The International Day for the Elimination of Racism commemorates the murder of 69 peaceful demonstrators by the South African police on March 21, 1960. The victims of the atrocity were protesting racial segregation that targeted Black and other racialized people in the apartheid state. But racist violence is not just a relic of the past,…
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON – Region of Waterloo paramedics and logistics and support workers have given their union a strong strike mandate in their current contract negotiations with the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. The paramedic services workers, represented by Local 5191 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 5191), held an online strike mandate vote on…
SUDBURY, ON – Years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system that treats the elderly as though their right to care is lesser than others contributed to nearly 4,000 long-term care residents dying from COVID-19 in the last year across the province, say advocates asking the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe. The Ontario…
Toronto, ON—CUPE urges the Ontario Ombudsman to expand the scope of its investigation into the sudden, covert closure of 26 youth justice facilities that occurred earlier this month. CUPE workers at three of the closed facilities describe the Ministry’s closure decision and operation as “cruel, unjust, and heartless”. The investigation must explore the rights of…
TORONTO, ON – The government is handing over money through electricity subsidies to large, profitable, industrial and commercial businesses, money that should instead be used to bolster critical public services that keep Ontarians safe, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “Companies like Loblaws who have actually profited during this pandemic are getting…
TORONTO – Subsidizing hydro rates for industrial and large commercial businesses will cost Ontario taxpayers an estimated $15.2 billion by 2040, the province’s fiscal watchdog said Thursday. Financial Accountability Officer Peter Weltman said that is a result of a provincial program announced last fall that would see hydro rates for about 1,400 large business customers…
At CUPE 2544, we like to say “The school day begins and ends with CUPE.” And that’s true; I am the last person there at night locking up the school, just a few hours before my fellow custodians arrive in the morning to open up. In our board, we are timed for everything we do.…
OTTAWA, ON – Years of systemic ageism in Ontario’s health system that treats the elderly as though their right to care is lesser than others contributed to more than 280 Ottawa long-term care residents dying from COVID-19 in the last year, say advocates who yesterday asked the Human Rights Commission for a ground-breaking probe. The…
TORONTO, ON – Ontario’s Human Rights Commission today is being urged to undertake what could be a landmark systemic public inquiry into age discrimination in the provision of health care in the province. In their letter (http://bit.ly/OHRC-letter-210316) to the Commission, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Advocacy…
TORONTO, ON – Part-time clerical workers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada’s largest health care union. The ballot count was delayed for more than three months by technical objections from the group’s former bargaining agent, NOWU. Finally, on March 15, the Ontario Labour Relations Board…
