Posts published in December 2025

Representing firefighters in Bois-des-Filion, CUPE 7139 signed a new collective agreement yesterday afternoon. It brings significant gains not only for firefighters, but for all town residents, thanks to the creation of a firefighting service that will be on call 24/7.

“Bargaining was long, but we succeeded in improving our members’ working conditions and implementing in-house, around-the-clock monitoring to better serve citizens,” said Dominic Tessier, local president.

The agreement provides for a complete overhaul of the fire safety department, creates five full-time firefighter positions and will implement a first responder service in 2026. The collective agreement covers January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2029, with salary increases totalling 29%. Other negotiated gains include the gradual transfer of captains to unionized lieutenant positions; improved leave, bonuses and allowances; and the creation of a bank of hours for union leaves.

The new collective agreement also provides for firefighters to join the FTQ’s Member-Funded Pension Plan (MFPP-FTQ). Contributions will increase gradually over four years to reach 17% of salaries, with 9% paid by the employer and 8% paid by employees.

Long-term care workers from Shoreham Village Senior Citizens Home, represented by CUPE 3454, voted 98% in favour of a strike vote last week.

“Taking a strike vote like this so close to the holidays, with such an overwhelmingly positive outcome, should be a clear sign that we, as long-term care workers, are at our wits’ end,” said CUPE 3454 President Sherry Haley. “We love our jobs, we’re proud of the work we do, but we’re struggling. We don’t earn enough to make ends meet; we don’t have enough staff to provide the quality of care we want and our residents deserve. If this is what it takes for the government to pay attention, so be it.”

Long-term care workers in Nova Scotia are the lowest paid in Atlantic Canada, with several classifications, such as dietary aides and housekeepers, making under $20 an hour. Other health care sectors within the province, such as acute care, offer higher wages, which often results in long term care workers changing jobs so they can make ends meet.

“In my role as coordinator, I talk to long-term care workers across the province and while individual circumstances differ, the central issue is the same: they can’t afford to live,” said CUPE Long-Term Care Coordinator Tammy Martin. “We have support staff, some of our most vital classifications, working 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. We have CCAs taking on the responsibility of an entire floor of residents alone. Tell me, is that how you want your parents, your grandparents, to be taken care of? No? Well, neither do these workers, but the government has made this the only way.”

Nearly 92% of officers with the Service de police de Wendake, represented by CUPE 4613, have voted in favour of the tentative agreement reached with the Conseil de la Nation Wendat. Following on the October 22 general members meeting, the agreement was officially signed on Friday, December 12, 2025.

This new collective agreement marks a major turning point for police officers in Wendake. It provides for substantial salary increases, adjusted according to job category, grade and experience, rising to 46% for certain positions. These gains recognize the daily work, expertise and responsibilities of the members of the Wendake police department. The agreement includes a modernized and repositioned salary scale, based on regional comparables, that also accounts for the specific context of the Indigenous community. It also introduces strengthened management and consultation mechanisms, as well as clarified disciplinary and administrative clauses, to promote greater transparency, fairness and a healthy working climate.

“We are proud of the collective agreement we presented to our members,” said CUPE representative Sébastien Campana. “Police officers in Wendake are now compensated proportionately to their duties and responsibilities. We salute the maturity and solidarity of the bargaining committee throughout the process, as well as the employer’s open-mindedness to find fair and sustainable common ground.”

This agreement fits into the union’s long-term vision of stability and the recognition and professionalization of policing, a complex and essential service in any community. “This agreement is modern, fair and durable over time,” explained Richard Duchesneau, president of CUPE 4613. “It reflects our members’ exemplary professionalism and strengthens the central role police play in community security and cohesion in Wendake.”

Nicolas Jean Sioui, vice-president of CUPE 4613, added that “[t]his agreement is a concrete recognition of our members’ professionalism and commitment. With conditions commensurate to our officers’ responsibilities, it lays a solid foundation for the future of the Service de police de Wendake.”

A majority of CUPE 1983 members in Montreal voted in favour of the tentative agreement presented at two general meetings held on December 14, 2025. CUPE 1983 represents the 4,500 bus drivers, metro operators, station agents and paratransit drivers at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM). The vote came after the members’ seven-day analysis of the proposed agreement.

Planned salary increases total 17.5% for the duration of the collective agreement, which breaks down to 2.5% in 2025, 4.5% in 2026, 3.25% in 2027 and 2028, and 4% in 2029, plus a lump sum of 2.5% for 2025. Other negotiated gains include the creation of a cumulative bank of hours as well as the addition of recovery times on short lines, service-hour payment and more flexibility for work-life balance.

The union president thanked the participants in the public debate, who opted for a negotiated agreement rather than playing the government’s game that was supported by Montréal mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Québec solidaire deputy Alexandre Leduc.

He also reiterated that, while the union is satisfied with the outcome of this round of bargaining, the fight is not over for an adequately funded public transit network that would lead to a true and just transition. CUPE 1983 will continue its involvement, particularly to fight the privatization of the STM’s paratransit service.

“Underfunding is the crux of the problem,” said the president of CUPE 1983. “Until the key decision-makers make public transit a priority, we’re doomed to see history repeat.”

CUPE locals 7 and 21, representing nearly 2,000 inside and outside workers at the City of Regina, are calling on the city to protect public services and jobs as proposed budget cuts put the city’s future at risk.

“Public services are the backbone of our city,” said Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan. “They keep Regina safe, secure, and functional. Cutting jobs means cutting services – and that impacts quality of life for everyone.”

If approved, the City of Regina’s proposed budget will eliminate hundreds of jobs and slash vital services that residents rely on every day with severe consequences.

“Closing pools, arenas, and arts centres, cutting transit and school buses, and ending affordable housing incentives will make life harder and more expensive for Regina families,” said Tyler Hutchinson, president of CUPE 21. “These services are what make our city livable and connected – losing them will hurt everyone.”

“These cuts don’t just affect programs – they affect people,” said David Kelly, president of CUPE 7. “When positions are eliminated, and training is reduced, services slow down, and residents pay the price. Longer wait times and fewer supports will hit families when they need help most.”

CUPE which represents over 5,000 municipal workers across Saskatchewan has filed a written submission with Regina City Hall ahead of the December 17 council meeting.