“Rise Up For Your Rights!”

UFCW Canada members recently made a strong statement for human rights by joining over 400 activists in Ottawa to participate in the “Rise Up for Your Rights!” Conference organized by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

The Rise Up for our Rights! Conference was a two-day event that brought together unionists from across Canada to advocate for the protection of human rights and to discuss strategic ways to resist the regressive policies of the Conservative government that have detrimentally affected racialized, First Nations, and LGBTQ  communities, as well as workers with disabilities and women.

“Rise Up for Your Rights was an opportunity for Sisters and Brothers to reflect on the issues surrounding our racialized and marginalized communities,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. “It is through this type of forum that we can continue to build a more progressive and equitable labour movement.”

The UFCW Canada delegation included activists from across the country who proudly represented Locals 1518, 247, 401, 1400, and 1000A at the conference’s workshops and plenary sessions.  

“It is essential for all of us – elected leaders, executive staff, reps and members – to attend conferences like ‘Rise Up for Your Rights!’ to raise our level of understanding concerning the variety of issues facing our increasingly diverse membership,” says UFCW Canada Local 1518 President Ivan Limpright. “Through initiative like our Diversity Trust Fund, we are trying to ensure that we are not acting reactively to our members concerns but are proactive in making sure Local 1518 is an inclusive local union.”

The conference featured a workshop on migrant workers called “Migrant Workers: Model Program or Mistake?”, which was facilitated by Naveen Mehta, who serves UFCW Canada as the Director of Human Rights, Equity & Diversity. 

“The workshop brought together individuals from various unions with diverse understandings of migrant workers. Our focus in putting together the workshop was to ensure that this issue is one that remains as a fundamental parameter by which unions in Canada evaluate their strategic steps forward,” says Brother Mehta. “The failure of unions to fully comprehend the momentous effect that migrant workers are having on our workplaces will be detrimental to the labour movement unless we act now.”

Adding to UFCW Canada’s outstanding participation at the event, was a working dinner sponsored by the National Office that featured a presentation by Professor Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director of the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society (FNCFCS).

Professor Blackstock drew attention to the degrading and socially reprehensible conditions facing First Nations communities, and highlighted the important role UFCW Canada and other civil society organizations can play in helping the FNCFCS in advocating for aboriginal families, and First Nations children in particular.  

Look for more for from FNCFCS working with UFCW Canada in the months to come.

Vol. XI No. 05 • January 31, 2011