Presented by Marie Clarke Walker on Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Sisters and Brothers, I am pleased to bring you greetings of solidarity on behalf of President Ken Georgetti, our other Officers, Secretary Treasurer Hassan Yussuff, our other Executive Vice President Barb Byers, our staff and the 3.2 million workers who are members of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Thanks to your President, Paul Moist, retired Secretary Treasurer Brother Claude Généreux whom I had the pleasure of working with as a member of the NEB, and the NEB for inviting me home to CUPE.

Coming to CUPE’s National Convention is always like coming home to me – so many friends are here from across Canada in my union. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the promise and energy coming from my sisters and brothers. The debates give me hope and make me so very proud to be a member of this great Union.

Special thanks to my Air Canada brothers and Sisters whose fight is all of our fight. The right to free and fair Collective Bargaining is one that is fundamental to ALL and if we lose this we are all in jeopardy.

I particularly want to thank CUPE members for your great help on the main campaign underway right now through the Canadian Labour Congress – our efforts to significantly expand the Canada Pension Plan.

Sisters and brothers – I know you agree that ensuring every worker can retire with security and in dignity…is long overdue.

The CLC, with assistance from CUPE and other affiliates, is putting pressure on Ottawa and all provinces and territories to support increasing CPP benefits from a poverty level of $12,000 a year to a far more liveable $20,000.

The good news is that we have enormous support from Canadians and almost all provincial governments.

We also have the strong endorsement of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and seniors' organizations.

Unfortunately, big business groups lobbied and continue to lobby hard in opposition to any changes and swayed the Stephen Harper Conservative government against improving the CPP.

But, just like Medicare and UI - UnEmployment Insurance, winning such substantial improvements for all Canadians won’t come without a struggle. Sisters and Brothers, the CLC will keep up that fight and with CUPE’s help, we know we will win.

I also want to thank CUPE for its work on other issues; global justice, childcare, pay equity, CETA (Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement – commonly known as the Canada European Trade Agreement), protecting public services and many, many other issues. Also, the work you have done to elect progressive city councils, school boards and local governments throughout Canada has been phenonemal.

The CLC coordinates closely with CUPE and labour councils to endorse labour-friendly candidates, provide training to those candidates and their campaign staff and to do everything else we can to help them win.

The reasons why are obvious – just look at my home town of Toronto to see what happens if we are not able to succeed.

Mayor Rob Ford is attempting to radically cut public services in Toronto and privatize city workers’ jobs to meet an ideological agenda – not the needs of the people. I know that together, we are going to continue the fight.

Ford is working hand in glove with the Harper Conservatives, who are pushing their privatization agenda on other municipalities with grants that demand the funding be spent through Public-Private-Partnerships – P-Threes.

That’s why it’s so important our labour movement ensure political action happens at every government level – municipal, provincial and federal. On that note, I wish Vancouver every success with your upcoming municipal elections.

Working together, CUPE and the CLC can achieve great things – from better pensions for everyone to progressive leadership across our great country.

Sisters and brothers I know that if any union can do it – it will be CUPE but I believe strongly that there is strength in numbers and so I know you will not be alone, that the entire labour movement will be there. WE will do it together and WE won’t let them tell us it can’t be done.

Thanks for listening, thanks for always welcoming me home. It has been a great convention!