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"We have these programs today because of the work many of us have done over decades," said James Clancy, NUPGE National President. "Retired workers may not be on the job every day anymore, but they have certainly not given up the fight to improve the lives of Canadians everywhere."
Ottawa (07 Nov. 2013) - Members of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) retiree committee were front and centre during the annual convention of the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC) held in Ottawa from October 23 - 25.
National Union Action on Retiree Concerns (NUARC) active participants at CURC convention
Retired union members from across the country converged for several days to discuss issues affecting retirees in a variety of areas. The NUARC delegation submitted resolutions on major issues such as Medicare, mental health services, pensions and retirement security, tax fairness, community social services, and a modern industrial strategy. Delegates spoke passionately about each issue, with the determination to work with other retirees across the country to ensure the federal government provides the necessary funding to allow seniors and retired workers to live in dignity.
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| Representing NUARC: (from left to right) Lawrence Johnson (BCGEU/NUPGE), Peter Olfert (MGEU/NUPGE), Louise Yarrow (HSAA/NUPGE, Fred Upshaw, Ed Faulknor and Jeannette Smith (OPSEU/NUPGE) |
What has become known as the "tsunami" of seniors, the CURC convention was a positive representation of the power that retired workers have when it comes to sharing their experience of hard fought campaigns for programs many today take for granted like health and safety laws, Medicare, the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
"We have these programs today because of the work many of us have done over decades," said James Clancy, NUPGE National President. "Retired workers may not be on the job every day, but they have certainly not given up the fight to improve the lives of Canadians everywhere."
A major issue that was addressed at the meeting was harnessing the "tsunami" of seniors energy to focus on pushing back on the Harpger government's attack on labour rights. The 100+ delegates in attendance committed to working with the Canadian Labour Congress through its together FAIRNESS WORKS campaign to ensure their neighbours, friends and family know what it means to reduce the strength of unions. Unions work on behalf of all Canadians, not just union members.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE