CAW Council 4000 wraps up its 4th triennial convention in Halifax

October 5, 2010

CAW National Council 4000 wraps up its 4th Triennial Convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia

CAW National Council 4000 wrapped up its fourth triennial convention on Sunday, October 3rd at the Delta Hotel in Halifax.

On Sunday, the final day of the convention, nominations were held for the positions of President and Secretary-Treasurer for
National Council 4000. Barry Kennedy was elected as President by acclamation. Kennedy will begin his first full term as President of
Council 4000. He has held the position since September 28, 2009, replacing Bob Fitzgerald who was appointed to CAW national
staff. Prior to that, Kennedy was the Regional Representative responsible for servicing the Local 4001 membership employed at CN,
CNTL and Savage Alberta Railway for over 9 and a half years, since July 2, 2000.

The position of Secretary-Treasurer saw the nomination of the incumbent, Heather Grant. Grant seeks her second term as
Treasurer, first being elected at the last Council 4000 convention held at the Delta Montreal in November 2007. Prior to that, Grant
was the Regional Representative responsible for servicing the Local 4005 membership employed at VIA Rail, DHL, Scanwood
Canada, World Trade and Convention Centre Halifax and the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour. She also serviced the VIA Rail
membership of Local 4004 (St. Lawrence Region) from the time she was first elected in 2003 up until 2006. Also nominated was Tim
McArthur, who is presently the Financial Secretary of Local 4003. Consequently, a national election will be held for the Secretary-
Treasurer position.

The election will be handled by the newly elected National Election Committee of Council 4000, which was also elected on the final
day of the Council 4000 convention.

Ballots will be distributed by mail to all Council 4000 members across Canada, with a return deadline of Friday, November 26th.
Ballots will be counted on November 27th at the Council 4000 National Office in Montreal, and the winner will be announced in the
afternoon.

Over 60 delegates attended this year’s convention, with an additional 50 some observers, guests and guest speakers.

Everyone in attendance was in agreement that this was probably the best convention that Council 4000 has held since officially
forming on November 3, 2007 at the CAW Family Education Centre at Port Elgin, Ontario.

The convention opened with its normal registration followed up with a hospitality evening. This year’s convention featured a
continental breakfast served each morning prior to the start of business of the convention, with lunch being served each day of the
convention down the hall from the convention site.

On Friday evening, delegates, observers and guests attended a wonderful boat cruise around Halifax Harbour and into the Bedford
Basin. In addition to great weather and the scenic view of Halifax and Dartmouth from on the water, we were entertained by a very
talented young singer and fiddler, Dominique Cordiner.

The traditional convention dinner was held on Saturday evening, but this time with Nova Scotia flare. The evening ended with the
entertainment of a very funny comedian, Marshal Button.

The program was planned wonderfully and kept delegates, observers and guests closer together, allowing them more of an
opportunity to meet and interact with one another, which had many commenting on how friendly the convention felt.

Council 4000 President Barry Kennedy acknowledged how well the convention went, commenting that all the delegates and
observers were on time every morning and listened closely to the guest speakers and business of the convention, and remaining
until adjournment of the convention each day. Delegates participated by asking questions of guest speakers and shared in many of
the debates of improving our Council.

The convention was planned largely by Council 4000 Secretary-Treasurer Heather Grant, who received a warm standing ovation for
her efforts. She also received a warm ovation when her role at the VIA bargaining table was raised.

Thanks must also go out to our Council’s Administrative Assistant Sylvie Bruneau, who also put a lot of work into preparing the
numerous documents for the convention and who handled all of the registration and tickets required during the convention.

Thanks go out to the convention’s committees:

Bylaws:
Facilitator Danny Andru (Great Lakes Regional Rep)
Sandy Barwell (4001)
Sara DeRosa (4002)
Alvin Bruyere (4002)
Linda Poudrier (4003)
Nancy Risser (4005)

Officers Reports:
Facilitator Dave Kissack (Western Canada Regional Rep)
Alan Funnell (4001)
Jeff Bedell (4003)
Mario Nascimento (4004)
Roseanne Sutherland (4005)

Guest speakers at this year’s convention included CAW National President Ken Lewenza; CAW National Secretary-Treasurer Peter
Kennedy; National Representatives Les Holloway, Abe Rosner, Len Poirier and Sari Sairanen, and Atlantic Canada Field
Representative for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL) and former Council
4000/Local 4005 member Sebastien Bezeau.

Council 4000 holds its convention every three years. Past conventions were as follows:

1997 • Port Elgin, Ontario (Founding Convention) - CAW Family Education Centre
2000 • Montreal, Quebec - Queen Elizabeth Hotel
2003 • Toronto, Ontario - Sheraton Centre
2007 • Montreal, Quebec - Delta Montreal Hotel

We are looking to hold our next convention in Western Canada, which will be the first time Council 4000 has held a convention west
of Ontario.