Tuesday, September 28 – 6pm, Eastern

Truth and reconciliation: conversations for CUPE members

How can CUPE members contribute to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people? What can we learn from Indigenous CUPE members and their experiences and activism? And how can we support the fight for justice for today’s generation of Indigenous children and youth?   

These and other questions will be addressed at a free, national webinar hosted by CUPE’s Human Rights Branch, in collaboration with Union Education. 

What:            A Conversation about Truth and Reconciliation for CUPE members 

When:            Tuesday, September 28, 6:00 PM, Eastern

Who:               Event speakers include:

• Debra Merrier, Diversity Vice-President for Indigenous Workers, CUPE National Executive Board 
• John Brady McDonald, Senator, CUPE Saskatchewan Indigenous Council Committee
• Dr. Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba
• Mark Hancock, National President, and Charles Fleury, National Secretary-Treasurer, will provide opening remarks and introduce Elder Thomas Louttit.
• Moderator: Dana Wesley, Senior Officer (Indigenous Issues), CUPE Human Rights Branch

Earlier this year, CUPE’s National Executive Board created a National Safe Union Spaces Working Group to address serious concerns about gender-based violence and other forms of harassment and discrimination in our union. 

The Working Group, advised by expert external consultants, has been reviewing CUPE’s existing tools and processes, identifying gaps where we need changes or additional resources to ensure safer union spaces. 

As part of this important effort, the Working Group is launching a survey. 

CUPE encourages all members to participate in this survey. The survey will help us identify actions we can take and policies we can adopt to make CUPE more welcoming for all members. 

The survey closes September 28. 

Participate in the survey now 

Three unions representing health care providers in Saskatchewan – SGEU, CUPE and SEIU- West – are angry and disappointed by the Sask Party government’s decision to impose an emergency order that will allow it to redeploy thousands of health care workers from their normal jobs.

The government threatened publicly on September 10 that it would issue an emergency order on September 13 if talks with the unions, which commenced on September 9, didn’t result in an agreement to allow for employee redeployment. Instead, government advised it would impose a previously negotiated Letter of Understanding (LOU), which expired in July, between the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and a number of unions representing health care workers. SHA representatives and health care provider unions had just concluded a negotiation session Monday afternoon when the government issued the emergency order.