Activists mobilize to build strength at UFCW Political Action Conference

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Ottawa – November 20, 2014 – UFCW Canada activists and allies from across the country recently gathered in Ottawa to participate in the union’s National Political Action Conference. The three-day conference involved members, officers, and staff from UFCW Canada Local Unions and the National Office, as well as a host of prominent guest speakers.

The conference served to build on UFCW Canada's political action efforts in the lead up to next year's federal election, with the goal of preparing Local Unions and engaging UFCW Canada members as we work to elect an NDP government in 2015.  

Delegates to the conference received useful advice from Rick Smith, the Executive Director of the Broadbent Institute; Anne McGrath, the National Director of Canada's NDP; Kathleen Monk, a feature panelist on CBC's Power & Politics; and Jeremy Bird, the National Field Director for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

Sounding a lot like Canada's next Prime Minister, the Leader of the Official Opposition, Tom Mulcair, spoke about the Harper government's unprecedented attack on workers and their unions, and discussed what an NDP government would do to help working families who are currently struggling to get by.

Activists then heard from UFCW Canada's Political Action Department staff, who discussed our union's work to reform the Unfair Elections Act, as well as other initiatives.

"As trade unionists we know that politics is not static, and next year we have a historic opportunity to positively change the political direction of our country," said UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema, who welcomed participants to the conference. "So our union will be using the knowledge, tools, and strategies developed at this Conference to make history in 2015 by electing a government that truly represents workers," Brother Meinema added.