CUPE National Literacy Working Group 2013-2014 Report:
I was very pleased to be a member of the CUPE National Literacy Working Group as Co-Chair
for the final year of a two year term. The committee is and continues to be very active on many
literacy issues. Here are some of the years’ highlights:
Joint Meeting with the CUPE Learners' Council:
o The LWG met with the Learners' Council. The Learners’ Council is transitioning to the
Learning Champions Network (LCN). The goal of the LCN is to increase visibility by
having members take on the role of champions for workplace programs.
o We worked together to share ideas about creating goals and objectives for learning
commitments and how the Champions can reach out to fellow CUPE learners to
encourage them in their learning journeys.
Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC):
o During our Literacy Working Group meeting, we had the opportunity to learn about the
results of the PIAAC. The skills assessed in the PIAAC are literacy, numeracy and
problem solving in technology rich environments.
o This international study led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) gave us an overview of results of the 22 countries that participated
so far in this programme. More importantly, we now have an overview of the results of
the 27,285 Canadian respondents who also represent immigrants, official language
minorities and Aboriginal peoples.
o This information will allow us to have a better sense of the needs of Canadian workers
which will help guide the work of our Committee.
Post Convention 2013:
o We reviewed the work of the Committee with respect to the National Convention. We
shared our learnings about convention, resolutions, the selection process of the literacy
award and the promotion of our work in the CUPE Village. This conversation will help
our work for future conventions.
Political Action:
o Jinny Sims, New Democratic Party MP, Mike Luff of the Canadian Labour Congress and
Brigid Hayes, an expert in literacy and essential skills (LES) and LES policies, joined us
to discuss the Labour Market Agreements (LMA’s), the Canada Job Grant (CJG) and
their latest developments. This will be ongoing work across the country.
o In PEI Lori MacKay, Carl Pursey and I met in July of 2013 with Minister Alan Roach
regarding the LMA’s, and the CJG.
Promotion:
o We discussed upcoming promotion opportunities in 2014. We created a list of CUPE and
community events and ideas to promote clear language and literacy at those events.
Regional Work:
o We updated each other on the literacy work we have been doing in our regions. We
continue to do great work as activists in raising the profile of literacy and clear language
within our regions.
o In PEI the CUPE PEI Literacy Committee has worked hard promoting literacy. Please
see the committees’ report for the many activities the participated in this past year.
o I have continued to attend meetings of the PEI Literacy Alliance as a member of the
Board.
Many thanks to the CUPE PEI Literacy Committee, the CUPE PEI Division, Isabelle Boucher
the Coordinator of the National Literacy Working Group, the PEI Literacy Alliance, and the
locals and their members. Together their support of literacy has been tremendous! Together we
are making a difference!
In solidarity,
Karyn Noble
CUPE National Literacy Working Group