Whitby, ON – Library workers in Whitby became the newest members of CUPE, following a strong vote Thursday. “Library workers are all very passionate about what they do. They bring tremendous creativity to their communities, but don’t always feel supported by management,” said Daniela Scarpelli, a CUPE representative who has been involved in the organizing drive.…
TORONTO, ON – Tuesday saw workers in two southwestern Ontario municipalities vote to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). “Outside” workers in the municipality of West Elgin and the Township of Southwold both voted to join the union, which represents municipal workers throughout the province. “Small municipalities often present themselves as being like…
Sioux Lookout, ON—Parents, workers, and community members are launching a public campaign to demand that the Municipality of Sioux Lookout reverse their decision to close Biidaaban Children’s Centre and Sioux Mountain Children’s Centre that provide quality child care to more than 200 families in the region. “Many parents are rightfully concerned and disappointed by the…
TORONTO, ON – The government is continuing to hand over money through electricity subsidies to large, profitable, industrial and commercial businesses, money that should instead be used to bolster critical public services that keep Ontarians safe, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “Companies like Loblaws who have actually profited during this pandemic…
Shortly after the convoy reached Ottawa, CUPE Ontario issued a statement. We made it clear then that the convoy was little more than “another cynical attempt to exploit the issue of the day to smuggle in white supremacy.” But, however sharp our recognition of the strength of these roots of white supremacy, we know that…
LONDON, ON – In an overwhelming vote yesterday, workers at Anova: A Future Without Violence, in London, Ontario, chose to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Anova is the largest gender-based violence shelter and sexual assault centre in Ontario. The agency serves and supports thousands of survivors every year through shelter, support, advocacy…
February 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month, a month in which we celebrate Black excellence while also reflecting upon the difficult and often violent conditions that surround this excellence. We celebrate the contributions that people of African and Caribbean heritage have made to Canada and the labour movement in spite of tremendous obstacles.…
In 2019, when the Canadian Yellow Vest Movement organized the “United We Roll” convoy, we saw a preview of what’s happening now. We saw organizers claiming that the convoy was the voice of working class concerns – in this case those of oil and gas workers – before quickly becoming a vehicle for white supremacy,…
Five years ago today, on January 29th, 2017, a gunman entered a mosque in Quebec City and opened fire on dozens of Muslims during a prayer service. The shooter, fueled by white supremacist, Islamophobic rhetoric killed six worshippers and injured 19 others. Today, on National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia, we remember Mamadou…
Yesterday, a CUPE paramedic local in Windsor-Essex published a concerning twitter thread that does not reflect the beliefs and values of our union, including those of the vast majority of first responders who are vaccinated. CUPE has always encouraged members to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their family, and their community. But the work is…
