Day One

The first day of convention is all about networking and meeting up with our sector collegues. After registering and collecting our credentials and convention kits we made our way to join the over 300 school board sector members attending the conference. At our sector meeting, Terri Preston, chair of the OSBCC provided updates on the current bargaining situation for us and our teacher colleagues. We are heading into arbitration in the next two weeks and hopes are high that things will pick up.

The School Board Sector also reviewed and passed 2 Emergency Resolutions concerning funding by National for our fight for bargaining and raising our awareness. Both resolutions were passed by the sector and will move on to the CUPE Ontario Executive Board and the Resolutions committee.

Day Two

Day two found you Executive members up bright and early and on the convention floor, front and centre, ready for action!

We heard from our leader Fred Hahn who pledged to defend public service and public employees from the austerity agenda. He highlighted the work being done with the Keep Hydro Public campaign. He commended the school board sector for their strong strike mandate given by a record number of members. He also paid tribute to the members in the university and municipal sectors that had been on strike this past year.

“The activism of our unionis making history! We fight back and we win!”

~Fred Hahn, CUPE Ontario President

The day did not lack in excitement either. Our national staff reps held a direct action protest highlighting the current contracting out practice of IT services. It was a honour to support these men and women who support us in our locals.


CUPE National Staff Members Direct Action

Day Three

Today has been all about speaking up!

We started the day by heading to Queens Park to sit in on Question Period. Local 1022 was welcomed by MPP Lou Rinaldi as well as several members of the NDP caucus. It was great to hear NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky raise the issue of the lack of progress in getting an school board workers contract – needless to say Liz Sandals and Kathleen Wynne were unable to provide a satisfactory answer!


Jo-Anne, Pat, Shelley and Suzanne ready to listen in at Question Period

After the rally we were joined by hundreds of CUPE members and other unions on the front lawn of Queens Park for the Keep Hydro Public Rally! Andrea Horwath introduced a bill today calling for a referendum to be put to the citizens of Ontario so that we can have our say on our Hydro ownership!


Members of the NDP caucus out supporting the Keep Hydro Public Rally


Hundreds of CUPE members and other unionists heading up the main concourse of the lawn at Queen’s Park


Your “rally ladies” Proud to represent CUPE Local 1022!


The Executive continued to represent the local on the provincial scale when we returned to the convention hall. Your president, Lee Ann Evans co-chaired the Constitution committee that helped bring about a structure chage to our Provincial Executive!

Your vice president, Laura Walton, took to the microphone, rising in support of the emergency resolution that would see pressure applied to National to provide funds and resources to bargaining campaign.

Day Four

Although it was Friday, today was all about the business of our union.

We kicked off the day with the election of the position of Trustee. Once again, in the theme of history making, the delegates voted the first ever member from the Airlines Sector to a position on the Ontario Division Committee.

After watching a great vidoe outlining the work being done in the school board sector (which we will post on the website and Facebook when it becomes available) we turned our minds to the passing of several school board sector resolutions which highlighted issues surch as contracting in and out, fighting school closures and evaluations of ECE candidates. We are pleased to say that all resolutions submitted by OSBCC and brought to the floor passed!

The delegates then welcomed leader of NDP of Canada Thomas Mulclair! Tom spoke to the delegation, reminding members of the work the NDP has done and will continue to do. He quoted Jack Layton saying “Do not let them tell you it can’t be done” and pointed to the success in Quebec and Alberta. He continue to say that the NDP is the only party in position to beat the Conservative party and challenged delegates to “Give Canadians the Canada they deserve!”


Your president, Lee Ann, will stop at nothing to ensure that convention moments are captured!

We returned to the floor after lunch and took a moment to recognize the Retirees. The work that these members and staff have done for our locals and our union is much appreciated. We then heard from Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff. He spoke energetically to the crowd reminding us that “We did not creat the crisis and we should not be paying for it!” He then took a moment to speak directly to school board workers thanking us for the work we do saying, “You are the backbone and you are critical to the fight”. As affiliates to the CLC, Local 1022 is part of the 3.3 million workers in Canada who belong to the CLC.