CUPE NS Convention (May 25-May 28, 2025) report

Erica Fischer, CUPE 3912 SMU VP-PT Faculty

After reading all the reports that have been submitted by the other delegates who attended this convention, I feel I don’t have more to add. However, since I’m required to submit a report for attending this event I will write about why I agree our participation at this convention was valuable and why it is important to keep sending as many delegates as possible and not just a few to these events.

A couple of reports mentioned that CUPE 3912 has not been traditionally represented at these conventions. That is not the case. The Local has regularly sent one or two delegates to provincial and national conventions for years except during COVID (from 2020 to 2022.) CUPE, I believe, only cancelled events in 2020, but our Local decided not to send delegates to any event in person in 2021 and 2022 because of the pandemic.)  In 2023,  CUPE 3912 started attending these conventions again when we sent several delegates to the CUPE NS Women’s convention in Truro. Later that year, three or four members (TAs from the Dalhousie bargaining unit) were invited to participate at a panel at the CUPE NS Convention in Sydney, NS to talk about their experience during the DAL strike the previous year. That same year, we sent what we considered a large delegation of 5 delegates to an out-of-province event: the CUPE National Convention in Quebec City. In 2024, since the CUPE NS Convention was held locally, we were also able to send 5 delegates again. As a delegate to these last two conventions (CUPE National 2023 and CUPE NS 2024) and from previous reports submitted by delegates who attended other conventions in previous years, I know that our delegates have participated actively at these events by speaking to resolutions, voting on constitutional amendments, resolutions and motions, and interacting and establishing relationships with members of other Locals as well as with our own delegates with whom we don’t normally interact in person or outside executive meetings. 

What was different this time around was that we sent to this convention our largest delegation ever (12 delegates) well prepared and with a clear goal: supporting and canvassing for Christine Saulnier, one of our members, to be elected to the highest position at the provincial level: President of CUPE NS. In order to be successful, we did a lot of preparation beforehand, especially Christine who started contacting other Locals and attending their meetings to gain their support and get their endorsement a couple of months before the convention. In April and May, a couple of these Locals joined us at some of the meetings we held in preparation for the convention.  These preparation meetings were something new for our Local and I think we should continue having them so delegates know what is expected of them at these events. 

The coalition building that Christine started in March didn’t stop after she received the endorsements of some Locals for her campaign. As it had been mentioned in other reports, during convention all of us continue fostering relationships with other Locals and with those who had already endorsed Christine. All this work before and during convention paid off in building our presence and getting some of us elected to committees and Lauren as an alternate for a regional VP position. In order to keep the momentum our Local has gained and to be able to organize our sector and be included as a sector at the next CUPE NS convention, it is important that we continue growing and strengthening our relationship with these and other Locals regularly and not just in preparation for a convention.

For this convention, we also submitted two resolutions for which our delegates were asked in advance to be prepared to speak to (in the past I think we have just endorsed resolutions the post-secondary national sector or other Locals have submitted and asked for our support.) One of the resolutions we submitted this time was specific to our Local and the other one was to support Justice for Workers, which would ultimately support all kinds of workers. Several of our delegates spoke in favour of these resolutions and of others submitted by other Locals especially those coming from education workers. However, speaking to our own resolution about our sector was an excellent opportunity to make all the attending delegates aware of the precariousness of the working conditions in post-secondary education and more specifically of the issues and precarity members in Local 3912 are facing. More importantly, all of CUPE 3912 delegates who spoke to any of these and other resolutions on the convention floor shared their personal experiences in their workplaces, so everyone attending (delegates, staff, guests, national and provincial officers) heard them. These stories had been shared during one-on-one conversations at this and in past conventions, but now having several delegates stand up and go to the mics to broadcast these stories is what I believe really made our Local visible and present in the mind of the rest of the attendees.

Our large number of delegates was also very visible because on the first day all of us were wearing pink CUPE 3912 t-shirts, as well as buttons supporting Christine, and we all sat together as a bloc. The rest of the days we all continued sitting together, wearing our buttons, and several of us continued wearing CUPE 3912 t-shirts. In the past, some of us had worn these t-shirts, but we haven’t sat as a bloc because it’s not easy finding several places available for more than 2 people to sit together at these events. This time, however, instead of sitting wherever we could find a free spot (there didn’t seem to be enough for all of us), we requested tables and chairs for the whole group to sit together. 

It also gave the Local great visibility the fact that Lauren, our Local’s president, was asked to introduce the National President Mark Hancock as one of the speakers at the convention, and that Samantha Williams, the CUPE 3912 VP for SMU TAs, was awarded the Sean Foley CUPE NS Health and Safety Award. Our Local had nominated Sam for her contributions in fighting for accessibility and safety for all SMU TAs, and the full letter that was submitted as part of her nomination was read on the convention floor by the members of the CUPE NS Health and Safety committee. This was a big surprise that none of us was expecting. Since Sam was not in attendance, Aiden, who was one of the members who nominated her, went to the podium wearing his bright pink CUPE 3912 t-shirt to receive the award on Sam’s behalf and say a few words. 

For all this (and much more), I believe our participation at this event was very successful. We achieved many things we were not even considering we could achieve that started by engaging and mobilizing our own members to attend this convention. The vast majority of the delegates our Local sent had never been to a CUPE Convention (75% to be exact.) I’m happy to have been part of this delegation. It was a great learning experience for everyone, including those of us who had attended other conventions.

CUPE NS 2025 Convention 

Delegate Report 

Wenceslao Amezcua | June, 2025 

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend the CUPE NS 2025 Convention—a gathering that brought together union members from across the province to discuss key issues, share strategies, and shape the future of our collective work. 

It was my first time attending a convention of this scale, and the experience was both eye-opening and energizing. From learning about union governance and bylaws to connecting with delegates from other locals, the convention gave me valuable insights and practical tools that I’m sure will be useful in my role as an active member of our union unit. 

What follows is a reflection on some of the key takeaways and meaningful moments from my time at the event. 

1. Deep Learning in Governance, Laws & Bylaws 

Even when I wasn’t actively speaking on the floor, I absorbed a wealth of procedural and legal knowledge. 

• I learned how constitutional amendments are debated and passed—from both logistical and legal perspectives. 
• I also gained a clearer understanding of how resolutions—like anti-privatization or land acknowledgements—are introduced, debated, and ultimately woven into the union’s bylaws and future campaigns. 
• Overall, the event gave me the confidence to bring that knowledge back to our unit, helping us strengthen our understanding of union law and empowering our members. 

2. Learning from Other Locals’ Experiences 

Talking with delegates from education, healthcare, and municipal sectors revealed both the challenges and successes they’ve faced:

• Education locals, for example, shared their struggles around securing safety protocols and standardizing wages at the provincial bargaining table. 
• Various committees highlighted creative tools—like Motion Meetings—to improve communication and voting processes. These are ideas I’m excited to bring back and suggest for our own unit. 
• These conversations gave me practical insights into broader labour strategies and legislative frameworks affecting workers across the province. 

3. Supporting My Own Unit 

By attending and contributing—even quietly—I ensured our unit was represented: ● I supported resolutions that aligned with our concerns. 

• I backed motions from other locals that helped amplify our collective voice. 
• I built our presence by being visible, engaged, and active—strengthening our reputation within CUPE NS and CUPE National. 
• I also supported and campaigned for Christine Saulniere. Although she didn’t achieve the result we hoped for, we showed unity and put forward an impressive team effort—one I hope we can build on in the future. 

This experience helped reinforce that our unit is serious, active, and ready to collaborate in broader coalitions. 

4. The Power of Networking 

The convention was incredibly valuable for networking. 

• I met CUPE staff, regional VPs, and other local leaders—many of whom were pleasantly surprised and appreciative that our unit was represented. 
• I connected with over 15 peers from different sectors and joined ongoing initiatives like mailing lists and online forums.
• One of the most meaningful connections, though, was with people inside our own unit. I had the chance to spend time, talk, and share moments with members of 3912 I hadn’t really connected with before. 

Those internal and external connections were just as impactful and valuable to me. 

In conclusion, attending the CUPE NS 2025 Convention was a key experience for me—not just in representing our unit, but in gaining the knowledge, tools, and relationships that will support us well beyond the event. I observed, listened, learned, and supported initiatives that will strengthen workers across Nova Scotia. 

The convention renewed my commitment to growing our unit’s efforts, learning from others, and taking coordinated action—both locally and provincially—to protect and advance our members’ rights. This convention wasn’t just an event—it was an experience of growth, solidarity, and strategic preparation.

CUPE NS Convention 2025  Report –Delegate

Julie Quinn

May 25 – 28, 2025

Contents

I. Introduction 

• Why we were there; overview

II. Main Points

1. What did I learn/take home from the Convention?
   1. An appreciation for diversity
   2. Insight/knowledge about the struggles and victories of other locals
   3. The power that we have as a collective
2. How can what I learn benefit CUPE 3912?
   1. Sharing experience with other locals and promoting awareness of 3912
   2. Opportunity to contribute our voice in voting and speaking on resolutions and amendments
   3. Electing members to committees and important positions
3.  Would I and/or the Local benefit from attending the Convention next year?
   1. Continued presence and voice in CUPE NS
   2. Awareness of issues that we may not have known about before
   3. Opportunities for delegates to see what happens when all these locals band together (raise awareness of their concerns and ours)

III. Thanks and Acknowledgements

I. Introduction

From Sunday, May 25th, to Wednesday, May 28th, I had the privilege of being one of a 12-member team of delegates sent from CUPE 3912 to the CUPE NS 2025 Convention, held in Membertou, NS. Our chief goal as a delegation was to campaign on behalf of our excellent presidential candidate, Christine Saulnier. While Christine was, in my humble opinion, the superior candidate, ultimately the position went to Alan Linkletter (CUPE 8920). While we were all disappointed that Christine didn’t get elected, there were nevertheless many positive outcomes from our presence there. During our many conversations and interactions with other delegates, we had multiple opportunities to learn and expand our own knowledge while forging meaningful connections.  I am strongly convinced that our presence at the convention not only raised awareness of the struggles and contributions of our local specifically, but ultimately had a lasting impact on the tone of the conference as a whole.

In the following paragraphs, I will answer three main questions: 

• what did I learn/take home from my experience at the Convention?
• how can what I learn benefit CUPE 3912, and 
• would CUPE 3912 benefit from sending delegates to the next annual CUPE NS Convention (2026)?

II. Main Points

II.1 What did I learn/take home from the Convention? 

The first thing that impressed me was the sheer diversity of locals gathered under the “CUPE NS” collective. Indeed we had members in our own cohort representing the Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia (Local 4745), as well as members from the Adsum Association for Women and Children (Local  4291). My favorite part of campaigning was the opportunity to meet members from different locals and share with them our mutual struggles. For example, it was great to learn from Local 4745 members that they had just successfully negotiated for a pension plan to be added to their Collective Agreement. As another example, during the banquet on Monday evening, I sat with members from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Outside Workers (Local 759). They shared how the local has been fighting to make sure that member services are not contracted out by the government to non-unionized workers, and how those members responsible for highway snow removal had just negotiated for the right to have some relief time (time off) even during extended snow events. The folks I talked to were interested in turn to hear about some of the issues our own local faces. This kind of sharing fosters understanding as well as a shared sense of purpose between locals.

As the Convention progressed, it was somewhat awe-inspiring to realize what we can do when we share our struggles and work together for justice for all workers. One highlight of the conference that I would like to mention here was the opportunity we were given on Tuesday to picket Sydney City Hall in support of the Home Care Workers (Local 4354), who have been working for four years to negotiate a fair and equitable bargaining contract.  One of the things that struck me during that afternoon was the support and awareness generated in passers-by, most of whom slowed down their cars to read the signs, and many of whom honked loudly to show their support. Hopefully the members of the government inside the City Hall noticed this too!

II.2. How can what I(we) learn(ed) benefit CUPE 3912?

As mentioned under the previous heading, it is always useful to realize that we are not alone in our fight for employment equity and justice.  We can rejoice in each other’s victories and support one another in our struggles. Our presence at the Convention also gave us the opportunity to raise awareness about our local and share some of the issues facing our members. In terms of sharing CUPE 3912’s accomplishments and struggles, many of the people I talked to were surprised to learn about the stark realities and challenges that we face as academic members (e.g., no job security, no benefits, no pension). The conversations and connections we forged as a delegation helped to dispel the myth that as an “academic or university-oriented” local, we come from a place of privilege (see the last sentence about “no job security, no benefits, no pension”…). This helps us to dismantle stereotypes and build solidarity with other locals.

The conduct of our members at the Convention allowed us to promote respect for our local and to establish our right to have a ‘seat at the table’. In fact, before the convention closed, we as a local were able to establish our presence at a few different tables! As recently shared by Sophie Boardman in her excellent June newsletter to the CUPE 3912 members, several of our delegates  were elected to the following Standing Committees:

• Erica Fischer, VP PT SMU, new member of the Political Action Committee
• Larissa Atkison, VP PT Dal, new member of the Education Committee
• Sophie J. Boardman, Communications Officer, young worker member of the Global Justice Committee

It is anticipated that these members will champion the goals and concerns of Local 3912 in these committees. Additionally, our own local president, Lauren McKenzie was elected as alternate regional Vice President!

We were also able to make our presence felt with our votes (and often our voices) on several constitutional amendments and timely resolutions that were dealt with during the Convention. Some of the important resolutions that passed during the Convention included:

• Proposals aimed at supporting basic human rights which included addressing the housing crisis, and protecting the rights of marginalised people (e.g., supporting the Centre for Migrant Worker’s Rights Nova Scotia).
• several related proposals aimed at addressing the very real problem of violence in the work place – in particular, viiolence experienced by workers and students in our grade schools. I will comment further on these resolutions in my final point discussing why I think it is important to continues to send CUPE 3912 members to participate in future CUPE NS conventions.

Importantly, our Local 3912 successfully proposed two resolutions: one involving CUPE NS members in actively contributing to the Justice for Workers Campaign, and a proposal “to commit financial and staff resources to raise public awareness of the value of CUPE Post-Secondary Education Workers in NS work and to support efforts to fight post-secondary education cuts and protect these members’ jobs”. I think you’ll agree that passing these resolutions directly benefits the Local!

II.3. Would I and/or the Local benefit from attending the Convention next year?

The short answer is yes – a thousand times yes! Most of the reasons I have already discussed in this short document. First of all, I hope that this and other delegate reports have demonstrated the relevance and urgent necessity of maintaining a continued presence and voice in the goals and work for employment justice being championed by CUPE NS. Secondly, I strongly believe that future delegates from our local would benefit greatly by having the opportunity to see what can happen when a diverse collective of small locals band together to support concerns that we all share. Finally (and this one is very personal for me), future delegates would benefit from the chance to talk and engage with members of other locals, so that they can learn our issues and we can gain an awareness of the success and struggles faced by our fellow workers (some of which we may not have known about before). Much of what I saw and heard from this conference has impacted me deeply. In particular, I will not soon forget the stories shared by classroom support staff and others about the frequency and intensity of violence they routinely experience in the workplace. As part-time faculty, I’ve had my fair share of financial hardships and lack of professional respect, but I have never been afraid for my personal safety in the classroom. Witnessing the accounts of other members has challenged my naivety and given me a renewed passion for justice and safety for all of us. Interestingly,  on the  morning of the day I finished writing this report, I was downtown and saw a bus drive by which sported a giant slogan that read: “Everyone has the right to feel safe at work.” I couldn’t agree more!

In conclusion, I believe that Christine Saulnier, in her letter of thanks sent to delegate members, summed up the advantages of our delegation to the CUPE NS Conference rather well:

While we didn’t win the vote, what we built together was absolutely a win.

We brought energy, ideas, and hope into this race. We showed what leadership rooted in listening, organizing, and action can look like. We sparked important conversations across CUPE Nova Scotia about where we’re headed and how we can grow stronger together. Many of you will now serve on committees, and we even elected the VP alternate for Central from CUPE 3912, who will continue these conversations. 

I am so proud to have connected with locals across the province to have engaged members who hadn’t been involved before. We ran a campaign rooted in values, vision, and respect. We stayed true to who we are and we showed what’s possible.

III. Thanks and Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank our president, Lauren McKenzie, for spear-heading this convention campaign (you rock!), as well as the 3912 Executive for allowing me the opportunity to act as one of the delegates representing our local at this convention. 

I would also like to thank Christine Saulnier for your leadership and willingness to run for president. It was a privilege to contribute in some small way to your campaign. Christine, your passion, hard work and willingness to put yourself out there (to be vulnerable) have truly been an inspiration. 

Finally, I would like to thank my Car Sisters, Jackie Rodler and Margot Nickerson, for allowing me to be part of their travel team and actually saving my life when I experienced sugar lows (related to diabetes) on the trip down: your compassion, driving skills and supply of treats was deeply appreciated!

CUPE NS 61st Convention

May 25-May 28 2025

Convention Report, Submitted June 25, 2025

Larissa Atkison, VP, Dalhousie Part-Time Instructors

Overview and Key Points

The CUPE Nova Scotia Convention, held in Membertou First Nations, May 25-28, was a valuable opportunity for coalition building within CUPE and strategic advocacy for our Local. Our large delegation allowed for multiple members of our Local to speak to relevant Resolutions, run for election to provincial committees, network and build solidarity across CUPE sectors, and advocate for greater attention to post-secondary labour concerns within CUPE and the province. 

Presentations and Addresses
The Convention featured a number of speakers on topics such as AI and the labour movement, CUPE’s provincial political action strategy, and CUPE National’s new secure email network that CUPE 3912 will be adopting. Danny Cavanaugh, President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL), delivered an excellent presentation on the first day of Convention that clearly resonated with many delegates. His remarks affirmed the shared values and challenges across sectors and reinforced the importance of cross-union solidarity.

CUPE National President Mark Hancock’s address on day two was an energizing call to action that powerfully framed the political stakes of an engaged labour movement. His account of working with union leaders in Colombia—including one who was recently murdered for resisting political pressure—was a sobering reminder of the ongoing risks faced by labour organizers outside our borders.  Hancock connected these threats to the threat local and international far-right movements pose to the labour movement, making a compelling case for the necessity of a distinctive and united Canada-wide labour movement, with CUPE playing a central leadership role. His message, while heavily politicized, was both impactful and motivational.

One of the most compelling presentations came from Danielle Sampson, CLC Atlantic Regional Director, who shared the innovative work being done to educate, support, and build coalitions among labour activists across the province. I found her talk an inspiring reminder of the resources available outside of the CUPE umbrella to support and empower labour activism in Nova Scotia. 

Local Resolutions and Participation
Our Local successfully passed two important resolutions: one calling for CUPE’s support of the postsecondary sector in resisting Bill 12 and raising awareness of the widespread precarity among our sector’s workers; and another supporting the Justice for Workers campaign led by Christine Saulnier. I spoke in favour of the postsecondary resolution, alongside Lauren, Lachlan, and Renee from our Local. These interventions—alongside numerous one-on-one conversations throughout the convention—helped raise broad awareness among fellow CUPE members about the specific challenges facing postsecondary workers, including job precarity, lack of pension and health benefits, low wages, limited public visibility, and unstable work conditions.

Leadership and Future Advocacy
In a further step toward amplifying our Local’s voice, I ran for and was elected to the Province-wide Education Committee. I plan to use this platform to advocate for greater inclusion of postsecondary voices in sector caucus meetings (we were not included in the education caucus this year) and broader education-sector organizing. 

While our endorsed candidate, Christine Saulnier, was not elected as President, our Local’s strong showing at the Convention was instrumental in building connections and solidarity, and in establishing ourselves as a leader and advocate within CUPE NS and the provincial labour movement.

Overall, the convention served as a powerful affirmation of the collective strength of organized labour and the strategic role our Local can play in shaping its future direction.

Lachlan Sheldrick, CUPE 3912 VP, NSCAD

I attended the CUPE NS convention as a delegate to participate and support the local’s objectives of increasing our presence and visibility at convention and mobilizing and organizing support for the sector. In these objectives I felt that we succeeded; multiple 3912 members were elected to committee positions, and I along with my fellow delegates spoke in support of motions that deliver resources to supporting the higher education sector. I also spoke in solidarity and support for motions allocating resources to fight cuts in education more broadly. 

I also spoke to a number of CUPE members from a range of sectors – from education to healthcare to public works – about the shared struggles and challenges facing public sector workers in Nova Scotia today. Through these conversations I will admit I was not surprised to hear about the particular challenges faced in other sectors, but I was happy to be able to share the post-secondary landscape with those where were unaware of the challenges we face. From these conversations I feel I was able to spread awareness of the work CUPE 3912 is doing and the urgency of the situation in the post-secondary sector while building solidarity with our comrades in public education and others.

As the VP for NSCAD, I also attended this convention to advocate for the importance of arts in our society and the need for arts education in the modern landscape. I am happy to report that across all sectors, in every conversation I had, I heard unanimous support for the arts. I was able to share and spread recognition of the ways in which arts and arts education benefits society, and the necessity of arts to a healthy society. 

Overall, I feel that this convention was a worthwhile and successful venture, and provided me with not only the opportunity to see the workings of our union’s democracy at work, but afforded me the chance to built connections and solidarity across sectors, and spread awareness and recognition of post-secondary’s struggles broadly as well as the struggle for fair working conditions and proper support for the arts at NSCAD specifically.

Sophie J. Boardman, Communications Officer

June 21, 2025

Introduction

This was my first time attending a CUPE NS event and union convention and am grateful for the opportunity to have attended. This was an excellent learning experience as someone who is new to taking on a more engaged role in our local and unions as whole. As an American (international student at Dalhousie from 2016-2020, 2022-2025), I learned more things about NS politics that will improve my communications ability – context is important! My report will be a highlight of the most interesting things to me (this report is highly biased as I’m only human). I am confident that my other 11 fellow delegates that have more knowledge of other issues will speak to them in their report. 

General Review

All of the executives gave their reports for the year over the course of convention. I was disappointed in the content of all of the reports besides Nan (past president) and Ty, the Young-Worker VP. As a first time convention delegate and newer to CUPE, I wanted to hear more about their work besides “attending meetings and voting on motions”. Mostly I just found it strange that people read their reports verbatim. It’s important to have a report, but we were essentially “read aloud to” for 2ish hours. It was also clear that some of the executives had different ideas about leadership. One notable remark was by an area VP who said not much activity had happened in the past year due to local unions not initiating any campaigns. While I understand locals must reach out to CUPE NS, it’s disheartening to hear that this is the only way to have a relationship. For example, not all locals have the capacity to reach out or know when. More resources from CUPE NS describing how they can amplify and support locals and better proactiveness would be nice. The post-secondary sector doesn’t have a caucus, so it may actually be different for other sectors. More on this later. 

We had many guest speakers give speeches or educational talks. My favourites were Claudia Chender, who is the leader of the NS NDP, and CAMIC, CUPE Atlantic Maritime Region Indigenous Council. Having CAMIC speak to us or help with Indigenous related issues could be useful. While I mostly enjoyed all the guest speakers, I think there were too many. We had lots of constitutional amendments and resolutions to work through (as is the business of convention) and these kept being pushed when we ran over time. It was clear more time needed to be allocated to these two activities. Additionally, I felt there was not adequate enough time to get to know candidates running for positions. I wish there were more informal opportunities to get to know candidates outside of caucuses and the convention floor. Convention structure does not leave much time to get to know candidates, especially when time after convention floor activities ended people went to find food most times. There was a couple of hours + an hour of social time before the banquet where these informal meetings could have happened. While we did get to overlap with our Central VP and chat a couple times, there wasn’t that opportunity with the other candidates. I am hopeful the planning committee takes these things into account for future conventions. 

Caucus Overviews 

I attended the Diversity Caucus during lunch on the second day of convention. It was very informal and there were between 10 to 15 of us. I was surprised to see such a small number of people, but apparently it was triple the number of people that attended last years convention (wow)! Out of the 250 something (can’t remember the exact number), it was disheartening that such a small percentage of delegates CUPE NS considered diverse attended the convention. I think CUPE NS and our own local needs to make strides in being more inclusive and ensuring that diverse folks engage with us. There were also elections and it was great getting to hear more from the diversity VP, Nimrod, who was quite new in the role, as he was the alternate until a month before convention. It was quite an informal space and mainly just a chance to connect. We did discuss one possible resolution or something that we could work on together as a caucus for the next year. We gave the CUPE NS staff person our emails so we could have some check-in meetings throughout the year if desired. I hope this networking opportunity will be fruitful and to hear what other folks are up to.

I also attended the young-worker caucus, which was held after all the scheduled events of one day of  convention. Ty, the current young-worker VP, was able to talk about the role and how flexible it is. She was empowered to jump in and do her own initiative, which proved successful as her care kits were a success! It’s great the CUPE NS executive has this position to empower young-workers. While I had hoped another candidate, Madison, would be elected, Ty was reelected and Madison is the alternate. I hope Ty continues to do great work with CUPE NS and that we are able to keep in touch and network. Again, there was a small but mighty number of us and the number had apparently tripled again since last year. This was great to observe and I’m glad the constitutional amendment to raise the age from 30 to 35 did not pass. As a young person reaching the end (I’m 27), the generational divide between myself and the kids I TA who are usually 18 to 21 is felt. Just because you may be younger than most of your co-workers does not necessarily warrant an age adjustment to the constitution. Outreach to fellow young-workers and making convention less daunting to be engaged must occur before such a drastic change should occur. 

I also had an interesting discussion with Nimrod and some other members about the possibility of putting forward a constitutional amendment that would allow each local to send a young-worker and diversity member. These could be additional spots or take up one of the allocated spots to locals. I advocate for an additional spot myself and think this would increase engagement and give people the chance to attend future conventions by almost direct invitation. 

Post-Secondary Education Crisis 

I think all of 3912’s delegates did a good job of getting the word out about Christine. Our number of delegates and with most people sporting our pink 3912 2022 Strike shirts meant we had high visibility. When I had the opportunity to talk to people, the conversations were mostly about our sector instead of Christine. While I tried to insert snippets of Christine’s wealth of experience, it felt like most people zeroed in on the fact Christine comes from this sector people know very little about (mostly presented in the news). The constant surprise of people finding out about our low wages and high chances of not finding work and then with Bill 12 and big cuts happening, the future of our sector sounded scary to many. While we had common threads with the other delegates (low wages, employment harassment and power imbalances), the lack of knowledge of a sector within the CUPE NS sector was too high. The fact that staff and other locals did not even know we existed or were part of CUPE raised significant concerns for myself. 

While I understand we are all busy humans, 3912 has been part of CUPE NS for a while. We have lots of members and it is clearer than ever just how precarious we are, so the lack of knowledge of our union peers is astounding. Our mere 12 delegate presence clearly rattled those who had been regular Convention  attendees. CUPE NS also needs to do better. It is time that we have our own sectoral council. I’m glad that our President, Lauren, has already had conversations with the new CUPE NS president about getting this rolling. It is clearer to me just how important communication of our sector to the public to increase knowledge and networking is important. That is to say, we should not neglect our own members, but if we need to spend so much time justifying how precarious we are and the struggles we face, support will not be as fast as it could be and there are less people in our corner so to speak. It’s also up to 3912 to keep feeding these networks of support! 

Solidarity + Support 

While we continue to face barriers, there were good things to come out of convention this year. Both of our submitted resolutions, which were (1) financial and human support from CUPE NS to the post-secondary education sector and (2) for CUPE NS to join and provide support to the Justice for Workers movement, were passed with unanimous support from the floor. It was uplifting to see support from all delegates. Fellow delegates (Lachlan, Christine, Lauren, Rena, Larissa, Alec) spoke to these with great enthusiasm and made 3912 proud! It was also great that some spoke in support of other resolutions. This solidarity was important and shows CUPE NS we stand with others! It’s great that we had support from 5047, Adsum House, education, and highway workers for Christina and we must continue to maintain these relationships if possible. 

Communications

One of the presentations was from CUPE NS staff Matt Stella, who spoke to us about using Action Network. I think using this platform would be ideal for the following reasons. First, it’s free through CUPE. We would save money by not using Mailchimp anymore (woohoo!) and we would be able to access CUPE staff and Action Network staff for training and help. With our current configuration of tagging members by unit and job (PT or TA) in Mailchimp and the fear that “too much contact and emails” would cause people to unsubscribe would not be the case with Action Network. There is increased functionality that would allow members to unsubscribe from certain types of communication but they would always receive important emails about unit meetings, AGMs, and strike votes. Additionally, Action Network is built for campaigning and building networks, which would help support us as we head into mobilization. This platform would enable us to create campaign pages and petitions, send texts if wanted, and create events. We used Action Network to vote at convention. This would be an interesting and viable option as our other platforms have high cost with our number of members. Conversations about use of this platform are ongoing and I hope to share developments on this as the summer continues. 

Conclusion

While Christine did not get elected, the central caucus did elect Lauren as the alternate VP, Larissa, Erica, and I were elected to committees. Having 3912 be present and continue to worm our way through CUPE NS will be key for visibility and education as we hopefully keep making our mark. I hope 3912 will continue to send delegates to future conventions for networking, being part of committees, and general education for some of our newer members. As a TA, my time with 3912 is limited but hopefully this will not be the end of unionism and its values in my life. Thank you to all delegates for making this such a great experience, as I had a great time getting to know all of you more. Thanks to the membership for the continued support as your CO. This was an invaluable experience and I hope TAs consider attending conventions in the future!

Rine Vieth, CUPE 3912 SMU Member

I attended the CUPE/SCFP “Building Strong Locals”/Bâtir des sections locales fortes” in Montréal, QC that took place March 3 – 6. Joining union members across the country, this was an opportunity to network, share with each other, and also learn more from CUPE. 

The most valuable part of this event was meeting people from unions across Canada. It was heartening—depressing, yes, but also heartening—to hear about labour struggles across the country. In particular, I noted a number of those in childcare who were fighting particularly hard for contracts. As it was a bilingual event, I was also able to connect with union leadership who worked in both official languages of Canada. Through the skills-building and breakout sessions, I met those representing childcare workers, bus drivers, flight staff, teachers, and more. One major highlight of this was talking with a table about making a plan for public communications during negotiations and a potential strike: the collaboration with people from different sectors meant that we created what turned out to be a really great plan in a very short breakout session. 

While there, I learned about CUPE resources that were either new or still somewhat unfamiliar to me (though definitely not to everyone!). I was particularly excited to learn about: 

• CUPE support during elections 
• CUPE labour solidarity with temporary foreign workers (…which includes me!) CUPE workshops and training available to members and locals 
• CUPE research on bargaining language around AI

There were things that I wish were done differently. For example, gendered assumptions by event facilitators were tricky to navigate (e.g. asking pronouns, and then defaulting to “sister” and “brother” based on how someone looked to the presenter/facilitator), and communication could’ve been clearer with online resources, as there seemed to be a lot of assumptions of familiarity with knowledge that sidelined new attendees. Both of these are easily-fixed, but important to keep in mind as we build a more inclusive union for all: it’s worth unsettling and unpacking our assumptions about gender, technical familiarity, and access needs! I also think that some of the role-playing was less effective than it might’ve been because of limited time, as well as because some of the subject matter was sensitive (like acting out responding someone saying something horribly racist). The shorter “think-pair-share” activities were much more effective, and also led to some really positive ways to build relationships with people we had just met at our table. 

The biggest issue I encountered was that while I wish there had been more information about each session before, so we might be able to ‘apply’ for certain sessions with more information— but! CUPE/SCFP provides ongoing member education and support, so I think that workshops around public communication, navigating CUPE/SCFP, and building strong plans would be useful for CUPE 3912 members. Given recent developments in Nova Scotia politics around higher education, I think seeking out CUPE/SCFP training and support around electoral politics —something I had a number of really informative conversations with tabling CUPE/SCFP representatives about—would be really good. 

I would encourage attendance at bigger conferences to newer union members, and would particularly (but not only!!) urge that those who have both French and English language skills attend, as it was really helpful to me to be able to chat with anyone. This conference also got me thinking about member education, and ways we can implement things like worksheets, smaller training sessions, and more amongst CUPE 3912 members.

Report: Reflections on Campaign for CUPE Nova Scotia President and CUPE 3912 Delegation  to Convention 

Christine Saulnier 

Overview 

This report summarizes the outcomes, lessons, and benefits of undertaking a campaign for the  presidency of CUPE Nova Scotia and sending a delegation to the 2025 CUPE NS Convention.  While I did not win the presidency, the campaign succeeded in building visibility, relationships,  and organizational strength that will continue to serve our local, CUPE NS, and CUPE more  broadly. 

Key Positives 

1. Raised Our Local’s Profile 

• The delegation introduced our local, our work and issues to many CUPE NS members  across the province. 
• We built relationships with leaders in locals we had not connected with before. • Our presence on the convention floor was noticeable and respected. Our members participated actively and brought forward thoughtful questions and ideas supporting our resolutions and those of other locals. 

2. Engaged and Mobilized Members 

• The process energized members within our local to become more engaged in CUPE’s  broader structures. 
• We identified emerging leaders and built confidence among members who supported  and participated in my campaign and at Convention. 
• Several members of the delegation took on new roles or responsibilities in support of  the campaign and convention. 

3. Built Skills and Experience 

• Members gained hands-on experience in political campaigning, public speaking,  outreach, and organizing. 
• The campaign team developed communications, strategy, and learned lessons that can  be drawn on in future organizing efforts.

4. Expanded Relationships Across CUPE 

• We had meaningful one-on-one conversations with dozens of local leaders and  delegates from across the province. 
• Many delegates expressed appreciation for the tone and content of my campaign and  for the issues raised by our delegation, and they expressed interest in working with us  going forward. 

5. Contributed to the Political Discourse 

• We helped shape the conversations at convention around equity, organizing, public  services, and internal democracy. 
• The campaign articulated a clear, bold vision for CUPE Nova Scotia that resonated with  many. 

Lessons  

In the lead up to Convention and at Convention, I spoke to many CUPE members who are facing  similar huge challenges from rising costs of living, to underfunded public services, to increasing  workloads, violence, and burnout. Many are feeling undervalued despite the incredible services  

they provide in every critical sector. We must unite and support each other’s fights to raise  standards across sectors, fight for fair wages and safe workplaces, and push back against  austerity and privatization.  

CUPE NS is not exceptional. Too few members are engaged internally, and even fewer are  involved in broader movements to build solidarity across issues, sectors, and communities. Many members feel unheard and are frustrated by the lack of transparency and the  gatekeeping by some in leadership positions. CUPE NS needs to provide more support for locals  to engage members, build leadership, and be strike-ready when necessary. 

CUPE 3912 should continue to build its internal organizing capacity, take leadership roles including in this broader solidarity work. I know it is more difficult for our members than for  others, given precarity, multiple jobs and inability to be booked off from teaching. At the same  time, we are a large local that can be part of the change and building the movement for a fair,  prosperous Nova Scotia. 

Conclusion 

Though I did not win the presidency, the campaign was a success in many meaningful ways. It  strengthened our local, deepened our connections within CUPE, and laid the groundwork for  future leadership and organizing efforts. Participating fully in this election and sending a  delegation to Convention was a valuable investment that positions us well for what’s ahead.

Thank you CUPE 3912 for endorsing me as candidate for CUPE NS president and for supporting  this 12-member delegation! 

I remain deeply committed to our movement, to justice for all workers, and to working  alongside you to keep building power from the ground up. 

In Solidarity, 

Christine Saulnier 

A message to the 3912 delegates to Convention: I want to take a moment to thank each and  every one of you for the incredible work, commitment, and solidarity you brought to this  campaign. While we didn’t win the vote, what we built together was absolutely a win. We  brought energy, ideas, and hope into this race. We showed what leadership rooted in listening,  organizing, and acTon can look like. We sparked important conversaTons across CUPE Nova  ScoTa about where we’re headed and how we can grow stronger together. That maUers deeply. 

You helped build something powerful. We connected with locals across the province. I was in a  position to engage members who hadn’t been involved before and who joined our ground  team. We ran a campaign rooted in values, vision, and respect.  

I’ve heard from so many members who feel seen, heard, and hopeful. That’s no small thing.  That’s the start of real movement-building. 

You carried this campaign in conversations, messages, meetings, early mornings and late nights.  You did the hard work with integrity and care. I’m so proud of what we accomplished together. Thank you all! Thanks especially to 3912 President, Lauren McKenzie for her leadership. What an impressive delegation!

Karen McDonald 

What did I learn/take home from the Convention? 

I attended the convention as a substitute delegate and as a relatively inexperienced union member.  As a result, the convention was an incredible learning experience for me. CUPE is a large and  diverse union, representing members from many sectors—including traffic services, health care,  education, and more. Meeting the needs and expectations of such a varied membership isn’t  always easy, but CUPE works hard to rise to that challenge. This convention showed me the power  that unions have in helping workers achieve more safety and security in their workplace.  

A large part of the convention was focused on examining and voting on amendments to the  constitution and discussing and voting on CUPE resolutions. There were seven constitutional amendments proposed – only one of these was defeated (to establish the maximum age of “young  workers” from 30 years of age to 35). Sixteen resolutions were passed over three days. Many of these resolutions involved spreading awareness of some of the hardships faced by union members and the importance of fighting the privatization of the work of the public sector. For example,  several resolutions focused on the violence education workers are experiencing and the need to  reduce the violence and increase support staff (instead of decreasing staff).  

Another main objective of the convention was to elect a new CUPE NS president as well as other  committee and board positions. Our local was supporting Christine Saulnier to become the next NS  CUPE president. The 3912 delegates (and others) campaigned on her behalf and educated  delegates from other locals about who she was and what she stood for. Unfortunately, we were not  successful in winning the vote but in Christine’s own words, “We brought energy, ideas, and hope  into this race. We showed what leadership rooted in listening, organizing, and action can look like.  We sparked important conversations across CUPE Nova Scotia about where we’re headed and how  we can grow stronger together.” 

How can what I learn benefit CUPE 3912 and would our local benefit from attending the  Convention next year? 

Having a large group representing our local was (in my opinion) extremely valuable. CUPE 3912 has  not traditionally been represented at these conventions and as a result, many union members were  not familiar with the precarious nature of our jobs and believed we had more privileged positions.  Both the formal resolutions presented during the convention and the informal conversations with  members allowed other members to become more knowledgeable about our local (and our low  wages, lack of benefits and almost nonexistent job security). 

Several of our members were elected during the convention to sit on various committees within CUPE NS. Specifically, Lauren McKenize was elected as Alternate for Central VP, Erica Fischer was  elected to the Political Action Committee, Larissa Atkison was elected to the Education Committee and Sophie Boardman was elected as a young worker member of the Global Justice Committee. 

Being represented at various committees within the union, helps us to have a voice and to influence  the decision-making processes. It allows us to be noticed and represented within various union  structures. I think continuing a presence at conventions is essential for our acceptance by other  locals. This acceptance strengthens our own memberships and even the direction of CUPE NS as a  whole.

Aiden Farrant

May 25th to 28th, 2025

1) Convention Objectives and Outcomes

1.1) Stated Objectives

• 1.1.1) Passing Resolutions

The Local had intended for the convention floor to move two of its proposed resolutions which would serve to improve and reinforce support for the post-secondary academic sector, and to increase participation in the labour justice and pro-labour political activism landscape. The (paraphrased) resolutions were:

1. For CUPE NS to provide material support (financial and personnel) to the post-secondary aca- demic sector, and
2. For CUPE NS to join, platform, and mobilize for the Justice for Workers movement and cam- paigns.

We were successful in getting these resolutions adopted, with several delegates speaking to either in a compelling, convincing, and heartfelt way. The Local’s delegates, including myself, also spoke in support of other resolutions proposed namely by CUPE 5047 (education workers in Halifax public schools) and CUPE NS committees to share our unique perspective as precarious academics in need of improved advocacy and unified action.

Several delegates, including myself, also spoke out against a constitutional amendment that would have seen the age range for ”young workers” designations increase from 30 to 35. While initially in support, tableside chatter with the other young worker delegates from our Local, and recalling the difficult schism in perspective between the 2022 Dalhousie Strike Committee and those young worker members who picketed, I and others ultimately expressed discontent for this change. The amendment did not succeed, and it did not appear necessary as the attendance at the young workers caucus had grown exponentially, from 2 attendees in 2023, to 4 in 2024, and 25 in at this convention (with a strong showing from Local 3912).

In all, I believe the delegates were successful in achieving this part of the mandate it was delivered by the members.

• 1.1.2) Installing CUPE NS President

The other and perhaps more important objective of the strong showing at the 2025 Convention was to (hopefully) install our own member Christine Saulnier as President of CUPE NS. Every delegate slid headfirst into their roles as Christine’s ”ground team” and continually agitated and mobilized on her behalf. The skills learned through this experience are priceless, and will be expanded on in Section 2.1. We really gave it our all, and it was incredibly satisfying to see a majority of the delegates sporting beautiful ”Christine for CUPE NS” buttons on their lanyards.

Despite this, the floor was not in majority support for a change in direction. The perceived institutional candidate and former CUPE NS VP won the post, and based on his executive report, will advocate for a ”staying of the course” direction for CUPE NS. The many conversations I had with the voting bloc opposed to Christine highlighted the desire for this direction, where the beliefs that CUPE NS as an organization primarily representing the health care sector should be represented by someone from that sector, and that coalition outside of CUPE and across sectors is less important, were rampant and vociferous. More about this and how I find CUPE NS to operate will come in Section 2.2. I am sympathetic, but I admit understanding and true compassion for those adopting this position escapes me.

I can wholeheartedly say that the the delegates made their best efforts to make this objective a reality, and that their mandate from the membership is fulfilled. No amount of campaigning and electioneering can truly overcome the will of the people in a real democracy, and I believe that our attempt was righteous and valiant. In Christine’s own words, ”While we didn’t win the vote, what we built together was absolutely a win. We brought energy, ideas, and hope into this race. We showed what leadership rooted in listening, organizing, and action can look like. We sparked important conversations across CUPE Nova Scotia about where we’re headed and how we can grow stronger together.” I certainly will sleep soundly knowing all the delegates, myself included, did our best to honour the membership’s trust.

1.2) Alternate Objectives

• 1.2.1) Being Present

The number of staffpeople who approached me to say ”CUPE 3912 doesn’t normally come to these, I’m so glad you’re here” is both heartwarming and alarming. It was clear from the outset that the Local and the sector more broadly need improved representation at the NS Convention and under CUPE NS’s gaze. I think this slate of delegates made significant strides in improving this presence, not just through campaigning for Christine (and therefore having a candidate run for CUPE NS president), but also in speaking to resolutions and mobilizing to build coalition across sectors and different locals. We as a Local stand to gain a lot of sympathy from sharing our stories and conveying understanding about the precariousness of our positions. Many of the speakers, CUPE NS, and National executives stressed how important it was that certain sectors had gained access to employer-funded pension and health benefits plans in recent collective action wins. These same speakers and the Locals and sectors they come from were shocked when they learned how low our wages are, especially in comparison to similar work done elsewhere and by members of other unions, how we lack benefits and pensions, and how incredibly low our job security is. It is clear that the idea of a CUPE 3912 member in the eyes of other CUPE NS members differs extremely from the precarious reality of our situation. This convention facilitated conversations which served to slowly erode this fac¸ade of success and privilege, and build coalition between workers who all feel downtrodden and taken advantage of.

CUPE 3912 was also able to have its delegates elected to posts within committees and as alternate officers. I will refrain from repeating the exhaustive list to be included in the membership update. This will afford us the opportunity to influence the decision-making structures at CUPE NS and ensure that the local number, 3912, is continually repeated. We are also fortunate to have connected with the Central Area VP who also comes from our sister-sector, education, as well as having installed our President, Lauren McKenzie, as alternate regional VP. I think this is a fortuitous

position, as Lauren is unlikely to be called up for the NS VP role, and if she is it will (hopefully) be during intensive mobilization and strike avert, so the Local’s affairs will be continuing with momentum and access to CUPE NS supports will be improved.

• 1.2.2.) Coalition Building

The conference did an impeccable job platforming and facilitating discussions between members. There were so many opportunities to share our working conditions and workplace duties with other members, and I feel we did excellent in getting the other delegates outside of Local 3912 to understand what being a ”precarious academic” means. Although CUPE NS seems mainly to represent members in health care sectors, I was able to find common ground on many issues facing our different work environments. Government overreach and intervention, accompanied by deregulation, affects all of us. The Tim Houston government’s omnibus bills have deep ramifications and it seems he has united each public sector worker as their common enemy. I spoke at length with delegates whose workplaces are local to me (i.e. in the HRM) and the idea of cost-sharing local campaigns was brought up independently on several occasions, particularly with education workers. This is something for the Local to consider.

I was also excited to see the regional political action coordinator, Govind Rao, present a clear plan for what CUPE members and locals could do to build coalition and be a political force. I support his ideas of provincial riding-based CUPE political action committees, as organizing 10-20 members from a handful of locals, especially in the HRM where locals are populous, is enough to make a large impact. In discussions with Govind before and after convention, it seems there is space for me to expand my contributions in a paid staff or consulting position. I will inform the Local if and when more details come to light.

Finally, at the young workers caucus, several of our delegates were able to enhance our networks and discuss issues that affect our unique positions within our locals and workplaces. The re-elected VP for young workers has mobilized to start a mailing list and web forum for the 25 or so of us who were at this convention, and to bring in more young workers engaged in their union locals. This seems like a promising start to what could be a great resource for leveraging support across regions and sectors, particularly in the digital space where a critical mass of engagement does a lot to promote a particular post or message on algorithm-driven platforms. I hope we will see this initiative and similar grow between now and next convention.

2) Remarks & Takeaways

2.1) Practical Experience

CUPE 3912 built up several necessary skills and capacities by sending a full slate of delegates to convention, especially considering they had the specific objective of campaigning (see Section 1.1.2). With the experience and compassion of Christine and Alec, the remaining 10 delegates quickly slotted in nicely to the ”ground team” and stepped up to do the work. By the end, we were skilled at com- municating the takeaways of Christine’s platform, convincing and empathetic to individual delegates issues/background/motivations, and seasoned at playing the political game. This experience will be advantageous for the next strike vote(s) and for mobilizing members (especially those with anti-union predispositions).

The delegates also built up both their own personal networks and those of the Local. Now that there is CUPE 3912 representation on formal committees, the scope of who in the union power structure is aware of us and our issues has grown. Beyond that, the conversations our delegates had with others have led to better understanding of our situation and increased opportunities for multi- directional support. Even within our own delegate slate, we were able to share moments together to reinforce solidarity and to put human faces to the names we often only see on screen. As a member of the Local executive, I particularly appreciate getting to know my other committee members, and I hope our shared experiences will translate to increased cooperation and the ability to more effectively and efficiently communicate within the Local’s governance bodies.

Adding more to the previous paragraph and what was said in Section 1.2.2, the delegates exceeded all (my) expectations at building coalition. We were able to identify unifying issues across regions and sectors, like our 2022 Strike mantras of ”equal pay for equal work” and ”worked hours are paid hours”, which affect not just education, but healthcare and municipal services sectors as well. We also learned just how much workplace harassment CUPE NS members suffer from, and how this is a mirror image of what TAs working for their academic supervisors face, especially when it comes to toxic positivity. We also had the opportunity to directly influence coalition building, by contributing to the fund that CUPE NS uses to support small locals in attending Convention and participating or leading larger campaigns that are challenging due to their small resources (i.e. small membership base to draw dues from). We met so many wonderful delegates from small locals who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to contribute their voices and ideas.

Finally, the delegates witnessed presentations from Motion Meetings and Action Network. These are products offered by a company affiliated with CUPE National that serve to replace digital meeting tools and email list managers. I’m sure more will be said elsewhere, but I think we should explore these tools and see if they can work for us. They are both free for Locals to use and are always free (no paying beyond so many members like MailChimp or by number of ballots like SurveyMonkey/SimplyVoting) and have support staff from both the company and CUPE National. I think we could use these tools in place of our MailChimp lists (especially to manage unsubscribes, so that members can choose not to see routine updates but can still see a strike vote announcement, for example), voting and survey tools (seems like Motion Meetings is approved for secret ballot secure voting, strike vote?!), and if we’re bold, instead of Zoom. The executive should consider scheduling a meeting with the CUPE National staffperson promoting these platforms to see if they suit the Local’s needs.

 

2.2.) Institutional Understanding

CUPE NS needs members at the local level to bring it out of its dark age. Listening to the NS Executive reports, it was dismaying that all but the President and Young Worker VP gave a distillation of the constitutional requirements of that Officer’s position. For the leaders of CUPE’s political and activism level of organization, the end-of-year report cannot be ”I went to all the meetings and replied to all the emails”, the vision is simply too small. During the VP reports and the open forum for presidential candidates, it was clear that officers who remain in positions of power believe their hands are tied until a local approaches CUPE NS with a specific and pre-planned initiative. In one case, an officer even blamed locals for their lack of report items, citing the absence of proactiveness and grassroots mobilization as the reason they were unable to showcase more successes.

I think CUPE 3912 should pounce at this opportunity. We already have a reputation among the NS and Atlantic Region staff as a trouble-making local with big ambitions. We need to capitalize on our forward momentum and will to get initiatives accomplished. We should demand cost-sharing initiatives (and seek additional fund-matching from National) for sector-specific and broad campaigns. For example, we could team up with education locals in the city for an outreach campaign to publicize management-perpetrated abuse, violence, and toxic-positivity masked mandate creep, something every student TA and every public school educator has experienced. We can also leverage communications and political activism professionals to assist in messaging and distilling negotiating objectives down into ”verb the noun” style slogans `a la CPC campaign. Finally, we can harness the CUPE machine and its research staff to assist with developing statistics and metrics both for communicating bargaining objectives (showing just how underpaid and unprotected our members are compared to the same work elsewhere and by others) and to help ensure our initiatives are reaching target groups (cohorts of members, students, other university staff, etc.). There is a sandbox we can play in, and a system we should abide by to access assistance and support. We need to start playing their game.

Beyond CUPE NS, the CUPE ”machine” as described by outgoing CUPE NS President Nan McFadgen needs to reconsider its role. The National President Mark Hancock, although a charismatic and enthusiastic speaker, pushes a political agenda that I feel is not aligned with the true sentiments of the membership. CUPE members and other unionized workes voted en masse for the CPC in the last federal election, and gave the NS PC’s a blank cheque mandate. Clearly there is political will to support right-wing and anti-worker (sometimes even anti-social) legislation. The solution cannot be simply to tell a room full of people, many of whom must wear red or blue political colours, to vote and support NDP. Mark Hancock and CUPE needs to be telling the NDP what its members are demanding if they (read we, because they want the locals to be the agitators) can convince their membership to vote as a pro-labour bloc. In the same vein of not listening to members, National Secretary Treasurer Candace Rennick needs to listen to the needs of local leadership and members. To my dismay, the stance she took at the National Strike Fund Regulations Town Hall (which I attended virtually, see my other report) that traditional picketing, regular scheduling, and hard-copy accounting persists as the way our union must conduct business. Thankfully CUPE NS and CUPE National are now allowed to pay out funds using electronic fund transfers, but they still encourage mailing them paper cheques. The National Strike Fund will still require end-of-day forms signed in person by picket captains with wet-ink signatures, needlessly complicating and burdening any local of more than one picket line with draconian paperwork procedures. I’m glad I had the courage to speak with her, but the fact that she seemed surprised that so many local leaders had been asking for similar digitization and streamlining gives me pause. I hope the next Local 3912 Strike Finance Sub-Committee (or whatever organization structure coalesces from those with initiative) can bear the burden of endless paper forms. They should claim hazard pay for the potential repetitive strain injuries of thousands of signatures.

3) Summary & Acknowledgments

In the style of a Google Maps or Yelp review, I submit the following recap:

The CUPE NS convention is an excellent opportunity for coalition building, activism, net- working, and developing social talents. Although the presentations can feel mundane, and the provided food is borderline unpalatable, having so many unionists and cause-sharing individuals under the same roof breeds novel connections, innovative ideas, and breeds new local and grassroots leaders. It is a must-do for any union local looking to distinguish itself and garner support, and for any union member wanting to develop soft skills and augment their degree of mobilization. I didn’t need to hear the underlying messaging in the presen- tations, but if you need your belief in the tenets of solidarity, coalition-building, activism, and advocacy for better working conditions need reinforcing, then this is the event for you!

4/5 stars. Worth the price, bring your own lunches, think critically about the propaganda, learn how to be a more mobilized member, build solidarity!

In all seriousness, the delegates achieved most of their stated and known objectives, and surely accom- plished many that hadn’t even been thought of. CUPE 3912 needs to continue to be present at these events (which should be easy since it’s happening in HRM next year) and to ”play the game” as I previously mentioned. It’s an opportunity for both members fortunate enough to be sent as delegates, and for the local to bring home skills to leverage in the fight for better working environments.

In that vein, I’d like to thank the membership for their faith that I would be a good delegate and for supporting me in my endeavor to attend. I’d like to thank Christine Sauliner for the honour of campaigning on her behalf and the opportunity to learn so much about the political landscape inside the union and in the labour movement more broadly. Please check out her initiatives and consider promoting within the Local and contributing if you’re able. Thanks to Alec Stratford for essentially delivering a ”campaigning 101” course and for herding the more inexperienced delegates (including myself). Thanks to Erica Fischer and Karen McDonald for the fun conversations and silly big fiddle photos. Thanks to Wenz Amezuca and Lachlan Sheldrick for surviving my highway driving and making me have to stifle laughter in convention hall. Thanks to all the delegates for our camaraderie and coordination. Thanks to my partner Sophie Boardman for making the trip with me, letting us use her car, and teaching me how to take high-quality group photos. Finally, thanks to Lauren McKenzie for the initiative and for insisting I attend. This was a truly valuable experience I hope to share with the Local.