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…

“Locked out refugee settlement workers deserve better”: CUPE Ontario sends message of solidarity to CUPE Local 2348 members

When Winnipeg residents who rely on refugee settlement services discovered that the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (MIIC) locked out staff, it highlighted the essential services members of CUPE Local 2348 provide. From across province, CUPE Ontario’s 280,000 members are in complete solidarity with the members who’ve been locked out since April 27 and who have…

“A Day of Action for the Day of Mourning”: It’s time to redouble our efforts to protect workers

Every year, on April 28, we pause to mourn and recognize workers who have been injured and killed on the job. And while we remember we also understand the fundamental importance of the political work of fighting for the living by redoubling our efforts to demand real safety for workers and the communities that rely…

Frontline community mental health and addictions workers stand up for improved services: workers to strike 12:01 a.m. April 23

Toronto, ON—Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members at CUPE Local 4891 are beginning job action in protest of chronic underfunding to community mental health and addictions services as the pandemic takes a heavy toll on frontline workers. “Ontarians experiencing mental health concerns or addictions are suffering because they don’t have the support they need…

Youth justice workers call for expanded Ombudsman’s investigation into facility closures

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…