Global Justice Fall 2012
Global Justice is published by the Canadian Union of Public Employees and is available online at cupe.ca/globaljustice.
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Shout out against mining injustice BY Jonathan Fourdraine
In early June 2012, the Council of Canadians hosted a two-day international conference entitled: Shout Out Against Mining Injustice aimed at exposing the appalling environmental and human rights abuses of Canadian mining companies. Grassroots solidarity from concerned custodians P.2 HIV/AIDS and the workplace P.3 Worker to worker solidarity and the Global Justice Fund P.4
News in brief P.4
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hrough workshops, panel discussions and strategy sessions, they raised awareness, built resistance
and strengthened networks of solidarity. As a member of CUPE 1933, the South Shore District Health Authority in
Nova Scotia and a global justice activist I had the opportunity to attend the conference in Vancouver. Sarita Galvez hosted the opening public forum. Galvez originally came to Canada as a refugee from Honduras. She spoke passionately of the corruption in her country and how Canadian companies play a key role in the exploita足 tion of its land and people. Council of Canadians National Chairperson Maude Barlow talked about her experience in Guatemala and how Cana足 dian mining companies are displacing native communities and poisoning the land, the people and the water supply. Barlow also talked about deregulation here in Canada and the anti-environment, pro-corporate Harper agenda. There were presentations from many parts of Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, El Salva足 dor, and the United States.
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Global Justice – Fall 2012
Grassroots solidarity from concerned custodians BY Erie Mastro Photo by Joven Ferma
The custodians of CUPE 389 North Vancouver School District 44 have proven that they are not only good at their day jobs, but they are also great at hosting fundraising events.
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dinner dance held in July in North Vancouver, billed “Making a Difference”, is the second event in support of a project initiated by the school cus todians. The proceeds will be donated to benefit public schools and community out reach projects of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in the Philippines.
This first meeting resulted in the wonderful initiative called “Books to Go” where at least 145 boxes of 6,744 books were sent to the Philippines from Vancouver and system atically distributed by ACTPhilippines to 54 public elementary, high school and vocational schools in the National Capital Region,
In 2009, the custodians of District 44 organized them selves into the Association of Concerned School Custodians (ACSC) after meeting with Antonio Tinio, then the Chair of ACT-Philippines, who was in Vancouver as part of a CUPE Global Justice Project initiated by CUPE 4600 at Carleton University and the Ontario Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (OCHRP).
Making a a difference dinner
Bulacan, Pangasinan, Que zon, and Antipolo. The cus todians collected discarded school textbooks (in good condition), packed them into boxes, and loaded them onto a shipping container destined for the Philippines after rais ing the shipment money from a similar fundraising dinnerdance in 2010. For ACT Philippines, this book distribution “symbolized the unity across the globe of workers in the education sector who care about the future of our children.” In 2011, the ACSC met up with France Castro, Secretary General of ACT-Philippines during the second phase of the CUPE’s Global Justice Project. Castro gave a firsthand account of how the book distribution went in the Philippines, and she confirmed that ACT made sure all the books went directly to public schools. Leo Alejandria of ACSC described ACT’s community
outreach in his opening speech at the dinner dance “What they do is go to poor farming and fishing commu nities to better understand the lives of the families of the school children, mobilize communities in defense of affordable public education, and distribute books, clothing, school bags and supplies so kids can go to school.” Kathy McMahon, of CUPE 389, praised the “excellent execution of a very meaning ful and valuable event with the spirit of the very principles CUPE members strive for in international solidarity and in keeping strong communities worldwide.” Congratulations to CUPE custodians Rey Tan, Leo Alejandria, Joven Ferma, Rodolfo Galura, Nelson Hernandez, Resty Brotonel and Luis Libradilla for mak ing possible this grassroots solidarity between education workers and teachers in Canada and the Philippines.
Fall 2012 – Global Justice
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CUPE brought forward solutions and alternatives to austerity and privatization. Aids Conference in Washington.
HIV/AIDS and the workplace BY Kelti Cameron
CUPE brought workers’ voices and solutions to the 19th annual international AIDS conference in Washington, D.C this past July.
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his conference was held under the banner “Turning the Tide Together” and brought together 20,000 delegates from 195 countries, all of whom are working to end the AIDS pandemic around the globe.
According to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), close to 90 per cent of 34 million people living with HIV are workers. They are engaged in economically pro ductive activity that sustains them, their families and com-
munities. For many, a positive HIV test result has devastating consequences such as being stigmatized, rejected for hiring opportunities or even dismissed by employers. The continued high cost of treatment and care is too high for those who live in preca rious conditions and who struggle to make ends meet. Unions are calling for a com prehensive strategy to ad dress HIV/AIDS that includes workplace–level interventions aimed at educating workers about HIV/AIDS and suppor ting those living and working with the virus.
CUPE kept a close eye on the public-private partnerships (P3s) being presented as “funding solutions” by the corporate sector and large international institutions. CUPE brought forward solu tions such as strengthening the public sector and social protection, and alternatives to austerity and privatization such as increased corpor ate taxation and the financial transaction tax (FTT). Our delegation left the 19th annual international AIDS conference with renewed resolve to promote public health and social services around the world as critical tools to stop the spread of HIV and care for people living with HIV and AIDS.
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Global Justice – Fall 2012
Worker to worker solidarity and the Global Justice Fund Our Global Justice work depends in part on the financial contributions by members through their locals.
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he fund is an important tool we have to engage and mobilize workers in Canada with workers around the world in our common struggles. As governments continue to prioritize privatiza tion, trade liberalization and the free movement of capital over the basic human and labour rights of people, there will always be a need for workers to join together.
Through project funding CUPE members build rela tionships and are given the opportunity to link arms with workers around the world who are suffering the conse quences of the same neoliberal policies we are.
Our struggle takes many forms, and the projects CUPE supports reflect a diversity of ways we assert our right to have a living wage, job secur ity, a safe workplace, and access to affordable public
services and vital resources. In June, CUPE approved two new projects: Community Support Against the Privatiza tion of Water and Advocating for more urgent and effective global responses to HIV and AIDS. If your local is interested in supporting our international solidarity initiatives please visit www.cupe.ca/globaljustice.
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CUPE Nova Scotia has partnered with the water workers union, SINTRACUAVALLE, in Colombia. Their project will develop a citizen education campaign about the privatiza tion of the water sector in Colombia. The project will encourage the participation of the general public, civil society, NGOs, social organizations and unions. They will develop a joint action plan with the workers of SINTRACUAVALLE to keep water in public hands.
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CUPE and CUPE BC are now supporting the work of AIDS-Free World. AIDS-Free World is an international organization advocating for more urgent and effective global responses to HIV and AIDS through public education, rigorous research and analysis, and advocacy regarding the issues, challenges and disregard for human rights associated with the AIDS epidemic.
CUPE was one of several international guests attending the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) 10th National Congress in August 2012. South Africa is entering a critical period in its development, and 2012 is a particularly important year for the labour movement in the face of several country wide strikes, and labour repression. The longstanding relationship established between CUPE and SAMWU is an important one for both organizations.
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In November, CUPE will send a delegation to the Public Service International (PSI) World Congress in Durban, South Africa.