UFCW leaders review campaigns, look to the future at National Council meeting

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Toronto – November 9, 2016 – UFCW national and local union leaders recently gathered at the biannual UFCW Canada National Council meeting held in Toronto. The meeting primarily focused on sharing strategies and reviewing initiatives aimed at better serving members and advancing UFCW Canada as the country’s leading union. 

The National Council members explored UFCW’s political action, youth, diversity and inclusion, and gender equity programs, including our union’s efforts to stop the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), #TossTuition for college and university students, work towards Reconciliation with First Nations, and close the gender wage gap in Canada. 

The UFCW Canada leadership also heard from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the Broadbent Institute, and the National Council of Canadian Muslims, and examined UFCW Canada's work to end violence against women through the #NotOkay campaign.

In addition, the local and national union leaders learned about recent developments in the UFCW Young Workers Internship Program (YIP), while exploring cutting-edge strategies for helping more workers gain the union advantage.

“To advance fairness, diversity, and dignity for every UFCW member, our union continuously explores leading strategies for furthering labour and human rights in Canada, and the National Council meetings are an essential part of realizing that mission,” says Paul Meinema, the National President of UFCW Canada.

As the union's national executive board, the UFCW Canada National Council meets twice a year to assess the state of the union, decide on national strategies for strengthening the membership's bargaining power with employers, and develop plans for helping more workers who want to form a union. The next UFCW Canada National Council meeting will be held in Calgary in April 2017.