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International Solidarity Committee

International Solidarity Committee

Advancing workers’ rights globally

This committee builds membership capacity and participation in support of workers’ rights globally. It promotes greater knowledge of international issues, and more engagement in workers’ struggles around the world.

A central role of the Committee is to recommend partnerships and funding allocations to support international solidarity programs and projects, and subsequently liaise with and monitor those organizations and initiatives that receive CUPE BC funding.

Lifting up marginalized workers everywhere

Recent committee work has focused on supporting the Iranian solidarity organization Free Them Now, the Migrant Workers Centre, Pivot Legal Society, and CoDevelopment Canada. A highlight of the past term was support for a delegation to Cuba as part of the worker-to-worker partnership providing supplies and equipment to the Cuban labour movement.

The Committee remains concerned about the federal government’s abusive practice of incarcerating those seeking refugee status, or asylum. This policy does irreparable harm, forcing asylum-seekers to the same jails as serious offenders, and has resulted in the detention of more than 850 children since 2014. A call to action on this issue is among the Committee’s 2023
convention resolutions.

2023 – 2025 Committee Membership

Back row: Amandeep Cheema, Tara Knight, Craig Chapman (Co-Chair), Ranjit Singh, Juan Hernandez, Nykita Downie, Carissa Taylor (Staff Advisor). Front row: Lisset Peckham, Deanna Fasciani, Tahmineh (Tami) Yazdanyar, Sarah Bjorknas (Chair), Phoebe Lo Patigdas (Recording Secretary). Missing: Elinor Morris and Dylan Webb.

Committee Members

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