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NDF Conference honours activists

 

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UFCW Canada activists and officers from across the country gathered in Quebec City from June 6 to 8 to take part in the annual National Defence Fund (NDF) Conference, which for the past 23 years has given workers in the hospitality, flour milling, soft drink and food processing sectors a chance to exchange experiences, share ideas and discuss industry specific issues and strategies.

“The NDF has been making employers take careful notice at the bargaining table for over two decades,” says UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley. “Time and again the NDF has demonstrated that it can be a very convincing tool in securing a fair deal for UFCW Canada members.”

The conference also took a moment to recognize three exceptional NDF supporters for their outstanding contributions to the success and growth of the Fund. The memory of long-time UFCW Canada Local 832 activist Cyrus Lister, who died last year after a lengthy battle with cancer, was honoured by the Fund with a generous donation to the Manitoba Association of Basketball Officials. In addition to dedicating himself to the service of UFCW Canada members, Brother Lister also found the time, somehow, to volunteer his keen eye and good humour to the community as a well-respected amateur basketball referee.

Retiring NDF trailblazer Jim Wells was given a warm send off by conference goers, who took to their feet after Brother Wells delivered a heartfelt and moving speech about the purpose and importance of the Fund and the meaningful role it plays in the lives of UFCW Canada members.
The NDF also said thank you to its “secret weapon” – strategic researcher Howie Forman, who for many years provided the UFCW and the NDF with reams of industry specific data that made an invaluable contribution to union’s collective bargaining efforts. 

Since its founding in 1986, the NDF has grown from a western-based packinghouse workers’ war chest into a multi-industry resource that involves 27 UFCW Canada local unions and benefits nearly 35,000 members in every province of the country.