November Update

Just wanted to give you a quick update. December is a big month for all of us.

CUPE National 2011 - My opinion.

First off I am absolutely thankful that I was sent to the National convention. I hope to be part of the National in a greater capacity for years to come. This final report on my experiences while at convention are merely observations. I trust that the system is sound and will continue to function like it has in the past. The labour movement is large and wonderful and I look forward to assisting it where I can.

In my last few reports I talked about what I saw on the convention floor. After reviewing the videos I found that perhaps I talked more about what I didn't like than what I did. I thought I should round out the report.

What did I like? Let me list the ways.

• The sheer amount of people who were there to effect positive change.
• The countless forums and meetings where like minds come together.
• The sector meetings that brought new information about how the other provinces are dealing with attacks on public services.
• The after events that allowed us to unwind and talk about CUPE in less formal atmospheres.
• The use of parliamentary procedures that ensured safe, fair discussion.
• The confirmation that our direction was sound.

There is an amazing thing that we as Locals can be a part of. The reshaping of our union. Six hundred thousand people is a lot of shape. We go in many different directions and we constantly seem to step over each others issues to get to our own. If you can understand this desire on a human level and translate it into a movement you will get quite far in CUPE. We are emotional people, with issues that transverse and overlap. For the past few years the union has been taken down a very good path. So good in fact I think some of the smaller issues are now able to come to the surface. This convention was a mixture of our leadership steering us down a path and the members nudging the course a little to the side.

For the two years in between conventions that large group of people are split up into smaller groups. Each one with very similar and very different problems. On a National level we make broad decisions. We speak with grand ideas. It is infuriating and inspiring at the same time.

This is my assessment of the National Convention. The process of the convention is slow and complex for new members. The system because of the complexity can be difficult to move ideas forward. it can also protect against ideas that are not well thought out and can harm the union in the long run. This is not the biggest most concerning issue. It is the structure of CUPE that needs to be addressed. At this point CUPE is overseen by the NEB (National Executive Board). These leaders represent their prospective provinces, and like the position says it comes with a lots of responsibility. The NEB as it stands needs to be reworked, and this my friends is my most concerning issue. I wish I could get into what I thought was needed to revamp the system. Representation by population might be a start, but there was a concerning situation that happened and I am not sure if it was for the better or worse. A move was made to add more diversity NEB representatives to the board. It was a broken attempt at adding a backdoor to the system. Ultimately the move failed, but it made me think about the NEB.

The NEB is supposed to be elected, but I think that for the past few years, these positions have been appointed due to unwritten provincial understandings that keep the peace between each other. I am sure it is nothing but from where I stood there is a real inequality in provincial distribution. This is due to many underlying decisions that were made probably before my time. What I do see is that the election process that we partake in is quite odd when it comes to these top positions. I'm a little new to the process though. I would rather run against someone and lose then run against no one and win. I will take some time later this year and really take a look at the NEB, but for now it sits in the back of my brain and I need to figure out if what I am seeing is the absolute best configuration CUPE can offer itself.

The most exciting process in this is that we are getting more political then before. The National level should be the place for this. Just as the Provincial bodies should be involving themselves at that level. Personally I struggle with the current set up of our government and think that with today's technology we could be offering society a better voice in the process. Saying this the system we have now puts CUPE in tight quarters with the NDP. I am glad to see that we have an official opposition on the floor but there may be a time where our Labour friendly party has to make a choice that disrupts our partnership. Politics is messy and dirty whether we want to see that or not. I again digress.

I wish that people would just be able to sit in a room and decide what is best for all of us instead of what is best for most of us (or the small few of us). Perhaps I am just still a little green at all this but there has got to be a better way then what style of Government we have now. The obstacle we face right now are quite frankly a government that I supported years ago. They have proven to be no better then the liberals now that they have a majority. It is the people that I care about, the society that we all live in. Instead personal interests, power, prestige seem to get the best of people or at the very least their promises. The NDP will have to just scream in every fashion to the people that what government is doing is still old fashion, and hard working people still today are being left in the dust as the rich get richer. I just do not believe in the trickle down effect anymore. Why does everything have to be for insane profit? Oh dang it I digress again.

The truth is every bill that the PC party has will pass, everything the opposition will say to stop it will fail and until the population sees what is happening and actually change the system from the inside out, it will be more of the same. It is important that CUPE gets on the train to educate the people, to show that the fight they are fighting is not against the people, but against the insane profits that companies insist on making for the betterment of the trickle down effect.

CUPE National is on the right track and beyond all the little things that come with any organization. The system needs to be reformed a little from the inside but the message is the same, the genuine betterment of Labour.

Day 6 - Changes coming.

Yesterday was very interesting. We had a few constitutional resolutions that I was surprised with and some that I didn't think would have passed but did.

Here is what I think, what's done is done. CUPE National is becoming a well oiled machine, and the members are figuring this out. Their motions are very simple sounding but have grave repercussions on what happens on the floor of convention. Let me use two examples, quorum and committees.

We now have another committee for Librarians. The 10,000 members we represent (quoted from the resolution) have seen a need for representation as committee within CUPE National. They believe that "There is no appropriate way for library workers to meet and discuss issues and exchange information" and that "a National committee would achieve this goal". It is an amazingly worded resolution. I commend them on it because they have achieved a great step in the National process. They have moved their issue to generically speaking to the front of CUPE National's line.

Lets put committees into perspective. Committees on the National level have an NEB liaison who transmits their desires to the board. Every two years they get one priority resolution that hits the floor, guaranteed. Of course the climax of this is from now until we run out of money (sarcastic because we have a 0.8% per capita) there will always be a libraries committee. This is because committees never fully achieve their goals. It is an important fact because the fights that committees do are tough ones that will one ultimately repurpose themselves rather than stand down. I commend the committees for their work, but I think in 10 years we have a lot more of them just because of how the National organizes itself.

Day 5 - Full day of suprises.

Day 4 - Elections on the Floor and Goodbye to Claude

There were a hand full of resolutions handled today. I was able to speak on one of them specifically the young workers resolution. It managed to pass and my heart stopped beating in my throat about 10 minutes after I took my seat.

The big news was the elections. Lots of people were up. The President (Paul Moist) was reelected, or appointed depending on how you look at it. The regional vice presidents were again reelected and run unopposed. The treasurer though was a interesting process to be part of. We had 4 people running, then three, then two then a winner. It was great because was had a candidate who had to have 50%+1 to win. Many times in my life in the union it isn't about 50%+1 it is about majority. So I thought that this would be no different and we would have a vote split scenario.

Ultimately we have new treasurer. He sounds wonderful and I hope he continues to do the work of the union. Congrats Charles!

My only problem is that the elections stalled the other work that we come to do here. That being the resolutions themselves. Considering that from everyone I talk to so far the majority of the members here this week will be skipping out early to get home to their respective provinces. Which means we have 1 day and a  half left to cover roughly 200 resolutions. <sigh>

Day 3 - Wednesday - Continuing Strong

Yesterday was absolutely great. The convention floor did a few things with style. The discussion on the floor was kept to a minimum when no opposing sides stood by the mic. This translated in 3 to 5 members instead of a never ending line of the same opinion. It also reduced the need for mic muffins. The discussions were limited to 3 minutes. With 5 in the Que at any given time a resolution would take 15 minutes minimum to discuss. With almost 300 Resolutions, you can start to see the importance of keeping the deluge of the same opinion up at the mic.

Today there was still the procedure of CUPE and from what I gather all groups of this size as we stood by and gave our thanks to NDP leader Jack Layton as his wife was on the convention floor. I sometimes forget that we are all people with real connections before we are people with a message. The presentation to Olivia was very tasteful.

Just a note to who ever reads this. The convention is in every respect our Parliament and being on the floor during business is important to the next direction of CUPE. We lost quorum at 5:30pm yesterday. The day was supposed to go to 6pm. Hopefully tomorrow will be better when it comes to resolutions.

Day 3 - Tueday - Ramp up.