National President’s Report, June 2026 – September 2026

Sisters, Brothers, and Friends:

To say it was a busy summer would be an understatement. All across the country, CUPE members, staff, and leaders fought battles that matter not only to our union, but that impact our respective communities, workplaces, and economy. I’m so proud of how CUPE is always at the forefront of making the places we live, work, and learn better places for everyone. Together, we are an incredible force – always ready to take on fights that will mean a better life for not only our current generation, but also those that will follow.

CUPE mourns the passing of Geraldine McGuire, a trailblazing union leader and fierce defender of workers and public services who served as CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer from 1991 to 2001. She helped strengthen CUPE’s National Defence Fund, fought for greater diversity and inclusion, and championed equality and workers’ rights. Her courage, integrity, and fighting spirit helped build a stronger union, and her legacy continues to shape CUPE today. We extend our deepest condolences to Geraldine’s family, friends, and loved ones, and to the many CUPE members, activists, and staff whose lives she touched. Rest in Power, Geraldine.

As wildfires devastated communities across Canada, CUPE called on chartered organizations and members to support its Natural Disaster Relief Fund and stand with families facing unimaginable loss, displacement, and uncertainty. Indigenous and northern communities were disproportionately affected, with many people forced from their homes for extended periods. Building on last year’s successful effort that provided $100,000 to frontline relief organizations, CUPE asked members to come together in solidarity and help ensure communities received support when they needed it most.

CUPE made a submission to the National Housing Council calling for a broader approach to accessible housing that addresses not only physical accessibility, but also the systemic barriers that prevent people with disabilities from securing safe, affordable housing. The submission highlights inadequate income supports, the shortage of affordable and social housing, weak renter protections, fragmented government programs, and underfunded public services, while emphasizing that these challenges are compounded for many equity-deserving groups.

CUPE called for stronger public investment in housing, health care, income supports, and the public services people rely on, arguing that protecting the right to housing requires coordinated public solutions, stronger supports, and targeted action to address systemic inequality.

CUPE also made a submission on changes to the Privacy Act and the renewal of the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan. We participated in stakeholder consultations with the federal government regarding labour chapters in trade agreements, where our message was clear – trade agreements cannot come at the expense of workers. They must enshrine protections for workers and, crucially, those protections must be enforceable.

Federal Government

On August 22, Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada had suspended trade discussions with the United States after rejecting last-minute proposals from the Trump administration. We support the decision not to accept a bad deal that would undermine Canadian interests, but we recognize that the continued trade dispute will put additional pressure on Canadian workers, families, and communities.

At the same time, we remain concerned about the concessions that were reportedly under consideration during the negotiations, including proposals related to the treatment of Canadian-made vehicles and other measures that could have weakened Canada’s ability to protect its economic interests. Canadians deserve transparency about what was being discussed and what the government was prepared to accept.

These concerns were particularly relevant as the federal government hosted the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto on September 14 and 15. The summit brought together global investors, Canadian CEOs, and public-sector representatives, with the participation of CPP Investments and PSP Investments. The government described the summit as an opportunity to attract investment and mobilize capital for projects across Canada.

CUPE believes that attracting investment must be about more than creating opportunities for investors. Public policy must ensure that investment delivers good jobs, strong public services, local economic benefits, and lasting value for Canadians. Decisions about Canada’s future should not be made around the interests of investors and corporations.

CUPE made submissions to the federal government’s pre-budget consultations in September with 21 recommendations. Canada is in a period of profound economic uncertainty. The federal government faces a critical choice: respond with bold investments in public infrastructure, public services and economic resilience, or repeat the failed approach of austerity, deregulation, privatization and tax cuts that leave workers and our communities to absorb the costs. Our very first recommendation is to call on the federal government to enforce the Canada Health Act.

Alberta’s extremist government has begun its experiment with Americanized health care. Quebec’s Premier Christine Frechette has now made it a part of her party’s re-election platform as the provincial election campaign continues through September. It is only a matter of time before more conservative leaders cash in on federal inaction on behalf of their health insurance friends.

In August, CUPE joined NUPGE and several other unions that represent workers in Canada’s public blood and plasma system in calling for action on Health Canada’s mishandling of plasma collection following the deaths connected to for-profit paid plasma collection. Later that same month, the federal government announced a pause on their partnership with the multinational company Grifols at the centre of this scandal. We have called on the government to scrap the deal completely.

Prime Minister Carney’s recent announcement about a new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy was deeply concerning. The strategy prioritizes the profits of big tech billionaires and the rapid expansion of AI over the protection of workers and the public. The strategy contains no meaningful measures to protect workers from job loss or displacement caused by AI and also fails to address growing concerns about workplace surveillance, algorithmic management, discrimination, and threats to privacy and data security. By advancing widespread adoption of the technology without implementing strong regulations, transparency requirements, accountability measures, or worker protections, the government is leaving workers exposed to the risks of AI while prioritizing corporate interests.

Right to Strike

The right to strike is protected under international law, yet Conservative and Liberal-affiliated Senators are pushing recommendations that could give governments more power to interfere in labour disputes and undermine workers’ bargaining power. What starts with ports and rail can quickly spread across the labour movement. With the Liberal government expected to reopen the Canada Labour Code this fall, CUPE is preparing to fight to defend against any attempt to weaken workers’ rights. We’re proud to lead the way as we stand up and fight for workers and their fundamental right to strike, and are counting on all 800,000+ members from coast to coast to coast to stand with us!

International Solidarity

After a meeting in July with Cuba’s ambassador to Canada and the deputy head of mission, CUPE renewed its call for the Carney government to stand with Cuba against the illegal U.S. embargo and escalating threats that continue to punish the Cuban people. The Cuban officials spoke about the devastating impact that decades of sanctions have had on daily life, and CUPE reaffirmed its solidarity with Cuban workers and its commitment to defending the country’s sovereignty. Canada must stop standing on the sidelines, speak out against U.S. aggression, and work with the international community to help ensure the Cuban people have access to the fuel and essential supplies they need.

I was invited to be a keynote speaker at the AFSCME convention in August. We have a longstanding relationship with AFSCME, and I was honoured to address their delegates. In my remarks, I highlighted the importance of continued solidarity and collaboration between our unions as we work together to strengthen the labour movement. Congratulations to Lee Saunders and Elissa McBride, who both retired as President and Secretary-Treasurer respectively. Lee and Elissa have been good friends to CUPE and have served their union well. Congratulations to Patrick Moran and Nicole Pollard, who were elected President and Secretary-Treasurer. We look forward to building on our strong relationship between CUPE and AFSCME.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Federal immigration cuts are creating labour shortages, increasing pressure on local services, and destabilizing communities across Canada, according to municipal leaders and community advocates who joined a CUPE-hosted discussion at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual meeting in Edmonton. Speakers highlighted the essential contribution of immigrants and migrant workers to sectors such as health care, child care, food production, and the trades, and warned that reduced immigration levels are leaving municipalities to absorb the economic and social consequences of federal policy changes.

Council of the Federation

I attended meetings in Charlottetown during the Council of the Federation meeting, where Canada’s premiers gathered to discuss national priorities. While there, I met with provincial federation of labour presidents to discuss shared priorities and coordinated advocacy. I also attended a breakfast with the premiers, hosted by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU), participated in a public forum on the importance of strong public services, and spoke at a rally organized by the Canadian Health Coalition calling for continued investment in Canada’s public health care system and other vital public services.

We have a series of events being organized across the country as part of our year of health and safety. I am looking forward to the rejuvenation of our health and safety committees, and to seeing members engage with this core responsibility of trade unionism. No job is worth someone’s life or limb. Workers deserve safe workplaces.

We continue to work on campaigns prioritized by the National Executive Board on health care, child care, and post-secondary education. We are looking forward to rolling these campaigns out over the course of this year and the next.

Collective Bargaining/Strikes/Lockouts

We’ve seen many successful wage outcomes in bargaining across the country. During this period, we want to highlight several outcomes in British Columbia’s municipal sector, where we’ve seen strong results after members mobilized around bargaining.

Examples of these successful efforts include CUPE 401 at the Town of Qualicum Beach, where members fought off concessions and achieved wage gains of 5%/4%/5%/4%, and CUPE 358 at the Cowichan Valley Regional District, where members achieved three years of 4.5% wage increases, along with numerous other financial improvements. CUPE 1632 in Vanderhoof achieved four years of 4% wage increases and other monetary improvements after successfully applying pressure through a strong strike mandate.

PROVINCE	LOCAL	EMPLOYER	# OF MEMBERS	STRIKE BEGAN	DURATION
Federal	5490	Pascan Aviation	20	October 28, 2025	Ongoing
Federal	8125	WestJet	4344	August 2, 2026	1 day
Quebec	301	City of Montreal	6441	February 4, 2026, April 15-17, 2026	4 days
Nova Scotia	1082	St Vincent’s Nursing Home	193	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	1183	Harbourstone Enhanced Care	300	April 13, 2026	61 days
Nova Scotia	1245	Ocean View Continuing Care	160	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	1259	Admiral LTC and Whitehills LTC	145	April 13, 2026	77 days
Nova Scotia	1416	Maplestone Advanced Care	67	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	1635	Alderwood Nursing Home	84	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	1782	Richmond Villa Nursing Home	104	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	1876	Northside Guest Home	181	April 13, 2026	61 days
Nova Scotia	2007	Bay Side Home	100	April 13, 2026	67 days
Nova Scotia	2094	Seaview Manor	160	April 13, 2026	56 days
Nova Scotia	2330	Maritime I.O.O.F. Home, Valley View Villa and Glen Haven Manor	346	April 13, 2026 April 16, 2026 May 27, 2026	62 days 65 days 23 days
Nova Scotia	2648	Queen’s Manor	67	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	3064	Villa Saint-Joseph-du-Lac	120	April 13, 2026	63 days
Nova Scotia	3099	Roseway Manor	61	April 13, 2026	63 days
Nova Scotia	3199	Twin Oaks Seniors Association	48	April 13, 2026
Nova Scotia	3257	Surf Lodge Nursing Home	34	April 13, 2026	63 days
Nova Scotia	3618	Ivy Meadows Continuing Care Centre	37	April 13, 2026	63 days
Nova Scotia	3630	Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home	80	April 13, 2026	58 days
Nova Scotia	4940	Parkland at the Lakes (Glasgow Hill)	75	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	4965	Celtic Court	47	April 13, 2026	64 days
Nova Scotia	4970	Bisset Court	61	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	5032	St. Anne Community and Nursing Care Centre	44	April 13, 2026	60 days
Nova Scotia	5033	Ryan Hall	71	April 13, 2026	61 days
Nova Scotia	5248	The Meadows (Tidal View Manor)	195	April 13, 2026	61 days
Nova Scotia	2503	Shiretown Nursing Home and Ivey’s Terrace Nursing Home	113	April 23, 2026	52 days
Nova Scotia	5165	The Magnolia Continuing Care Centre	75	April 23, 2026	51 days
Nova Scotia	5183	Grand View Manor	152	April 23, 2026	50 days
Nova Scotia	2765	Maple Hill Manor	88	April 24, 2026	47 days
Nova Scotia	4919	Lunenburg Home for Special Care (Harbour View Haven)	113	April 25, 2026	47 days
Nova Scotia	3840	Melville Lodge Nursing Home	125	May 7, 2026	47 days
Nova Scotia	3454	Shoreham Village Seniors Home	94	May 8, 2026	35 days
Nova Scotia	1485	Inverary Manor	82	May 14, 2026	28 days
Nova Scotia	2031	Foyer Père Fiset	73	May 14, 2026	30 days
Nova Scotia	1562	Ronald C MacGillary Guest Home	150	May 22, 2026	19 days

CUPE 5490

CUPE 5490’s flight attendants at Pascan Aviation have been holding the line since October 28, 2025, in their fight for a fair second collective agreement that includes wages reflective of the vital work they do. This employer has not hesitated to use replacement workers despite new federal anti-scab legislation, undermining our members as they are forced to defend their bargaining rights before the CIRB. This is now the longest strike by flight attendants in Canadian history.

To help increase pressure, SCFP Quebec chartered a small plane to the Magdalen Islands, Pascan’s most important route in the summer, to bring the entire local there for a protest. Local media was very interested and the local’s message around safety issues with untrained scab labour seemed to resonate with the local population.

CUPE 8125

Flight attendants at WestJet stood strong through a difficult round of bargaining and won an industry-changing standard by securing pay for all hours worked by the end of the life of their collective agreement after a short, but impactful, day-long strike. Their victory, which built on the gains made by Air Canada members last year, shows the power of belonging to Canada’s strongest union.

Without being able to count on government intervention, as was the case with Air Canada last year, the employer was forced to stay at the bargaining table and the collective bargaining process played itself out. Other airline companies where CUPE represents flight attendants are taking note. We will not stop until all unpaid work is put to an end.

CUPE 301

Bargaining is still ongoing with the City of Montreal. Wages have fallen behind in recent years, and catching up is the main priority for CUPE 301. To apply additional pressure towards reaching a deal, the local has called additional days of strike action to coincide with the Cycling World Championships taking place in Montreal at the end of September.

CUPE 1082, 1183, 1245, 1259, 1416, 1485, 1562, 1635, 1782, 1876, 2007, 2031, 2094, 2330, 2503, 2648, 2765, 3064, 3099, 3199, 3257, 3454, 3618, 3630, 3840, 4919, 4940, 4965, 4970, 5032, 5033, 5165, 5183, 5248

Decades of underfunding have left the long-term care sector in Nova Scotia in a chronic staffing crisis. With many members making less than the living wage, a province-wide strike involving 36 locals participating was called to force the government to the table with more funding for the sector. A deal was reached on June 6, 2026. As of this writing, 34 out of 36 locals have completed the ratification process.

Regional Updates

Atlantic Region

Newfoundland and Labrador

CUPE is disappointed in Newfoundland and Labrador Health for using the false promise of an extra paid leave day in a cybersecurity phishing test, an insensitive and exploitative tactic targeting health care workers already struggling with burnout, staffing shortages, and denied leave requests. The test demonstrated a profound lack of judgment, particularly given the significant stress, overtime, and lost family time workers have endured during the troubled CorCare rollout. The exercise further undermines morale among an already overburdened workforce, and CUPE demands better from this employer.

Nearly $10 million has been spent on a private health care “efficiency” contract, yet frontline workers are still dealing with denied leave, excessive mandatory work, and burnout. CUPE members have yet to see any of the promised improvements to scheduling and workloads and are raising serious questions about why public money continues to flow to a private company when workers and patients are seeing so little benefit. If the technology and consultants aren’t bringing fixes to the staffing crisis, the government should stop outsourcing and reinvest those dollars directly into the public health care system and the invaluable workers who keep it running.

Nova Scotia

After eight weeks on the picket lines, the 5,500 members in the long-term care sector in Nova Scotia won a hard-fought victory and secured historic gains in their new collective agreement, including a $5 flat rate increase for all workers. It was a privilege to support the team on the ground, along with Candace Rennick, our National Secretary-Treasurer. I thank our staff and CUPE Nova Scotia for their tireless work in support of our long-term care members in across the province.

Our members in the education sector in Nova Scotia continue to organize together as part of a coordinated bargaining strategy across the province. I extend my solidarity to our education members and encourage them to stand strong alongside each other. The strength of 800,000 CUPE members across the country is with them.

Maritimes Region

New Brunswick

CUPE members in New Brunswick have had a busy summer as they keep up the fight for strong public services and good jobs through member and public engagement. CUPE 1470 reached and ratified a new collective agreement with the Regional Municipality of Tracadie, averting a strike. CUPE 963 is pushing back against the privatization of publicly owned liquor stores, while CUPE 1418, NBCNHU, and CUPE 2745 are working together to highlight gaps in government support for vulnerable communities and the workers who provide essential services. Preparations are also underway for the next round of coordinated bargaining.

Social workers in the province are facing increasingly frequent threats and assaults, with severe staffing shortages and heavy workloads putting workers at greater risk of burnout and unsafe working conditions. CUPE is calling for a workforce survey to determine staffing needs, while social workers are pushing for stronger staffing levels, as well as additional support workers to accompany them on home visits. The province had 80 vacant social work positions in July, with hundreds more projected over the next decade, underscoring the critical need for NB Liberals to take action to address recruitment, retention, and adequate protection for frontline workers.

I was pleased to attend community barbecues organized in support of child care workers. The CUPE Cares campaign has raised CUPE’s profile as the union for child care workers across New Brunswick. I thank CUPE New Brunswick and our staff for making this campaign a success, and I look forward to welcoming even more child care workers into our union as this campaign continues.

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

I want to thank and congratulate Candace Rennick, our National Secretary-Treasurer, for participating in the dunk tank fundraiser at CUPE PEI’s BBQ in support of the national union’s wildfire relief fund. Thanks to CUPE PEI’s efforts, the event raised $15,500 for the fund. This event, organized by our smallest region to support some of our biggest regions in crisis, shows the solidarity across our union. When our communities hurt, we all stand together and show up for each other across our country.

I was pleased to participate in the PEI Coalition for Public Services event held on the sidelines of the Council of the Federation meeting in Charlottetown in July. The event, which brought together community organizations, unions, and leaders in defence of public services, delivered a strong message to the PEI government. We need leadership that prioritizes the people’s agenda, not the corporate agenda. One that advances meaningful action on education, climate, housing and Indigenous rights.

Nevertheless, in September, the PEI government announced its intention to look for a private contractor to build and operate up to 48 long-term beds. CUPE PEI decried this deepening privatization of long-term care as off-loading essential public services to private companies for profit.

Quebec

Provincial elections are underway in Quebec, with election day set for October 5. The separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) seem poised to form the next government, with a majority within reach.

Though the PQ has traditionally been left-leaning and was responsible for many of Quebec’s social programs and the nationalization of Hydro-Québec, this iteration has not shied away from anti-immigrant rhetoric to try to make gains in some parts of the province, and they have also promised massive job cuts to the public service. Though they had initially promised a referendum within their first mandate, they’ve adjusted their promise by saying it won’t happen while Trump is still President.

The FTQ has mostly stayed on the sidelines during this election cycle, though they met with party leaders and asked each if they would reverse two anti-worker bills from the previous government. The PQ leader said he’d consider it.

SCFP Québec has a website and campaign called “Sauvons nos services publics - Save our public services” (servicespublics.org) which aims to defend workers and publics services. It is also directing members who want to get involved toward progressive candidate campaigns, like Alexandre Boulerice who is running for Québec solidaire.

Two of our biggest Hydro-Québec locals, CUPE 1500 and CUPE 957, are negotiating hard and have upped the pressure with strike action over the summer, including refusal to work overtime. The main sticking points revolve around wages and contracting out.

Our SCFP Québec teams are also preparing for coordinated bargaining in the health and education sectors that will begin in the spring. Though the collective agreements end in 2028, coordination and strategy are starting to take shape, given that these negotiations are usually organized within a Common Front (Front commun) which groups over 420,000 workers from not only FTQ-affiliated organizations but also CSN and CSQ, among others.

I was able to attend the SCFP Québec Executive Board retreat in the Laurentians for three days, in late August. It was a great opportunity to spend time with all the members of the board, as well as staff coordinators, who presented what was happening on the ground in each of their sectors.

Ontario

A new report found that expanding affordable child care has delivered significant economic benefits for Ontario, increasing the province’s GDP by an estimated $13.6 billion in 2024 and generating enough additional revenue to offset public investment in the program. Since 2019, the sector has created more than 17,000 jobs, increased wages for child care workers, and supported greater workforce participation among women. The report also highlights that Ontario is falling behind on its child care commitments, with too few new spaces, fees still above the $10-a-day goal, and ongoing workforce shortages driven by inadequate compensation. It calls on the province to fully invest in a universal child care system, strengthen public delivery, and ensure early childhood educators receive the wages and supports needed to build a sustainable system for families and workers.

Central bargaining for the 57,000 members of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) is off to a slow start following the expiry of the collective agreement on August 31. The OSBCU, in coordination with other education worker and teachers’ unions, called on the government to come to the table in the spring. Despite Minister of Education Paul Calandra’s public comments expressing optimism that there could be a deal by Labour Day, the actions of the government and the employer association have made that impossible. The first step in the central bargaining process confirms the scope of what is dealt with in central bargaining and what is bargained at local tables. In that process, the employer has attempted to move numerous local issues to the central table – not just with the OSBCU, but with all the other unions as well. All the unions have now made applications to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to resolve the scope issue before bargaining can begin. In the meantime, mobilization efforts and coalition work continue.

Just a week after CUPE members at Scarborough Health Network rallied over chronic understaffing and growing violence in the workplace, the Ontario government announced a new emergency department at Centenary Hospital but offered no new operating funding or plans to address SHN’s $36-million deficit. CUPE’s 2,500 frontline workers are facing job cuts, unsafe working conditions, and rising violence, with 42% of surveyed workers reporting they had experienced workplace violence, including 20% who were physically assaulted. New beds are needed, but they won’t solve the crisis without the staff and funding to keep them running. CUPE is demanding that the province address hospital deficits and properly fund these vital public services, while protecting frontline workers.

A new OCHU/CUPE report shows Ontario’s hospital crisis has been pushed to the brink by Ford government underfunding, understaffing, and privatization. Hospital working capital has collapsed from $2 billion in 2020 to negative $280 million, while more than 1,300 hospital jobs have been cut in the past year despite rising demand and longer stays. Hallway health care has doubled, hospital occupancy regularly exceeds safe levels, and privatization is making wait times worse, not better. CUPE is demanding $5 billion in new hospital funding, multi-year funding, an end to privatization, and nurse-to-patient ratios to properly staff hospitals and deliver the care Ontarians need.

CUPE personal support workers (PSWs) and health care workers rallied outside Doug Ford’s constituency office on July 8 to push back against the Ontario PC government’s unfair and discriminatory regulation of PSWs through the Health and Supportive Care Oversight Authority (HSCPOA). Workers condemned rules that could force experienced PSWs trained before 2014 to return to school by December 2027 to keep their status, while denying them the representation and due process protections afforded to other regulated health professionals. With PSWs, predominantly women and many of them racialized workers, already facing low wages, injuries, and intense workplace pressures, CUPE is appalled by this new regulation and is demanding the Ford government fix the registry and stop treating these essential workers as second-class health professionals.

CUPE filed an unfair labour practice complaint against the Town of Penetanguishene after the municipality pushed ahead with plans to outsource water and wastewater services while bargaining was underway. The complaint states that the town bargained in bad faith, violated workers’ collective agreement rights, and attempted to strip away protections against contracting out in order to privatize an essential public service. The complaint seeks to stop the outsourcing plan and hold the municipality accountable for violating provincial labour law and undermining the collective bargaining process. This occurs within the context of broader moves from the government to open the door to expanded privatization of water delivery in the province – beginning in the Region of Peel, and adds to ongoing campaign work to ensure the continued public delivery of this vital service across the province.

Manitoba

CUPE mourned the passing of Gord Delbridge, President of CUPE Local 500, recognizing his longstanding contributions to the labour movement. Gord served as President of Local 500, Manitoba Regional Vice-President on CUPE’s National Executive Board, and CUPE Manitoba Vice-President and Acting President. He was a steadfast advocate for workers, public services, and collective bargaining, leaving a lasting legacy through his leadership and commitment to protecting public services and the workers who deliver them.

CUPE is calling on the Manitoba government to pass Bill 13 and immediately update the Residential Rent Regulations to strengthen protections for renters and address the affordability crisis facing working-class families. While there is more work to do to rebalance tenant protections, CUPE supports measures that provide greater security for renters and housing-insecure people, including thousands of frontline workers. CUPE Manitoba is urging the government to move Bill 13 forward this fall and is calling on Obby Khan and the PCs to stop delaying action that Manitoba renters urgently need.

A June Probe Research poll found the Manitoba NDP continuing to enjoy strong public support, with 55% of respondents supporting the party compared to 32% supporting the Progressive Conservatives. More than two years after forming government, the NDP continues to build on its 2023 election victory, enjoying strong support across the province and particularly in Winnipeg, where nearly two-thirds of respondents back the party. The party’s sustained popularity may also reflect positive public reaction to Premier Wab Kinew’s recent defence of Indigenous treaty rights and his willingness to publicly challenge Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over her government’s referendum plans, reinforcing the NDP’s image as a strong advocate for Manitoba’s interests.

CUPE condemned Shaftesbury Park Retirement Residence for a brazen act of union busting after the employer laid off 70 of 80 health care aides on the same day workers won union certification. The mass layoffs are an illegal attack on workers’ right to unionize, and we responded by launching legal action to overturn the terminations and hold the employer accountable for its anti-union retaliation.

Saskatchewan

A province-wide survey of 980 education support workers found that chronic Saskatchewan Party underfunding has left school staff performing an increasing number of medical and personal care duties, including administering medication, responding to seizures, and tube feeding, often without adequate training, support, or clear policies. The government’s failure to properly staff and resource schools is placing both workers and students at risk while forcing education workers to fill gaps that should be addressed by qualified health professionals.

CUPE Saskatchewan called on the provincial government to reverse its child care cuts following the announcement of additional federal funding for the sector. Provincial funding reductions, the freeze on new child care spaces, restrictions on tuition-free training for early childhood educators, and new extended-hours fees for families were identified as barriers to a strong public child care system. CUPE called for the federal funding to be invested in expanding and strengthening public child care rather than offsetting provincial cuts.

While in Saskatoon, I had the opportunity to meet with local leaders from CUPE 59, 859, and 47. We discussed the challenges municipal workers are facing including the threat of privatization and contracting out.

After six years, CUPE members and guests brought the Back to Batoche canoe trip back to the South Saskatchewan River, paddling the historic route to Batoche while learning about Métis and Indigenous history, culture, and traditions. Over two and a half days, participants took part in cultural teachings, a medicine walk, a traditional feast, and live Métis music. The experience created a space to learn, share, and build relationships rooted in respect and reconciliation.

CUPE joined Early Learning and Childcare Shadow Minister Joan Pratcheler in the fight against Scott Moe’s damaging child care cuts. We called on Education Minister Everett Hindley to reverse changes that eliminated funding for part-time and casual spaces, froze new spaces, added fees for families and restricted tuition-free funding for early childhood educators.

Saskatchewan families deserve better than a government that dismantles a child care system they depend on. These cuts hurt families, workers, and communities, and we’re not going to sit silent.

CUPE joined families, workers, and community members at a Picnic in the Park to Save Child Care on August 8, highlighting the real impact of Scott Moe’s July 1 child care cuts and the need to protect accessible, affordable child care. Working with Child Care Now, parents, workers, providers, and community members, CUPE is building support to strengthen Saskatchewan’s child care system, with town halls planned this fall in Moose Jaw, Regina, Yorkton, and Prince Albert to share experiences and mobilize communities to defend child care.

CUPE is welcoming Grifols’ decision to pull out of Canada’s for-profit plasma market, but says the company should face a criminal investigation before it walks away. After two Manitoba donors died and Grifols’ Regina clinic was found breaking safety rules, this cash-for-blood scheme has gone too far. CUPE is demanding that Scott Moe stop protecting private plasma corporations, permanently ban paid plasma in Saskatchewan, and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

I attended the CUPE 5430 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in North Battleford. In the days leading up to the AGM, the local held a strike vote from September 8 to 14. It was an honour to stand with CUPE 5430 members as they learned the results, with 99 % voting in favour of job action. This represents an unprecedented level of support for their bargaining position and is the largest strike vote in Saskatchewan’s history. I also joined members at a rally outside the Minister of Health’s office to show our solidarity and support as they continue to fight for a fair collective agreement and strong public health care.

Alberta

CUPE called out the federal government for standing silent while Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party (UCP) government expand private, pay-to-play health care in the province. Nearly a year after the government passed Bill 11, allowing wealthy Albertans to buy faster access to care, the Liberal government’s response – a strongly worded letter – is as inadequate as the Premier herself. The feds must stop sitting on the sidelines and use the Canada Health Act to defend public health care before the UCP’s dangerous push towards cash-for-service further affects equal access and drains resources from the public health care system.

CUPE warned the Alberta government, in a letter to the Minister of Education and Childcare, that its rollout of Classroom Complexity Teams falls short of addressing urgent needs in the sector. Schools across Alberta face overcrowding, rising classroom complexity, and growing student needs. Unclear, short-term funding is pushing school boards to offer temporary positions, making it harder to recruit experienced education workers and provide stable supports for students. Past cuts to early intervention funding have already contributed to increased needs, and CUPE is demanding investments in permanent jobs, fair wages, and stable funding, not another short-term fix.

CUPE is mobilizing its membership in the region, ahead of the October 19 referendum. Workshops titled “Labour Votes” are happening across Alberta to bring together not only CUPE members, but members from other unions, to help labour allies build skills in member-to-member campaigns, and electoral campaign structures, while providing issue-based education on the referendum and future elections. These political action initiatives are critical to making sure labour activists turn out in large numbers to have their voices heard.

Aside from the tenth question, notably the headliner, which asks voters to indicate their preference on whether the province should separate from Canada, Albertans will mark their ballots on questions regarding immigration, public services, and constitutional powers. The five immigration questions would restrict newcomers’ access to health care, education and social supports. Every voice counts, and CUPE members have an opportunity to send Danielle Smith and the UCP a clear message: stop scapegoating newcomers and take responsibility for the government’s own failures to properly fund and protect public services.

British Columbia and the Yukon

CUPE 951, representing more than 800 members who work at the University of Victoria, ratified a new four-year collective agreement by an overwhelming 96.1% vote. After seven months of bargaining, the local’s new agreement runs retroactively from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2029. Strong membership support helped secure wage increases in line with other B.C. public sector workers, improved benefits, new leave provisions, and new coverage for workers over age 72. UVic’s Board of Governors ratified the agreement on July 10.

CUPE 1267 applied for mediation with the B.C. Labour Relations Board in its negotiations with the City of Mission, in a proactive step to reach a fair agreement, while protecting the public services residents rely on every day. CUPE 1267, which represents roughly 340 municipal workers, feels mediation is the best way to keep bargaining moving forward, while avoiding disruptions to services, in this round of bargaining. They are calling on the employer to show the same commitment to Mission’s residents and come to the table in good faith.

In July, CUPE BC wrapped up its annual Think Tank, bringing together the division and regional staff to set priorities and plan campaigns for 2026-27. Discussions focused on key issues for CUPE members, including post-secondary education, worker health and safety, and reliable public transit, along with meetings with B.C. government ministers and MLAs on challenges facing workers across the province. The three-day gathering will help staff, leaders, and activists chart the course for the work ahead, through meaningful dialogue.

Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU)

HEU is pushing to ensure the B.C. government follows through on its commitment to bring more than 5,000 long-term care and assisted-living workers back into the public sector by 2028. After delays in identifying eligible care operators, HEU filed a grievance and pressed the government to move faster, warning that delays hold up workers’ access to better wages, benefits, and pensions.

While a preliminary list of eligible sites has now been provided, HEU is still pushing to include additional operators and ensure the transition stays on schedule. The fight also continues for stronger, consistent working standards, including wage levelling, for all seniors’ care workers across B.C.

HEU has finalized a transfer agreement protecting members whose finance, supply chain, and IT jobs are moving to the new B.C. Shared Health Services agency. The first phase of transfers begins October 23, with supply chain workers following in November and IT workers transferring in January 2027. The agreement ensures there will be no interruption to pay or benefits, while seniority, vacation, sick leave, overtime banks and other earned entitlements will move with workers.

Importantly, members will keep their existing work schedules and remote work arrangements, and will have a five-year window to return to their previous employer with their seniority, benefits and service protected. HEU says the agreement addresses many of the concerns raised by workers facing the transition and will continue to monitor the process, attend workplace meetings and enforce collective agreement protections to ensure members’ rights and job security are protected every step of the way.

Airlines and Pan-Canadian Locals

CUPE launched a campaign urging supporters to back Bill C-247, a private member’s bill that would repeal Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. The union argues that Section 107 allows the federal government to suspend workers’ right to strike and intervene in labour disputes in ways that favour employers, citing its use during the recent Air Canada flight attendants’ strike. Through a letter-writing campaign to Members of Parliament, CUPE is calling for the repeal of Section 107 to strengthen collective bargaining rights and protect workers’ ability to take strike action without government interference.

On the opening day of Montreal Metropolitan Airport in Saint-Hubert, striking Pascan Aviation flight attendants and their allies mounted a high-profile demonstration to expose an employer that has refused to meet at the bargaining table for more than two months while workers endure a strike that has stretched beyond seven months. Members of CUPE 5490 continue to show remarkable determination in their fight for a second collective agreement that delivers fair wages and working conditions, despite Pascan Aviation’s reliance on replacement workers and ongoing efforts to prolong the dispute. With strong support from labour leaders across Quebec, the protest highlighted workers’ militancy and solidarity in the face of an employer that has chosen confrontation over meaningful negotiations.

CUPE 8125’s flight attendants employed by WestJet voted 90.2% in favour of a new three-year collective agreement. The agreement secured important gains for nearly 4,400 members after months of bargaining and a strike that saw picket lines erected at various airports across the country. It also includes new compensation for work flight attendants were previously required to perform without remuneration, along with wage increases and improvements to working conditions. The strong ratification vote is a clear reflection of what workers can achieve when they stand together and fight and stand up for their worth – and CUPE 8125 vows to keep fighting until workers get what they deserve.

CUPE’s Air Canada Component issued a statement to welcome the company’s incoming CEO. It was a welcome message that also put forward a message that flight attendants expect more than just a change at the top. They expect a change in the way these invaluable workers are treated. More than 10,000 flight attendants keep Air Canada flying and they deserve respect, strong worker protections, and a real voice in their workplace. After years of being ignored and having their Charter rights undermined, flight attendants are sending a clear message to the new guy in charge: Air Canada’s success relies heavily on their work, and they won’t accept anything less than the respect and fairness they deserve.

Canadian North flight attendants escalated their fight for a fair deal after months of bargaining with very little progress made. Nearly 200 CUPE 8111 members are demanding meaningful wage increases that keep up with the cost of living, an end to the unjust industry standard of unpaid work, and improvements to working conditions and scheduling. These workers play an essential role in connecting Canada’s northern communities to health care, education, jobs, and loved ones, yet the airline has failed to make them an offer that addresses their concerns. CUPE 8111’s filing of a Notice of Dispute pushes the process towards federal conciliation, given the Employer’s lack of taking these seriously at the bargaining table.

Organizing

For the reporting period of June 1, 2026 to August 31, 2026, CUPE welcomed 2,049 new members in 25 bargaining units. There are currently 106 active campaigns underway that, if successful, could bring 48,296 new members to our union.

Our Atlantic region currently has seven active campaigns in municipal services, which would see 3,058 new members join CUPE, including 2,398 in education.

In the Maritimes, there are currently six active campaigns that could bring 221 workers into CUPE.

Quebec has 23 active campaigns underway in various sectors, that could bring 6,620 new members into the CUPE family.

The Ontario region continues its organizing efforts, with 17 active campaigns in various sectors that have the potential to add 12,224 new members to our union, including 4,075 in municipal services.

Manitoba has 18 active campaigns, which could see 4,307 new members in this region, 2,670 of which are in education.

Saskatchewan has 16 active campaigns in various sectors, where we hope to bring 3,445 new members into CUPE, including 1,800 in health.

The Alberta region was busy with 14 active organizing campaigns that could bring in 7,193 new members into CUPE, including 6,042 in education.

In British Columbia, there are 13 active campaigns across various sectors, with the potential of welcoming 13,680 new members, including 8,185 in education.

In Memoriam/Personal

Members

Barry Jones CUPE 116 – British Columbia

John Leonard CUPE 498 – British Columbia

Lynn Raback CUPE 997 – Ontario

Emelyne Demosthene CUPE 4429 – Ontario

Bryan “B-Y” Harris CUPE 1252 – New Brunswick

Kristen Lejeune CUPE 1726 – New Brunswick

Gord Delbridge CUPE 500 – Manitoba

Jenna Croucher CUPE 3324 – Prince Edward Island

Mike MacKenzie CUPE 3324 – Prince Edward Island

Geraldine McGuire Former National Secretary-Treasurer