| # | Brief Summary | Detailed Summary | Suggested Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accept Financials.link | Accept audited financial statements for the fiscal period ending December 31, 2024. | Yes. This is standard union administration. |
| 2 | Accept recommendation of auditors | new auditors BDO Canada LLP | Yes. This is standard union administration. |
| 3 | Accept Budget.link | Accept budgeted expenses for CAPE for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 | Yes. This is standard union administration. |
| 4 | Members dues to go to a percentage-based model and increases.link | Move the base union fee from a flate rate to 1% of gross salary at step one. | No. CAPE's financial position is in surplus, and has always been. Only 10% of this increase will go to a defense fund. Most EC classifications will double their monthly fee. |
| 5 | CAPE to develop a process to collect data on equity seeking groups.link | -- | No. Collecting data on marginalized groups exposes the union to privacy and confidentiality issues. Information like this has a high risk of potentially identifying these members. |
| 6 | Address rising misinformation and hate towards trans and gender-diverse workers.link |
CAPE will deliver training and educational events that reflect the lived experiences of queer, trans, and gender-diverse workers, ideally led or informed by those with such experiences. It will also provide locals with recommended educational resources on queer and trans issues, emphasizing solidarity and awareness of rising homophobia, transphobia, and pinkwashing. Total cost of $125,000. |
No. The objective outlined in this resolution advocates contentious interpretations of some of these issues, and seems out of scope for a federal public union, and would be better litigated in academic or other more theoretical spaces. This will cost $5 extra per member. |
| 7 | Addressing trauma and systemic workplace barriers in the hybrid workplace.link |
CAPE will research and address workplace trauma in collaboration with members and equity groups, developing educational materials and advocating for a “yes-by-default” human rights approach to disability management. It will also unify accommodation and grievance processes across its groups, collaborate with other unions, and develop collective strategies and supports to reduce trauma and re-traumatization in the workplace. Total cost of $250,000. |
No. Many employees experience trauma for different reasons (identity, experiences of victimizations) and there are already processes in place to accommodate, if appropriate. It is inappropriate to single out this specific group. This will cost $10 extra per member. |
| 8 | CAPE to conduct inquiry on repression, intimidation and penalties in the workplace for pro-Palestine and anti-genocide positions.link |
CAPE will conduct a confidential inquiry into instances of repression or punishment of federal employees expressing pro-Palestine or anti-genocide views, documenting cases of intimidation, whistleblowing, or disciplinary action. The union will collaborate with other unions, produce a public report with recommendations, and create protocols to support members who conscientiously object to work conflicting with human rights principles. Total cost of $250,000. |
No. This resolution raises issues already addressed through existing workplace and union processes for discrimination, and equity training. Creating a separate set of requirements would duplicate systems that are already in place and functioning. The resolution also introduces politically charged language, based on highly-contested assumptions. Embedding these into union policy risk inconsistency, and unnecessary division. Given the lack of demonstrated need, the political framing, and the existence of mechanisms already designed to address discrimination and inclusion, members should vote against this resolution. This will cost $10 extra per member. |
| 9 | CAPE Position Statement.link |
"Clarification around the term 'key issues affecting members' to mean issues affecting members in matters related to their employment and their relationship with their employer". |
Yes. The union's position statement should be to focus on defending members’ workplace rights and conditions. Note: this needs a 2/3 majority of the votes cast to be adopted. |
| 10 | CAPE to Demand that the Federal Government recognize Israel’s actions in Gaza as Genocide.link | CAPE launch a formal campaign with sister unions to demand that the federal government, in accordance with the numerous genocide and Holocaust scholars including in Israel, recognize that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide. | No. Regardless of your position on this issue, it is divisive amongst members and is unrelated to defending members’ workplace rights and conditions. |
| 11 | CAPE to launch a campaign to lead divestment efforts for the Public Sector Pension Plan.link |
CAPE would collaborate with sister unions and stakeholders to lead a campaign for divesting the Public Sector Pension Plan from certain investments. The initiative would set clear divestment criteria, review current holdings, ensure future investments align with those criteria, and document the process and outcomes. Total cost of $250,000. |
No. While the intent to promote responsible investment may be well-meaning, a CAPE-led divestment campaign would overstep its authority, waste limited resources, risk internal division, and achieve little practical impact. This will cost $10 extra per member. |
| 12 | CAPE perform a comprehensive review and audit of local executives request for book off time.link |
CAPE would conduct a full review and audit of local executives’ book-off time to ensure compliance with the EC/TR collective agreement. It would also create a Memorandum of Understanding with local executives to clearly define book-off time rules and responsibilities. |
Yes. Promotes transparency. Note: this does not include an audit of LoP of OPBO members, however. |
| 13 | CAPE shall accept both wet and electronic signatures for member resolution submissions, without distinction.link | Current by-laws do not allow for electronic signatures | Yes. Accepting electronic signatures is modernizing. |
| 14 | All resolutions that have a cost of $500 to clearly display their financial details upfront.link | If a resolution costs $500 or more, it must clearly show the total cost. This helps members easily understand how much money is being spent before they vote. | Yes, promotes financial transparency. |
| 15 | CAPE offer virtual sessions and/or a virtual option for all trainings.link | Virtual training options be offered for rank-and-file CAPE members so as to build engagement, mobilization and organizational capacity. | Yes. Important for those not residing in the NCR. It is inconsistent not to offer online options while fighting for WFH for members. |
| 16 | By-law amendments -- to elections and resolutions.link | These changes follow recommendations from past Elections and Resolutions Committees to improve clarity and fairness of CAPE elections. They create an independent Elections Appeals Committee, clarify candidate rules and resolution reviews, make nominations easier, and include other minor updates. | No. Changes to by-law increase the power of the president to overide the independence of the ERC. Specifically B 3.37-38 which specify that all compliance and admissibility will be confirmed by the president after consultation. |
| 17 | By-law amendments to By-law #7 Collective Bargaining.link | Introduces open bargaining for EC and TR groups. For the LoP and OPBO groups, the existing traditional bargaining rules remain mostly unchanged, with only references to other groups removed. | No. Collective bargaining is a major change to the union procedure and given the risks of the coming years experimenting with potentially ineffective techniques feels risky. |
| 18 | By-law amendment to by-law #9: rules of procedure.link | -- | Yes. Changing word "clause" to "article." |
| 19 | By-law amendment to by-law #16: President's salary and benefits.link | These amendments to By-law 16 are being proposed to make this By-law consistent with the Constitutional amendments regarding the President’s salary that were passed by the membership following the 2024 AGM. | Yes. Standard union administration. |
| 20 | New by-law #18: reporting membership numbers.link | Petitioners can request the official number of eligible members needed for a successful petition, and CAPE’s National Office must provide it promptly using the most current data available. | Yes. Promotes transparency. |
| 21 | Amendments to Constitution: NEC restructuring.link |
This is a BIG resolution.
Perpetual cost of 2 full-time paid VP positions. |
No. This resolution concentrates power, increases long-term costs, reduces member representation, and potentially removes key voting rights. Note: this needs a 2/3 majority of the votes cast to be adopted. |
| 22 | Amendments to Constitution: Collective bargaining.link |
Align CAPE’s governing documents with the open bargaining model. They let the President delegate authority to the NEC, add a new article emphasizing member input in bargaining, move and clarify voting procedures to the by-laws, and specify how special meetings for bargaining are called. |
No. Experimenting with untested bargaining techniques given the uncertainty facing union members seems risky. We would prefer a professional bargaining team at this time. Note: this needs a 2/3 majority of the votes cast to be adopted. |