CUPE BC launches legal action against Kirk LaPointe and the NPA

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      CUPE BC has filed a libel lawsuit against Kirk LaPointe and the Non-Partisan Association.

      A news release issued by the union today (November 26) states that president Mark Hancock and secretary-treasurer Paul Faoro met with the CUPE BC executive board and "decided the union had no choice but to pursue legal action".

      "The publications repeatedly accuse CUPE of criminal misconduct, and as well libels them in their profession and occupation," the CUPE BC news release alleges.

      LaPointe and the NPA have not filed a statement of defence and none of the allegations have been proven in court.

      The union is seeking an injunction, in addition to general and punitive damages.

      A notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court by CUPE BC, Hancock, Faoro, CUPE Local 1004, and 1004 member Frank Lee Monday (November 25) alleges the defendants defamed the plaintiffs in statements to the Province newspaper, on the NPA website, at an October 28 news conference, and in TV, radio, and print ads.

      The statements related to comments from Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs at a CUPE Local 1004 meeting, where he said mayor Gregor Robertson has recommitted to not contracting out any more city jobs. CUPE Local 1004 members approved a $34,000 donation to Vision. CUPE BC donated a total of $152,000 to the Vision campaign, while CUPE Local 15 gave $40,000.

      The plaintiffs argue that as a former journalist and as a professor of ethics, LaPointe "had an obligation to inquire into, and to research the truth or falsity of these statements before adopting, publishing, and re-publishing them".

      Robertson and Meggs also launched legal action against the NPA over party ads that aired over radio and TV.

      Comments

      15 Comments

      ursa minor

      Nov 26, 2014 at 3:48pm

      Hopefully Kirk Lapointe and the NPA will get what they deserve. Unions making donations to political parties and campaigns is legal and legitimate political action. These donations aren't made secretly - they're voted on at Executive and Membership meetings. After how Sam Sullivan and the NPA went out of their way to try and break CUPE 1004 in the 2007 Civic Workers Strike, Enlightened Self Interest dictates that their membership would back the party most likely to keep the NPA out of power in every election that followed.

      If Lapointe and the NPA were so aggravated by Union donations to the Vision campaign, they should have been prepared to abandoned their own corporate donations and advocate for campaign finance reform to allow only individual contributions. Instead, they chose to blow common practice out of proportion and pile on with slanderous hyperbole.

      What Lapointe and the NPA were trying to pull was pre-emptive Union Busting in anticipation of their party taking control of City Hall. They didn't win the election, and now they're being called on it.

      Mark

      Nov 26, 2014 at 5:16pm

      Pretty petty if you ask me. The unions and Vision Vancouver have always been in bed with each other. Kirk LaPointe made a simple statement, and I do see how this is libel. It was simply election season and maybe his comments are a bit harsh, but Vision and Gregor have pretty much stood by the unions at any cost.

      Seems to me that any strong criticism of Vision Vancouver and the unions can get you in big trouble. Even if CUPE does not win the lawsuit, they can now see how the NPA operated their campaign, due to the necessary disclosure of emails and documents that the NPA has.

      All in all, Vision won, and I simply don't see this lawsuit as anything more than a bullying tactic by CUPE.

      Forest

      Nov 26, 2014 at 7:01pm

      Yolande Cole - I need to correct you (and other journalists) about Mr. LaPoint's status as "professor". Lapointe is not a "professor of ethics". In fact, he is not a professor at all. He has no academic qualifications, nor is he legally allowed to teach more than 1 year's worth of courses at UBC. LaPointe was appointed as an adjunct professor - an honorific position - when his wife was Chair of the Journalism Program at UBC. Please do not call him a "professor of ethics". He is no such thing.

      Joke

      Nov 26, 2014 at 8:30pm

      Brought to you by Vision.
      The Straight is hardly polically correct. Its now the Salish Sea.

      Martin Dunphy

      Nov 26, 2014 at 8:36pm

      Joke:('s on you)

      That's the Strait of Georgia, not the Georgia Straight.

      Vancouver Watcher

      Nov 26, 2014 at 8:50pm

      Sad that CUOE does not like its handy dandy deal with vision to see the light of day. Intimidation of those who don't agree with their bully boy tactics has been a union tactic for years.

      Oh yeah, too bad ursa minor, your facts are incorrect. But I realize that you can't let truth get in the way of a good misrepresentation. You would rather have Vancouver run by the transplanted trust fund babies, union bosses and big developers. you remind me of the white trash in the US who vote for the Republicans because they are haters and bogots, so vote against their interests.

      Vancouver has not been well served by Vision... ask the neighbourhoods: Mt pleasant, Marpole, Grandview-Woodlands, Norquay, Killarney; the community centre associations or the average citizen and see what they say. Dismal failure and they got the sheep to be frightened so the destruction of Vancouver can continue.

      mooha

      Nov 26, 2014 at 9:39pm

      Well Straight is not so politically correct either! Should be the GLBTQ and Staight!

      PS Martin, I HOPE you can take a joke!

      Craig Takeuchi

      Nov 27, 2014 at 1:17am

      mooha: We do have a Twitter account: @straightLGBT

      James Blatchford

      Nov 27, 2014 at 4:09am

      Forest - well I'm glad we cleared that up...thanks.
      Vancouver Watcher - pull the drapes and walk around for a bit....is that better?
      Mark - elections can be a rough and tumble affair, but not cover for politicians to dish slander/libel against an opponant. LaPointe took a risk by shooting fire in the political theatre and now he has to answer for it.

      Tommy Khang

      Nov 27, 2014 at 8:21am

      So wait; CUPE wants to keep Lapointe and the NPA relevant after the election? OK, I don't really see the point but that's fine, this kind of stuff will likely just embolden Lapointe more to run again in 2018. If Lapointe gets his wish of a better run NPA, with an actual year round presence, then Vision should be afraid. This year they lost not because he was a nobody but because the party didn't come up with policy alternatives to vision.