Buildings are crammed, dilapidated, and further hard-hit by COVID-19: Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) workers aim to improve quality of life for 110,000 tenants during collective agreement negotiations

Municipal

Toronto, ON—Social housing workers, who are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, are at the bargaining table to improve housing conditions for more than 110,000 residents at TCHC’s nearly 60,000 rental housing units. “CUPE Local 79 is bargaining to enhance safety, improve quality, and ensure affordability for Torontonians who rely…

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“There’s no room for discrimination against people with disabilities”: CUPE Ontario and Joel Harden call for consultation and revision of triage protocol

COVID-19, Workers with Disabilities

TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Government’s draft plan to ration access to at-capacity critical-care is discriminatory and must be revised immediately, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario and Joel Harden, NDP MPP for Ottawa Centre and the Critic for Accessibility & Persons with Disabilities. “The fact that the draft plan says that…

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Trauma, turmoil experienced by northern Ontario RPNs among highest in the province: poll finds

Health Care

NORTHERN ONTARIO — This Nursing Week, SEIU Healthcare and CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) are making an urgent plea of support for registered practical nurses (RPNs). The two unions released polling and survey data showing trauma and turmoil experienced by RPNs on the frontline of our health care system. Today several RPNs working…

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CUPE Ontario commemorates National Nursing Week

Health Care

During National Nursing Week (May 10-16), CUPE Ontario recognizes the heroic efforts of nurses and acknowledges the entire team of healthcare workers from personal support workers to therapists and cleaners as you go all out to support care recipients across our healthcare system during a tumultuous period. This pandemic is stretching healthcare workers to their…

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“The Ford government’s racist scapegoating must be resisted”: CUPE Ontario condemns rhetoric about borders and international students

Governmental

TORONTO, ON – The Ford government’s escalating rhetoric about closing the borders and banning international students is racist dog whistle politics that has nothing to do with fighting COVID-19 and the Federal government must not enforce border controls unfairly targeting anyone, said the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “This is part of a…

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Northern Ontario patients at even more risk under PC’s 8-year funding plan, like operating area hospitals today with 1,875 fewer staff and $372 million less dollars

Health Care

Although COVID-19 has shown how little capacity our hospitals have after decades of cuts, the crisis for northern Ontario hospital patients will get much worse, says a Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) research paper, Ontario Hospital Crisis: Overcapacity and Under Threat released today. The Ontario 2021 budget plans to cut COVID health care funds…

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“Historic investment”? Funding for Ontario schools still shortchanges students, workers

School Boards

TORONTO, ON – Recycled money and not enough new funding to improve school safety and supports for students: according to the union that represents 55,000 education workers in Ontario, these are the two major takeaways from the provincial government’s announcement yesterday of the 2021-22 Grants for Students Needs (GSN). Leaders from the Canadian Union of…

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Using a private company for vaccine rollout will mean fewer paramedics to answer 911 calls, union warns

Paramedics

TORONTO, ON – Ontario paramedics, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), are concerned with a government plan to use a private, third-party company to participate in the province’s vaccine rollout, claiming that the company will need to hire working paramedics from Ontario’s land ambulance services. CUPE, Ontario’s largest paramedic union representing over…

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