Union activists support First Nations National Day of Action - June 29th

    OTTAWA, June 20 /CNW Telbec/ - The National Executive Board (NEB) of the
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is meeting in Ottawa this week, and
passed a resolution calling on CUPE members and all Canadians to support the
Assembly of First Nations National Day of Action, planned for June 29, 2007.
    Speaking on behalf of the NEB, National President Paul Moist reinforced
CUPE's nation wide support for this planned day of action in response to the
crisis First Nations communities face throughout the country.
    "I am proud to be the leader of Canada's largest union and even more
proud that our leadership voted unanimously to support our brothers and
sisters in First Nations communities across this country in a day dedicated to
promoting issues that First Nations people face."
    "CUPE's national executive and our members in every part of Canada share
the concerns expressed by First Nations Peoples and we will take our place in
support of you."
    Moist reinforced the importance of CUPE's mandate to ensure that all
communities have publicly funded and operated services.
    "Ensuring public services are available to make communities vibrant fits
right in with CUPE's strong communities mandate," said Moist.
    "It is CUPE's role to advocate on behalf of all communities for the very
basic rights of public water, public education and child care, public health
and health and safety standards and more," added Leo Cheverie, diversity
vice-president.
    "On June 29th, says Moist, "we'll support the day of action and every
other day of the year we will continue to advocate on behalf of all
communities who need basic public services."

    CUPE members are asked to support and attend any events and activities in
their area, sign the online petition at the AFN website, wear a wristband to
show support for Make Poverty History campaign, call or write MPs, the
Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister.


    
    National Executive Board Meeting
    June 18-21, 2007

                              NEB RESOLUTION ON
                SUPPORT FOR ABORIGINAL NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION


    CUPE NATIONAL WILL:

    1. Encourage its affiliated locals and chartered organizations, the CLC,
       and our political and community allies to support the planned
       Aboriginal Day Of Action on June 29; and

    2. Demand that the Conservative government honour past and present
       agreements made with the First Nations Peoples and resolve all
       outstanding land claims in a just and timely fashion; and

    3. Call on the Parliament of Canada to adopt the UN Declaration on the
       Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to respect the decision by the UN
       Human Rights Council that the Declaration establishes the essential
       standards for respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

    BECAUSE:

    - Aboriginal/First Nations Peoples have lived on this land we now call
      Canada for well over 10,000 years: and

    - Their territories/lands have been continuously occupied by others
      without consent and without compensation; and

    - There are more than 800 unresolved land claims and broken treaties
      which this government and previous governments have failed to deal
      with, leaving many Aboriginal Peoples in conditions equivalent to the
      Third World; and

    - Aboriginal Peoples have had to use the United Nations and the Supreme
      Court of Canada in an effort to seek redress; and

    - They have been forced to take some direct actions such as road and rail
      blockades to bring their issues to the attention of the Canadian
      government and people; and

    - The Grand Chief compares the Day of Action to the rallies of protest
      engaged in by farmers in Ontario; and

    - The Assembly of First Nations have called for a National Day of Action
      with peaceful protests on June 29 to highlight their grievances; and

    - CUPE has already adopted many resolutions and statements of support for
      Aboriginal Peoples in their quest for justice and fairness.

    29May07
    

For further information:

For further information: Paul Moist, CUPE national president, (613)
237-1590, ext. 224, (613) 558-2873 (cell); Leo Cheverie, CUPE diversity
vice-president, (902) 940-2151 (cell); Catherine Louli, CUPE communications,
(613) 237-1590, ext. 268, (613) 851-0547 (cell)