It was a cold, late autumn morning, but the atmosphere could not have been warmer inside the Fort Garry Hotel this past Sunday. CCPA Mb. held its Errol Black Chair in Labour Issues fundraising brunch, selling an impressive 175 tickets.
Event -organizer extraordinaire Shirley Lord (seen here with her partner and fellow hard-working volunteer, George Harris) said that this was the easiest fund raiser she ever put together: Errol is a big draw, and for good reason.
No one has championed the rights of workers in our province more that Errol. Stalwart member of the Brandon Labour Council; one of the founders of CCPA MB., and a loyal board member; long-time faculty member at Brandon University; past City of Brandon councilor; the list of Errol’s contributions to civil society in general, and the labour movement in particular, goes on and on.
Past MFL president Darlene Dziewit and keynote speaker, CUPE’s National President, Paul Moist (seen below with his partner Marion) both talked about Errol’s dedication, knowledge, leadership and courage in defending the labour movement.
Errol has fought against social injustice all his life, and now he is battling a new foe: ALS. But this new adversary has not slowed him down: Errol has become CCPA’s most prolific blogger.
Jim Silver, Errol’s longtime friend and colleague (seen above talking to Errol), explained the need to keep Errol’s intellectual momentum rolling, especially given the intensified fight against labour and the overall malaise caused by decades of neo-liberal policies. Having a staff member dedicated to labour issues will allow CCPA to carry on Errol’s work as we enter into this particularly challenging period.
CCPA Mb. director, Shauna MacKinnon, spoke of how important Errol has been to CCPA as an organization and to its staff, many of whom consider Errol a mentor.
Attendees will be pleased to know that their contribution will help keep CCPA’s voice strong on labour issues as we face the gathering storm.
Special thanks to the Fort Garry Hotel for its generous support for this event.
