On August 3, CUPE Ontario proudly commemorates Emancipation Day, which marks the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act. The Act ended slavery across the British Empire over 180 years ago, on August 1, 1834. Emancipation Day coincides with Simcoe Day, named for Lt.Gov. John Graves Simcoe, who passed an Act Against Slavery in 1793, ultimately…
LONDON, ON – Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario, including President Fred Hahn and Diversity Vice-President Patrick Hannon, will participate in Sunday’s London Pride parade. “Pride is Political. It is a public manifestation of the on-going fight for fairness and equality. And it is an important way to support our members…
TORONTO, ON – Members of Ontario’s largest union took a historic step last week, changing their union’s constitution to ensure broader diversity on its executive board, which will enhance the union’s work against the austerity agenda. Delegates to the 52nd annual convention of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) voted overwhelmingly to expand the…
May is Asian Heritage Month, and CUPE Ontario encourages all members to take this opportunity to reflect on the economic, social, cultural, and political contributions people of Asian decent have made to our country, our society and our union. Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States for over three decades. In December…
March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This day marks the anniversary of a bloody massacre that took place in 1960, when 69 Black demonstrators were killed and 180 wounded in Sharpeville, South Africa, as they protested apartheid pass laws. These laws restricted the ability of Black South Africans to…
February is Black History Month, and CUPE Ontario encourages all members to take this opportunity to reflect on the contributions people of African heritage have made to our country, our society and our union. Upper Canada, now Ontario, was a pioneer in the abolition of slavery. In 1793 Governor John Graves Simcoe passed the Anti-slavery…
On Monday, January 19th, we celebrate the life and legacy of one of the great leaders of the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama, led by King and other civil rights activists. The marches were organized…
The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) is one of One of CUPE Ontario’s allies in the struggle to achieve economic, political and social justice for all racialized workers. Read the latest newsletter here.
