Invitation to a presentation by Canada-China Friendship Society, on
China’s Workers Rising
by Cathy Walker
Former director, Health, Safety and Environment, Canadian Auto WorkersMonday, June 10, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Library and Archives Canada, Room 156, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
Refreshments and conversation following the presentation
Everyone is welcome.*
What is happening in Chinese workplaces today? The talk will describe the events of the spring of 2010 in which 14 Foxconn workers committed suicide in southeast China factories and Honda parts plants workers successfully struck, inspiring a strike wave in other factories. Labour relations practices at State-Owned Enterprises in the period 1949 to 1978 and today will be compared and contrasted with those of private corporations. The importance of friendship activities between Canadian and Chinese unions will be emphasized.
Cathy Walker is the former National Health, Safety and Environment Director of the CAW (Canadian Auto Workers Union), which was then the largest private sector union in Canada with 260,000 members. She was appointed to the position in 1992 and retired in 2006. Cathy has been a national union representative responsible for health, safety and environment since 1975. Cathy first visited China in 1974 as the co-leader of the young workers’ delegation of the Vancouver Canada-China Friendship Association. Between 1991 and 2013, she visited China another ten times, visiting workplaces and unions, meeting old friends, making presentations and learning some Chinese. Cathy has given lectures on Chinese workers and unions at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria and McMaster University. As well, she has assisted in conducting
research into working conditions at Chinese auto assembly plants for the University of Technology in Sydney. Cathy has made many presentations about labour relations and unions in Canada to visiting delegations of Chinese unionists.
*No pre-registration. Entry is free for CCFS members and $5 for non-CCFS members.
Memberships are available at the door. Annual membership is $20 for individuals, $30 for a
family, $12 for students and $17 for a student family. Membership forms are available at
www.fccfa.ca/Ottawa
. For further information about the Society or this event, please consult
our web site, send an email to
ccfs.ottawa@gmail.com
or phone 613-729-3660.
