Tory government cancels $100 million school repair fund
Ontario’s new Tory government has cancelled a $100-million fund earmarked for school repairs this year, a cut that comes as a result of Doug Ford’s campaign promise to scrap the province’s cap-and-trade system. School boards were notified on July 3 that the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund would be eliminated and that only work contracted on […]
Time for a true national holiday to honour Indigenous peoples
On June 21, CUPE members across Canada will mark National Aboriginal Day, also known as National Indigenous Peoples Day, an annual opportunity to honour and celebrate the diverse cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. Indigenous peoples will be celebrating in their communities, and graciously sharing their ceremonies, customs and heritage with others across the country. It […]
Preparing for a Doug Ford Conservative Government – a message for CUPE members and staff
Attention all staff, CUPE leaders and activists: The election results on June 7, were not what we wanted and are very concerning for all CUPE members and the public services we provide. With only 40 percent of the vote, Doug Ford and the Conservative Party now have a majority government in Ontario. The race between […]
Premier Designate Ford’s hiring freeze demonstrates a lack of understanding of the scope of government services
Yesterday’s announcement of a unilateral hiring freeze across all government services demonstrates Premier Designate Doug Ford’s lack of understanding of the overall scope of services the Ontario government provides, says CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “Ford has not even been sworn in as Premier and he has made this sweeping decision without having had the […]
May is Asian Heritage Month
Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated across Canada since the 1990s and was officially recognized by the federal government in May 2002. Every year at this time, CUPE celebrates the contributions that members of Asian communities have made to Canada. We acknowledge and honour the activism of people of Asian descent in their fight for human rights and […]
CUPE marks World Water Day 2018
Public water and wastewater services are vital to our lives and are fundamental human rights. These services are the foundation of safe and healthy communities. On March 22, CUPE members and our local and international allies recommit to protecting water and wastewater services from privatization and strengthening these services for future generations. CUPE works in […]
Diverse workplaces bring many benefits
New research demonstrates that having a more ethnically diverse workforce isn’t just important for social justice – it’s also good for the economy. The report, published jointly by the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, found that a diverse workforce is directly connected to increased productivity and revenues. Diversity Dividend: […]
Women at work: still a long way to go
CUPE’s work for gender justice has a clear goal: not one step back. We push governments at all levels to apply a gender lens to budgets and update policies to recognize the impact of intersecting forms of discrimination. A review of the latest statistics about women and work reminds us that our collective work for […]
CUPE Ontario
- Distressing day for democracy in Ontario as Premier Ford threatens to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause September 10, 2018TORONTO (September 10, 2018) – All Ontarians should be very concerned by Premier Ford’s threat to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause in response to today’s ruling that his Bill to interfere in municipal election is unconstitutional, says CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “Our constitution was created for a reason – to protect all Canadians and our […]Deva Nadesan
- Far from ending hallway medicine, Pembroke stands to lose 10 more hospital beds, more than 55 staff under Ford programs September 10, 2018PEMBROKE, ON – Already funded and staffed at levels well below other provinces, Ontario’s hospitals’ hallway medicine and bed crisis will deepen under Premier Doug Ford’s public service “efficiency” program and promised tax cuts, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) warned today in Pembroke. OCHU, the hospital division of the Canadian Union of […]Deva Nadesan
- Victory for local democracy as Court strikes down Bill 5 September 10, 2018TORONTO, ON – Following today’s decision by Justice Belobaba to strike down key portions of Bill 5, CUPE Ontario’s President Fred Hahn praised the thousands of Ontarians who took part in the campaign to protect local democracy. Bill 5 attempted to cut the size of Toronto city council by close to half months after […]Deva Nadesan
- Ford Government directive seeks to control freedom of expression on Ontario campuses September 5, 2018TORONTO, ON – The Ford Government has announced that Ontario colleges and universities must comply with new, arbitrary free speech rules or face funding cuts. Premier Ford has unilaterally forced post-secondary institutions to define the terms of permissible speech on campus by January 1, 2019. Ford further urges these public institutions to punish individual […]Deva Nadesan
- Ontario’s wealth and prosperity must benefit all workers and their families August 31, 2018A Labour Day message from CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn and Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick Labour unions play a critical role in our society. We are the protectors. Protectors of working people, protectors of our communities, and protectors of the public services we all need. We’re proud to work in coalition with others to demand better […]Deva Nadesan
- Heat Stroke – Signs & Symptoms August 24, 2018AN IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THE INJURED WORKERS' COMMITTEE REGARDING HEAT STROKE & HEAT EXHAUSTION Next week a major heat wave is expected to hit Ontario so it's vital that all workers take precautions to protect themselves against heat stroke & heat exhaustion. Most people feel comfortable when the air temperature is between 20°C and 27°C and the when […]Liam Bedard
- Statement from CUPE education workers in support of Ontario teachers August 23, 2018Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are standing shoulder to shoulder with all other Ontario education workers as they take on the threats and attacks that constitute large parts of the Ford government’s “consultation into education reform” and the imposition of an outdated Health and Physical Education curriculum for the 2018-19 […]Liam Bedard
- Far from ending hallway medicine, Kingston stands to lose 90 more hospital beds, more than 460 staff under Ford programs August 23, 2018KINGSTON, ON – Already funded and staffed at levels well below other provinces, Ontario’s hospitals’ hallway medicine and bed crisis will deepen under Premier Doug Ford’s public service “efficiency” program and promised tax cuts, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) warned today in Kingston. OCHU, the hospital division of the Canadian Union of […]Deva Nadesan
- Far from ending hallway medicine, Kitchener stands to lose 60 more hospital beds, more than 340 staff under Ford programs August 21, 2018KITCHENER, ON – Already funded and staffed at levels well below other provinces, Ontario’s hospitals’ hallway medicine and bed crisis will deepen under Premier Doug Ford’s public service “efficiency” program and promised tax cuts, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) warned today in Kitchener. OCHU, the hospital division of the Canadian Union of […]Deva Nadesan
- Far from ending hallway medicine, Durham stands to lose 125 more hospital beds, more than 450 staff under Ford programs August 20, 2018OSHAWA, ON – Already funded and staffed at levels well below other provinces, Ontario’s hospitals’ hallway medicine and bed crisis will deepen under Premier Doug Ford’s public service “efficiency” program and promised tax cuts, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) warned today in Oshawa. OCHU, the hospital division of the Canadian Union of […]Deva Nadesan