Julia Dumanian once again raising alarms among workers as she forgoes bargaining and threatens a lockout at Canadian Hearing Services

TORONTO – For any other employer, it would have been an unprecedented move: on the first day of conciliation, on the first day of bargaining, before any negotiations had even been taken place, they called for a No Board. But this is typical behaviour from Julia Dumanian and Canadian Hearing Services (CHS). “Since taking over…

Ford Conservatives expansion of “strong mayor powers” further undermines local democracy and worker rights

TORONTO, ON – The announcement by Doug Ford’s Conservatives of the expansion of “strong mayor powers” to an additional 169 municipalities is further undermining the fundamentals of democracy in our communities and enables personal political agendas to “trump” democratic process. “This expansion is disguised as a way to speed up housing and infrastructure projects, but make…

“Ontario’s school boards are in severe crisis”: Survey of 12,000 CUPE education workers finds extreme underfunding and understaffing has caused widespread violence, burnout and lack of supports for students in Niagara area schools

NIAGARA, ON – A recent survey of Ontario education workers including Educational Assistants, Early Childhood Educators, Child and Youth workers, custodians, maintenance and trades workers, and school secretaries represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) shows that a severe crisis in underfunding has led…

Province, agency failing children as Windsor CAS lays off 10% of frontline workers and closes Essex-County service location

WINDSOR, ON – On March 19, the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society laid off 26 workers – about 10 percent of their non-management staff, putting the safety of children at risk, say CUPE members working at the agency. The CAS also targeted their Leamington Office for closure at the end of this month – an additional…