict him. He has been the victim of a campaign of
misinformation. Evidence tampered with – coerced witnesses – outright lies.
Canada has a role in this injustice. His extradition from Canada was based
on evidence that was later proven to be false. The Canadian government must
do more to demand justice for Leonard Peltier. The National Union remains
committed to winning his freedom.
On February 6, 2013 a representative of the National Union attended the
20th annual Canadian Vigil for Leonard, to commemorate his 37 years of false
imprisonment, held in Toronto. The event included traditional protocol of feast,
offerings, drum and prayer ceremony with elders, guest speakers and follow-up
actions and an update from Leonard himself.
The event was positive as a number of activists from the Idle No More
movement participated and indicated a renewed interest in activism for Leonard.
Also attending was the executive director of the U.S. based defense committee,
Paulette D’auteuil as well as a member of Leonard’s American legal team,
Michael Kuzma.
The National Union learned at the event that a petition and legal brief is being
prepared for the U.S. government to have Leonard spend his “prison” time in
home detention. It has been done before on compassionate grounds for long
time inmates who have posed no threat. It is seen as a way to allow Leonard
some relief and to be released from prison. The National Union will continue to
work on the campaign as it progresses.
Bangladesh Textile Factory Collapse Disaster
ONE OF THE worst industrial workplace accidents took place in Savar,
Bangladesh on April 24, 2013 killing over 1000 workers. The eight-storey
Rana Plaza factory housed many international garment factories, including ones
used by Loblaws to produce its Joe Fresh products. Noticing cracks in the
building foundations, workers had attempted to leave the building but were
ordered back by superiors. Moments later the building collapsed.
The National Union’s website story, which marked the National Day of
Mourning on April 28, highlighted this tragedy.
In the web story, we raised the issue that employers, both domestically
and internationally, must be held accountable when workplaces are unsafe
and accidents occur. Moreover, we must work towards creating the
environment for countries and employers to ensure these accidents are
prevented in the first place.
83

Ensuring that workers have the ability to unionize is the best protection
from any workplace abuse. Going further, we must lobby governments
around the world to enact, and enforce, legislation to allow for routine
monitoring and inspection of workplaces for health and safety violations.
The National Union will continue to advocate for strong labour laws
and employer accountability mechanisms. We will continue to raise the
issue of worker rights and workplace safety in trade deals to which Canada
is a party. We will pressure the Retail Council of Canada to ensure that its
members adhere to standards that ensure products are manufactured in a
socially responsible way but also that they are following safety standards,
including building construction and integrity and promoting and respecting
workers’ rights.
84

T
he National Union is more than an organization based in Ottawa.
We are a union of unions, where the whole is greater than the
sum of our 11 individual parts. Our strength, the strength of
individual delegates and the thousands of members that we represent, give the
National Union and its Components our power and influence.
We have the strength of diversity and the power of unity. We have the
strength of autonomy and the power of collective action. We have the
strength of provincial decision-making and the power of national consensus.
We have strength in our network of leadership activists and our excellent staff
across the country. And we have the power that arises from working for a
common cause.
We have made our mark on the international stage and here at home. Our
country and its provinces, our social programs, and our quality of life are that
much better because of our union’s collective strength and our struggles on
behalf of all Canadians.
The National Executive Board is proud of our union’s accomplishments.
We invite delegates to this Convention to share that pride, to celebrate our
collective record of achievement, and to look forward with great enthusiasm
to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Many of those challenges and opportunities, and how we should
confront them, will be placed before delegates to the National Union’s 2013
Convention through our series of policy proposals and resolutions.
We look forward to hearing your views and hope that we will leave this
Convention united in a strong consensus about the direction and work plan
for the National Union in the years to come.
CONCLUSION
85

86
APPENDIX I
MEETINGS, WORKING
SESSIONS,
CONFERENCES AND
CONFERENCE CALLS

APPENDIX I
Meetings, Working Sessions, Conferences and
Conference Calls
Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues
October 4 & 5, 2010
Ottawa
March 17 & 18, 2011
Ottawa
July 3, 2011
Ottawa
November 17 & 18, 2011 Ottawa
April 23 & 24, 2012
Ottawa
January 27, 2013
Ottawa
June 13, 2013
Ottawa
All Together Now! Campaign Coordinators
September 14, 2010
Ottawa
September 29 – October 1, 2010 Ottawa
All Together Now! Campaign Train the Trainer
September 28 – October 1, 2010 Ottawa
All Together Now! Champions Conference
June 24 – 26, 2011
Halifax
All Together Now! Electronic Town Hall Meeting
April 28, 2011
Conference Call
Canadian Blood Services Joint NUPGE / CUPE / SEIU
October 21 & 22, 2010
St. John’s
November 1 & 2, 2012
Toronto
Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights
October 28, 2010
Toronto
May 30, 2011
Toronto
April 12, 2012
Toronto
October 30, 2012
Toronto
Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights – Labour Rights,
Democracy, Economic Justice and Equality
March 26 – 28, 2013
Toronto
Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat
November 25 & 26, 2010 Ottawa
May 19 & 20, 2011
Ottawa
87

November 24 & 25, 2011
June 7 & 8, 2012
November 19 & 20, 2012
May 23 & 24, 2013
Halifax
Ottawa
Toronto
Ottawa
Champions 4 Pensions Training Session
April 15 & 16, 2012
Ottawa
Child Protection Workers
February 16 & 17, 2012
Ottawa
Collective Bargaining Advisory Committee
February 3, 2011
Video Conference
November 2, 2011
Video Conference
November 15 & 16, 2012 Ottawa
Communications Officers / Staff
January 20 & 21, 2011
Ottawa
November 8 & 9, 2012
Toronto
Component Finance Officers
February 23 & 24, 2012
April 4 & 5, 2013
Toronto
Toronto
Correctional Officers and Youth Facilities Workers
September 23 & 24, 2010 Ottawa
January 26 & 27, 2012
Charlottetown
September 27 & 28, 2012 Ottawa
Developmental Services Workers Working Group
May 10 & 11, 2012
Ottawa
Direct Government Services Workers
February 23, 2011
Conference Call
Education and Training Working Group
February 10 & 11, 2011
Ottawa
February 23 & 24, 2012
Ottawa
Equality and Human Rights Working Session
December 8 – 10, 2010 Ottawa
November 3 & 4, 2011
Ottawa
88
Finance Committee
February 27, 2011
Ottawa

September 19, 2011
December 4, 2011
March 8, 2013
Fredericton
Ottawa
Conference Call
Forest Fire Fighters Working Group
March 8 & 9, 2012
Victoria
April 30, 2012
Conference Call
Highway Maintenance Workers Working Group
May 17 & 18, 2012
Ottawa
Home Support / Care Workers
December 16, 2010
January 26, 2011
February 22, 2011
November 28 & 29, 2011
Conference Call
Conference Call
Conference Call
Ottawa
Income Maintenance Workers Working Group
April 12 & 13, 2012
Ottawa
Leadership Development School
August 21 – 27, 2010
Keene, Ontario
August 20 – 26, 2011
Keene, Ontario
August 25 – 31, 2012
Keene, Ontario
Licensed Practical Nurses
January 16 & 17, 2012
Liquor Board Representatives
May 24 & 25, 2012
Victoria
Vancouver
Mental Health Issues Conference
October 28 & 29, 2010
Ottawa
National Union Action on Retiree Concerns (NUARC)
September 27, 2010
Conference Call
January 28, 2011
Ottawa
November 16, 2011
Conference Call
June 5, 2013
Conference Call
National Executive Board Meetings
#242, September 20 & 21, 2010 Gatineau
#243, October 19, 2011 Conference Call
#244, November 16 & 17, 2010 Winnipeg
#245, November 25, 2011 Conference Call
89

#246, December 14, 2010 Conference Call
#247, January 5, 2011 Toronto
#248, January 7, 2011 Conference Call
#249, February 18, 201 Conference Call
#250, February 28 & March 1 Ottawa
#251, March 24, 2011 Conference Call
#252, May 8, 2011 Vancouver
#253, June 15, 2011 Conference Call
#254, September 19 & 20, 2011 Fredericton
#255, October 4, 2011 Conference Call
#256, November 8, 2011 Conference Call
#257, December 5 & 6, 2011 Ottawa
#258, February 6, 2012 Conference Call
#259, April 11, 2012 Conference Call
#260, September 17 & 18, 2012 Ottawa
#261, December 10 & 11, 2012 Ottawa
#262, February 7, 2013 Conference Call
#263, March 25 & 26, 2013 Toronto
#264, April 12, 2013 Conference Call
#265, May 1, 2013 Conference Call
#266, May 21, 2013 Conference Call
#267, June 13, 2013 Ottawa
Pension Reform Lobby and Educational Session
June 13 & 14, 2010
Charlottetown
Union Education Officers
October 22 & 23, 2012
Toronto
Women’s Worlds 2011 Conference
July 3 – 7, 2011
Ottawa
Women’s Training Session
January 28 & 29, 2013
Ottawa
Workers’ Compensation Board Representatives
Joint NUPGE / CUPE
September 22, 2011
Conference Call
March 8 & 9, 2012
Ottawa
Young Workers Forum
June 14 & 15, 2012
Ottawa
90

APPENDIX II
LEADERSHIP, ACTIVISTS AND
STAFF WHO ATTENDED
NUPGE MEETINGS,
WORKING SESSIONS,
CONFERENCES AND
CONFERENCE CALLS
91

APPENDIX II
Leadership, Activists and Staff Who
Attended NUPGE Meetings,Working
Sessions, Conferences and Conference
Calls
Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, Colleen Jones and Stephanie Smith
HSABC / NUPGE
Suzanne Bennett, Anne Davis and Leila Lolua
HSAA / NUPGE
Mariana Burstyn and Mary Dahr
SGEU / NUPGE
Mary Ann Harrison, Joyce Hobday, Jackie Krasko,
Wendy Banadyga and Lorena Urquiza
MGEU / NUPGE
Lee Edwards, Michelle Gawronsky, Jan Henley and Deb Jamerson
OPSEU / NUPGE
Cindy Haynes and Elaine Kerr
NBU / NUPGE
Barbara Doiron, Nancy Dowd, Sylvia Melanson,
Susie Proulx-Daigle and Linda Richardson
NSGEU / NUPGE
Dawn Ferris
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Eileen Brown-Wilt and Dina DesRoches
NAPE / NUPGE
Arlene Sedlickas
92
All Together Now! Campaign Coordinators Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, and Colleen Jones

HSABC / NUPGE
Janice Davis
HSAA/ NUPGE
Doug Meggison
SGEU / NUPGE
Tina Vuckovic
MGEU / NUPGE
John Baert
OPSEU / NUPGE
Pam Doig and Randy Robertson
NBU / NUPGE
Dennis Atchinson
NSGEU / NUPGE
Lori Smith
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Mark Barrett and Lynn Bovyer
NAPE / NUPGE
Trevor King
All Together Now! Campaign Ottawa Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, Chris Dabrowski, Scott DeLong, Nancy Dwyer, Mona Dykes,
Sharon Gardner, Colleen Jones, Sarah McConnell, Kelly McDonald,Roxanne
Round, Pam Schneider, Vincent Sherry, Sandi Terlecki and Tamara Weber
HSABC / NUPGE
Janice Davis, Roselyne Lambert, Anna Morton, Connie Mussel,
Carol Riviere and Rachael Tutte
HSAA / NUPGE
Keri Cable, Mary Dahr, Mandy Goodwin, Doug Meggison,
Heather Pyper and Karen Sembower
SGEU / NUPGE
Patrice Kelly, Gayle Marteniuk and Tina Vuckovic
93

MGEU / NUPGE
John Baert, Brent Bayluk, Melissa Dvorak, Kim Fallis, Tina Hay,
Jeanette Kimball, Ed Miller and Caren Zimmerman
OPSEU / NUPGE
Rachel Brown, Pam Doig, Peter Edwards, Felicia Fahey, Chrissy Groves,
Cindy Hayes-Wright, Ken Hord, Shelley McCormick, Daryl O’Grady,
Lynn Orzel, Dallas Takeuchi
NBU / NUPGE
Dennis Atchinson, Tom Mann, Stephane Proulx, Susie Proulx-Dailge
and Alexa Robichaud
NSGEU / NUPGE
Rocky Beals, Gina Boyd, Monika Harvey, Elaine Jackman, Glen Kennedy,
Michael McKenzie, Karen Peters-Newell, Garry Smith and Lori Smith
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Mark Arsenault, Mark Barrett, Lynn Bovyer, Eileen Brown-Wilt,
Terry Gauthier, Debbie Johnston and Nancy Smith
NAPE / NUPGE
Robert Cater, Trevor King, Joanne Miles, Cathy Saunders,
Karen Stagg and Vanessa Wiseman
All Together Now! Champions Halifax Conference
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, Chris Dabrowski, Scott DeLong, Nancy Dwyer,
Mona Dykes, Judy Fox-McGuire, Sharon Gardner, Colleen Jones,
Kelly McDonald, Lorene Oikawa, Roxanne Round, Vincent Sherry,
Sandi Terlecki and Tamara Weber
HSABC / NUPGE
Janice Davis, Reid Johnson and Rachael Tutte
HSAA / NUPGE
Mary Dahr, Geri Keith, Doug Meggison, Faika Satterthwaite
and Karen Sembower
SGEU / NUPGE
Tina Vuckovic
94
MGEU / NUPGE
John Baert, Melissa Dvorak, Kim Fallis, Tina Hay, Kim Hes,
Donna Janzen, Jeanette Kimball, Ed Miller and Kevin Kotyk

OPSEU / NUPGE
Pam Doig, Felicia Fahey, Devon Ford, Cindy Hayes-Wright, Ken Hord, Shelley
McCormick, Daryl O’Grady, Len Sedore, Dallas Takeuchi and Chrisy Tremblay
NBU / NUPGE
Shelley Coulombe, Tom Mann, Stephane Proulx and Susie Proulx-Daigle
NSGEU / NUPGE
Robert Backman, Rocky Beals, Gina Boyd, Dawn Ferris, Monika Harvey,
Joan Jessome, Glenn Kennedy, Jason MacLean, Mike McKenzie,
Garry Smith, Lori Smith and Rick Wiseman
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Mark Arsenault, Mark Barrett, Lynn Bovyer, Eileen Brown-Wilt, Terry
Gauthier, Simon Hashie, Debbie Johnston, Nancy Smith and Shelley Ward
NAPE / NUPGE
Robert Cater, Trevor King, Joanne Miles, Cathy Saunders
and Vanessa Wiseman
All Together Now! Electronic Town Hall Meeting
Various participants across the country
Canadian Blood Services Joint NUPGE / CUPE Meeting
HSAA / NUPGE
Marnie Stuart
MGEU / NUPGE
Marc Payette and Christina Rodericks
OPSEU / NUPGE
Sean Allen, Cathie Bergman-Richards, Richard Janson, Cindy Kissick,
Steven O’Marra, Rona Rigotti, Janet Seymour, Brenda Tynski, Todd
Saunders, Steven Saysell, Leigh Anne Siebert, Anastasios Zafiriadis,
and Katherine Zan-Payne
NSGEU / NUPGE
Katie Isenor and Petra Plante
Canadian Foundation for Labour Rights – Labour Rights, Democracy,
Economic Justice and Equality International Conference
BCGEU / NUPGE
Megan Ashbury, Paul Finch, Mike Orders, Brittany Skinner and Stephanie Smith
HSABC / NUPGE
Reid Johnson and Dave Martin
95

HSAA / NUPGE
Elisabeth Ballermann, Kelly Garland, Trudy Thomson, Jerry Toews and Kerry Woollard
SGEU / NUPGE
Helen Hrynchak
MGEU / NUPGE
Scott Cloney, Diana Delroy, Bob Dewar, Michelle Gawronsky,
Wally Fletcher, Anita Marcotte, Peter Roberts and Stephen Roznowsky
OPSEU / NUPGE
Sandi Blancher, Mary Cory, Felicia Fahey, Sara Labelle, Nancy Pridham
and Randy Robinson
NBU / NUPGE
Susie Proulx-Daigle and Leigh Sprague
NSGEU / NUPGE
Joan Jessome, Jason MacLean, Darren McPhee, Adrienne LeBlanc,
Sharon Burchell, Lori Smith and Rick Wiseman
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Debbie Bovyer and John Ramsay
NAPE / NUPGE
Paula Schumph
Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Tom McMahon and Stephen Morgan
HSABC / NUPGE
Hans Brown, Kimball Finigan, Bruce MacDonald, Janice Morrison,
Carol Riviere and Heather Sapergia
HSAA / NUPGE
Elisabeth Ballermann, Lynette McAvoy, Trudy Thomson,
Jerry Toews and Kerry Woollard
SGEU / NUPGE
Catherine Chabot, Bonnie Erickson, Kim Nordmarken and Teresa Sauer
96
MGEU / NUPGE
Bill Anderson, Wayne Chacun, Michelle Gawronsky,
Lorie Hébert and Shelley Neel

OPSEU / NUPGE
Sandi Blancher, Michèle Dawson Haber, Rick Janson, Sara-Jane Labelle and Patty Rout
NBU / NUPGE
Joyce Aucoin, Tom Mann, Dawn Muzzerall and Susie Proulx-Daigle
NSGEU / NUPGE
Adrienne LeBlanc and Shauna MacKinnon
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Carolyn Knox
NAPE / NUPGE
Andy Parsons, Gilbert Butt and Daniel Reid
INDEPENDENT UNIONS
AAHP
Bruce Callahan, Sharon King, Jacqueline Moulton, Gordon Piercey,
Steve Rogers and Virginia Whitten
HSAS
Bill Craik, Cathy Dickson, Karen Kinar, Joanne Schenn
and Karen Wasylenko
MAHCP
Wendy Despins, Shelley Kowalchuk, Lee Manning, Bob Moroz
and Adele Spence
Champions 4 Pensions Training Session
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, Mike Connolly, Nancy Dwyer, Judy Fox-McGuire, Chris
Jack, Vincent Sherry, Richard Schaeffer, Sandy Terlecki and Karen Wickham
HSABC / NUPGE
Dennis Blatchford and Brendan Shields
HSAA / NUPGE
Mariana Burstyn, Sherry McKibben, Trudy Thomson and Jerry Toews
MGEU / NUPGE
Linda Côté, Borys Kruk, Penny Copeland, Edward Miller
and Michael D. Welfley
OPSEU / NUPGE
Diana Clark, Ed Faulknor, Mike Grimaldi, Cheri Hearty, Sean Platt,
Nancy Pridham and Violet Stringer
97

NBU / NUPGE
Shelley Coulombe, Susie Proulx-Daigle, Jeff Stoddard and Lisa Watters
NSGEU / NUPGE
Paul Hagen, Shannon Kelly, Kathy Little, Brenda McKenna
and Holly Renaud
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Mark Arsenault, Donalda Docherty, Chris Oatway, Shelley Ward
and Blair Weeks
Child Protection Workers Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Maggie Fidler, Sonja Haigh, Terra Plut and Sue Powell
SGEU / NUPGE
Angela Chaykowski, Suzanne Hehn, Arol Honsey and Corinne Pennell
MGEU / NUPGE
Terry-Lyn Gagnon, Jan Henley and Darahlynn Sinclair
OPSEU / NUPGE
Jane Kaija and Tracy More
NSGEU / NUPGE
Susan Cater
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Colleen MacDonald
NAPE / NUPGE
Robert Cater
Collective Bargaining Advisory Committee Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Brent Camilleri, David Streb and David Vipond
HSABC / NUPGE
Dawn Adamson and Jeanne Myers
HSAA / NUPGE
Dave Chipchura, Sylvie Gill, Lori Horvat, Norah Miner, Ron Roy and Kerry
Woollard
98
MGEU / NUPGE
Bill Anderson and Bob Dewar

OPSEU / NUPGE
Brian Gould and Steve Neild
NBU / NUPGE
Tom Mann, Dean Job and Leigh Sprague
NSGEU / NUPGE
Neil McNeil, Robin MacLean and Keiren Tompkins
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Brenda Walker
Communications Officers / Staff Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Brian Gardiner
HSABC / NUPGE
David Beiber
HSAA / NUPGE
Kim Adonyi, Terry Inigo-Jones, Scott Pattison and Jerry Toews
SGEU / NUPGE
Lara Abu-Ghazaleh
MGEU / NUPGE
John Baert and Jeremy Peterson
OPSEU / NUPGE
Pam Doig, Tim Little, Heino Nielsen and Emily Visser
NBU / NUPGE
Dennis Atchison, Marie-André Bolduc and Susie Proulx-Daigle
NSGEU / NUPGE
Holly Fraughton and Dee Dee Slye
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Mark Barrett
NAPE / NUPGE
Keith Dunne
99

Component Financial Officers Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Stephanie Smith and Peter Mehling
HSABC / NUPGE
Cathy Davidson and Janice Morrison
HSAA / NUPGE
Trudy Thomson, Gillian Booth, Patricia Heffel and Lynette McAvoy
SGEU / NUPGE
Sandy Evanovich and Richard Schramm
MGEU / NUPGE
Monica Girouard and Stephen Roznowsky
OPSEU / NUPGE
Eduardo Almeida and Maurice Gabay
NBU / NUPGE
Susie Proulx-Daigle and Trina Scott
NSGEU / NUPGE
Darren McPhee and Bruce Thomson
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Simon Hashie and Lisa Rossiter
NAPE / NUPGE
Bert Blundon
Correctional Officers & Youth Facility Workers Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Brian Campbell, Tony Guarascio, Robin LaJeunesse, Wiho Papenbrock,
Dean Purdy, Mike Scott, Evan Stewart, Brandon Thistle and Barry Vaness
SGEU / NUPGE
Andy Beaver, Lori Bossaer, Michael Cummings, Craig Geisinger, Lorie Hill,
Helen Hrynchak, Cam Kelly, Hank Lashta, Robert McKenzie, Bonnie
McRae, Tannis Nichol, Herb Norton, Barry Nowoselsky, Derek Rieger,
Patrick Sander, Jeffrey Schaeffer, Catherine Suchorab and Terry Ullman
100
MGEU / NUPGE
Maurice Ciarelli, Ken Crawford, Lee Edwards, Patrick Gilbertson, Leigh
Hogue, Ian Macaskill, Brian Parley, Mike Welfley and Robert Wells

OPSEU / NUPGE
Eduardo Almeida, William Bell, Glenna Caldwell, Tammy Carson, Brian
Chauvin, Tony Cunningham, Jonathan Guider, Sandra Harper, Jack
Hopkins, Paul Johnstone, Gord Longhi, Jim Mitchell, Dan Sidsworth, Eric
Thompson and Monte Vieselmeyer
NSGEU / NUPGE
Chris Deal, Cynthia Fownes, Hugh Gillis, Lori Prest and Bennie Singler
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Deryl Beaton, Linda Clark, Pierre Gaudet, Scott Gregory, Todd
Handregan, Debbie MacPhee, Michelle Mullins, Chris Oatway, Trent
Parsons, Naythan Praught, Matt Sentner and Shelley Yeo
NAPE / NUPGE
Derrick Ayers, Paul Foley, Frank Pittman and Paul Taylor
Developmental Services Workers Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
James Cavalluzzo, Angela Reed, Chris Mikulasik, Pamela Pye and Oliver Rohlfs
MGEU / NUPGE
Jennifer Horzempa, John Lewis and Andy Regier
OPSEU / NUPGE
Silvana Cacciatore-Roy, Wayne Easterbrook, Lynn Easter-Froats, Vickie Ivy,
Patti Markland, Karen McKinnon, Nancy Millar, Erin Rice and Sue Walker
NSGEU / NUPGE
Tracey Best and Rick Wiseman
Direct Government Services Workers Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Jonathan Chapnick and Doug Kinna
SGEU / NUPGE
Cam Kelly
MGEU / NUPGE
Darlene Tremblay
NSGEU / NUPGE
Brian Crawford, Elaine Jackman, John Mortimer and Karen Peters-Newell
101

Education and Training Working Group Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Danny Bradford, Cam McRobb, John Ross, Janet Seccia, Stu Seifert
and Kathy Weaver
SGEU / NUPGE
Jeff Galbraith, Tracey Kurtenbach, Shawna North, Jason Rattray and Jim Steele
MGEU / NUPGE
Dominique Arbez, Penny Copeland, Mark Loan, Kimberley Lynn,
Dale Neal and Jean Sourisseau
OPSEU / NUPGE
Naz Binck, Betty Cree, Benoit Dupuis and Manzur Malik
NSGEU / NUPGE
Susan Sutherland and Darryl Warren
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Craig Boudreau, Donnie Brown and Debbie Hogan
Equality and Human Rights Activists Working Sessions
BCGEU / NUPGE
Lorene Oikawa and Holly Page
HSAA / NUPGE
Mariana Burstyn, Elizabeth Mi and Shirl Taylor
SGEU / NUPGE
Barb Dedi, Shelly Johnson, Mike Hanson, Jackie Krasko, Judy Kobsar,
Sharon Rose and Albert Zwozdesky
MGEU / NUPGE
Diana Delroy and Anita Marcotte
OPSEU / NUPGE
Jennifer Ahamed, Mary Cory, Marco Costa, Lori Davis, Doug Evetts,
Elizabeth Ha, Kevin Herbert, Heather Hoddinott, Wesley Killman, Kim
McDowell, Laurie Miller, Dora Robinson, Philip Shearer, Joanne Sheehan,
Greg Snider and Ryan Walker
102
NSGEU / NUPGE
Norman Doucet, Adrienne LeBlanc, Jason MacLean, Trevor Sanipass
and Wendy Williams

Finance Committee Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Judi Filion and Stephanie Smith
HSABC / NUPGE
Reid Johnson
MGEU / NUPGE
Lois Wales
OPSEU / NUPGE
Patty Rout
NSGEU / NUPGE
Joan Jessome
NAPE / NUPGE
Bert Blundon
Forest Fire Fighters Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Dan McBee, Megan Scott and Eric Hamilton Smith
SGEU / NUPGE
Randy Anderson, Earl Cook, Jack Lee, Robert Malboeuf and Timothy McKay
MGEU / NUPGE
Len Caminha, Wally Fletcher and Ernest Muswagon
OPSEU / NUPGE
Edward Evens, Lenard Sedore and Cameron Walker
NSGEU / NUPGE
Ian MacLeod
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Terry Gauthier
Highway Maintenance Workers Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Jim Manson, Michael Nuyens and Gary Bennett
SGEU / NUPGE
John Duvall, Edward Hildebrand, Timothy McKay and Brian York
103

MGEU / NUPGE
William Courtice, Wally Fletcher and Ernest Muswagon
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Arnold MacDonald and Paul Runighan
NAPE / NUPGE
Wayde Thompson
Home Support / Care Workers Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carla Dempsey, Ho-Ying Kui and Anita Zaenker
MGEU / NUPGE
Sheila Gordon, Marlene Hrechka and Curt Penniston
OPSEU / NUPGE
Tracy More and Louise Mulligan-Roy
NSGEU / NUPGE
Tammy Frail, Joan Jessome, Ian Johnson and Cathy Peori
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Shelley Walker
Income Maintenance Workers Working Group Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
John (Alex) Fedyk, Sandy Terlecki and Roxanne Round
SGEU / NUPGE
Tracy Haaland, Arol Honsey and Gloria Roque
MGEU / NUPGE
Anita Barker, Christine Hay and Leza Jacques
OPSEU / NUPGE
Roxanne Barnes, and Stuart McInnes
NSGEU / NUPGE
Scott Hart
104
Leadership Development Schools
BCGEU / NUPGE
Lynn Bueckert, Debra Critchley, Carla Dempsey, Paul Finch, Patsy
Harmston, Angela Mahlmann, David Streb and Lisa Trolland

HSABC / NUPGE
Kimball Finigan, Janice Morrison, Suzanne Schiltz and Brendan Shields
HSAA / NUPGE
Kathie Bzdel, Donna Farquharson, Mandy Goodwin, Laurel Jackson,
Lynette McAvoy, Jason Soklofske, Jerry Toews and Victoria Tomblin
SGEU / NUPGE
Jackie Currah, Muna De Cima, David Eckert, Michel Henselmann, Lorie
Hill, Helen Hrynchak, Patrice Kelly, Kim Nordmarken, Patrick Sander
and Tina Vuckovic
MGEU / NUPGE
Penny Copeland, Colin Ghostkeeper, Joe Johannesson, Karla Lanyon,
Diane Mark and Peter Roberts
OPSEU / NUPGE
Eduardo Almeida, Sandi Blancher, Fran Borsellino, Sue Brown, Mary
Ellen Cassey, Mary Cory, Pamela Doig, Michael Grimaldi, Pat Honsberger,
Sara Labelle, David Lundy, Archana Mathew, Gwen Merritt, Nancy
Pridham, Geraldine Ryan, James Tocker, Ann Wallace and Sean Wilson
NBU / NUPGE
Carolyn Carter, Sylvie Guimond, Al Mullin, Jean-Marie Pelletier
and Lisa Watters
NSGEU / NUPGE
Rose Marie de Villers, David Lawrence, Adrienne LeBlanc,
Andy Pederson and Rick Wiseman
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Mark Barrett, Troy Warren and Blair Weeks
NAPE / NUPGE
Paul Foley
Licensed Practical Nurses Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Helen Bosch, Lynn Bueckert, Pat Burnett, Cindy Gale, Joanne Jordan,
Paul Komer, Andriy Nokhrin, Erin Sikora and Anita Zaenker
MGEU / NUPGE
Darcie Johnson, Randy Porter and Kayleen Valley
105

OPSEU / NUPGE
Ed Arvelin and Georgia Mcillwraith
NSGEU / NUPGE
Roberta Banfield and Tracey Fisk
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Lynn Bovyer, Dianna Callaghan, Joe Callaghan, Karen Jackson,
Bernie Lefort, Margo King, Chrissie Murphy, Kelly Prest, Monica Taylor
and Shelley Ward
NAPE / NUPGE
Vanessa Wiseman
Liquor Board Representatives Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, Rick Barnett, Dan Cahill, Sonja Haigh, Connie Harvey,
Kimberlee MacGregor, Jackie McGuire, Venai Raniga and Keith Stone
SGEU / NUPGE
Bob Stadnichuk
MGEU / NUPGE
Christine Laarveld, Greg Mendro, Ed Miller, Dale Neal
and Stephen Roznowsky
OPSEU / NUPGE
Mirla Alvarado, Denise Davis, Felicia Fahey, Greg Hamara,
Brenda Wall and Rick Woodall
NSGEU / NUPGE
Ken Borden and Jim Ross
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Donalda Docherty and Shelley Ward
NAPE / NUPGE
Austin Deir and Grant Horan
Mental Health Issues Conference
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams, Carla Dempsey, Susanne Francoeur, Judy Fox-McGuire,
Tony Guarascio, Robin Horne, Kim Keys, Doug Kinna and Anita Zaenker
106

HSABC / NUPGE
Maureen Ashfield and Colette Barker
SGEU / NUPGE
Helen Hrynchak
MGEU / NUPGE
Lorine Dzeba, Tracy McGillvray, Bea Michaluk and Sharon Monkman
OPSEU / NUPGE
Tisha Battram, Elaine Crowley, Al Donaldson, Laurie Elvish, Natalie
Iserhoff, Melissa Leaist, David Lundy, Gail Maracle, David McDougall, Kim
McDowell, Patricia McGregor, Derek Miller, Lynn Orzel, Leonard Pullan
and Cheryl Wing
NSGEU / NUPGE
Sherry Bernard, Karen Ferguson, Hugh Gillis, Wally Howe and Elizabeth McQuaid
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Dina DesRoches, Pierre Gaudet, Danielle Hennessey, Bernie Lefort, Doris
MacKinnon, Steve Mollins, Brody Noonan, Chris Oatway, Glen Poirer,
Lindsay Porter and Shelley Ward
National Union Action on Retiree Concerns Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE
Lawrence Johnson
HSABC/NUPGE
Suzanne Bennett
HSAA / NUPGE
Louise Yarrow
MGEU / NUPGE
Wally Fletcher, Michelle Gawronsky, and Peter Olfert
OPSEU / NUPGE
Ed Faulknor and Fred Upshaw
NAPE / NUPGE
Ralph Morris
Pension Reform Lobby and Educational Session
BCGEU / NUPGE
David Vipond
107

OPSEU / NUPGE
Mike Grimaldi and Patty Rout
NBU / NUPGE
Thomas Gallant, Melissa Hanley, Lydia Jaillet, Debbie Lacelle, Wayne
Milner, Renee Pecskovszky, Susie Proulx-Daigle, Linda Richardson
NSGEU / NUPGE
Cynthia Black, Corinne Carey, Brad Crews, Brandy Eele, Steve Garland,
Elizabeth Grabher, Richard Grewal, Paul Hagen, Natalie Hillier, Tanya
Jewells, Ian Johnson, Ajit Joshi, Amy Kennedy, Kelly Murphy, Steve
Newson, Cathy Pemberton, Holly Renaud, Tanya Roode, James Schofield,
Garry Smith, Keith Torrey, Heather Tucker, Darryl Warren, Camilla Wells
and Richard Wiseman
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Deryl Beaton, Jim Beaton, Arlene Bowness, Eileen Brown-Wilt, Bryan
Burt, Linda Clark, Katherine Costain, Donalda Docherty, Douglas
Ferguson, Juanita Gallant, Susan Harris, Simon Hashie, Laurie Hiscock,
Bruce Horne, Wesley Hustler, Debbie Johnston, Colleen MacDonald,
Nancy MacDonald, Craig MacKenzie, Doris MacKinnon, Frederick
MacLeod, Margo MacPhee, Beverley MacWilliams, Betty McGuire,
Stephen Mollins, Chrissy Murphy, Clyde Penney, Lyndon Pineau, Garnett
Sanderson, Nancy Smith, Kim Stewart, Shelley Ward, Paula Wells
and Shelley Yeo
NAPE / NUPGE
Bert Blundon and Carol Furlong
Union Education Officers Meeting
BCGEU / NUPGE
Lynda Morrice
HSABC / NUPGE
Bill Hannah
MGEU / NUPGE
Graham Dowdell
OPSEU / NUPGE
Pam Doig and Marty McFarlane
108
NSGEU / NUPGE
Margaret Anne McHugh

Women’s Training Session
BCGEU / NUPGE
Carol Adams
HSABC / NUPGE
Anne Davis and Leila Lolua
HSAA / NUPGE
Mariana Burstyn, Mary Dahr and Jodi Skage
SGEU / NUPGE
Mary Ann Harrison
MGEU / NUPGE
Michelle Gawronsky, Darlene Adamson, Kaye Annie Byfield, Lee Edwards,
Laurie Geseron, Paula Hamm, Deb Jamerson, Teresa Loucks, Crystal
Painter, Brenda Neiles and Shannon Reynolds
OPSEU / NUPGE
Anne Bradstreet, Tammy Carson, Mary Cory, Felicia Fahey, Elaine Kerr,
Heather Hoddinott, Sara Labelle, Dora Robinson, Edie Strachan
and Jennifer Van Zetten
NBU / NUPGE
Susie Proulx-Daigle, Nicki MacAfee, Sylvia Melanson and Lisa Watters
NSGEU / NUPGE
Heather Ann Day, Carol Anne Drake, Dawn Ferris, Donna MacGregor,
Kim Manthorne and Heather Ventham
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Dina DesRoches
Workers’ Compensation Board Representatives Joint
NUPGE / CUPE Meetings
BCGEU / NUPGE (BC Compensation Employees’ Union)
Susan Epp, Frank Lanzarotta, Adele Peters, Candace Philpitt and Sandra Wright
SGEU / NUPGE
Jeff Herzberger
OPSEU / NUPGE
V. Par
109

NBU / NUPGE
Mike Allan and Susie Proulx-Daigle
NSGEU / NUPGE
Lorne Blair, Tony Bremner and Lloyd P. Samson
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Wilma Lewis
NAPE / NUPGE
Mona Mathews
Young Workers Forum
BCGEU / NUPGE
Sabrina Dosanjh, Paul Finch, Lisa Laffrenier, Kari Michaels, Mary Anne
Morgan, Holly Reid and Shalane Syvertsen
BCGEU / BCFMWU / NUPGE
Andrew Duarte
HSABC / NUPGE
Kimball Finigan
MGEU / NUPGE
Rebecca Froese, Kevin Kotyk, Brian Spencler and Dan Trakalo
OPSEU / NUPGE
Kevin Herbert, Wesley Killman and Adam Ly
NSGEU / NUPGE
Mark Axhorn, Carrie Campbell, Allison MacDonald, Kelly Murphy, James
Schofield and Rick Wiseman
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Chris Oatway
110

APPENDIX III
MEMBERS OF NUPGE
STANDING COMMITTEES
111

APPENDIX III
Members of NUPGE Standing Committees
Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues
BCGEU / NUPGE
Stephanie Smith
HSABC / NUPGE
Anne Davis
HSAA / NUPGE
Mariana Burstyn
SGEU / NUPGE
Marjorie Abdilnour
MGEU / NUPGE
Deb Jamerson
OPSEU / NUPGE
Elaine Kerr
NBU / NUPGE
Sylvia Melanson
NSGEU / NUPGE
Dawn Ferris (Replacement to be determined)
PEIUPSE / NUPGE
Dina DesRoches
NAPE / NUPGE
Arlene Sedlickas
Collective Bargaining Advisory Committee
BCGEU / NUPGE
David Vipond
HSABC / NUPGE
Dawn Adamson
112
HSAA / NUPGE
Kerry Woollard

MGEU / NUPGE
Bill Anderson
OPSEU / NUPGE
Brian Gould
NBU / NUPGE
Dean Job
NSGEU / NUPGE
Keiren Tompkins
NAPE / NUPGE
Dave Curtis
Finance Committee
BCGEU / NUPGE
Stephanie Smith
HSABC / NUPGE
Reid Johnson
NSGEU / NUPGE
Joan Jessome
NAPE / NUPGE
Bert Blundon
113

114
APPENDIX IV
NUPGE SCHOLARSHIPS
AND RECIPIENTS

APPENDIX IV
NUPGE Scholarships and Recipients
Tommy Douglas Scholarship
2012 Nathan Ostenberg, son of HSAA / NUPGE member Susanne M.
Frank and Cassandra Petersen, daughter of OPSEU / NUPGE
member Patricia Petersen
2011 Michelle Erin Tremblay, daughter of MGEU / NUPGE member
Joan Tremblay
2010 Nicholas Barbour, son of OPSEU / NUPGE member Connie
Barbour; Michael Kent, son of SGEU / NUPGE member
Stephen Kent; and Stephanie Fox, daughter of MGEU / NUPGE
member Andrea Fox
Terry Fox Memorial Scholarship
2012 Dustin Schulz, son of MGEU / NUPGE member
Deborah Schulz
2011 Rebecca MacFarlane, daughter of OPSEU / NUPGE member
Malcolm MacFarlane
2010 Not awarded
Scholarship for Aboriginal Canadians
2012 Not awarded
2011 Stephan Warrener, son of BCGEU / NUPGE member
Judy Saquet-Warrener
2010 Not awarded
115