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CUPE Ontario has a proud tradition of fighting for equality for all members, and as a union we have pioneered many advances in LGBTQ rights. This summer, as members are participating in more than 14 Pride events in communities across Ontario, we will celebrate our long history of advocacy.
Decades ago, our union became a pioneer in using collective bargaining to advance equal rights for LGBTQ workers. In 1985, CUPE Ontario brought forward a resolution that passed at our National Convention endorsing the extension of health care and other benefits to same-sex partners. At our Vancouver National Convention in 1991, members voted to use collective bargaining to include same-sex spousal benefits and eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Also in 1991, our union presented a constitutional challenge to the definition of “spouse” in the Income Tax Act, which at the time did not allow same-sex partners to receive spousal pension benefits. The case, “Rosenberg & CUPE v. Canada,” which took until 1998 to be resolved at the Ontario Court of Appeal, overturned the definition of spouse. This decision ultimately led to the federal government amending the Income Tax Act to allow same-sex spousal benefits for workers across Canada.
When the Harris government de-listed gender reassignment surgery in 1998, CUPE Ontario supported Local 4400 member Martine Stonehouse in her legal challenge. In a landmark ruling for transgender rights in 2006, a human rights tribunal ruled in favour of Sister Stonehouse and her co-complainants, leading to the government re-listing the surgery.
We have also campaigned for many laws that advance LGBTQ rights, including “Toby’s Act.” This law, put forward by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to include gender identity and gender expression, making Ontario the first major jurisdiction in North America to provide human rights protection to transgender people.
CUPE Ontario also became the first major union in Canada to elect an openly gay president in 2009, and in a unanimous vote at our 2012 Convention, members made CUPE Ontario the first major union to guarantee a seat on its executive board for LGBTQ workers.
Through political action and collective bargaining, our union has made important strides for LGBTQ rights for our workers, our communities and for everyone in Canada. It is a tradition we are continuing, and in this, our 50th year, we encourage all members to visit prideinourwork.ca and make 2013 a summer of CUPE pride.
Fred Hahn, President
Candace Rennick, Secretary-Treasurer
