Sadness surrounds upcoming labour council election
New president to be ushered in following the sudden passing of Carmie Erickson
There will be a certain sadness to the Cape Breton District Labour Council’s upcoming elections following the sudden passing of president Carmie Erickson.
A tireless advocate for workers’ rights and social justice, Erickson was nearing the end of a two-year term as council leader when she died Aug. 5 in hospital.
Trade unionists say Erickson leaves big shoes to fill when a new executive is voted in Oct. 11 in Sydney. The nominations for eight positions, including the president’s role, will be made from the floor.
“She was always the first one at council to say ‘OK, we have to step forward and help rally here,’” said Lisa Gentile, who assumed the role of acting president following Erickson’s death.
“She was always there to let people know where and when they were needed and what the issues were.”
It was a monumental day back in 2015, when Erickson was elected to lead the labour council’s first all-female executive. With 90 per cent of its members identifying as women, another strong female showing is expected.
“It’s been a little hard but we all think we’re going to be able to follow (Carmie’s) vision and stay strong and do whatever we can … to work in solidarity because that is what she would have wanted,” said Gentile.
Officially named in the 1950s following the merger of two existing labour groups, the labour council’s predecessors are credited with underground work dating back to the late 1800s when union activity was banned outright.
In its current form, the labour council represents unionized workers in Cape Breton and Victoria counties.
“There was period during the late-1800s where unions were literally illegal,” said Tony Tracy, Nova Scotia’s representative with the Canadian Labour Congress Atlantic Region.
“These structures were formed but you wouldn’t find a lot of media clippings about it because the president might be arrested.”
Among the the issues facing workers over the next few years, said Tracy, is a challenge to the province’s Bill 148, which imposed wage packages on thousands of public sector workers and improvements to health care.
The district’s efforts will also focus on advocating for the creation of a universal drug plan, which university researchers say would reduce total spending on medications in Canada by billions.
“Carmie was a superstar in so many ways and did so much work, but she’s always had a very capable team of folks around here,” Tracy said.
“We dearly miss Carmie. There’s no way to overstate how much we miss Carmie but I certainly have no concerns that the labour council is going to be left in very good hands.”
The election for labour district council will be held Oct.
11 at 7 p.m. at the Grand Lake Road Fire Hall. Any members of local unions can attend, however, only elected delegates from local unions have the ability to vote. There will be eight positions up for grabs, including president, two vicepresidents, recording secretary, sergeant-at-arms and a trustee.