Draft Resolutions to CUPE BC Virtual Convention May 19-21, 2021
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Draft Resolutions to
CUPE BC Virtual Convention
May 19-21, 20212
Anti-Privatization
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby CUPE National to produce a toolkit to support local unions to campaign for
bringing work in-house to build the robust public services we need to build a more just
and equitable economy post-COVID.
BECAUSE:
• The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that strong public services are our
first line of defense when we face significant social, health or economic crisis;
and
• Investing in public infrastructure and expanding public services will boost
equitable economic recovery and build the resilience needed to face future
challenges; and
• Our members and Locals need to look differently at how we protect and expand
our role in public services due to the impacts of COVID; and
• Women, people of colour and other equity-seeking groups are disproportionately
impacted by privatization; and
• Trans-national capital and those who serve its interests will weaponize the
government debt incurred during the pandemic to promote austerity and
privatization.
CUPE BC Anti-Privatization Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Demand the provincial government support a full restoration of all pre-pandemic public
services and service levels and will also seek an expansion to public services.
BECAUSE:
• Although most workers in British Columbia have returned to work, there are still
many public services that have yet to reopen or are operating at reduced
capacity; and
• We need the Province’s support to ensure that all of those services are able to
fully reopen when it is safe to do so; and
• We have also learned that public services were crucial during the crisis and
ensuring that those services are not only maintained but expanded will only serve
to strengthen our communities and the social safety net on which we all rely; and
• That if a strong provincial economy depends on good jobs, and those are best
provided in the public sector where unionization is high, then restoring and
expanding the public service makes sense as a powerful tool for economic
recovery.
CUPE BC Executive Board3
Child Care
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to make immediate steps toward the full
implementation of the $10 a day child care plan, particularly that school districts be
given the mandate and necessary funding to deliver child care in the communities they
serve; and
Work with partners in the labour movement and the community to campaign for the full-
implementation of the $10 a day plan and the integration of child care with the existing
K-12 education system; and
Develop a lobby kit for Locals to approach their MLA in support of the implementation of
a publicly delivered universal child care program delivered by school districts; and
Develop a toolkit for Locals to request that their employers (e.g. local governments,
post-secondary boards, etc.) call on the provincial government to fully implement a
publicly delivered universal affordable child care program delivered by school districts;
and
Engage CUPE members directly in the campaign for publicly delivered universal child
care.
BECAUSE:
• CUPE BC is a long-time supporter of the $10 a day plan for universal affordable
child care; and
• Universally accessible high quality affordable child care is desperately needed by
families in British Columbia and will create a more just and equitable society; and
• Research shows that child care that is integrated into the education system has
the best outcomes for children and realizes significant administrative benefits for
the education system; and
• The K-12 Provincial Framework Agreement calls on CUPE Locals, BCPSEA and
school districts to work collaboratively to support the integration of early learning
and care with the existing K-12 education system; and
• Public delivery is the best way to ensure that services are universally accessible,
high quality and operated transparently and accountably; and
• British Columbia struggles to recruit and retain child care workers due to low
wages, poor benefits, and precarious working conditions; and
• The low wages and precarity in the child care sector, and the lack of child care
availability, disproportionately disadvantages women.
CUPE BC Anti-Privatization Committee
CUPE BC Executive Board4
Community Social Services
CUPE BC WILL:
Engage in discussion with the provincial government, Public Sector Employers Council
and the related ministries to convince them to adequately fund the community social
service programs in the province.
BECAUSE:
• Quality programs for the people served by community social service workers
must be provided in order for people to live their lives to their maximum potential;
and
• The current funding model does not account for expenditures such as overtime,
mileage, administrative time, and other related expenses which have been
negotiated in the collective agreements; and
• Employers are often restricted from reallocating funding as needed, particularly
during unforeseen circumstances; and
• Underfunding of community social service programs results in increased violence
in the workplace, increased time off due to injury, including stress related injuries,
negative impact on wellness and longevity in the field, and affects recruitment
and retention in the sector.
CUPE BC Community Social Services Committee
CUPE Local 19365
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to:
• Increase the Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) annual funding by at
least 6% to keep pace with the agency’s projected caseload growth, pending a
full review of CLBC’s mandate and budget needs; and
• Commission a full review of CLBC that examines governance, mandate, support
needs, transparency and operations.
BECAUSE:
• Every British Columbian should have the supports needed to live full and
meaningful lives with dignity, so that we all truly belong in inclusive and
accessible communities; and
• Every person in our province has worth, is valued and has the right to be fully
included in our communities; and
• Many adults with developmental disabilities need disability supports, including
residential life skills, employment and community inclusion supports that
empower them to live safe, healthy and productive lives and to participate as full
citizens; and
• Too many British Columbians are still being denied this fundamental right; and
• Many young people fall into a ‘black hole’ after they leave school because
provincial funding for Community Living BC has fallen behind the need for adult
supports.
CUPE BC Persons with Disabilities Committee6
Constitution
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend Appendix “B” of the CUPE BC Constitution to read:
2. FUND ADMINSTRATION
The Humanity Fund shall be administered in accordance with these guidelines and
the following formula:
(a) Twenty percent of the per capita revenue to the fund shall be reinvested in
the fund each year;
(b) Up to fifty seventy percent of the annual income to the fund shall be
reserved for international humanity and development work;
(c) Up to fifty thirty percent of the annual income to the fund shall be reserved
for Canadian anti-poverty and development work and for hardship requests
from local on behalf of members.
BECAUSE:
• The majority of Humanity Fund resources should be used to support international
solidarity work, as they have in the past; and
• At Convention, in 2019, an amendment to this provision inadvertently changed
the funding structure of the Humanity Fund and skewed the Humanity Fund
allocation away from international work.
CUPE BC International Solidarity Committee7
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend Sections 5.1 (e) and 5.6 (c) of the CUPE BC Constitution to read:
5.1 (e) The four (4) Diversity Vice-Presidents shall consist of one (1) representing
members with disabilities, one (1) representing members who are lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transsexual or transgender (LGBTT), one (1) representing
indigenous members and one (1) representing members of colour racialized
workers.
5.6 (c) The Executive Board shall appoint the following Equity Committees:
1. Indigenous Committee;
2. Persons with Disabilities Committee;
3. Pink Triangle Committee; and
4. Workers of Colour Racialized Workers Committee.
BECAUSE:
• This change aligns the CUPE BC Constitution with the CUPE National
Constitution; and the Workers of Colour Committee is requesting this change;
and
• The word “colour” historically refers to Black people and the word “racialized” is
more inclusive.
CUPE BC Workers of Colour Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend Article 2.1 of the CUPE BC Constitution to add a new “g” to read:
(g) To uphold the values of the CUPE National Equality Statement.
BECAUSE:
• As a CUPE chartered organization, it is important to acknowledge that the
Equality Statement also governs the activities of CUPE BC and enshrining it in
our objectives in the Constitution will remind all of our members of this fact.
CUPE BC Executive Board8
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend Article 5.1 (f) of the CUPE BC Constitution as follows:
5.1 (f) Four Diversity Vice-Presidents shall be elected. Alternate Diversity Vice-
Presidents will may in emergency situations attend CUPE BC Executive
Board meetings and when replacing a Diversity Vice-President shall be
entitled to full voice and vote.
BECAUSE:
• The practice has been that Alternate Diversity Vice-Presidents attend all CUPE
BC Executive Board meetings; and
• It’s important that they be present to add their voices to the Executive Board’s
discussions.
CUPE BC Executive Board
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend Article 5.1 (e) and 5.6 (c) of the CUPE BC Constitution as follows:
5.1 (e) The four (4) Diversity Vice-Presidents shall consist of one (1) representing
members with disabilities, one (1) representing members who are lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transsexual or transgender (LGBTT), one (1) representing
indigenous members and one (1) representing racialized members of
colour.
5.6 (c) The Executive Board shall appoint the following Equity Committees:
1. Indigenous Committee
2. Persons with Disabilities Committee
3. Pink Triangle Committee
4. Racialized Workers of Colour Committee
The relevant Diversity Vice President shall be the Chairperson of that
Equity Committee.
BECAUSE:
• The term ‘racialized communities’ encompasses all people that are non-
Caucasian in race or non-white in colour but some of whom might not identify as
a person of colour; and
• Using correct terminology is important to including and representing those who
have previously been excluded; and
• The Workers of Colour Committee recommends this change.
CUPE BC Executive Board9
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend Article 5.5 (a) of the CUPE BC Constitution as follows:
5.5 (a) The Trustees shall meet at least four times per year or as required to
fulfill the duties of their office audit the books of CUPE BC once yearly,
and shall submit their report to the CUPE BC Convention.
BECAUSE:
• CUPE BC’s Trustees do more than audit the books, they monitor expenses, make
recommendations to the Executive Board, among other duties; and
• Currently, CUPE BC’s Trustees meet at least four times per year to perform their
duties.
CUPE BC Executive Board10
Environment
CUPE BC WILL:
Ask the BC NDP government to adhere to the 14 recommendations as submitted by the
government appointed panel in the Old Growth Strategic Review document.
BECAUSE:
• There are only 3% old growth forests remaining in British Columbia; and
• This would support the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (UNDRIP) Articles 24, 25 and 26; and
• It supports many species habitats including critically endangered species; and
• It supports climate change by cooling the earth and old growth forests are large
carbon sink; and
• This process had one of the highest ever Engage BC responses.
CUPE BC Environment Committee
CUPE Local 1936
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to implement a plan to transition workers and jobs and
redirect subsidies from the fossil fuel industries to the renewable energy industries.
BECAUSE:
• Fossil fuel is non-renewable; and
• Burning of fossil fuels emits a number of toxins into the air that are harmful to the
environment; and
• Transportation of fossil fuels can cause spills that can have long-lasting and
sometimes permanent damage to the environment.
CUPE BC Environment Committee
CUPE Local 193611
CUPE BC WILL:
Recognize we are living in a global climate crisis and that a climate emergency must be
declared; and
Recognize that we must emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a fair and just
recovery plan; and
Engage with our members to work with allies to push for a zero-carbon society/economy
as quickly as possible; and
Work with our employer(s) to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change
throughout our workplace(s), including bargaining climate change contract language,
setting up workplace emissions reductions/climate action committees, creating
workplace environmental representative positions, and urging employers to climate-
proof our work; and
Take effective steps to cut emissions from our local operations to create a zero-carbon
local union; and
Pressure all levels of government to decarbonize our society/economy and move
toward a zero-carbon future that includes good just transition strategies and programs
for affected workers and their communities.
BECAUSE:
• The climate crisis is the planet’s most urgent socio-economic and political issue
that, if unchecked or if dealt with incrementally, will threaten human life and well-
being, especially on the basis of equality; and
• CUPE adopted a national environmental policy calling on the union at all levels to
work to limit planetary warming to 1.5℃, which is regarded as a relatively safe
and achievable level of planetary warming; and
• All work across Canada and the world is jeopardized by the climate crisis; and
• We cannot go back to old ways of working as we emerge from the pandemic;
and
• CUPE, at all levels of the union, has been striving for decades to improve the
working lives of its members and must extend this work to fight the climate crisis;
and
• Trade unionists, governments, employers, citizens, and all sectors of society
have a role to play in solving the climate crisis.
CUPE BC Environment Committee12
CUPE BC WILL:
Work with CUPE National to lobby provincial and federal governments to address the
Climate Crisis in a targeted and meaningful way; and
Work within our own union to encourage locals to find more ways to decrease our
environmental footprint by creating a toolkit of ways to “green your local.”
BECAUSE:
• Students across BC and the world have been hosting school walk outs to bring
attention to the Climate Crisis and are demanding action;
• Young students are actively working on and creating solutions for the crisis;
• Resource extraction must change and transition to sustainable practices if we
hope to leave a livable planet for future generations and because our province is
resource reliant, it could be a world leader for sustainable transition;
• Renewable solutions are available – they just lack political will; and
• The current pandemic has provided online tools to allow us to meet without
travelling and ways to go paperless or use recycled paper
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE Local 95113
Health
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to:
• Treat infertility as a medical condition requiring a medically necessary
procedure(s); and
• Publicly fund infertility treatments including In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
BECAUSE:
• The World Health Organization recognizes infertility as a disease, so the BC
Provincial government needs to recognize it as a disease as well; and
• There are medical reasons behind why some women can’t have children, and
they need help; and
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) costs between $10,000 - $15,000 per cycle, which is
financially out of reach for many; and
• IVF requires more than one cycle on most cases to achieve pregnancy; and
• The majority of Canadians, including those living in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec,
and New Brunswick have access to some level of financial assistance for IVF
from their respective provincial governments, while British Columbians are left
behind; and
• Ones’ financial situation should not be a barrier for women who want to have
children and need IVF in order to do so; and
• IVF is recognized as a highly successful fertilization treatment by medical
professionals; and
• IVF is a procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman’s body and
fertilized in a lab; and
• More than half the population of BC believe that IVF treatment should be
government funded (survey conducted by a group advocating for this issue, Greg
and Nicole Nouch).
CUPE BC Women’s Committee14
CUPE BC WILL:
Meet with the provincial government and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to
address the gap that exists between available detox and treatment programs in order to
develop and provide increased services to fill this gap.
BECAUSE:
• For addiction treatment to be successful, people must have supports in place
between the completion of detox treatment and longer-term treatment programs
to help assist them to remain “clean and sober”, and prevent overdose deaths;
and
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability of detox spaces was significantly
reduced; and
• A lack of immediately available, safe treatment spaces can cause more barriers
to recovery, and contribute to relapse and overdose deaths.
CUPE BC Community Social Services Committee
CUPE Local 193615
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to:
• Treat infertility as a medical condition, like any other requiring a medically
necessary procedure(s); and
• Publicly fund families so they are able to afford In Vitro Fertilization (IVF); and
Encourage locals to bargain benefits that include extended health benefits (EHB) that
cover the costs for infertility treatments.
BECAUSE:
• The World Health Organization recognizes infertility as a disease, so the BC
provincial government needs to recognize it as a disease as well; and
• There are medical reasons behind why some women can’t have children, and
they need help; and
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) costs between $10,000-$15,000 per cycle, which is
financially out of reach for many couples; and
• IVF requires more than one cycle in most cases to achieve pregnancy;
• The majority of Canadians, including those living in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec,
and New Brunswick have access to some level of financial assistance for IVF
from their respective provincial governments, while British Columbians are left
behind; and
• One’s financial situation should not be a barrier for women who want to have
children and need IVF in order to do so; and
• IVF is recognized as a highly successful fertilization treatment by medical
professionals; and
• IVF is a procedure in which eggs are removed from a woman’s body and
fertilized in a lab; and
• More than half the population of BC believe that IVF treatments should be
government funded (survey conducted by a group advocating for this issue, Greg
and Nicole Nouch).
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE Local 95116
CUPE BC WILL:
Join the Migrant Rights Network – Vaccines for All campaign:
https://migrantrights.ca/vaccinesforall/; and
Urge CUPE National to call on provincial and federal governments to:
• Ensure full access to the COVID-19 vaccine for all migrants regardless of
immigration status; and
Make certain that the vaccine provisions must:
• Be free of charge;
• Not require a health card or health card number;
• Be accessible;
• Not collect any identification, addresses, or information about immigration status,
and develop alternative mechanisms for tracking vaccine doses;
• Health authorities must guarantee that any personal information that is collected
will not be shared with immigration enforcement or police;
• Not be coercive or mandatory; and
Establish a comprehensive multi-lingual public education and outreach strategy, as well
as training for healthcare providers; and
Ensure that relevant authorities coordinate with, and take leadership from, migrant-led
organizations to ensure migrants can receive the COVID-19 vaccine and testing in a
safe, accessible and dignified manner, no matter where they work or live and without
fear of punitive consequences.
BECAUSE:
• Migrant and undocumented people are at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis;
and
• They are often working in essential jobs that sustain our communities but they
have been excluded from services and protections; and
• Some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections are for migrants in congregate
living and working conditions, like farms, factories, and warehouses, and those
who are homeless or incarcerated; and
• At the same time, many migrants in Canada don’t have a health card or
healthcare coverage; and
• Those who are undocumented are afraid of accessing healthcare in case their
personal information is shared with federal immigration enforcement; and
• In some cases employers have already started to threaten migrants with job loss
and deportation if they aren’t vaccinated.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE Local 95117
Human Rights
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to ensure implementation of the 46 articles in the
United Nation Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, specifically those
listed in Articles 24, 25, and 26 so that Indigenous Peoples have proper access and
rights to their environment.
BECAUSE:
• Article 24 of UNDRIP states that Indigenous Peoples have the right to their
traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices. Including the
conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals. Indigenous
individuals also have the right to access, without any discrimination, to all social
and health services. It also states that Indigenous individuals have an equal right
to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health. States shall take the necessary steps with a view to achieving
progressively the full realization of this right; and
• Article 25 of UNDRIP states that Indigenous Peoples have the right to maintain
and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned
or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and
other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this
regard; and
• Article 26 of UNDRIP states that Indigenous Peoples have the right to the lands,
territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or
otherwise used or acquired. Indigenous Peoples have the right to own, use,
develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by
reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use, as well as
those which they have otherwise acquired. States shall give legal recognition
and protection to these lands, territories and resources. Such recognition shall
be conducted with due respect to the customs, traditions and land tenure
systems of the Indigenous Peoples concerned.
CUPE BC Environment Committee
CUPE Local 193618
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government and the Minister of Education to recognize the Truth
and Reconciliation 94 Calls to Action, and to implement Call to Action #57 by creating a
mandatory training program for public servants on the history of Aboriginal Peoples,
including the history and legacy of residential schools, the UN declaration of the
Indigenous Peoples, treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-
Crown relations.
BECAUSE:
• Education is the key to reconciliation
CUPE BC Education Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Through CUPE National, lobby the Government of Canada to demand the United States
government terminate the blockade against Cuba and that Canada formally defy the
extraterritorial provisions and consequences imposed by the blockade and freely trade
and engage in economic relations with Cuba.
BECAUSE:
• For 29 years in a row the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a
resolution entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial
blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” which
condemns the economic sanctions and other punitive measures of the blockade
the United States government has imposed on the Republic of Cuba; and
• This US policy, which has extraterritorial effect in that it imposes severe penalties
on entities that do business with Cuba, is recognized as a flagrant violation of the
United Nations Charter and customary international law; and
• The blockade has serious negative effects on the people of Cuba and severely
hampers Cuba in all fields of economic, social and cultural development.
CUPE BC International Solidarity Committee19
CUPE BC WILL:
Through CUPE National, lobby the Government of Canada to grant refugee status to
Iranian labour activist Peyman Shjirati and Behnam Ebrahim Zadeh who have fled to
Turkey to escape torture, imprisonment and potential death at the hands of the Iranian
government.
BECAUSE:
• We strongly support the struggles of the workers and Iranian people against
poverty, discrimination, inequality, corruption and deprivation of their most basic
social rights such as the right to organize, the right to assemble, the right to protest
and the brutal suppression of these protests; and
• We condemn the heinous and barbaric sentences of whipping the labour activists,
teachers and protesters by the Islamic regime of Iran; and
• The Islamic Republic of Iran arrests and imprisons workers for their struggles and
for defending their rights and their lives and livelihoods under charges such as
“disturbing national security”; and
• The Islamic regime continues to deny people their basic rights. The right to
organize, the right to strike, to freely assemble, to celebrate International Labour
Day and the right to freedom of expression.
CUPE BC International Solidarity Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Through partnership with CUPE National and Locals, call upon federal, provincial,
territorial, and municipal governments to provide education to public servants on the
history of Indigenous Peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools,
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, treaties and
Indigenous rights, Indigenous law, and Crown-Indigenous relations.
BECAUSE:
• Education is key to reconciliation.
CUPE BC K-12 Committee20
CUPE BC WILL:
Reaffirm our opposition to mandatory drug testing in the public sector.
BECAUSE:
• With the legalization of cannabis, the employer may use the opportunity to test
for all substances or other medical conditions; and
• Substance abuse does not mean impairment; and
• Random drug testing is not an effective safety mechanism; and
• Fear of testing leads to a decrease in reporting; and
• Testing is inaccurate and a violation of privacy.
CUPE BC Occupational Health & Safety Committee
CUPE Fraser Valley District Council
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to:
• Put a permanent solution in place for accessible public transit in the Northern and
remote regions of British Columbia to alleviate the crisis created by Greyhound’s
cancellation of bus service in these communities and regions; and
• Ensure there is cell phone service available in all communities and regions of
British Columbia, regardless of how remote they may be, with free access to
calling 911 in emergencies.
BECAUSE:
• When Greyhound cancelled bus service in the Northern and remote regions of
BC it significantly increased the risk factor for women who are forced to either
walk or take their chances hitch-hiking to buy groceries or attend
medical/dental/personal appointments; and
• Persons With Disabilities were left without accessible transportation and may not
even have the dangerous option of walking or hitch-hiking (e.g. due to
vision/hearing/mobility/etc. issues); and
• Walking in remote areas can be dangerous, especially for women and persons
with disabilities; these dangers include both two and four legged predators; and
• One of the most effective personal safety devices is a cell phone with the ability
to call 911 in an emergency situation such as a personal attack, health
emergency or accident (such as a person with a disability falling); and
• The lack of cell-service in Northern and remote areas of BC has denied women
and persons with disabilities living in these communities the ability to call for help
in an emergency situation.
CUPE BC Persons with Disabilities Committee21
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to follow Ontario's lead to ban Gay
Conversion/Reparative therapy.
BECAUSE:
• "Conversion” or "Reparative" Therapy is a dangerous practice that targets
LGBTQ2s youth and seeks to change their sexual or gender identities.
Homosexuality is not a disorder that requires treatment; and
• There is no scientific evidence that proves that Conversion/Reparative Therapy
works; and
• Conversion/Reparative Therapy runs counter to the principles of human rights
legislation across Canada, both federally and provincially; and
• Conversion/Reparative Therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use,
homelessness, and suicide.
CUPE BC Pink Triangle Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Stand in full support of the BC Federation of Labour and the BC Teachers’ Federation in
their respective efforts to remove Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld from office as
soon as possible in order to guarantee safe schools and preserve a healthy and
progressive learning environment.
BECAUSE:
• Mr. Neufeld’s long and damaging public track record of homophobic, transphobic,
misogynistic and racist remarks and/or political positions continues to represent a
clear and present danger to public education in the Fraser Valley; and
• The high public profile Mr. Neufeld has gained for his despicable bigotry is not
only hurtful to children and families but also undermines the Chilliwack Board of
Education’s ability to do its work; and
• Mr. Neufeld’s repeated and deliberate cycle of bigoted statement followed by
insincere public apology has allowed him to remain in office, empower his base
and increase his negative influence while he draws financial contributions from
likeminded citizens.
CUPE BC Pink Triangle Committee22
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to ensure there is cell phone service available in all
communities and regions of British Columbia, regardless of how remote they may be,
with free access to calling 911 in emergencies.
BECAUSE:
• One of the most effective personal safety devices is a cell phone with the ability
to call 911 in an emergency situation such as a personal attack; and
• The lack of cell-service in northern and remote areas of British Columbia has
denied women living in these communities the ability to call for help in an
emergency situation.
CUPE BC Women’s Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to establish a provincial Guaranteed Income
Supplement to assist senior women living in poverty in British Columbia.
BECAUSE:
• In addition to having a lower retirement income, women are almost twice more
likely to live alone in their senior year as men, which puts them at a higher risk of
poverty. As a result, 2/3 of poor seniors in BC are women; and
• British Columbia has the highest seniors’ poverty rate of any province or territory.
8.8% BC vs 6.6% National; and
• Almost 1 in 5 BC seniors are living in unaffordable housing; and
• The number of older adults (55-64) and seniors (65+) who were homeless in
Metro Vancouver grew by 284% between 2008 and 2017; and
• The burden of the cost for essential health services that seniors rely on,
including home support, residential care, prescription medications, community
mental health, vision and dental care, comes primarily out-of-pocket for lower-
income seniors, as a result one in 10 BC seniors reported having unmet health
care needs because they cannot afford to pay for them.
• Women and visible minorities were 30 per cent more likely to report unmet care
needs than men and Caucasian British Columbians, respectively.
CUPE BC Women’s Committee23
CUPE BC WILL:
Encourage CUPE National to lobby the federal government to decriminalize consensual
sex work.
BECAUSE:
• Criminalization fuels and fosters violence against women, men and trans sex
workers; and
• Undermines sex workers access to justice; and
• Hinders the ability to maintain physical and sexual health; and
• Denies sex workers the protection of Labour Laws; and
• Limits workers options; and
• Takes away the right to sexual autonomy; and
• Marginalizes and isolates sex workers; and
• Is unnecessary to address harms; and
• Criminalization consistently undermines sex workers' ability to seek justice for
crimes against them; and
• Decriminalizing sex work maximizes sex workers legal protection and their ability
to exercise their other key rights, including access to justice and Health Care.
CUPE BC Women’s Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to mandate cultural awareness and diversity in
workplace training.
BECAUSE:
• Cultural awareness training will reinforce the understanding of racial justice; and
• Overrepresentation of certain ethnic groups in our corrections systems reinforce
negative stereotypes.
CUPE BC Workers of Colour Committee24
CUPE BC WILL:
Request CUPE National call on the Federal government to end Canada’s discriminatory
blood donation policies as soon as possible to allow all Canadians the opportunity to
partake in the time-honoured tradition of blood donation, with screening provisions
based on science rather than prejudice; and
Participate in the All Blood Is Equal Coalition Campaign to end discriminatory practices
by blood services agencies: https://allbloodisequal.ca/; and
Encourage CUPE locals in British Columbia to also participate in the All Blood Is Equal
Coalition Campaign to end discriminatory practices by blood services agencies:
https://allbloodisequal.ca/
BECAUSE:
• Denying your identity shouldn’t be a requirement to save someone’s life, yet
every year, thousands of willing blood donors are turned away simply because of
their identity;
• In Canada, men who have sex with men and trans women cannot donate blood
unless they have been abstinent for three months;
• For years now, Canada has faced a critical shortage of donated blood, with our
national blood inventory far below optimal levels;
• With the COVID-19 crisis, the need for blood products had never been greater;
• Blood transfusions and plasma donations have the potential to save thousands of
lives; and
• But rather than screening potential donors through a scientific lens and on a
case-by-case basis, Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Quebec continue to
use outdated, prejudiced policies which target two-spirit, gay, bisexual and queer
men, Trans women, and men who have sex with men.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE Local 95125
CUPE BC WILL:
Work with CUPE National to lobby provincial and federal governments to regulate the
level of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and/or local police forces prescribed in
peaceful demonstrations/blockades/rallies of all people and specifically Indigenous
people as they are disproportionately targeted.
BECAUSE:
• As trade unionists, we would never tolerate this level of force on a picket line
during a strike; and
• It is our democratic right to demonstrate peacefully in public spaces; and
• Prior, informed consent and consultation is a legislated right of Indigenous
people in BC under UNDRIP regarding land use on unceded territories; and
• Forced confrontations only continue the legacy of colonialism we are collectively
working to change.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE Local 951
CUPE BC WILL:
Urge CUPE locals in British Columbia to bargain gender identity protections in their
collective agreements.
BECAUSE:
• All people, regardless of their gender identity must have the right to full and
meaningful participation in the workplace with no impediments to that
participation; and
• There should be no fear of reprisals or consequences because of one’s gender
identity; and
• We must strive to eliminate persistent patterns of inequality associated with
discrimination based on any of the prohibited grounds in the BC Human Rights
Code; and
• Whereas the BC Human Rights Code prevails over collective agreement
language and the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Parry Sound (District)
Social Services Administration Board v OPSEU, Local 324 had the effect of
automatically incorporating human rights legislation into every collective
agreement between unions and employers, it is still a good idea to have the
language in our collective agreements in case any of the BC Human Rights Code
sections are repealed by future unfriendly governments.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE Local 95126
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to ensure implementation of the 46 articles in the
United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, specifically those
listed in Articles 24, 25, and 26 so that Indigenous Peoples have proper access and
rights to their environment.
BECAUSE:
• Article 24 of UNDRIP states that Indigenous peoples have the right to their
traditional medicines and to maintain their hearth practices; and
• Article 25 of UNDRIP states that Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain
and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned
or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and
other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this
regard; and
• Article 26 of UNDRIP states Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use,
develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by
reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use, as well as
those which they otherwise acquired.
CUPE Local 193627
K-12
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to expand the funding formula for K-12 to include
funding for full-time day custodians in all work locations, and sufficient funding to back
fill staff for the full duration of support staff absences.
BECAUSE:
• We need to ensure safety and security in our schools for students and staff; and
• To ensure continuity of service to students and staff.
CUPE BC K-12 Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to ensure funding for trades apprenticeships in the
K-12 sector.
BECAUSE:
• We need to ensure succession planning for trades in K-12.
CUPE BC K-12 Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC Ministry of Education to include mental health and safety education as
part of the K-12 curriculum.
BECAUSE:
• More young workers are injured and killed on the job at an alarming rate; and
• Students should be aware of their rights, particularly as they often work in
precarious jobs; and
• Education is power the sooner students are educated in these rights the more
likely they will remain safe at work; and
• Young workers are often afraid to ask questions and often do not know or adhere
to OH&S regulations increasing the chance of serious injury or death.
CUPE BC Occupational Health & Safety Committee
CUPE Fraser Valley District Council28
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government for forward facing dash cameras to be installed in all
school buses.
BECAUSE:
• Drivers of other vehicles continue to run red stop lights/paddle on the buses
creating a serious hazard for children entering and exiting buses; and
• Cameras are a reliable tool that help identify and prosecute offenders; and
• Video evidence of other drivers committing these traffic offences around school
buses will help quantify the volume of offences and identify the extent and
seriousness of concern; and
• Potential incidents have mental health impacts on our members.
CUPE BC Transportation Committee
CUPE Fraser Valley District Council
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to implement mandatory education on the history and
legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–
Crown relations at all education levels.
BECAUSE:
• People going through the educational system should be made aware of
Indigenous history in Canada; and
• Starting Indigenous education at an early childhood education level would benefit
everyone.
CUPE BC Workers of Colour Committee29
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to provide additional funding for one (1) Education
Assistant for every Kindergarten classroom in the British Columbia public school
system, to assist with students who may have not yet been diagnosed with conditions
requiring extra support in the classroom.
BECAUSE:
• Parents may not be aware that their child requires assessment until after they
had entered school; and
• Parents who are aware their child needs assessment may not be able to afford
an assessment prior to entering school; and
• Safety of other students and staff is compromised when there is not enough
support in the classroom and when it is not known if a student requires extra
support; and
• A child's first experience in a classroom should be positive and necessary
supports need to be in place.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to set education standards for all British Columbia
Education Assistants.
BECAUSE:
• Education Assistants (EA) work with the most complex and volatile students in a
classroom and it shouldn't matter where that student lives as to the quality and
training of their EA; and
• Education Assistants should be able to apply anywhere in the province with one
required level of standardized training; and
• Currently, everything from a 4 week to a 2 year program is being accepted by BC
school districts and students deserve well trained and prepared staff; and
• The job of Educational Assistants has greatly changed over the past 30 years,
with the number of autistic children dramatically increasing, as well as other
complex challenges and diagnosis and current, best practice education is
paramount; and
• Other stakeholder groups are meeting with the Ministry of Education on this
same issue and it’s important that CUPE take the lead.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council30
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to review and assess the current prevalence
funding model which suggests funding be allocated via predictive, statistical modeling
based on population-wide prevalence rates, which means no targeted funding or link
between students and funds.
BECAUSE:
• Funding allocated via predictive, statistical modeling based on population-wide
prevalence rates means no targeted funding or link between students and funds,
which results in greater pressure to ration funds; students lose out and education
assistants burn out; and
• Without targeted funding for students with special needs, it will put increasing
pressure on schools to increase class sizes and put quality learning for all
students at risk; and
• Districts should not be penalized for providing support for the needs of every
student.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the BC provincial government to end subsidies to private schools and adequately
fund public education in British Columbia.
BECAUSE:
• Public education should not be supplementing for profit private schools; and
• For profit schools = private funding, public schools = public money; and
• As Canadians, we believe every child deserves quality education in our public
school system, regardless of their family’s economic situation, and that means
investing education dollars in public schools; and
• Public education has been underfunded for decades and BC's children deserve
better.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council31
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to provide funding for day-time custodians in all
elementary schools in the British Columbia public school system.
BECAUSE:
• The pandemic has clearly shown the value of increasing cleaning levels with
significantly fewer illnesses overall; and
• The relationships students and staff build with daytime custodial staff is
advantageous for all and enhances the overall culture of schools; and
• Cleaning is done in real time, when school is in session, instead of waiting for a
custodian to be called in to clean up bodily fluids, fog exposed isolation rooms
and classrooms, etc.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to maintain additional funding to maintain the current
(2020-2021) cleaning standards in all schools in the British Columbia public school
system.
BECAUSE:
• There has been a significant decrease in illnesses in both staff and students as a
result of the higher standard; and
• The cleaning protocols have contributed to the mental health and well-being of
students, staff and parents as we continue to live in a global pandemic.
CUPE Vancouver Island District Council32
CUPE BC WILL:
Amend the K-12 section of the policy manual to include that CUPE BC opposes public
funding of elite private schools; and
Lobby the provincial government to eliminate public funding of elite private schools and
launch a campaign against public funding of elite private schools.
BECAUSE:
• Elite private non-faith based schools are by their very nature exclusive and
operate in competition with public schools; and
• In 2019, approximately $42 million in public tax dollars went to these private
schools;
• This is crucial funding that could improve the public education system,
particularly for special needs; and
• Polling shows that 63 per cent of British Columbians oppose funding secular
private schools.
CUPE BC Executive Board33
Library
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby the provincial government to rethink the funding formula to libraries to reflect the
changing roles and growing social supports that library workers provide to their
respective communities.
BECAUSE:
• As funding for social services have been reduced, it has become an expectation
that libraries provide support with the same level of expertise as other agencies;
and
• Libraries in all sectors are a safe refuge for those in need especially during
COVID times where access to technology and the internet has become even
more important to our patrons; and
• Provincial funding has remained stagnant while service demands have
increased, and
• Staffing levels have decreased and become more precarious; and
• Financial pressures on municipal governments that support libraries have
demonstrated the need for the provincial government to update the funding
model.
CUPE BC Library Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby provincial government to change the BC Library Act to allow worker
representatives to sit on library boards.
BECAUSE:
• Workers’ rights are not directly represented on Library Boards, and
• Library Boards create strategic plans that directly affect workplace conditions.
CUPE BC Library Committee34
CUPE BC WILL:
Mount a publicity campaign to raise awareness about the precarity of cross-sector
library workers.
BECAUSE:
• The public are unaware that a significant percentage of library workers are
employed precariously and living in financial hardship; and
• Precarity affects continuity and quality of service; impacts the well-being of the
community; and
• The health and safety of library workers is directly affected by precarity; and
• Library workers have been disproportionately affected due to the COVID
pandemic.
CUPE BC Library Committee35
Local Union
CUPE BC WILL:
Encourage all Locals to provide a seat on their Executive Board for an Indigenous
member.
BECAUSE:
• The framework of reconciliation is the Calls to Action and United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP); and
• It would encourage Indigenous members to become more active in the union.
CUPE BC Indigenous Committee
CUPE Local 1936
CUPE BC WILL:
Assist locals to develop and implement media monitoring programs to examine how
racialized people are portrayed in local community media.
BECAUSE:
• CUPE members are able to provide a comprehensive, province-wide survey of
how racialized people are portrayed in the media; and
• Negative media portrayals and the lack of positive media portrayals contribute to
a damaging and unfair perception of racialized people in BC; and
• Examples gathered from a media monitoring program will help CUPE BC to
respond when racialized workers and racialized people generally are portrayed
negatively in their communities; and
• A media monitoring program will increase awareness amongst CUPE members
in BC on the systemic barriers and discrimination experienced by racialized
people in BC.
CUPE BC Workers of Colour Committee36
CUPE BC WILL:
Work with the Young Workers Committee to develop a mentorship framework template
which will be made available for use by all locals.
BECAUSE:
• Engaging Young Workers will help them become stronger union activists thus
strengthening the union; and
• Young Workers bring valuable knowledge, perspectives, and potential initiatives
to their Locals, and mentorship can help draw these out; and
• Involving Young Workers in the local can play an important part in the local’s
succession planning.
CUPE BC Young Workers Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Encourage and support CUPE locals to call on their employers to become Living Wage
Certified; and
Increase support for the Living Wage for Families Campaign, including helping promote
the benefits of a paying a living wage for workers’ families, public services, and the local
economy; and
Recognize employers who decide to become Living Wage Certified.
BECAUSE:
• The Living Wage for Families Campaign encourages employers to pay a living
wage as well as advocates for government policies that would help families make
ends meet; and
• Living Wage Certified employers must pay all employees, including contracted
out workers, a wage at or higher than the rate calculated by the Living Wage for
Families Campaign for the region those workers reside; and
• Poverty costs British Columbians $1.2 to $3.8 billion a year in increased health
costs as poverty can lead to poor health because of inadequate housing, poor
nutrition, and less access to preventative health care; and
• Lower-income households spend more of their money locally than those in
higher-income brackets, and, when workers buy goods and services locally, they
benefit neighbourhood businesses, many of which are small businesses; and
• Living Wage Certified public employers provide better public services by ensuring
all workers, both directly and indirectly, employed are compensated fairly and
therefore better able to deliver quality service for people; and
• CUPE locals are better positioned to negotiate and urge the contracting in of
work when their employer is Living Wage Certified.
CUPE BC Executive Board37
Municipal
CUPE BC WILL:
Request CUPE National develop a digital toolkit of resources for all locals to use based
on the #BetterServices #BetterCommunities campaign that has been used by municipal
locals to prepare for bargaining. The toolkit should include samples of materials that
have been produced and a companion video describing ways the materials have been
used.
BECAUSE:
• #BetterServices #BetterCommunities campaigns have helped build positive
community profiles for the work done by municipal workers and can do the same
for all the other public services provided by CUPE members; and
• Sharing and not having to re-create resources is an effective use of membership
dues; and
• Participating in shared campaigns helps build solidarity in Locals, through
sectors, and across the province.
CUPE BC Municipal Committee38
National Union
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby CUPE National to fund a permanent full-time Election Coordinator for the BC
Region to support federal, provincial and local government elections, by-elections and
boards and governance bodies.
BECAUSE:
• Creating and expanding the political action capacity for CUPE activists should be
ongoing; and
• An area that needs more support and attention are the many Boards that have a
great influence on many of our workplaces; and
• Board appointments are cyclical and require ongoing support; and
• Having progressive people sit as appointees on our employer Boards is another
way to have important political influence, and
• The spread of neoliberalism and populist politics surrounds BC and we need the
permanent resource commitment of an Election Coordinator from CUPE to
continue to mobilize our members to both maintain and to expand a progressive
British Columbia.
CUPE BC Colleges Committee
CUPE BC Political Action Committee
CUPE BC WILL:
Lobby CUPE National to develop and implement a campaign to educate members on
the importance and benefits of ensuring inclusion of racialized workers on elected and
appointed boards and committees within CUPE.
BECAUSE:
• There is a lack of awareness of the barriers that racialized workers encounter at
work and in society generally; and
• The lack of these voices and perspectives on CUPE’s decision making bodies
results in policies, practices and initiatives that do not fully address the issues
and aspirations of racialized workers; and
• Including the voices and perspectives of racialized workers will make CUPE a
stronger, more inclusive union and a more effective agent for worker
empowerment and progressive social change.
CUPE BC Workers of Colour Committee39
CUPE BC WILL:
In conjunction with CUPE National and the Canadian Labour Congress, lobby the
Federal Liberal Government to include in the budget the following:
• An annual wealth tax on the wealthiest and a super-profits tax on large
corporations that have profited in the COVID-19 crisis; and
• Elimination of tax loopholes that especially benefit the wealthy and large
corporations; and
• Take measures to ensure large e-commerce companies immediately pay their
fair share of tax; and
• Domestic and international measures to stop global tax dodging; and
• Introduction of automatic tax filing and increased investment in the Canada
Revenue Agency to ensure benefits go to those who need them; and
• Establishment of a public registry of beneficial owners to counter money
laundering and public country-by-country financial reporting by large
multinationals to counter tax dodging.
BECAUSE:
• The Federal Liberal Government has made important commitments – to
strengthen our economy, improve public services, support the vulnerable,
reduce inequalities and protect the environment; and
• These commitments will cost more, but we can afford them with progressive
tax reforms, several of which the Federal government has promised to
implement.
CUPE Local 1004
CUPE BC WILL:
Submit a constitutional amendment resolution to the 2021 CUPE National Convention
that CUPE National develop a Code of Conduct that would apply to all chartered
organizations that will then be brought forward to the 2023 CUPE National Convention.
BECAUSE:
• While the Equality Statement found in Appendix D of the CUPE National
Constitution must be adopted by CUPE organizations, the Code of Conduct has
no such requirement and therefore CUPE chartered organizations are left to
either create their own code of conduct or not have such protections for members
attending their events; and
• Local unions have access to the trial procedure, enabling them to deal with
adverse behaviour, but Provincial Divisions, District Councils, Service Divisions,
Provincial Unions, Provincial Councils of Unions, Councils of Unions, and
Provincial Sectoral Groups do not have a trial procedure; and
• This will ensure the safety of those attending their events and hold those who
would misbehave accountable.
CUPE BC Executive BoardYou can also read
