Hello members and friends of the CFTC,
In our Congress, we did it! We did something extraordinary. We gathered. We created CICOPA North America, covering all of Quebec, Canada and the United States – to a minimum.
This is the question of collecting human beings, regardless of their country or their language or their differences around the values of cooperation work. By being together, we learned that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. We must remember that the theme of the work of Congress was cooperation: Cooperation without frontiers, and this is what we have begun to live. To make this even clearer, the Federation of Cooperatives Paramedics Quebec decided to join CWCF during the week of the conference, which means that all federations in Quebec are now part of the CWCF as Member regional federations. CICOPA North America unites all three federations of labor unions of Quebec, the CWCF and US Federation of Worker Co-operatives.
This newsletter is only on the two Congress on Transition Planning and Cooperation of the work we have held in Quebec City from 11 at 15 October. I think it will be helpful for me to give you my review of this historic joint event, and allow this copy of the newsletter to give you an overview of the content, which was very rich and is largely available video, or by account reports.
According to all testimony: Participants in both events were very satisfied, although certainly we could have done some things differently. (Do not worry, we read the evaluation forms, and YES, we will have many more opportunities where the participant (s) will be able to speak in future years.) In addition, we have established a firm foundation on which to build for both (1) the transfer of business to work cooperatives, and (2) the development of the movement of labor cooperation in Quebec, Canada and the United States, with the within CICOPA-North America (continental the new entity of the global body of work cooperatives, CICOPA ). Those who attended the event seemed to become more enthusiastic and found a spirit of dynamism.Jocelyn Lessard said it best, “We feel labor cooperation, which vibrate the values here. I am convinced more than ever that the cooperation of labor, that is the future. “And it all happened in the context of the approach of the International Year of Cooperatives 2012 and protests on Wall Street and in cities across reclaimant space for “99%” who do not have been with the current economic system – which has enabled many speakers to make the connection with the cooperative system. Some of our participants even attended the event to take Quebec, or returned home and home to give out leaflets and presentations on the cooperative movement.
I was touched by the enormous generosity and solidarity of all those who participated, no matter-what level. By speakers who came from near and far: from Europe, South America, the United States or different regions of Quebec and Canada. Our president Alain Bridault, the other members of the Board of CTCF and NETWORK by the Planning Committee, for our employees and some volunteers who have worked incredibly during the event, and often before and after the event . We were very fortunate to have the presence of Federal Minister Steven Blaney, MP for Lévis-Bellechasse. Minister Blaney was very generous with his time, from an entire evening to the Congress on the transmission of entreprses employees with us. I was also touched by the generosity of our sponsors who have a formal mention a little lower.
The fact that we could also hold a first meeting of the Steering CICOPA North America Committee, just before the official launch (with representatives of boards of directors and management of the CFTC, and the American Federation NETWORK – with other federations in Quebec being invited) means we were able to choose our president, Rebecca Kemble who is also president of the American Federation. She will participate in the General Assembly and World Conference CICOPA and CICOPA-Americas in Cancun, Mexico from 15 November 2011. The CFTC au18 will be represented by Alain Bridault and myself. This will be the General Assembly of the founding of CICOPA-Americas and another important step in the progression of movement of labor cooperation. Note that the members of the Steering Committee of CICOPA-North America: Rebecca Campbell (Chair), Melissa Hoover (DG, American Federation), David Smathers-Moore (director, American Federation), Claude Jordan (administrator, CTCF and CEO, NETWORK), Jamie Campbell (Director, CFTC), and myself. We try to involve as representative of the other two federations in Quebec.
For me personally, I was very happy to be in the company of cooperative labor from across North America and around the world. A special and quite unique element for me was to be able to spend time with people who have the same as me daily: other DGs federations and confederations of labor unions. It’s not often that happens, and it’s amazing how much we have in common!
The way I see CICOPA-North America as well as the whole movement internationally is that it’s an addition with great added value to what the existing federations. It is a meeting place where we can help each other, but I think it will always be in our own federations we find the closest connection between members and between members and federations. In other words, it is an addition, not a replacement of existing federations.
We took videos of all plenary sessions (with nearly 2/3 of French content – and they are divided by language), and several workshops. We have presentations of the minutes and other reports of several sessions. We put them on the site CoopZone (www.coopzone.coop ), with links to the sites of CTCF and www.cooperation2011.coop . The Congress Information of employees to companies transition is here; and the Congress CICOPA North America is here.
That’s a lot of information, and if you have time to watch only a short video, I recommend the cloister words of the Secretary General of CICOPA Bruno Roelants here (in French); or the Rebecca Kemble closing words (in English) here . If you gave a presentation or you have taken notes, and you have not yet submitted the document (s) (s), if you Please submit them as soon as possible. We will improve the content as and measured we can. A document which I would draw your attention is the reference document on the transfer of businesses: http://www.coopzone.coop/Transmission_dentreprises.
The next year, 2012, will tour the United States to host the CICOPA North America operations. Their Congress will be held in Boston from June 22 to 24, 2012. (Since June 24 is a big party in Quebec, maybe we will insist more on the international aspect of 22 and 23 June). We are given an appointment! In addition, the Steering Committee of CICOPA North America and all federations that are part must devise ways to come together without always having to travel, using the power of increasingly strong technology.
Last but not least, thank you to the sponsors of the Congress: Major sponsors: Co-operators, the Government of Canada (Agriculture Canada), the Government of Québec (MDEIE, and the Office of the National Capital);
And the other sponsors: the CQCM, Fondaction, Filaction, Neuvaction, Caisse Desjardins solidarity, the Council of promoting cooperation of Manitoba, Vancity, Big Carrot, Steelworkers, GrowthWorks, MCE Councils, Assiniboine area, Alterna, Just FHC Us !, Canada, the CLC, CCCM, the ACDLQ the Funeral Home of the capital and SOCODEVI.
We could not have done it without you. A big thank you!
As always, if you have a question or comment, please contact us. I took the time to write my words in French and English, and I apologize if I made mistakes. You will see that there is much more content this time in French; it continues! Send months articles in French for our future newsletters.
In cooperation,
Hazel