UFCW Canada activists out in full force as CLC Convention opens in Montreal

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Montreal – May 5, 2014 – UFCW Canada activists were out in full force as the 2014 Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Convention was called to order on Monday. As Canada's leading union, UFCW Canada members, officers, and activists have gathered from across the country for the Congress' triennial convention.

The UFCW Canada delegation, which is one of the largest at the five-day gathering, will be playing a leading role throughout the convention’s plenary sessions, workshops, and committee meetings.

CLC President Ken Georgetti welcomed the delegates to the CLC’s 27^th Constitutional Convention. Brother Georgetti is a driving force behind the CLC's Fairness Works campaign, Canada's most ambitious labour grassroots campaigns ever. He thanked the 51 affiliates gathered for their unified efforts in adopting the campaign nationally to successfully fight back against the anti-union corporate agenda. He then outlined his plan to press forward with the Fairness Works campaign in the lead up to various provincial elections and the 2015 federal election. Later this week, Brother Georgetti will stand for re-election with the endorsement of Canada's leading labour unions, including UFCW Canada.

“Ken’s leadership has proven to be a key factor in a number of successful CLC programs and campaigns, including the Together Fairness Works effort, which UFCW Canada views as a critical initiative for the labour movement, and our ability to improve the lives of workers through solidarity, political action, and collective bargaining," says UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema."With Ken’s leadership, the labour movement in Canada has a strong plan for the present and the future."

Monday afternoon, Sharan Burrow, the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, brought greetings of international solidarity, and a keynote commitment to working together globally to make fairness the foundation of building strength and moving forward. Sister Burrows was followed by Frank Greaves, the founder of EKOS Research, which has helped shape and measure the Fairness Works campaign.

The CLC Convention runs until May 9.