“Reconciliation can’t happen without space to remember”: CUPE Ontario condemns Ford Conservative refusal to make Truth and Reconciliation a provincial holiday

Governmental, Solidarity

When the Federal Government announced that, in observance of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30th would become a statutory holiday in Canada, CUPE Ontario saw this is a necessary step in the right direction. It’s therefore disappointing and revealing that, unlike British Columbia, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia, the Ford Conservatives will not formally recognize the day…

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Educators at York University Call to Protect Students and Workers with Remote Learning, Stronger Campus Protections

COVID-19, Governmental, Solidarity, University

TORONTO, ON – Over 350 professors, sessional instructors, teaching assistants, and administrative staff at York University have signed an open letter calling on President Rhonda Lenton to allow educators to opt for remote teaching – to protect their students and the broader campus community. “York’s ‘safety plans’ fail to account for the heightened danger posed…

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Students and Workers concerned about unsafe campus reopening plans

COVID-19, Governmental, Solidarity, University

Post-secondary students and workers in colleges and universities have faced many challenges throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. While the announcement that post-secondary institutions will be opening in the fall is exciting news, safety needs to be the top priority. Sadly, with less than a week before the fall term begins, guidelines have finally been introduced but…

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Education workers point out potential dangers in Hamilton-Wentworth DSB’s school reopening plans

COVID-19, Governmental, School Boards, Solidarity

HAMILTON, ON – Leaders from the union that represents custodial and maintenance staff at Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) are sounding the alarm about the loss of enhanced cleaning jobs in schools, saying that the cuts put students and staff at greater risk of catching COVID-19. “Enhanced cleaning measures were crucial to stopping the spread…

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“The heroic contributions of workers will always inspire hope”: CUPE Ontario’s Labour Day statement

Airlines, Governmental, Municipal, School Boards, Social Services, Solidarity, University

This Labour Day, there’s certainly lots for working people to be concerned about. Elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, are reopening without the safety measures students and workers alike need. Meanwhile, the Ford Conservatives are still refusing to sign an agreement to ensure $10/a day childcare. Cases are steadily going up, with the latest…

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University staff fear for their health and safety as Ford government drops basic COVID-19 precautions on campus

COVID-19, Governmental, Health and Safety, University

TORONTO, ON – Students and workers feel abandoned after an Ontario government memo said universities and colleges will re-open without measures like class capacity limits or improvements to ventilation, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “More than 30,000 support and academic workers are now apprehensive about returning to campuses. They are baffled…

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Image shows many people in colourful t-shirts marching outdoors down the middle of a street.

Hundreds march in 14 communities across New Brunswick in solidarity with front-line workers

COVID-19 media stories, CUPE Ontario in the Media

“I’m here from Ontario to show solidarity with our members in New Brunswick. What’s happening here is incredibly inspiring because frontline workers, public sector workers are facing the same challenges. Whether we’re in Ontario and New Brunswick, Alberta, across the country, we’re the folks who got our communities through the pandemic, in incredibly stressful, difficult…

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