Month: May 2023

Scab hiring stalling contract talk – school support workers

School support workers represented by CUPE 5047 say their contract would have been settled already if employers in Nova Scotia were legally prevented from hiring replacement workers, as is the case in Quebec and British Columbia. “It’s insulting, frankly,” said Natalee Boulanger, an EPA and CUPE 5047 member. “If we had anti-scab legislation in Nova Scotia, …

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Public and private sector union leaders endorse Olivia Chow for mayor of Toronto

 Statement from ETT, OPSEU/SEFPO, CUPE Ontario, ATU Canada and USW As leaders of unions that collectively represent hundreds of thousands of working people across the City of Toronto, we are pleased to announce our joint endorsement of Olivia Chow for the office of the Mayor. We offer this endorsement as representatives of workers who provide services in …

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Consultants broke the infrastructure bank: Let’s rebuild a public bank

Advice from giant consulting firm McKinsey broke the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and it’s time to fix that mistake. On May 16, CUPE made our case for building a truly public bank at a House of Commons committee investigating the role of McKinsey in the bank’s design and early days. Senior research officer Diane Therrien outlined how McKinsey …

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HRCE hires outside workers instead of offering School Support Workers a fair deal

As the School Support Workers represented by CUPE 5047 continue to strike, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) has decided to hire replacement workers to fill their positions rather than making a reasonable offer to end the strike. On May 13th, 2023, the HRCE began advertising School Support positions currently held by the workers on …

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Quality food in Peel LTCs makes positive difference in residents’ lives, says CUPE 966

Overcooked meats that are hard to chew. Processed, stale bread. Bland recipes supplemented with low-quality condiments. These are common complaints about food in Ontario’s long-term care homes. Although government underfunding contributes to quality concerns, many long-term care homes contract out food services to companies that prioritize profits over residents’ needs. Contractors tend to prepare limited options …

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UBC Research Assistants to join CUPE in the largest successful union organizing campaign in recent B.C. history

More than 3,200 Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) who work at the University of British Columbia (UBC) will join B.C.’ s largest union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). GRAs will join CUPE 2278, the union that already represents Teaching Assistants, English Language Instructors, and Invigilators at UBC. “We’re proud to welcome Graduate Research Assistants to …

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First Transit strike in Eastern Fraser Valley is BC Transit’s failure

CUPE BC president Karen Ranalletta says BC Transit ‘needs to get its head out of the sand’ By Karen Ranalletta For most public sector workers in this province, contract negotiations occur between their union and their B.C.-based, public sector agency employer representative. Strikes happen, but they seldom occur under progressive governments. However, when talks do break down …

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Selwyn early years professionals win major gains in ratified new deal, as 16 other Toronto child care units prepare for bargaining

Early childhood educators (ECEs) and assistant teachers at Selwyn Community Childcare Centre have ratified a new four-year collective agreement. The tentative deal was reached on the final night of bargaining before a strike was set to begin following months of an impasse. These early years professionals are members of CUPE Local 2484, Toronto’s child care union …

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Court’s decision a win for workers and for safety

A long-awaited legal judgment has been hailed as a major victory for both workers and passenger safety by the union that represents electrical, signals and communication workers at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). A judgment handed down yesterday by Justice Chalmers of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that the TTC Act, passed in 2011, …

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Halifax-area education workers launch strike

Halifax-area school support staff including Assistive Technology Support Workers, Child and Youth Care Practitioners, Mi’kmaq and Indigenous Student Support Workers, African Nova Scotian School Support Workers, Schools Plus Community Outreach Workers, Educational Program Assistants, Early Childhood Educators and School Library Specialists have withdrawn services as of 12:01 AM Wednesday. “We’re very disappointed. We came back to the …

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