NDP Convention Upbeat

Mary Johnson receives labour activist award.

Delegates gathered in Winnipeg from February 1 to 3 for the Manitoba NDP's Convention. The mood of the convention was a mix of celebrating last spring's resounding third term election victory and good, visionary debate.

From labour's viewpoint, one of the of the highlights of the convention was the presentation of the Stanley Knowles Solidarity Award to Mary Johnson. The award, which is given to a trade union activist at each NDP convention, was presented to Mary Johnson by Manitoba Federation of Labour president Darlene Dziewit.

"Presenting this award every year is one of the most pleasurable duties of my job," Darlene says. "That's particularly true this year, since Mary is an old and personal dear friend and sister."

Mary Johnson (see here receiving her award from Darlene Dziewit and Premier Gary Doer) was the Chair of the Manitoba Federation of Labour's Equal Opportunity Committee, the predecessor to the current Women's Committee. She was an active participant in the MFL's Political Education and Action Committee for many years. This is the second time she was a recipient of an award named after Stanley Knowles. Her previous award was a scholarship that sent her to the Labour College of Canada in Ottawa. Mary utilized the opportunity to meet with Stanley during his tenure on Parliament Hill.

Mary's commitment to the New Democratic Party is extensive. She has been a candidate for the party, once provincially in Emerson and once federally in Provencher. She has worked every election for many years in every capacity from canvasser to full-time election worker in pretty much every campaign position including campaign manager.

Since the mid-eighties Mary has been an executive member of the party in many different positions including president of the party. She was instrumental in training 'Poll Cats' to be critical members of campaign teams. She has also been on every Election Planning Committee at the federal or provincial level since the mid-eighties.

"Mary Johnson truly epitomizes the bridge between the party and the labour movement, seeing them as symbiotic," Darlene Dziewit told the delegates when presenting the award. "Mary believes that one really cannot exist effectively without the other. Mary's goal has always been to improve life for people in her workplace and in her community. She truly deserves the Stanley Knowles Solidarity Award.

Another highlight of the convention was Premier Gary Doer's inspiring speech outlining his government's achievements, as well as plans and projects for the future. The premier also paid special tribute to outgoing Member of Parliament, Bill Blaikie, who. it was noted, has been named by MacLeans magazine as Canada's best Member of Parliament, something his constituents have known for 25 years.

Health Minister Theresa Oswald gave one of the most moving speeches of the weekend. She talked about how Manitoba's health care system did not provide care based on a person's ability to pay, but rather, it is based on need. Federal NDP leader Jack Layton also addressed the delegates.

During the convention, Lorraine Sigurdson, a retired CUPE union representative and former MFL officer was re-elected by acclamation as President of the Party. Mary Johnson and Ellen Olfert, the Executive Director of Safe Workers of Tomorrow were also acclaimed to the incoming executive as members at large. Elected to the executive for the first time was Safe Workers of Tomorrow staffer Ernest Muswagon. Ernest was elected by the Aboriginal caucus.

A number of MFL and labour resolutions were passed by the convention. One of the most important of these resolutions calls for full financial disclosure of the true costs of Public Private Partnerships (P3s) before any P3 can be entered into by any provincial or municipal government, school board, crown corporation or Regional Health Authority. A resolution condemning TILMA (Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement), and another called for wage parity for women, were also debated and passed. A UFCW resolution asking for increases to funding for non-profit organizations such as Associations for Community Living that support individuals with learning disabilities was unanimously passed as well.