Union convention in Toronto next week to target Harper agenda

TORONTO, Sept. 16 /CNW/ - About 1,500 members of one of Canada's largest private sector unions will gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre beginning this Sunday, Sept. 19, for a five-day biennial convention.

"Delegates will plan a course of action over the next few months and years to deal with a financial and political system that is stacked against workers," says Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.

In his opening address this Sunday at 10:15 am, Coles will point the finger squarely at Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government for failing to come to the aid of the forest sector, and for working to bring other industries - energy, telecommunications, media - under more foreign control. "These ideologues have failed to lift a finger to aid forest communities, and if they win the next election, other sectors will meet the same fate," says Coles. 

The convention will be presented with a general policy document that provides the context for several resolutions on the economic crisis, including calls for increases in the minimum wage, a stronger commitment to pattern bargaining, and pension security. Other resolutions commit CEP to work for the defeat of any MP who votes for more foreign ownership of our telco and broadcasting industries, and propose a plan to fight for energy security.

Other convention highlights include:

• Economist James K. Galbraith: Sept. 20, 9:20 am
• Haitian Political Activist and Economist Camille Chalmers: Sept. 21, 9:30 am
• CLC President Ken Georgetti: Sept. 21, 11:30 am
• NDP Leader Jack Layton:  Sept. 23, 11 am
• Thomas Walkom: Sept. 23, 9:20 am
• Rally on pension security:  Tuesday, Sept. 21, noon, Bay St.

The complete convention agenda, biographies of speakers and more can be found at CEP's dedicated convention website: www.ceplive.ca. The site -- an unprecedented union communications initiative - will livestream parts of the convention, carry regular print and broadcast updates, and permit members at home to join delegates online at a pension workshop on Tuesday afternoon. 

CEP has about 130,000 members, who work in many sectors of the Canadian economy, including forestry, energy, telecommunications, media and construction.

For further information:

Michelle Walsh, CEP Communications Director, 613 858-9144 or Dave Coles, CEP President, 613 299-5628.