Labour convention this weekend
Union budget, agenda and executive to be determined
Walter Strong
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, October 15, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
This weekend, Union of Northern Workers (UNW) delegates from across the NWT will gather in Yellowknife for the union's 16th triennial convention.
The three-day event is a membership-only affair where the UNW's 5,600 members across the territory will be represented by up to 74 delegates.
The full sitting executive (president, first and second vice presidents, equity-vice president, seven regional vice presidents, and alternatives) are automatic delegates.
The remainder of union delegates are elected at the local level based on the size of the union local. Union locals with less than 75 signed members send one delegate. At the other end of the scale, locals with between 776 and 925 signed members can send up to seven delegates.
"Each local determines issues of interest for the local and forwards to convention resolutions that the local supports," UNW director of finance and administration Patty Ducharme stated in an e-mail.
"Usually, Local delegates would be asked to support resolutions submitted on behalf of the Local. Apart from this, Locals may or may not ask for delegate support on particular issues."
During the convention, a three-year budget will be set, political priorities established, and president, first vice president, and second vice president elected.
Current UNW president Todd Parsons and current second vice president Frank Walsh will stand for election as union president this weekend. Further challengers may be announced from the floor during the convention weekend.
The convention is a closed union function with full participation available only to delegates. UNW members who are not delegates, may be permitted to observe events if there is space.
There are only two paid positions in the UNW; president and first vice president.
Union and Public Service Alliance of Canada dues are combined and based on earnings.
The current combined union dues are 1.7568 per cent, with the UNW receiving 0.8469 per cent of that rate.
