Global Justice newsletter - Spring 2013

Global Justice Spring 2013

Global Justice is published by the Canadian Union of Public Employees and is available online at cupe.ca/globaljustice.

inside

Labour movement urges Canadian government to Free the Three

BY Beth Smillie

National demonstrations and letters to the Prime Minister are urging the Canadian government to free immigrants who have been detained under “security certificates.”

H Canadian mining companies create havoc for Mexican communities and their environment P.2 CUPE recognizes World AIDS Day in Manitoba P.3 CUPE attends Public Service International World Congress Worker to worker solidarity and the Global Justice Fund P.4

News in brief P.4

ours after demonstrations were held across the country urging the Cana­ dian government to Free the Three immigrants it has detained for more than 10 years, one of those men – Mahmoud Jaballah – learned that an Egyptian court had overturned a military tribunal conviction against him.

“This is tremendous news,” Mr. Jaballah told Toronto

reporters. “After 13 years my name is finally cleared from these false accusations.

Now there are no charges and no convictions against me anywhere in the world.”

Mr. Jaballah, along with Mohamed Harkat and Mohammad Mahjoub, have been held under house arrest in Canada for more than 10 years under government “security certificates.” They

Canada no longer welcomes refugees. We jail them instead.

• Between 2004 to 2011, 82,000 immigrants were held in Canadian detention centres in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

• At least another 13,000 have been imprisoned since 2011.

• And 15,000 are deported each year.

have never been charged with any crime.

Thousands of refugees and permanent residents are detained and imprisoned every year in Canada.

Jaballah, Harkat and Mahjoub – all Muslims – are the most extreme cases.

On International Human Rights Day, the Canadian Labour Congress and several national unions joined civil liberties’ groups to demand the Canadian government uphold its legal obligations under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and interna­tional laws, and Continued on page 2

@CUPEsolidarity

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Global Justice – Spring 2013

Canadian mining companies create havoc for Mexican communities and their environment

BY Sharlene Patterson CUPE 410, Chair, vancouver island district council International Solidarity Committee

Below is a firsthand account by a CUPE member of her mission to Mexico as part of a nine-member delegation looking into the negative impact of Canadian mining companies on local communities, people and their environment.

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hat do Canadian mining companies, land concessions and communities have to do with Canadian unions? A lot, it turns out.

I was able to witness first hand how Canadian mining companies harm commu­nities and individuals and deny their right to self determina­ tion. I was part of a delegation of nine representatives from a variety of unions (United Steelworkers; Communica­ tions, Energy and Paper­ workers; CUPE) and KAIROS (an inter-faith based organiza­ tion) who had the incredible opportunity to meet this past

Continued from page 1 “act imme­diately” to free these three men and all the other security certificate detainees.

At a Saskatoon event organ­i­zed

by CUPE, labour, refugee and peace advocates wrote a letter to Prime Minister Harper

February with various indi­vi­ duals and communities

directly impacted by Cana­ dian mining companies.

It became very clear within a few minutes of our first meeting with REMA (Mexican Network of Communities Affected by Mining) that our government promotes Canada’s mining and resource extraction industry at the expense of local com­ munities. We learned that Canadian mining companies, through land concessions granted by the Mexican fed­ eral government, acted with little regard to the wishes of communities, especially indigenous communities.

Our delegation divided into two groups: one going north to Durango; the other travel­ ling south to Oaxaca. In our

Community meeting in Oaxaca

expressing their anger over the government’s treatment of immigrants.

“I have always been proud to be Canadian – until now,” wrote Maureen McPherson, a retired teacher. “My father was killed in 1945 while he

was in the RCAF fighting for freedom. Now, instead of offer­ ing a refuge to people fleeing intolerable conditions, we are failing people for years on ‘national security’ grounds.”

“I have never been so ashamed to be a Canadian as

I am now,” wrote law professor Tim Quigley, on his page of the letter to the Prime Minister. “I am won­dering whether President Morsi of Egypt is copying you or the other way around?”

Spring Fall 2013 2012 – Global Justice P.3 P3

separate communities, we listened to people and docu­ mented their stories on a range of issues, including human rights and labour abuses, serious environ­ mental damage - especially with respect to water - lack of consultation, and harm to their social and cultural existence.

The reality of the strife and injustice, according to com­ mentaries received from com­ munity members, was striking.

One community, San Jose del Progresso, has been deeply divided by the mining activ­ ities of the Canadian company Fortuna Silver. We heard about Rosalinda, a young woman of that community,

The extensive fallout from this conflict has contributed to the erosion of the tradi­ tional ways of community governance, leaving those who support the mine to reap the benefits. Meanwhile the community as a whole remains extremely poor.

siveness. The community, a powerful example of com­ mitment and solidarity, was successful in halting mining activities by the Canadian company Continuum Resour­ces. Community members had spoken pas­ sionately about the potential for their community, making clear they were not against development, but rather wanted a say in how it should happen. With options of eco-tourism, value-added forestry and the Magical City project they were committed to making their community survive without mining.

In contrast, the community of Calpulalpam de Méndez is rich in beauty and cohe­

In spite of this success story the struggle in Calpulalpam continues. Another Canadian

who had been shot in the leg during an ambush which also killed her cousin and fellow activist Bernardo Vazquez.

This followed the death of another activist, and an earlier violent removal of community members who had blockaded the mine.

CUPE recognizes World AIDS Day in Manitoba

BY Sue Roth (CUPE1063)

activities that contributed to the evening’s success included music, speakers, food and great camaraderie.

Many partners supported the event and its notable success this year, including Nine Circles Community Health Centre, CUPE Global Justice

Many partners contributed to the success of the Nov. 12, 2012, event in Winnipeg.

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odelled on last year’s successful World AIDS Day event, CUPE Manitoba’s Global Justice Committee partnered once again with NGOs, commu­­nity groups and individuals to organize a series of activities. This year’s theme Bridging the Gaps focused on ways to close the gaps in

HIV/AIDS testing, services and resources.

There were many highlights in this year’s event. At dusk, the Manitoba Legislative Building was lit up in red. In the evening, a multi-media community initiative showcased some important HIV/AIDS work being done in Manitoba and around the world. Other

Manitoba Legislative Building

company, Sundance Minerals, has just been granted land concessions and is presently conducting exploratory activ­ ities with little apparent regard for the voices of the people or the water of Calpulalpam.

Since my return from Mexico, it seems more important than ever for me to work with other unions in pressuring our gover­nment to hold Canadian companies accountable for their mining practices, both at home and abroad. It is also time for us, as Canadian citizens and union members, to seriously question our union and public pension investments and act in the best interests of those who most need our support.

Committee, Two-Spirited People of Manitoba, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the 595 Prevention Team, Rainbow Resource Centre, Manitoba First Nations AIDS Working Group, Focus Africa, Grands ‘n’ More, Sexuality Education Resource Centre and Klinic.

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Global Justice – Spring 2013

CUPE attends Public Service International World Congress First woman elected as General Secretary.

network and engage with public sector unions from around the world.

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Rosa Pavanelli, from the Italian affiliate FP-CGIL, was elected by 72 per cent

n the spirit of international solidarity CUPE sent a delegation comprised of the National President Paul Moist, the National Secretary-Treasurer Charles Fleury, and two National Executive Board members, Judy Henley from Saskat­chewan and Ginette Paul from Quebec, to the Public Service International (PSI) 29th World Congress in Durban, South Africa at the end of 2012. CUPE is a proud and active member in the PSI and used this congress as an important opportunity to

of the membership to assume the position as PSI General Secretary. Sister Rosa is the first woman in history to take on this role.

For more information please visit cupe.ca/global-justice/

cupes-strong-voice-publicsector.

Delegates to the 29th World Congress in Durban, South Africa

Worker to worker solidarity and the Global Justice Fund Through project funding CUPE members build rela­ tionships and are given the opportunity to link arms with workers around the world who are struggling to assert their human and trade union rights. Our Global Justice Fund is an important tool we have to connect and mobilize workers around our common struggles in Canada and across the globe. If your local is interested in supporting our international solidarity initiatives please visit cupe.ca/globaljustice.

1.

An estimated 100 million workers courageously participated in a two-day strike organised by the national trade union centres in India in February 2013. Millions of workers marched in the streets with demands that are familiar to us all: protection for the right to organize; enforcement of labour laws; stop the use of contract labour and job outsourcing; increase in the minimum wage, pensions and universal social security; proper funding for the public sector; and measures to generate employment.

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2.

The leader of the Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU), Kim Jungnam, launched a hunger strike in Seoul, South Korea in January 2013 to protest the dismissal of 137 union members because of their affiliation with the KGEU, and to demand the recognition of their union by the government. Unions around the world, including CUPE, called on the Korean government to protect trade union rights and the right to freedom of association.

3.

Global unions and trade unions from around the world recognized the Global Days of Action on Labour Rights in Mexico this year. CUPE joined unions across Canada and around the world in raising grave concerns about Mexico’s ongoing and flagrant violations of international labour rights and standards. Mexico has recently enacted regressive, anti-worker labour laws and continues to persecute independent democratic unions, leaders and activists.

4.

CUPE participated in a public sector workers’ visit to Colombia in March 2013 as a member of the Front Lines Tour. The Front Lines Initiative is a joint project of four national public sector unions – the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and CUPE - working in collaboration with CoDevelopment Canada (CoDev).