Posts published in October 2025

Over the weekend, striking municipal workers with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George in the central interior of British Columbia, represented by CUPE 1699, refused to collect fees at landfills, transfer stations, and recreation centres as they engaged in escalating job action. Today, workers began rotating strikes, withdrawing services at all Regional District landfills and transfer stations.  

As of this morning, picket lines were established at the Foothills Landfill and Mackenzie and Valemount Transfer Stations; regular service will resume on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, following this one-day job action. Strike activity and future picket locations will be updated regularly on the union’s website. 

“We have repeatedly communicated our willingness to return to the bargaining table with the Regional District,” said Daniel Burke, President of CUPE 1699.

 “The decision to withdraw service was not easy,” continued Burke, “but we were left with little choice. Our members deserve to be treated fairly. They deserve the same wage increases as workers in other municipalities in our region.”

What We Heard

• 83% of library staff feel unsafe at work at least some of the time.
• 77% say understaffing makes their jobs more dangerous — lone shifts and skeleton crews leave them isolated and vulnerable.
• 65% have had to call 9-1-1 during a workplace incident.
• 90% regularly encounter biohazards like needles, blood, or human waste.
• 70% report receiving no debrief or follow-up after violent or traumatic incidents.

These results show a clear pattern: library workers are being left to handle emergencies without the resources or backup they need.

Why It Matters

When workers don’t feel safe, neither do the communities they serve.

Protecting the people who protect our public spaces must be a priority. CUPE is calling for real investment in staffing, training, and support systems to make libraries safe and accessible for everyone.

“Change is a must. Violence is NOT a part of my job description.”
—CUPE Library Worker, Survey Respondent

Download the Report

Download the full 2025 CUPE Library Health & Safety Survey Report

To mark National School Safety Week, October 17 – 23, the CUPE Saskatchewan Education Workers’ Steering Committee (EWSC) is calling for stronger protections to keep both students and staff safe in schools.

“Every education worker and student deserves to feel safe at school,” said Karla Sastaunik, chair of the EWSC. “Right now, too many education workers are facing increasing incidents of violence and inadequate supports. We need real action to make our schools safe learning and working environments.”

The EWSC echoes the Canadian Safety Council’s action from its Safe Schools, Strong Futures campaign which urges parents, educators, and policymakers to “stop the violence” through prevention, reporting, and collaboration.

“Our members see the effects of underfunding every day,” said Sastaunik. “Staff shortages, unmet student needs, and limited access to training and supports all contribute to unsafe conditions. School safety is about making sure every classroom has the people and resources it needs.”

CUPE represents more than 7,000 education support workers across Saskatchewan who play a vital role in ensuring schools are safe, welcoming spaces for students to learn and grow.

The Ford Conservatives in Ontario have been marked by scandal in many forms, but recent revelations by Ontario’s Auditor General about the government’s Skills Development Fund are more evidence of corruption at the highest levels, said CUPE Ontario, the public sector union demanding accountability from Labour Minister David Piccini.

“There must be a reckoning for these kinds of scandalous actions anything less undermines public trust” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “When we’re talking about the Skills Development Fund, we’re talking about $2.5 billion of the public’s money – our collective resources meant to strengthen Ontario and protect workers who are struggling with unemployment, the demands of re-training, and the fallout from US tariffs. At a time when every dollar should be spent to bolster jobs and strengthen public services, to have any funds misused is deeply troubling.

“Minister Piccini should do the right thing and step aside. And if he won’t resign, Premier Ford must act in the best interests of Ontarians and remove him.”

Hahn listed some of the most egregious findings of the Auditor General’s report:

• Allocating $126 million in funding to low- to mid-ranking applicants who hired lobbyists (with new analysis by the Toronto Star uncovering $237 million awarded to groups that endorsed the Ford Conservatives);
• Approving funding for low-ranking applications without justification or explanation; and
• Overruling more than half of civil servants funding decisions.

The Auditor General’s report characterized the selection process of the Skills Development Fund as not fair, transparent or accountable.

“In the past, Conservative ministers and MPPs faced consequences when they mishandled their files or if their actions brought their government into disrepute,” Hahn pointed out. “In 2023 alone, former Conservative MPP Vincent Ke resigned from the Conservative caucus over charges of involvement in foreign election interference. That same year, Housing Minister Steve Clark resigned over the Greenbelt land swap scandal, while former MPP Kaleed Rasheed resigned from caucus over his role in the Greenbelt scandal.

“Not even the Ford Conservatives - who often act as though they’re beyond shame and who appear at times to believe that integrity in government is optional – can escape the demand for accountability from the people of Ontario around this matter.”

Child protection workers represented by CUPE 7070 and CUPE 2328.1 have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. Joining thousands of social services workers across Ontario, they are part of the Worth Fighting For campaign—a growing, province-wide movement demanding fair wages and renewed investments in public services.

These dedicated workers protect children and support families every day. But after years of underfunding and the wage suppression imposed by Doug Ford’s Bill 124, many are struggling to care for their own families while their agencies fail to meet the needs of their communities. Although Bill 124 was struck down more than 1,000 days ago, the Ford Conservatives still refuse to return the wages that were unlawfully withheld.

“Despite years of staff reductions with gapped positions and attrition, we’re met with constant demands to do more with less. Families and children are falling through the cracks. I am incredibly proud of our members for standing up and saying enough is enough,” said Kathleen Webb, access coordinator and president of CUPE 7070, representing roughly 200 frontline workers and support staff at Child and Family Services of Grand Erie.

“Our communities cannot afford cuts, stagnating wages, short staffing, or burnt-out workers. This work is essential, and it deserves fair pay and respect,” said Michelle Shepstone, president of CUPE 2328 representing 230 frontline workers and support staff at Family and Children’s Services Niagara.

From child protection agencies to developmental services and community mental health providers, social services workers are organizing together through the Worth Fighting For campaign. Led by CUPE and OPSEU members from more than 50 agencies, the campaign calls on the provincial government to restore the funding these services need and the dignity all workers deserve.

“Ask parents of children on the autism waitlist or child protection workers who are forced to warehouse children in motels, and they’ll tell you that our social services are on the verge of collapse. This government has underfunded agencies and disregarded workers, hurting communities for years,” said Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “That’s why we have waitlists and workers at food banks. We deserve a better Ontario, and these jobs, good services, and healthy communities are worth fighting for. The years of workers in social services quietly accepting whatever scraps the government hands out are over. We’re ready for a fight.”

The strike votes at CUPE 7070 and CUPE 2328.1 are among dozens happening across the province in the coming weeks, as social service workers prepare for coordinated job action unless the Ford government acts now to fix the crisis in care.