Posts published in January 2026

CUPE is deeply concerned about the decision by Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) to address the university’s budget issues by closing campuses and facilities and cutting jobs, and the lack of transparency around the impacts of that decision. 

While the announcement from MUN says there will be no ​immediate ​layoffs associated with this decision, ​CUPE has been told that positions will be ​eliminated​​. ​     ​

“The university needs to be transparent with workers, with students, with the people of this province, about how these changes are going to impact the MUN community,” said Bill Kavanagh, CUPE 1615 President. 

“Publicly stating that there will be no layoffs but confirming quietly that positions will be eliminated undercuts any critical response to the university’s decision-making. This move will eliminate jobs held by CUPE 1615 members, along with the valuable service they provide.”

CUPE 1615 represents administrative, instructional, and technical support staff at the St. John’s, Signal Hill, Grenfell, and Labrador campuses, and almost 40 CUPE 1615 members’ jobs were impacted when the Writing Centre, Harris Centre​ and the ​Office of Public Engagement​ were suddenly closed in July 2025, following the announcement that MUN has a $20M budget deficit.

“This decision is being framed as ‘real estate divestment’ when it is clearly a reduction of services,” said Sherry Hillier, CUPE Newfoundland & Labrador President. “At the same time, we’ve seen that closing campuses, reducing services, and cutting jobs has not helped MUN’s financial situation.”

Over the past 15 years, similar moves have reduced the membership of CUPE 1615 from nearly 1,500 workers to under 700. Notably, public funding to MUN has also been reduced by half since 2013.

“These budget constraint measures by the university are clearly a result of the provincial government decreasing funding to MUN,” continued Kavanagh.

Instead of cutting jobs, reducing services, and shortchanging students, there is a clear solution to MUN’s financial issues: Restore public funding to the province’s only public university. 

“The answer is clear: our public university needs public funding,” continued Hillier. “Ordering a tuition freeze and not restoring funding is irresponsible at best, and at worst, a complete abandonment of the people of this province.”

CUPE is calling for intervention by the provincial government and an increase in funding to MUN, to ensure MUN remains a hub for accessible, world-class postsecondary education. 

Mediation efforts between CUPE 2268, CUPE 3730, and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools have ended without agreement this week.

On Monday, January 26, the CUPE 3730 bargaining committee met with the employer and a provincial mediator in an effort to advance negotiations. The following day, January 27, the CUPE 2268 bargaining committee participated in mediation under the same process.

“We are committed to obtain a fair and reasonable offer for our members; however, the last meeting with the employer did not provide such opportunity,” said Wayne Harriman, president of CUPE 3730.

Mediation has concluded without progress. Neither bargaining committee nor the employer will be returning to the bargaining table at this time.

“Our members deserve a fair agreement that recognizes the value of our work and the rising cost of living,” said Teresa Hitchings, president of CUPE 2268. “We are not prepared to accept less than what is fair, reasonable, and overdue.”

CUPE stands in solidarity with the people of Iran, especially the workers and trade unions protesting in response to the country’s worsening economic crisis and social injustice.

Their demands include calls for justice, democracy, lower food prices, living wages, jobs, and an end to the rapid expansion of insecure and precarious work. The government has responded with severe repression, including mass killings, arrests and detention. 

We mourn with the families of those killed, and join the global labour movement and Iranian labour organizations in calling on the government to release all political prisoners immediately and without conditions, end the executions, and stop the crackdown on protesters, workers and union activists.

Workers and trade unions in Iran have a long history of fighting for their labour and political rights. CUPE supports their right to mobilize without foreign military intervention and interference through sanctions or other means from the United States, Israel or other external powers. Foreign intervention would bring even more devastation for workers and civilians and undermine genuine self-determination.

CUPE is committed to worker-to-worker international solidarity. We will amplify the voices of unions inside Iran and defend persecuted trade unionists and political prisoners, and support the right of workers everywhere to organize freely, independently, and democratically.

Alderwood Rest Home workers, represented by CUPE 1635, voted 99% in favour of a strike mandate late last week, joining over 30 CUPE long-term care locals in calling for improved wages and retention.

“I think the fact that thousands of long-term care workers have voted to go on strike, something that is hard physically, emotionally, and financially, tells you what the state of long-term care is,” said CUPE 1635 president Elsa Roberts. “We’re stretched thin and reaching our breaking point, and it feels like that doesn’t matter to this government. But we care. We care about our residents, the homes we work in, and our families, and this vote, alongside all the others, shows we’re willing to keep fighting to make that care matter again.”

In the last quarter of 2025, CUPE represented long-term care homes began taking strike votes as bargaining with the provincial government had stalled following a subpar wage offer. These workers have banded together as a sector to fight for wage increases that recognize the increased cost of living, with an extra focus on classifications such as support services, that were left out of previous health care adjustments provided by the government outside bargaining.

“Everyone keeps asking me if it’s all about the money, if that’s the only thing we care about, but the reality is the government’s refusal to invest in the workers who keep long-term care running is the reason the sector is struggling,” explained CUPE Long-term Care Coordinator Tammy Martin. “Adding beds and building new homes won’t help if there is no one left to provide care. Offering CCAs free tuition won’t help if they use that certification to work in any of the other sectors or provinces that pay better. The solution is simple: pay the workers what they’re worth. Start there.”

CUPE returns to the bargaining table for conciliation January 29^th and 30^th.

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) has cut $200 million from the budget of the PADTC, the provincial public transit development program, breaking yet another public transit promise.

“This is terrible news for our municipalities and, ultimately, for users, who were counting on this investment,” said Patrick Gloutney, president of CUPE Quebec. “The CAQ governs from one broken promise to the next. To soundly manage our public transportation corporations, we need consistent and predictable funding.”

The Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ) is justified in denouncing the unannounced cuts in the PADTC’s 2022–2025 budget envelope—a drop from $1.2 billion to $998 million.

Katherine Bouclin, vice-president of the ground transportation sector, added, “These budget cuts compromise the municipalities’ and transit corporations’ ability to maintain adequate public transport services. Don’t be fooled: services will be cut. Yet, the situation is already fragile, and higher public transit budgets are a necessity.”