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Delegates at national union convention say no government fiscal decisions should widen income inequality or diminish access to public services.
Vancouver (18 June 2010) – Delegates at the 2010 convention of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) debated and approved a wide variety of resolutions dealing with income inequality and public services.
"Growing income inequality is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century," said NUPGE national president James Clancy. "This trend raises serious issues of equity and social cohesion, and you can’t develop a stable and sustainable economy based on policies that create dramatic income inequality."
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Clancy made a presentation to delegates which outlined how the free market system has created and exacerbated the large and growing gap between the rich and poor:
- According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the gap between Canada’s rich and poor is growing faster than most of the other 30 developed nations in the world. Canada used to be above the OECD average on income equality. Now it is below average and falling.
- From 1997 to 2007 Canada saw one of the strongest periods of economic expansion in Canada’s history but most of the gains of this economic growth went to the richest 10%; income for those in the middle was stagnant; the poorest workers actually lost ground.
"The free market (survival of the fittest) ideology has failed," said Clancy. "Only strong public services can meet the challenge of building an equitable and sustainable economy and a fair society."
Proclamation on quality public services and tax fairness
"After 30 years of spending cuts, privatization and unfettered free markets, communities across the country and around the globe are looking to trade unions and other civil society groups to promote the value of public services and fight for tax fairness," said Larry Brown, NUPGE's secretary-treasurer.
To that end, delegates discussed and adopted a Proclamation on Quality Public Services and Tax Fairness. They agreed that the proclamation would prove to be a useful campaign tool in the months and years ahead for NUPGE and its Components across the country.
A Fairness Test
Delegates discussed a number of different public policy tools that could be implemented to tackle income inequality. One new tool that delegates approved is called The Fairness Test. Delegates voted in favour of the following resolution:
Therefore be it resolved that NUPGE and its Components will:
- Urge governments to adopt a “Fairness Test” for all budget decisions;
- The Fairness Test would be an impact assessment to ensure that spending priorities, spending cuts and tax proposals will not lead to an increase in inequality of incomes or diminished access to public services; and
- Work with other unions and allies to promote the Fairness Test.
"This kind of tool provides us with an opportunity to lay out a key principle that should govern all government budget decisions – equality – and it would turn it into a process that would hold governments accountable," said Joan Jessome, president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).
"The specifics of The Fairness Test could be developed by a panel of public policy experts, but the general idea is that all governments should commit to a test that would assess any budget proposals about public spending and taxes and tell us if it would lead to an increase in inequality of incomes or diminished access to public services," said Darryl Walker, president of the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union (BCGEU/NUPGE).
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Resolutions on public services
Delegates shared concerns about the impact that deep cuts to public services will have on individuals, families and communities.
They debated several key policy resolutions dealing with three specific services:
- Public health care;
- Post-secondary education;
- Community-based social services.
NUPGE delegates from across Canada are gathering in Vancouver this week for the triennial constitutional convention of the 340,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).
NUPGE
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
More information:
Enlarged version of Proclamation - Quality Public Services and Tax Fairness