A letter to the Minister of Labour about the Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee

July 8, 2021 Sent Via Email Hon. Monte McNaughton Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development 14th Floor, 900 University Avenue Toronto, ON M7A 1T7 Dear Minister McNaughton, I am writing in response to your announcement that the Ontario Ministry of Labour will undertake an Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee. The Committee is tasked with…

“Our struggles are interwoven and they demand solidarity”: CUPE Ontario sends message of solidarity to 22,000 CUPE New Brunswick members

Today, we joined an important press conference to extend a message of solidarity to CUPE New Brunswick on behalf of CUPE Ontario’s 280,000 members. Attended by about 200 local leaders, rank and file members, the President of CUPE New Brunswick, Stephen Drost, CUPE New Brunswick announced that the Premier of the province has yet to…

University Health Network cannot continue to exploit women and racialized workers, say Toronto labour council, black trade unionists

TORONTO, ON – What seems like a deliberate workforce policy of exploiting racialized women as cheap labour by the University Health Network (UHN) is being roundly criticized by many Toronto/GTA labour and community groups advocating for economic justice for new immigrants. UHN is avoiding the direct employment of patient rehabilitation care staff at its Hillcrest…

Advocates Call on Ford Government to Make Universal Child Care a Reality in Ontario

Following the recent announcement of a landmark deal between British Columbia and Nova Scotia and the Federal government, CUPE’s child care advocates call on Premier Ford to prioritize universal child care in Ontario. “Generations of women have been calling for universal, affordable, accessible, public and not-for-profit child care for decades—they’re the ones who’ve brought us…

Statement from CUPE Ontario on the lifting of COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated staff, visitors and caregivers in LTC

In a sector ravaged by COVID-19 for more than a year,  today’s provincial announcement that fully immunized long-term care staff and visitors will no longer have to be tested before entering LTC homes, is good news and a sign that we are finally getting the edge on the virus. We want to thank the thousands…

“A testament to the contributions of front-line workers, but there’s still more to do”: CUPE Ontario calls for more action to ensure safety in Step 3

TORONTO, ON – Entering Step 3 early is a testament to the contributions of front-line workers but the Ford Conservatives are still failing to ensure safety and a recovery for all, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “Front-line workers kept us as safe as possible during this pandemic, with members of CUPE…

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

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

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,…

Supportive housing for women fleeing domestic violence at capacity in North Bay; workers issue a call to action to expand programs to meet need for services

Toronto, ON—As instances of domestic and intimate partner violence continue to spike during the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of emergency frontline workers at North Bay’s Nipissing Transition House issue a call for expanded programs and enhanced workplace protections to better support women and their children. “We simply don’t have the resources or space we need…