“Draw on the skill, expertise, and passion of front-line workers”: CUPE Ontario condemns Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee for excluding workers and their unions

COVID-19, Governmental, Health Care, Municipal, Paramedics, Pink Triangle, Racial Justice, School Boards, Social Services, Trades, University, Women's, Workers with Disabilities, Young Workers

TORONTO, ON – Ontario’s Ministry of Labour is leaving front-line workers out of the new Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee and it must immediately stop its work until it’s fully inclusive, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario in a written letter to Minister Monte McNaughton. “The committee is comprised solely of business owners,…

Region of Waterloo public service workers file for “No-Board” as negotiations stall

Health Care, Municipal, Paramedics, Social Services, Women's

REGION OF WATERLOO, ON – After more than a year of unproductive negotiations, about 1,200 Regional Municipality of Waterloo workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have filed for a No-Board, which will initiate a 17-day countdown to a strike or a lockout. The workers, represented by CUPE Locals 5191 and 1883,…

Region of Waterloo’s mismanagement is negatively impacting EMS services and harming the community, say CUPE 5191 paramedics

COVID-19, Health Care, Municipal, Paramedics

REGION OF WATERLOO, ON – The Region of Waterloo’s mismanagement is harming the quality of paramedic services and putting the community and its workforce at risk, according to paramedics represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 5191 (CUPE 5191). Luke McCann, an active paramedic and president of CUPE 5191, said emergency calls had increased…

Durham Region vaccine rollout must not be contracted out to for-profit provider

Municipal, Paramedics

DURHAM REGION, ON – The Ontario government’s plan to privatize vaccine delivery will undermine the ongoing publicly delivered vaccine rollout in Durham Region, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1764. The Local represents 350 paramedics employed by the Regional Municipality of Durham, who are administering vaccines through in-home services and mobile…

Using a private company for vaccine rollout will mean fewer paramedics to answer 911 calls, union warns

Paramedics

TORONTO, ON – Ontario paramedics, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), are concerned with a government plan to use a private, third-party company to participate in the province’s vaccine rollout, claiming that the company will need to hire working paramedics from Ontario’s land ambulance services. CUPE, Ontario’s largest paramedic union representing over…

First Responders Day Message

Paramedics

This year on May 1st, First Responders Day, we recognize the workers who have been battling on the front lines of a global crisis for over a year now. On this day, one year ago, we were calling on the government to make sure that the paramedics and ambulance communications officers on the front lines…

Region of Waterloo paramedic services workers give union a strong strike mandate

Municipal, Paramedics

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…

Dr. Moriarty: COVID-19 Vaccine Enquiries

COVID-19, Paramedics

Infectious disease expert Dr. Tara Moriarty invites CUPE members to participate in the following vaccine education initiatives: 1)      If you’re a Canadian who would like to ATTEND a nightly Zoom sessions about COVID-19 vaccine safety, please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrp0-GkyZS1Oe4cu4T7F6t1xdumCr9HmWo5dUwAYaRaw0AWw/viewform 2)      If you’d like to request a special session for your organization, union etc, please contact Grace Kim at [email protected]. First…

Ford Government must protect frontline workers and stop letting employers off the hook for workplace COVID-19 outbreaks: paramedic union

COVID-19, Paramedics

WATERLOO, ON – Region of Waterloo paramedics are being denied WSIB claims after contracting COVID-19, a move that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) believes is being enabled by the Ford Government’s unwillingness to hold employers accountable for workplace outbreaks. “Having fallen ill with COVID-19 from working was scary enough,” said one Region of…

COVID-19 outbreak at Essex-Windsor EMS facility could lead to an ambulance shortage in the region

Paramedics

WINDSOR, ON – Essex-Windsor paramedics are extremely concerned that the region could face an ambulance shortage after a COVID-19 outbreak at the Essex-Windsor paramedic service. Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reporting that ten paramedics from the service have contracted COVID-19. “Prior to the pandemic we were often operating in a code yellow or code red…