With no progress at the bargaining table, workers at Nipissing Transition House deliver unanimous petition calling for a fair deal

NORTH BAY, ON – When North Bay women are in crisis and experiencing domestic violence, they find safety at Nipissing Transition House (NTH). But today, in an open letter delivered to the Board of Directors, workers at NTH made clear that they themselves face a crisis and that their services are not meeting the needs…

A wolf in auditor’s clothing: value-for-money audits are part of plans to gut municipal child care across Ontario

TORONTO – In the Conservative playbook, when outright attacks on public services don’t work, you switch to veiled threats backed up by the consultant class. That playbook is being deployed again in the Ministry of Education’s recent calls for value-for-money audits of municipally run child care centres. According to child care advocates, experts, and workers,…

“The opioid crisis in Belleville isn’t going away, so let’s fund services properly”: CUPE Local 1842 calls on governments to escalate the response.

Belleville, ON – With a state of emergency declared in Belleville due to the opioid crisis, the city’s paramedics are sounding the alarm and calling for much more to be done. “We’re seeing an incredible explosion in calls to respond to overdoses and we’re doing our best, but this isn’t sustainable,” said Rob Cunningham, President…

“CUPE will not let striking workers be intimidated and criminalized”: CUPE challenges Black River-Matheson trespassing notice

Black River-Matheson, ON – Following last week’s trespassing notice against striking Black River-Matheson municipal workers, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is challenging the effort to criminalize workers, according to the union. “These courageous CUPE Local 1490 members are engaged in a legal strike and they’re making a legitimate call for better wages for…

“We won’t be forced into a contract. We’ll go on strike instead”: Black River-Matheson municipal workers now on strike

Black-River Matheson, ON) – After being locked out for 15 weeks, Black River-Matheson municipal workers are now on strike after the Township ended the lock out by forcing a contract on the workers, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1490. “Last week we overwhelming rejected the employer’s contract during a forced vote…

“We overwhelmingly rejected an offer forced on us”: Locked out Black River-Matheson municipal workers continue to fight for better wages for all

(Black-River Matheson, ON) – Locked out Black River-Matheson municipal workers have overwhelmingly rejected an offer forced on them by the Township and are now ramping up their efforts for a good deal, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1490. “We said it before and we’ll say it again,” said Serge Bouchard, President…

“We won’t be forced to accept an offer that only takes us backwards”: Locked out Black River-Matheson municipal workers

Black-River Matheson, ON) – In the 14th week of a strike, the Town of Black River-Matheson is effectively bargaining backwards with the 14 municipal workers who keep the roads safe, the arena running, and the town running smoothly, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1490. “We have held out for this long…

“St. Catharines’ forestry must remain public”: Forestry workers set to fill council in opposition to the threat of job cuts

(St. Catharines, ON) With the Mayor of St. Catharines presenting a budget that included the privatization of forestry as an item, forestry workers, members of CUPE Local 150, are set to attend a council meeting to protect their jobs and services, and to ensure that forestry remains public. “A sufficient tree canopy provides invaluable ecological…