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Topic: OPEIU Canada to split from U.S. ?
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robbie_dee
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 195
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posted 27 June 2004 05:37 PM
COPE: Canadian OPEIU wants to be free / Autocratic International wants to stop them (Members for Democracy) quote: On June 20, 2004, the Canadian National Committee, on behalf of Canadian members of the OPEIU, served notice on the International Executive Board, International President Michael Goodwin and International Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Wohlforth that Canadians were invoking Canadian Autonomy as per Article X1V of the International Constitution. Twenty-four thousand, four hundred and ten members in Canada (74%) had provided their authorization for autonomy over the past month.Monday June 21 went down as an historic day as Canadian delegates watched Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Secretary-Treasurer Hassan Yussouf bring greetings and congratulations from the CLC and unions from across Canada to the new union following its separation from the U.S.-based OPEIU. Yussouf also conducted the swearing-in of the COPE Canadian Executive Board. On June 22, International union representatives accompanied by court process servers arrived at the Florida hotel where COPE members were meeting and attempted to serve writs on them by bursting into a COPE membership meeting without permission or notice. The OPEIU was seeking a court order that the Canadian union's separation from the U.S. union be declared null and void. The International was also asking for damages against the individual executive members of COPE. "We are absolutely outraged by the actions of the U.S. union in attempting to stop Canadian members from exercising their democratic right to separate and form a Canadian union," said COPE president Jerri New. "For OPEIU to try and have a Florida Court tell Canadian workers in Canada that they cannot form their own Canadian union is beneath contempt and illustrates why our members have strongly decided to separate from OPEIU." New said that the OPEIU legal action and disruption of the Canadian union's meeting are a desperate effort to intimidate Canadian workers and their elected representatives that will not succeed. "Canadian workers in our union will never be told by an American union president what we can or cannot do in our own country," New said. "These heavy-handed tactics are a disgrace to the OPEIU and no doubt an embarrassment to the American labour movement."
Personally, I'm not sure "COPE" is the best acronym for a new union. Otherwise, I wish them well. Sounds like they're going to have a bit of a struggle ahead, though. [ 27 June 2004: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]
From: Iron City | Registered: Apr 2001
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robbie_dee
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 195
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posted 30 June 2004 04:38 PM
It's explained in the linked article but not the excerpt. COPE formally voted to secede from OPEIU at the OPEIU International Convention, which took place in Florida. I don't know for sure why the Canadians didn't vote to secede here in Canada, and then not send delegates at all to the International convention. Apparently, though, the Canadian locals were exercising a right to self-determination that was included in the International constitution, so maybe making the decision at the International convention (even though it was in another country) was a procedurally necessary thing to do. Or maybe the union execs just wanted a vacation. [ 30 June 2004: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]
From: Iron City | Registered: Apr 2001
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