Letter from our National President, Mark Hancock

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Friends:

Last Friday, 55,000 CUPE education workers in the province of Ontario walked off the job to protest provincial legislation that imposed a concessionary contract, hefty fines, and stripped away their fundamental rights to free and fair collective bargaining.

Our leaders and staff in Ontario worked throughout the weekend, planning an expansion of protests and solidarity actions across the province for the week ahead. Throughout the weekend, their resolve was strengthened by the messages of support they received from CUPE leaders and members across sectors and from all corners of Canada.

On Monday morning, as private and public sector labour leaders from around Ontario and across the country gathered in an incredible show of solidarity, Ontario Premier Doug Ford blinked. He committed to rescind Bill 28 and return to the bargaining table. This was a direct result of the united power of workers, as shown by their unions. Together, we have put governments on notice – that they dare not try to take away our bargaining rights, or our right to collective action.

There is still much work to do to secure a fair collective agreement for these Ontario education workers, and for hundreds of thousands of members across this country. We hope Monday’s show of solidarity in Toronto empowers you, and sends a message to the employers sitting across the table – that workers are standing up and standing together, and that we are ready to fight for our members’ rights.

Thank you for your leadership and your continued support of our movement. We have never been so proud of CUPE and our members.

In solidarity,

Mark Hancock
MARK HANCOCK
National President
CANDACE RENNICK
National Secretary-Treasurer

A Letter from President Rory Gill November 8th, 2022

Friends,

Yesterday was a historic moment that saw CUPE’s 55,000 education members in Ontario, ably and inspirationally represented by their President Laura Walton, achieve a victory that seemed impossible a week ago.

These brave workers, the vast majority of whom are women, put everything on the line to fight for all of us and our rights against a conservative government that was contemptuous of working people and intent on keeping workers poor and powerless.

Their courage and unwavering dedication to the protection of children and the public education system left Doug Ford no choice but to repeal Bill 28 and return to the bargaining table.

This is important. If the conservatives had succeeded in using the constitution’s ‘notwithstanding’ clause to force a contract on CUPE members, free collective bargaining would have been virtually over in Canada. Other provinces, in particular those with conservative governments, would have done the same anytime workers disagreed with an employer’s wage offer. Having defeated Doug Ford’s attempt to quash our rights, other governments will think twice before trying that tactic again.

The victory is momentous, we should be proud of it, and enjoy it. But is not the end of our struggle. In Ontario, our members must now press the conservatives for a fair and decent contract. And in the rest of the country, we need to build on this success.

This recognition is especially important here in Alberta. The rallying slogan of the strike in Ontario was ‘$39,000.00 is Not Enough.’ There is no doubt it isn’t, but it is $12,000 more than the average education worker makes in Alberta. Our K-12 members have not seen a wage increase in eight years.

Instead of addressing this shameful situation in Alberta schools, our premier encourages disunity in our country, offers no relief for inflation and peddles ridiculous and dangerous conspiracy theories.

We don’t have to put up with this any longer. We know that worker power is real, the people are with us and change is coming.

I promise you I will work with everything I have to make things better for our members and the people of Alberta.

In times of trouble and set back Tommy Douglas’ words; ‘Courage friends; tis not too late to build a better world’ have given me hope. In this time of victory, they are also with me and have never been more true.

Our members, our union and our movement are building that better world right this minute and I am so happy and proud to be with you while we do it.

All the very best and Solidarity Forever!

Rory Gill

President, CUPE Alberta

 

Thank You!

Thanks to Tasha More, Jenn Suggit and Brittany Elliot, our local trustees, for sitting in with me for the 2022 Audit. The audit went well, and I’m grateful for their time and effort in this important task. If you see them, give them a high five!

Cheers and see you at the meeting on Wednesday.

Nikki Gordon
Treasurer CUPE 2843