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The nearly 700 delegates to the 23rd
tri-ennial convention of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers at the
Ottawa Congress Centre elected a new president on April 17 who promises
to turn the page on concessions bargaining. He is Denis Lemelin,
originally from Sherbrooke, Quebec. He served as the
Union's 2nd National Vice President since 1999.
Lemelin defeated the incumbent, Deborah Bourque, by a
margin of about 100 votes. He opposed the latest contract settlement with
Canada Post, which many members regard as concessionary, but which
Bourque supported.
As well, contract opponents Gail Bossenberry and Phillippe
Arbour defeated contract backers Andre Frappier and John Fehr for First
V.P. and National Grievance Officer positions, respectively. For
days the buzz on the convention floor reflected considerable tension and
widespread disaffection over the latest two collective agreements with
Canada Post. Negotiators were criticized for the union's
abandonment of severance pay, and its concession of low wage
improvements, an erosion of job security, and the long span of the
agreements. Not all of the relatively conservative incumbents were
defeated by insurgent challengers, but they certainly were given a
scare. For example, a last-minute candidacy by a Toronto
CUPW non-delegate got nearly two hundred votes in opposition to the
incumbent National Treasurer who had supported the controversial deal.
In other developments, delegates approved an ambitious
Action Plan. It is centred on resistance to management's vision of
"the Modern Post" which includes the elimination of thousands
of jobs and the possible deregulation of Canada Post.
CUPW broke new ground by supporting the international
campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel
until it recognizes the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination
and the right to return to their homes as stipulated in UN resolution
194. The composite resolution (combining Resolutions 338 and 339),
calls for an end to all acts of violence including military assaults and
suicide bombings, demands that Israel
immediately withdraw from the occupied territories in accordance with UN
resolution 242 and tear down the Israeli West Bank barrier,
and calls on the Canadian government to increase humanitarian aid to
Palestinians. It received overwhelming support after a lengthy
debate on the convention floor, which was led off by Toronto
delegate and Socialist Action member Elizabeth Byce.
CUPW now joins CUPE Ontario in the growing global
boycott of Israeli apartheid, the first cross-country union in Canada
to do so.
Delegates also voted to demand that the Canadian
government immediately withdraw troops from the war in Afghanistan, and
provide genuine humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. CUPW
resolved to work with the Canadian Labour Congress
and peace groups to build awareness about the real causes and effects of
the war.
Another adopted policy extends greater autonomy to
Quebec regions of CUPW in the areas of union education, “social stewards”,
women’s issues and international solidarity.
An additional positive sign was the receptiveness of
CUPW members to the radical press. Delegates purchased over 90
copies of Socialist Action newspaper, plus one subscription, a number of
booklets, and three tickets to the conference "A World in Revolt:
Prospects for Socialism in the 21st Century" set for Toronto,
May 22-25.
At a modestly attended SA public forum at the Congress
Centre on the topic "Recession, Regression and War -- What is the
Socialist Alternative?", a high school student and a university
student, both Ottawa residents, asked to join Socialist Action.
CUPW’s action plan may be found at www.cupw.ca. CUPW represents 56,000 members in
rural, urban and suburban postal operations and private sector bargaining
units, from coast to coast to coast.
Will the postal workers' rejuvenated militant spirit
spread to others in our labour movement? It couldn't come at a
better time.
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