Atlanta, Georgia was the host location for the 38th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU).

The Canadian delegation consisted of 35 labour activists from various unions and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) Local 602 Officers Hans-Woosly Balan and Pierre-Richard Joseph, and Business Agents Isabelle Miller and Tricia Watt attended and expressed the warm reception they all felt throughout the convention by their American hosts. Guest speakers included the leadership of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), leaders of various unions such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the American Postal Workers (APWU), state senators, and congressional representatives.
 
The theme of the convention was "Now is the Future", which was well reflected in the resolutions brought forward by the various CBTU Chapters which addressed issues such as unemployment, outsourcing, healthcare reform, Israel/Palestine affairs, support to countries such as Zimbabwe and the Congo, opposition to the Columbia Free Trade Agreement, lobbying efforts to repeal Bill 8 in Ontario, Canadian Financial Institution reforms and more. (For more information, please refer to www.cbtu.org.) Of the 38 resolutions brought to the convention floor, 17 were submitted by the Canadian Chapter’s Resolutions Committee of which Sister Watt is a member.
Brothers Balan and Joseph and Sisters Miller and Watt were invited to participate in the "Labour Leaders of the Future" caucus, often referred to at the convention as the "under 40 group". They participated in an organizing drive to help educate employees of Delta Airlines, which is an anti-union company often compared to Walmart in the United States. Through perseverance, the Canadian delegation was instrumental and successful in creating a new "member at large" seat for the under 40 group on the CBTU International Executive Board to provide input from young workers as well as receive mentoring.
It was clear through the discourse of the convention speakers and delegates that Canadian and American labour issues show strong commonalities. Sister Miller was asked by the Canadian delegation to make a statement to the convention on this issue, affirming that common goals could be attained on the issues even when the approach and strategy sometimes differs between our Houses of Labour. For members interested in viewing the convention Webcast, it is available at www.cbtu.org.