Convention Today for Wednesday, November 24

Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), addressed convention delegates on Wednesday afternoon. Elected in June, Bruske’s appearance at the virtual convention marked her first time addressing a national gathering of CUPE members as president of the CLC.

CUPE members have begun to set the course for our union for the next two years, after spending time debating Strategic Directions 2021-2023 on the convention floor. The results of that debate will be incorporated into a final Strategic Directions document that will return to the convention floor on Friday.

Today, delegates heard about the work that has been done so far by CUPE’s Safe Spaces Working Group. Created by the National Executive Board to address serious concerns about gender-based violence and other forms of harassment and discrimination in our union, the working group – made up of the women members of the NEB – was created to ensure that CUPE has the necessary tools, policies, practices and processes to create safe spaces for all members and at all levels of the union.