Rise up for your rights! Conference - Day 1 Highlights

Posted: Wednesday, 8 December 2010

About 425 delegates and other visitors are gathered in Ottawa from December 8-11 for the CLC-sponsored Rise UP for Your Rights conference. For nearly four years the Conservative government has been eroding human rights and dismantling Canada’s democratic traditions.

The Rise Up event is an event for workers who are determined to change what these government policies mean for aboriginal and racialized communities, for LGBT communities, for people living with disabilities and for women. The discussion is about taking back the future and challenging the government’s agenda, in our workplaces, in our communities and at the ballot box.

Barbara Byers, CLC Executive Vice President welcomed delegates and introduced guest speaker Armine Yalnizyan, a prize-winning economist and frequent media commentator. She talked about the growng threats to democracy and human rights and why we should care.