September 2013 National Executive Board Highlights

Our National Executive Board met on September 25-26, 2013 in Ottawa. These are the highlights of their deliberations and decisions.

In Memory

The National Executive Board observed a minute of silence to reflect upon the loss of members of our CUPE family.

NEB Resolution - Support for Refugees in Syria and Neighbouring Countries

The United Nations estimates that almost 7 million Syrians inside of Syria are in need of assistance.  In the two-and-a-half year civil war, more than 100,000 people have been killed. The National Executive Board passed a resolution to donate $10,000 to Oxfam Canada to support their work in aiding refugees impacted by the Syrian conflict.

CUPE's 50th Anniversary

On September 24, 1963, the Canadian Union of Public Employees was founded, through the merger of two rival unions NUPE and NUPSE. The board, staff, and others gathered in the atrium at national office to celebrate with cake and speeches. The Board received a presentation from an Ottawa area archivist who was hired to pull together the documents, photos, audio and video that record CUPE's rich history.

Unite for Fairness

The Board received an update on CUPE's Unite for Fairness project; our initiative to reach out to our rank and file through one-on-one conversations. 

Financial Support

The National Executive Board approved 15 cost-share campaign requests, totally $622,014. Five requests for legal and arbitration support were approved, totalling $133,696.

National Convention

With National Convention only weeks away, preparation is in high gear. The Board discussed and finalized the draft Strategic Directions paper for presentation to the National Convention delegates and reviewed final preparations for Quebec City. The Board expects this convention to be the largest ever.