CUPE BC Convention 2025

April 30 – May 3, 2025

 

Attendance: Tim Baker, Lisa Devitt, Ken Wright, Stacey Robinson, Nancy Williams, Loreen Wanlin, Louise Henry

Day 3, Saturday, May 3^rd  

 Credential Committee Report:

552 members representing 103 locals

522 voting members with 30 alternates

 

Elections for Metro Vancouver

3 Regional VPs for Metro Vancouver

Lee-Ann Lali

Tammy Murphy

Donald Grant

All acclaimed

 

1 Alternate Regional VP for Metro Vancouver

Chloe Martin Cabanne

Acclaimed

 

Elections for CUPE BC

 1 President for CUPE BC (2-year term)

Karen Ranalletta

Acclaimed

 

1 Secretary Treasurer

Tony Rebelo – Elected

Brian Warman

 

4 General Vice Presidents (2-year term)

Sheryl Burns – Elected

Amber Leonard – Elected

Dal Benning – Elected

Nicole Cabrejos – Elected

Trish Everett

 

1 Trustee (3 – year term)

David Robertson

Acclaimed

 

Carole Gordon – President-Elect of the BC Teachers’ Federation

 We value the work of CUPE and respect your work, we are connected every day and face the same tough challenges of shortages and lack of funding.

A few weeks ago, CUPE BC and the BCTF went to Victoria to bring the issue of violence in the workplace to our local government. We need to address many issues, recruitment issues, workplace retention, cost of living wage and more. We need this government to know that investing in public services during an economic downturn is not only important but imperative. We must remember that cross board unity and solidarity protects all workers and their rights.

As a mother, teacher and unionist I want to say in closing the public sector workers have helped raise my kids. When I have fun with my kids in a park, a pool, riding the bus you were there.  A heartfelt thank you and I celebrate you.

 

Barb Nederpel – President of the Hospital Employee Union (HEU)

It is also an honour to bring greetings from 60,000 health care workers across the province. It is with heartbreak I bring up the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu celebration. We need to build a world where joy is protected, and one endures pain alone. I want to thank the workers who rushed into to help and support our Filipino community.

Thanks to CUPE BC thousands of people will have access to public care across the province. CUPE and HEU have always been allies. We worked hard to elect a labour friendly government. I’m proud that we did this together and that is what solidarity looks like.

We are recovering from years of Liberal roll backs. Insecurity in the face of Trumps tariff war is real. Political action does not stop at the ballot box, and we need to keep fighting. Private care homes, violence in the workplace is a symptom of under funding and under staffing. This is the time to build power and not a time to back down. CUPE BC is a pillar of our solidarity and thank you for showing up.

 

Julia MacRae – President Co Development Canada

 It’s a privilege to stand before the mighty CUPE BC. A bit of information about your partners.

Your partner in Cuba is using the ongoing funds you provide for training for their workers. You also send food, phones and sports equipment, all which have helped immensely.

Your partner in Colombia, a vigorous resistant movement, are some of the poorest people in the world, next to a port that send the richest of Colombia all over the world. Your contributions help them immensely.

Your partner in Honduras, an inspiring radical group of women, labouring under impossible conditions. Sometimes working 11 hours a week, without breaks. They are demanding new laws that would require the employer to provide pensions and health and safety training.

 

Resolutions

 No. 1: Strike Pay – Passed

No. 2: Online Registration Deadline – Passed

No. 3: Acceptance of Delegate Credentials – Passed

No. 4: Alternates – Passed

No. 5: Retiree Delegates – Defeated

No. 117: Efforts to ensure front line workers safety – Passed

No. 115: Improve funding to the Labour Relations Board –

No. 99/100: Support for those experiencing domestic and gender-based violence – Passed

No. 105: Oversight to ensure substance-use treatment is culturally safe – Passed

No. 90: Affordable access to counselling services – Passed

No. 88: Artificial intelligence protections for workers – Passed

No. 110: Advocate for a safe and regulated supply of drugs – Passed

No. 102: Increase access to subsidized housing – Passed

No. 91: Publicly funded hospice care – Passed

No. 104: Naloxone training and accessibility – Passed

No. 73/74: Continue campaign for universal public school age childcare – Passed

No. 107: Cost-of-living adjustments to social assistance amounts – Passed

No. 114: Public availability of intranasal naloxone kits – Passed

No. 89: Enact a provincial artificial intelligence and data act – Passed

No. 109: Advocate for supportive housing – Passed

No. 92: Change Canada Revenue Agency rule on taxable honorariums – Passed

No. 106: Endorse Canadian Drug Policy Coalition’s document “to End a Crises: Vision for BC Drug Policy – Passed

No.108: Redirect resources from involuntary treatment to publicly funded voluntary treatment – Passed

No. 96: Request the National Union provide secure, Canadian server space – Passed

No. 94: Housing affordability campaigns – Passed

No. 101: Enshrine automatic reviews for those in mental health or addiction-related involuntary detention – Passed

No. 95: Advocate for humane and equitable solutions to BC housing crisis – Passed

No. 93: Request the National Union provide employer services to local officers – Passed

No. 22: Targeted funding for food insecurity – Passed

No. 83: Improve seniors income supports – Passed

No. 10: Indigenous education workshops series – Passed

 

 

CUPE BC Convention 2025

April 30 – May 3, 2025

 

Attendance: Tim Baker, Lisa Devitt, Ken Wright, Stacey Robinson, Nancy Williams, Loreen Wanlin, Louise Henry

Day 2, Friday, May 2^nd

Credential Committee Report:

550 members representing 103 locals

521 voting members with 29 alternates

 

David Eby – Premier of BC

Today is a day of mourning and remembrance for our Filipino community for the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu celebration. They are community who are important hard-working members of our family of CUPE BC. We support them in their time of need. We would like to also remember the members of local 8911 (911 operators) who dealt with the panic and heartbreak of that day. They have my sincere thanks and appreciation.

People ask me how are you doing? The question is how are WE doing?  We are in a pretty crazy time right now, but there is no other place in the world I’d rather be to face this right now as right here. A big thank you to CUPE BC for all their support and efforts, especially during the provincial election. Because of your hard work, we won a majority by 16 votes! BC supports a progressive vision for the province, which is important to know.

We need to focus on what makes us special and different. A strong economy through public services (delivered by Union members) such as transit, childcare, medical, dental etc. As Union members, you are the foundation of this work.

In closing thank you for your work, your solidarity and support. Tell your collogues that if they have uncertainty and anxiety that we are working with CUPE to deliver the kind of province for the people by working together and supporting each other.

 

Martina Boyd – BC Regional Director CUPE BC

CUPE applied to have 3200 student workers at UBC unionize. After two years of the labour board deliberations, they were denied. They did not consider student work actually work. Locals are facing more challenges then ever before. It is unacceptable that we are facing these delays which can avoid a strike situation due to the labour boards under staffing. We will continue to fight for the right of student workers. To be treated with dignity and respect and to be fairly represented by a labour union. This fight is not over.

Through out the last year our working group team worked with provincial leaders towards resolutions for addictions issues, affordable childcare and many more issues. In the coming year, we will work with bargaining committees to ensure our members have strong bargaining positions. We have lawyers, researchers, human rights specialists, occupation health and safety representatives and many more to assist Unions with this.

 

Matt Lensen – Human Rights Staff Representative

CUPE Anti Racism Strategy Review of Goals:

Governance, Representation, Education, Lived Experience, Organizing, Bargaining, Enforce the Collective Agreement, Data Collection, Political Action, Coalition Work

Current Priorities:

Enforcing the Collective Agreement, Political Action, Colliton Work

Integrate anti racism into labour management meetings, grievances handling with an anti-racism policy. We need to support anti racist policies and candidates. We need to lobby for stronger human rights and equity legislation. We need to demand racial equity in public spending. What can we do? Co-sponsor events, campaigns and actions and connect anti racist struggles to global movements.

 

Jenny Kwan -NDP Member of Parliament, Vancouver East

So good to be in a roomful of Union activist who share the ideals of the working people of BC. I bring regrets from Jagmeet Singh; it’s a trying time for him but there are 7 new NDP delegates who will work in the House of Commons for you. Thank you for believing in us!

There is no economy without workers, you are absolutely essential to this province, and it is essential that there is a minister of labour in government. There is too much Union busting in government, I have seen too many back-to-work legislation in my time, and we will fight for you. There is a long road ahead of us, but we will work and rebuild our party. I will never cross the floor to be a liberal. As a NDP, we have achieved many things, Medicare, pensions (CPP) under Tommy Douglas. You will hear Poilievre say they support Medicare (to include dental and pharma-care) but the Conservatives had the chance and never delivered! It has always been NDP that protected workers and the people of Canada.

I have walked down this road before with one other person and now I have 7! We will build a movement to bring back a strong democratic party. Together we will get this done!

 

Sussanne Skidmore – President of the Federation of Labour

I want to talk about the Lapu Lapu tragedy. We all know someone who knew someone involved in this. We stand with our brothers and sisters at this sad time. I want to talk about our front line public sector workers who support our Filipino community whether they were 911 workers or first on the scene workers. So when the government talks about how our public sector workers are not important and don’t affect the people, it angers me.

The union give us power. Without us, nothing works. The working people ARE the economy. We need to keep our workers working with more training, with WCB coverage for psychological injuries, with public transit that bring communities together and paying the people who deliver these services properly.

Donald Trump blathers on about making Canada the 51^st state, that will never happen. However, there are more ways to lose a country, attacking Unions, healthcare, scrapping paid sick leave, public education and more. We lost so many NDP MP’s in this last election and we cannot know how this will shake out in parliament. What is clear, labour voices need to be heard and speak out for the working people of Canada.

We know we are up against money and powerful people but we have solidarity and the power of the Unions working with us!

 

Kent Peterson – President of CUPE Saskatchewan

I bring greetings from 31,000 of your fellow CUPE members of Saskatchewan! I also want to thank you for every good idea I ever had, which I stole from CUPE BC (trucker hats, CUPE Van), but when you voted in NDP……we didn’t.

Scot Moe could have used his budget to fix our health care but instead he cut it while given more money to private medical clinics. He also is one of the few Premiers in this country who refuses to sign the $10/day daycare. These cuts have made the violence sweeping through our schools and libraries worse. He has laid off 80 EAs in our school district, causes havoc with supporting our students.

These challenges are real to our families, and we are close to electing a NDP government and the first female premiere of our province in our next election. The future is us and we must fight at the ballot box, there is no knight in shining amour coming to save us. Don’t stop till we end violence in the workplace, transphobia, racism in the workplace and a living wage for all workers.

 

Resolutions

Emergency Resolution No. 1: Demand that the BC government immediately recognize that research is work, student workers are employees, and that they have a constitutional right to form and join a union; and demand that the BC government provide direction to all universities and colleges so that employment of student workers must adhere to the Employment Standards Act, and provide for targeted enforcement of this direction – Passed

 NOTE: Research students are expected to work 40 hours/week for 24,000/year. On that, their tuition is taken off and they are expected to live on 17,000 a year. Many are abused by their professors (working hours, sexual assault) with nowhere to turn for help.

No. 18: Include “chosen family” in the Employment Standards Act – Passed

No. 13: Denounce Residential School denialism – Passed

No 9: Inclusive emergency alarms – Passed

No. 16: Oppose the Name Amendment Act – Passed

No. 12: Fully fund and implement the BC Accessibility Act – Passed

No. 21: Support and advocate for members experiencing immigration issues – Passed

No. 8: Include ableism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia as workplace hazards – Passed

No. 15: Increase Shelter Aid for elderly renters (Safer) subsidy – Passed

No. 7: Pensionable guaranteed livable basic income for all Canadians – Passed

No. 14: Eliminate financial barrier to home support access – Passed

No. 70: Increase pension education for CUPE members – Passed

No. 44: Political organizing education for members – Passed

No. 75: Climate emergency toolkit – Passed

No. 65: Hold a CUPE BC young workers conference in 2026 – Failed

No. 72: Political action campaigns for the 2026 local government elections – Passed

No. 61: Advocate for support the bill “Health at the Workplace” in Honduras – Passed

No. 52: National Union support for the Act for Mental Health campaign and universal mental health care – Passed

No. 86: National Union Skilled Trades Committee – Passed

No. 81: Additional WorkSafe officers to enforce legislation and penalties – Passed

No. 50: Full-cycle approach to election campaigns – Passed

No. 47: Expansion of Trades education in B.C. – Passed

No. 67: Address the cost-of-living costs – Passed

 

 

 

CUPE BC Convention 2025

April 30 – May 3, 2025

Attendance: Tim Baker, Lisa Devitt, Ken Wright, Stacey Robinson, Nancy Williams, Loreen Wanlin, Louise Henry

Day 1, Thursday, May 1^st

Credential Committee Report:

533 members representing 103 locals

475 voting members with 29 alternates

Mark Hancock – CUPE National President

Spoke on the economic crisis caused by Donald Trump and the support of our NDP government. We have over 772,428 CUPE members nationwide, and all are working for a labour friendly governments for our country.

Mark talked about our sister Union in Columbia (through Co-Dev). The stories told by these unionists are truly terrifying in this country, as they risk their lives to protect the workers’ rights and by simply being a union activist. I visited a Nestle plant in Boga (on strike for 211 days), 8 leaders have been fired from their positions and shots were fired at the picketers on the line. Many of the picketers brought their families at an encampment in hopes of preventing violence if children were present. At a meeting with the company, only two union leaders showed up, when I asked why so few, they responded with that if they were killed, there would be more leaders available to lead the strike for justice. That is life as a unionist in Columbia!

Defending Canada from Donald Trump is important but not the only thing we can do. We need to strengthen our public services and building a strong economy for workers and families. We lost too many NDP seats in this election but kept 7 strong ones. We can thank the NDP for most of our labour friendly laws such as affordable childcare, affordable medical, maternity leaves etc.

To quote the leader of Denmark, “Donald, let me put this in words you may understand, Fuck Off”.

 

Tony Rebelo – Secretary Treasurer of CUPE BC

Thank you for the support over the last 5 months. One of the few fulltime secretary treasurers in the province.

CUPE BC has 3 separate funds, the General Fund, Defense Fund and the Colleen Jordon Fund. 57% of our capital goes to General Fund, 36% goes to the Defense Fund and 7% to the CJ Fund.

4.5 million: in the General fund with a spending of 3.5 million, leaves a surplus of 1 million.

3.9 million: in the Defense Fund, spending 2.2 million, with a surplus of 1.7 million.

The defense fund serves two services, supports striking unions and supports unions for struggles. For a strike, we get $85 from national and $15 from CUPE BC for a total of $100/day from day 1.

$438,000: in the CJ fund, spending $236, 000, leaves a surplus of $200,000.

This fund is used to support unionist in every continent and challenge imperialism globally.

CUPE National and CUPE BC have co-operated to require only one filing for strike pay. CUPE National will issues both the $85 and the $15 and invoice CUPE BC for payback.

Our CUPE BC conference is too small for the convention center but too big for hotels. The next 5 years convention will be in Victoria. To keep it in Vancouver would cost too much, increasing the spending of over $300,000 for this event.

 

Sarah Scanlon – Director of Safer Union Spaces office

 We discuss how to deal with harm and harassment within house. 41% of members reported harassment or discrimination within CUPE did not feel respected during the process. 50% were not satisfied with the outcome of the reporting process.

What does harm do within a union setting? Creates a lack of trust that meaningful consequences accountability and changes will occur. Discourages people from attending events and members leave their union/roles. I feel that I have been tasked with creating a culture change by creating a centralized office to support the responses. Areas of development are to create an events ombudsman program, code of conduct, alternate process within trial procedure, informal intervention processes – including but not limited to restorative justice pathways. Success depends on support at the local level. We need activists to spread the word and provide on the ground support.

 

Resolutions

No. 41:  An additional EA in every K-3 Classroom – Passed

No. 24: Union inclusion on the EOCP (Environment Operators Certification Program) Board – Passed

No. 29: Create partnerships for better funded post-secondary system – Passed

No. 32: Specialized front-line worker training – Passed

No. 39: Hybrid of per student and block funding in K-12 – Passed

No. 36: Presumptive coverage for all workers experiencing traumatic workplace events – Passed

No. 42: Library lobby toolkit – Passed

No. 26: Provide childcare frameworks for all public schools in BC – Passed

No. 30 & 31: Increase provincial investment in public universities and colleges and special purpose/teaching universities – Passed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to all our hardworking bus drivers who make sure our students arrive at their destinations safely and with care.

On behalf of the Elections Committee:

Nominations for the following positions opened and closed at the April 2, 2025 General Membership Meeting.  

1. President (2 Year Term) – Stacey Robinson
2. Treasurer (2 Year Term) – Louise Henry
3. Transportation Shop Steward (1 Year Term) – Jack Quinn
4. Administrative Support Shop Steward (1 Year Term) – Elizabeth Rutsch
5. Maintenance Shop Steward (1 Year Term) – Ken Wright
6. Operations Shop Steward (1 Year Term)  – VACANT
7. Para Educator Shop Steward (1 Year Term) – Colleen Martin
8. Education Assistant Shop Steward (1 Year Term) – Loreen Wanlin
9. Information Technology Shop Steward (1 Year Term) – Jake Hern
10. Seargent at Arms (1 Year Term) – Eileen Lim
11. Trustee (1 Year Term) – Wendy Torris
12. Trustee (3 Year Term) – Marnie Booth

11 positions were won by acclamation, there will be no election for these positions. 

The Operations Shop Steward position has recently been vacated, nominations for this position will be taken at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday May 21, 2025,