CAPE’s Defence Fund

Background

The Defence Fund is money put aside from membership dues to offset the costs of activities undertaken to avert a job action or strike, to support members in the event that a job action or strike were to occur, and to pay for miscellaneous costs associated with a job action. The funds can also be used to mount a legal defence of the Association or its members.

The Defence Fund was established after a successful membership vote on the matter in 2016. It was initially funded with $1 million and has received 75% of any annual surplus of the Association since that time. It can also grow through donations, investment, and other sources of income as approved by the membership. In years without a budget surplus, no money flows into the Defence Fund.

In 2022, the Defence Fund had accumulated approximately $9 million in assets, thanks to annual surpluses and investment income.