UFCW Canada a leading force at 2011 CLC Convention

To see a photo gallery of UFCW Canada @ the 2011 CLC Convention, click on the photo above.

Jack Layton addresses the CLC Convention as the Official Opposition Leader

UFCW Canada director for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity Naveen Mehta – who is also the newly elected CLC vice-president for Workers of Colour – speaking up for a resolution to create more equality and fairness for Canada’s migrant workforce.

UFCW Canada was a leading force at the 2011 Canadian Labour  Congress (CLC) Convention where over 2,500 trade unionists – including 150 UFCW Canada activists – came from across the country to gather in Vancouver, B.C. for the congress’s triennial conference.

From May 9 to 13, the UFCW Canada delegation – which was one of the largest at CLC’s 26^th Constitutional Convention – represented a strong voice throughout the convention’s plenary sessions, workshops and committee meetings.

On day two of the convention, UFCW Canada organized a press conference about charges involving the Mexican consulate and blacklisted unionized migrant farm workers that drew the attention of various media outlets including the Vancouver Sun, City TV and the CBC.

UFCW Canada also gained an additional seat on the CLC executive board with the election of Naveen Mehta, UFCW Canada’s director for Human Rights, Equity & Diversity, as one of two vice-presidents representing Workers of Colour. Brother Mehta joins UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley and national representative Anouk Collet as part of the congress’s leadership board.

The new Leader of the Official Opposition Jack Layton was warmly welcomed by conventioneers on day three of the national gathering. In a rousing speech that kept delegates on their feet, Layton said “working together we are going to build a Canada where working families come first and nobody is left behind.”

UFCW Canada was also invited by the CLC to highlight the groundbreaking award-winning www.GEE20.ca campaign and other initiatives during the convention’s Friday session on new media and social networking.

Vol. XI No. 21 • May 24, 2011