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Tabletalk – your bargaining resource – is published four times a year to provide CUPE local bargaining committees, elected officers and servicing representatives useful information for preparing—and negotiating—bargaining demands.

You can find the latest issue and an archive of previous issues on our website at CUPE.ca/Tabletalk. Paper editions are provided through CUPE’s general mailing.


Generic drugs are supposed to be a cheaper alternative to expensive brand name drugs. Generic drug manufacturers don’t have to pay the cost of research, testing or development, so they can charge much less for their product.

But if that’s the case, then why are Canadians paying up to 51 per cent more for generic drugs than consumers in eight other countries?

Several provinces have taken steps to control the cost of generic drugs, but as drug companies continue to find loopholes to raise prices, bargaining committees and administrators of drug plans need to be aware of implications for their plans.

In addition to important information on generic drug costs, you’ll find out about all the latest developments in the world of bargaining, including how governments influence bargaining, details from a key health care settlement in Saskatchewan, and recent news on EI premiums.