WINNIPEG, August 17, 2017 /CNW/ - More than 900 Unifor members from across Canada are arriving in Winnipeg for the union's annual Canadian Council, August 18-20 at the RBC Convention Centre, with the current North American Free Trade Agreement talks high on the agenda.
"This Canadian Council gathering will take place as NAFTA renegotiations get underway," said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. "The timing is perfect. In Winnipeg, members will discuss the role Unifor will play to advocate for trade deals that reflect the needs of people and communities as these talks go forward."
Dias will be coming to Winnipeg directly from Washington, where he is a member of the stakeholders group offering advice to the Canadian negotiators.
Delegates to Canadian Council will finalize an action plan for the coming year, including developing a "People's Trade" agenda to push the federal government to refocus trade agreements to put workers and their communities first.
Keynote speakers include actor and activist Danny Glover and Council of Canadians Honorary Chairperson Maude Barlow, among others. Unifor will also present the union's Nelson Mandela Award for Human Rights posthumously to legendary labour leader Bob White.
Coming one week after the disturbing events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white supremacists held a violent rally, there will also be an examination of the rise of the Right in the era of Donald Trump. Delegates will also discuss a plan of action on how to build an inclusive equity agenda inside the union.
| WHAT: |
Unifor Canadian Council |
| WHERE: |
RBC Convention Centre, 375 York Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3C 3J3 |
| WHEN: |
Friday August 18 starting at 9:00 a.m. C.T. to Sunday August 20 at 12:00 p.m. |
| WHO: |
Jerry Dias, Unifor National President |
| Danny Glover, Actor and activist |
|
| Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians |
|
| Hassan Yussuff, President, Canadian Labour Congress |
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| Wab Kinew, NDP MLA for Fort Rouge Winnipeg |
Media interested in attending are asked to email [email protected]. To review a full copy of the Canadian Council agenda please visit unifor.org/canadiancouncil. For live updates watch the livestream showing speakers and key note speeches or follow the hashtag #UniforCC17 on Twitter or @UnifortheUnion.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 310,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor
Unifor Communications National Representative Stuart Laidlaw at [email protected] or (cell) 647-385-4054.
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