Sisters convene at UFCW Saskatchewan Women’s Conference

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Saskatoon – July 23, 2013 – UFCW Canada women activists from across Saskatchewan gathered recently in Saskatoon for the annual UFCW Saskatchewan Women’s Conference as UFCW Canada sisters from the province convened to celebrate labour rights, and to strategize in pushing against the ultra-Conservative attack on working families, and the impact of that attack on Saskatchewan workplaces, employees and their communities.

"A century of fair labour laws made Saskatchewan a good place for working families, as well as for the community. Good labour laws touch each and every one of us in some way," says Judy Hrycuik, the chair of the UFCW Canada Local 1400 Women’s Committee, which organized the conference. "But over the past six years, the anti-labour Brad Wall Saskatchewan Part provincial government has changed labour laws for the worse by making organizing almost impossible, and weakening the collective bargaining process. So solidarity as union sisters and as activists is more important than ever in turning around this anti-worker agenda and protecting our labour rights."

One way is through politics, as conference sessions focused on how to mobilize and elect more women politicians to promote family-friendly and worker-friendly legislation. Sisters also shared strategies on how to engage family members, friends, and co-workers to become politically active and to make their voices heard in demanding fairness for working families.

"We have to challenge the negativity of right-wing politicians, and let our voices be heard, as sisters and as community members,” said Sister Hrycuik. “The big message we all took away from the conference was that by becoming more involved during and between election campaigns, and by supporting each other in the fight to protect our labour rights, we can be a positive force for our fellow workers, our families, and our community.”