Judicial Review Outrageous, Stop Attack on Gay Rights: CUPE members
[Mar 17, 2010 10:34 AM]
A unanimous vote to oppose controversial changes to the Marriage Act followed a flood of delegates standing to speak out against the Government of Saskatchewan’s attack on the human rights of gay couples at CUPE Saskatchewan’s Convention Friday.
A judicial review of the proposed amendments to the Marriage Act threatens to allow marriage commissioners to discriminate against same-sex couples by refusing to perform a legal marriage for them. About 250 delegates and guests at the CUPE Saskatchewan annual Convention discussed the review on Friday.
The unanimous decision of the delegates makes clear that opposing regressive changes to the Marriage Act on behalf of 29,000 CUPE members will be a priority of the union’s provincial division in the coming months.
“It’s 2010, and I feel like I’m addressing an issue in 1950,” said delegate Thom Knutson on the floor of the Convention.
“The Government of Saskatchewan appears to be aiming for a roll-back of human rights,” said CUPE Saskatchewan’s president Tom Graham. “Allowing institutional discrimination against same-sex couples who want to get married opens the door for Marriage Commissioners and other public servants to discriminate based on their own prejudices.”
A precedent-setting decision from the upcoming judicial review could have a chilling effect on human rights for all people, according to Graham.
“If a Marriage Commissioner can say no to a gay couple based on their own prejudice, then he or she can also say no to an inter-racial couple,” posited Graham.
CUPE Saskatchewan’s 45th Annual Convention wrapped up Friday in Saskatoon. The resolution regarding changes to the Provincial Marriage Act was one of about 45 resolutions voted on by delegates.
CUPE is the largest Union in Saskatchewan and in Canada with more than 600,000 members, 29,000 of whom work in Saskatchewan in sectors including health care, municipalities, education, universities, boards and agencies and more.