by Helen Kennedy, CUPE delegate and co-chair of the Action Caucus

"To the left! To the left! Not to the right! To the left!"
- Chant led by winning Executive Vice-Presidents
Barb Byers and Marie-Clarke Walker
at the CLC Convention in Vancouver.

This victory chant confirmed that left and centre forces had stopped the right from infecting the CLC with the virus which has blocked other labour bodies, including the Ontario Federation of Labour, from organizing militant fightback actions to defend workers and their communities.

By June 12, election day at the CLC, the number of delegates had swelled to over 3300 from 2500 the previous day. The first match was theelection for Secretary-Treasurer. The wait for the final credential committee's report was interspersed with rousing chants from supporters of NUPGE president James Clancy, primarily from NUPGE, UFCW, Steelworkers and Teamsters. Each prolonged spectacle of Clancy flag-waving was outmatched by chants in support of CAW's Hassan Yussuff,who was moving up from Executive Vice-President. Yussuff's support was rooted in the CUPE, CUPW, CAW, PSAC, CEP and SEIU contingents.

Last minute registrations left over 200 delegates, mainly from the Teamsters, UFCW and NUPGE, tiled out when the elections began. In the final analysis, NUPGE need not have organized busloads of delegates, as Yussuff won by 866 votes. Across all affiliates, progressive delegates,including the largest workers of colour, youth and the pride caucuses ever, were solidly behind Yussuff.

The Secretary-Treasurer race was clearly between class collaborationist and class struggle approaches. Clancy's main slogan - "the Power of One" implied that he, as one individual, could make a difference at the CLC. His campaign material made reference to the labour movement spending too much time on "other issues," which equity caucuses took to mean their issues.

The most telling example of collaboration Clancy-style was his union's Resolution CO-67, outlining the conditions under which privatization could be considered - after public consultations, impact studies, cost benefit analysis and entrenchment of successor rights. In contrast,HEU/CUPE and CUPW's Resolution CO-68, on which the committee recommended concurrence, called for the CLC to continue to resist the privatization agenda.

Yussuff ran on a slate with Byers, the President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour since 1988, and Marie-Clarke Walker, V-P of CUPE 4400 in Toronto. Their three programs emphasized the strengths of working in coalitions, building community labour solidarity and taking collective action.

Byers' experience as an Action Caucus member over the years was articulated in her caucus campaign speeches, her track record, and her literature, including the statement that the labour movement needs to "put `class' back in the struggle." Many of the increased number of youth delegates were from Saskatchewan where, under Byers' leadership, a campaign to increase youth participation has brought concrete results.Walker's main slogan was ACTION, and she spoke well about her solid experience working in communities and with coalitions.

The unions backing the slate included CUPE, CUPW, PSAC, CAW, SEIU, CEP,and the Canadian Federation of Nurses - a broad base on which to rebuild unity in the labour movement.

Support for Clancy, and for the third V-P candidate from the Teamsters who lost by over a thousand votes, was centred mostly on anti-CAW sentiments. An early indication of this narrow agenda was the Clancy/Steelworker-led opposition to a new voluntary protocol to help resolve organizing disputes between affiliates. The spirit of a progressive move forward, and a recommitment to building unity was signalled by support for the new protocol from a majority of delegates.

The left-oriented Action Caucus was involved in its second CLC Congress since being reestablished after a 7-year hiatus. The Congress organized resolutions in five categories - general resolutions and those that fit into the areas of workplace, community, country or world. In each category, Action Caucus resolutions were given the number one priority.

Our resolution on Proportional Representation calling for the CLC to endorse Fair Vote Canada was presented in the form of a weakened composite resolution. After work on the floor by John Deverell from CEP and John Bagelow from PSAC, the composite was referred, and the original resolution was later brought forward and passed.

Speakers to another AC resolution addressed the urgency of moving forward quickly to support a national organizing centre that would focus on getting the 70% of workers outside the labour movement into unions.

In the community section, the Congress' number one priority is to work with coalitions and social justice partners. The new Executive Officers and Council will need to ensure that Georgetti lives up to the delegates' expectations, and not continue his personal isolationist position.

Action Caucus resolutions called for mass mobilizations including work stoppages. In the Country section, delegates passed a composite resolution that included the AC call to defend public healthcare up to and including a general strike if necessary. In the World section, our resolution for mass mobilizations against the rampages of globalization,including a 24-hour protest across the Americas against the FTAA, was passed. All priority one resolutions were carried overwhelmingly.

Over 150 delegates, from many affiliates and from across the country,attended the Action Caucus over the course of the convention and were visible on the floor with Action Caucus buttons. A successful election forum was held on Tuesday evening, providing an opportunity to quiz the candidates on their positions. Caucus members also committed themselves to work more diligently between conventions and to organize more effectively at the Federation level.

The militant spirit of BC delegates, at the heart of the fightback against the Campbell government, also helped shift the convention into the action mode. An emergency resolution to support blacklisted healthcare workers was matched with an early morning picket line at Burnaby Hospital to defend fired members of the HEU Local Executive. Brutal examples of the privatization agenda of Premier Campbell, often referred to as "Mike Harris on crack," set the tone that the labour movement must be in the streets to defend workers rights and public services.

The presence of the largest youth caucus also helped define the Convention. The caucus won a referral that will give supplemental delegate credentials for youth to the largest affiliates. As one youth delegate eloquently said, "we aren't the future of the labour movement, we are the labour movement and we're here to demand our place." Natasha Goudar, the new Youth Vice-President is a welcome addition to the new Executive Council.

The emergency resolution on Palestine was a welcome step forward from the inability of the Action Caucus to win a resolution against the bombing of Kosovo at the last CLC. The Palestine resolution drew the ire of the Canadian Jewish Congress when it was passed at the CUPE Ontario Convention in Windsor in May. The National Post, the Globe and Mail, and the Calgary and Toronto Suns supported the CJC position in the lead up to the convention. The resolution condemned the violence perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian lives and property, and the Palestinian suicide bombings. Delegates also referred to a background paper presented by the CLC (but not on the floor for debate), which compared the Middle East situation to apartheid in South Africa. "Palestinians", stated the backgrounder, "have about the same rights, freedoms and power as Africans living in Bantustans and segregated townships once had."

Also welcome was an emergency resolution calling on Ottawa to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, backed by CEP, which represents workers in the oil sands of northern Alberta. The mandate from the CEP and now the CLC is to work towards a Just Transition program for energy workers and energy dependent regions of Canada.

Unfortunately, equity resolutions rated far down on the convention's priority list. An excellent emergency resolution was adopted to support Marc Hall, the young gay man who had to take legal action against the Durham School Board to attend his prom with his partner. Delegate Trish Salah (CUPE 3903) agreed with the resolution, but made the point that the Congress needs to take concrete action in support of all people who face discrimination because of their sexual orientation. She pointed out that resolutions in support of transgendered rights and sex trade workers were buried in the resolution book (Priority 60 and 23 respectively). This may be the last convention where equity resolutions take a back seat, as the Executive Council now includes stronger voices for equity, led by Yussuff, Byers and Walker, in addition to V-P's Kim Beemer, Carol Wall, Raj Dhaliwal and Natasha Goudar.

Retiring Executive Vice-President Jean-Claude Parrot was saluted for his militancy, his class struggle politics that resulted in a two-month jail term, and his fight for human rights and equality issues. A musical tribute by the Ginger Group moved many delegates to tears, followed by a more lighthearted rendition of an Elvis song, honouring Parrot's valued contribution to the labour movement. "J.C." urged others to follow the path of class struggle politics, underlining the importance of winning the big issues in bargaining to move labour and the community ahead together.

Nancy Riche was also given a tribute on the convention floor, but the women's committee organized the most moving tribute on Monday night. A surprise for Nancy - women from all unions, from leadership to rank and file - gave tribute to the woman who has spearheaded a powerful `sisterhood' at the CLC. Judy Darcy presented Nancy with a woman's washroom sign - so she could have a caucus anywhere she wanted. Denise Campbell, former president of NAC, moved everyone with the warmth and humour of her poetic tribute to Nancy.

The shift to the left at the CLC was the best way to recognize the great contributions by Nancy Riche and Jean-Claude Parrot. The finalword though, has to be for Nancy and the sisterhood. On adjournment on Election Day, Nancy invited the `sisterhood' (including Judy Darcy, Nicole Turmel, Peggy Nash, Byers, Walker, and others) back to her suite for champagne and strawberries. During the celebration, a knock on the door was answered, and in walked Sister Bob White - dressed in long skirt, high heels, make-up and purse - requesting membership in the sisterhood. Before the evening was out, Riche took newly initiated White down the hall to visit President Georgetti.

The message - Dear Ken, the sisterhood is very powerful and you're next.

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Edited by the moderator to clarify that your article is almost two years old.

[ 16 May 2005: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]