National Secretary-Treasurer’s Report - March 2026

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Friends:

Since Trump returned to power last year and began openly threatening the economic stability and sovereignty of many countries – including directing open hostility toward Canada – the federal government has failed to clearly articulate a strategy to defend our economy and sovereignty. That failure becomes most visible not in speeches, but in fiscal choices. And what we learned from Mark Carney’s first budget is not just what the government plans to spend, it’s also what it’s willing to sacrifice.

To prioritize military expansion, the federal government is hollowing out the public programs and services that define us as Canadians. A credible “elbows up” strategy must be rooted in our shared commitment to strong public services, universal health care, affordable childcare, and caring, resilient communities. Failing to place these pillars at the centre of our response misses the point entirely: defending our sovereignty means protecting the very systems that make Canada worth defending.

For workers and communities, this moment underscores the need for organized resistance. History shows that attempts to divide and demobilize working people consistently underestimate their solidarity – and it is that collective strength that will determine what comes next. As a union committed to dignity, democracy, and strong public services, CUPE has a central role to play in confronting these challenges.

In 2026, more than ever, we must come together – 800,000 members strong – with a renewed commitment to fighting for a better world. That work begins by continuing to invest in worker-led initiatives: securing better contracts, defending public services, and building powerful campaigns that demand governments protect our economy by investing in and expanding the public services Canadians rely on.

Town Hall with Federal NDP Leadership Candidates

Almost immediately following the holiday shutdown, Mark and I hosted a webinar with the five federal NDP leadership candidates on January 7. CUPE members and allies were invited to take part, and over 500 participants joined us for a wide-ranging discussion in which the candidates responded to many of the questions raised by our members.

It was really encouraging to see our union step into the role of convening an important political conversation and placing our members front and centre in shaping the future of our party. I want to thank everyone who participated live, as well as those who watched the event after it was made available on our website. CUPE needs to be unavoidable in the Canadian political discussion, and this was a strong demonstration of that commitment.

Meetings with CUPE Staff

On January 13, Mark and I kicked off our annual tour of meetings with CUPE staff across the country. Each year, we dedicate the first several weeks to hearing directly from staff about their work – sharing successes, raising challenges, and flagging key issues and trends to watch in the year ahead.

The tour began with staff at the national office on January 13 and wrapped up on February 10 with meetings with our Quebec staff. I was able to attend most of these meetings in person, and I was grateful to join the others virtually. Hearing firsthand from our staff on the depth and breadth of issues they are dealing with is a great way to kick off the new year.

CUPE Alberta’s All-Leaders Meeting

It is a tradition in Alberta that, following the staff meeting, CUPE local leaders from across the province are invited to spend a full day together learning from one another and sharing experiences. I was very happy to spend time with them on January 29 and to meet so many of the leaders who make CUPE the strong and effective voice it is in Alberta.

Thank you to CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal for her outstanding leadership in the region and for organizing such a successful and insightful event, as well as to CUPE Alberta’s Executive Board for inviting me to participate. Alberta is undoubtedly a province that presents real challenges for union leaders, but the energy in the room was positive, determined, and inspiring. It was clear to me that our union is building power in the province – and that work is being noticed.

Meeting with Local 4318 at the Banff Centre

While in Alberta for meetings, I had the pleasure of taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the beautiful Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. It was a great opportunity to see firsthand the incredible work that happens there and to meet some of the dedicated CUPE 4318 members who help make it all possible every day. CUPE represents all non-management classifications at this location and the pride the members take in their work was evident throughout the tour. We are going to explore opportunities to bring a CUPE event to this location.

Thank you to Local 4318 Vice-President Stephanie Kennedy for organizing the visit and to CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal for joining us. I truly appreciated the warm welcome and the chance to connect with members in such an inspiring setting.

Canadian Council Meeting of the CLC

On February 4, I took part in the Canadian Council meeting of the CLC in Ottawa, where we focused on the upcoming CLC Convention and the growing instability driven by Donald Trump’s renewed imperial ambitions and tariffs. The impact is already being felt at home, with further auto layoffs in Ontario and thousands of lost jobs in forestry and other manufacturing sectors – workers who are on the front lines of this trade war. We agreed that Canada must push back, echoing Mark Carney’s call to end appeasement, but the answer cannot be austerity or more cuts. Instead, we need strong industrial strategies that put workers first: if corporations want to sell here, they must build here. Our jobs, resources, and public services are not markets to be exploited, and the market alone will not fix this crisis.

CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurers’ Conference

On February 11, I was truly pleased to share a few remarks at the Secretary-Treasurers’ Conference hosted by CUPE Ontario. It is always a privilege to take part in this event – one I helped initiate many years ago – and it is deeply rewarding to see it continue to thrive and to know how much members value the learning opportunities it provides. The role of local treasurer carries significant responsibility, often with limited support, and many take on these duties without formal accounting training. Conferences like this are essential in offering practical tools, guidance, and solidarity to the hundreds of CUPE treasurers who keep our locals strong. My sincere thanks to CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Yollanda McClean and the Executive Board for the warm welcome and the opportunity to participate.

All-Committees Meeting and Lobby Day

From February 23 to 26, 2026, all eighteen national committees were brought together under one roof, creating space for both new and returning members to come together in plenary sessions and within their individual committees to discuss shared priorities and issues directly affecting their work. These discussions helped lay the groundwork for committee activity over the next two years and strengthened connections across committees.

This year, the format of the All-Committees’ Meeting was intentionally redesigned to include a CUPE lobby day on Parliament Hill. Committee members participated in dedicated training and a plenary session focused on placing public services at the centre of an effective “elbows up” strategy before engaging in nearly 100 meetings with MPs from all parties, senators, and senior political staff.

Mark and I began our lobby day with a press conference on the Hill alongside Alexandre Boulerice. Following this, we joined CUPE members for a full day of lobby meetings, which brought me to meetings with Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Kody Blois, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu, and Secretary of State for Labour John Zerucelli.

The experience provided valuable learning opportunities and practical skills, and we hope it sets the stage for national committee members to engage in more direct political advocacy throughout their tenure, while encouraging similar initiatives within their own regions.

Division Secretary-Treasurers’ Meeting

On March 2, I brought together all Division Secretary-Treasurers for our first quarterly meeting, creating space for open dialogue, shared problem-solving, and practical discussion about the responsibilities and challenges of the role. We also reviewed how the national union can support divisions through campaign funding and other forms of assistance, including how those resources can be accessed and used effectively. The goal was to share information, answer questions, and strengthen coordination so every division has the clarity and support needed to carry out its work confidently and effectively.

Saskatchewan Convention

On March 4 and 5, I had the honour of participating in the Saskatchewan Division Convention. It is always a true pleasure to kick off convention season in Saskatchewan and hear directly from the local leaders who are doing extraordinary work for their communities and members in this province. Mark and I were proud to host a National Officers’ Lunch for the delegates, where we engaged in robust discussions about the national union’s role in defending public services and countering the cuts agenda of the Carney government, drawing inspiration from our recent lobby day in Ottawa. I want to extend my warm congratulations to Kent Peterson and Victor Castro on their reelection as CUPE Saskatchewan President and Secretary-Treasurer, as well as to all returning and new members of the Division’s executive board. As always, this convention exceeded expectations – congratulations to the organizers for delivering a highly successful convention and for another year of strong achievements on behalf of Saskatchewan members.

International Women’s Day

On March 8, International Women’s Day, we proudly celebrate the remarkable contributions of women everywhere, and especially the countless women of CUPE whose leadership, resilience, and dedication strengthen our union every single day. Women in our union lead negotiations, organize workplaces, mentor new activists, and champion equity in every sector. They challenge injustice, break barriers, and continue to push for safer workplaces, fair wages, and stronger communities – often while navigating systemic inequities that persist in our society. Their courage, skill, and solidarity are at the heart of our collective strength.

On Monday, March 9, we marked this important occasion by expressing our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our female staff with some refreshments at the national office, creating space in our lobby to connect, reflect, and celebrate together in a more informal setting.

Safer Union Spaces Office (SUSO)

The Safer Union Spaces Office (SUSO) continues to see rising demand, receiving an average of one to three new case requests daily. Requests include consultations, support for interventions, referrals from Legal under Article F1m of the Trial Procedure, and complaints filed under the Harassment and Discrimination Response Procedure.

SUSO is currently managing 112 open cases, providing support such as mediation, accountability counselling, team restoration, safety planning, conflict coaching, and risk assessment. Event-related complaints are included only if formally referred to SUSO.

Over the past quarter, SUSO has focused on implementing the Harassment and Discrimination Response Procedure in line with best practices, including communication templates and tracking systems.

Since January 1, the office received 13 complaints under the new procedure and is coordinating 25 Trial Procedure cases offered the option to proceed under it. SUSO is also working with IT to build a case management system in M-Files for all complex cases, excluding event complaints unless formally referred.

The updated Events Ombuds Program, supported by the new Case Systems Lead, has improved consistency in intake, debriefs, and feedback. SUSO supported eight CUPE events across three regions last quarter, with Union Education staff serving as Ombuds Leads and co-developing upcoming Ombuds Training in March.

Requests for mediation within locals have grown significantly since fall 2025, exceeding current staff capacity. SUSO is prioritizing mediation and conflict coaching training, co-developing a Transformative Mediation program with Community Justice Initiatives for 20 staff in May 2026. Graduates will form a Mediation Community of Practice to support ongoing requests. Over the next year, this training will inform shorter sessions and workshops to strengthen conflict coaching, trauma-informed resolution, and mediation skills across CUPE.

2026 Budget

Thanks to the National Executive Board, the budget presented for their approval in December was adopted. Following the adoption of the 2026 budget in December, my office approved a modest adjustment to the staff allocation in the Alberta Region. After careful consideration, and with the support of Alberta leadership and senior staff, the Health and Safety Representative position in the Alberta Regional Office was reclassified to a Mentor Representative position within the same office to better meet current organizational needs.

 

CONFERENCES AND NATIONAL EVENTS

With the All-Committees’ Meeting now concluded, the Events Team has shifted its focus to planning a full and ambitious slate of activities for 2026. Preparations are already underway for the NEB Retreat in March, the Energy Locals Meeting in April, and the EAP Conference alongside the Eastern Human Rights Conference in October. In addition, my office, along with CUPE Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, will be hosting Dollars and Sen$e, a conference on local finances for executives in the Prairies region. The conference will take place in Winnipeg from September 11 to 13 and offer expert guest speakers and dynamic workshops to equip executive members with the information and skills they need to carry out financial responsibilities and to feel confident making good financial decisions. Finally, the year will culminate with the 2026 Sector Council Conference, scheduled for November 22 to 26 at the Halifax Convention Centre, bringing this key gathering to the Atlantic region.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025

GENERAL FUND

Quarter 4 - Statement of Financial Position

Employee Future Benefits Obligation: Under the method where we value the liability using the expected rate of investment earnings, the true liability as calculated by our actuary at December 31, 2024 stood at $293.2 million. That liability was increased to $304.6 million at December 31, 2025, based on Eckler’s estimated value of our liability at the end of 2025. This amount is fully recorded under Long-Term Liabilities on our balance sheet.

Eckler will be calculating our final EFB asset and liability as at December 31, 2025.
If this final calculation differs from their original estimate, the difference will be amortized over a 5-year period, starting with 1/5 in 2025. This approach, also referred to as “smoothing”, will help reduce the impact of significant year-end adjustments to our EFB Liability.

 

Fund Balance: The Fund Balance at December 31, 2025, is $99.5 million, of which a total of $4.1 million is restricted as follows: Convention and National Events Assistance Fund, $1.6 million and Regional Building Fund, $2.4 million. Of the remaining Fund Balance, we have invested $87.4 million in fixed assets, leaving an unrestricted balance of $8.1 million.

Quarter 4 - Statement of Operations

The preliminary and unaudited operating surplus for the year is $9.7 million.

Revenue: Total revenue was $292.4 million compared to a budget of $289.1 million.
Per Capita Tax and Initiation Fees made up $290 million of the total revenue and came in at $2.1 million over budget. General Investment Interest, Unrealized gains, Interest on Per Capita Tax Arrears and Miscellaneous Revenues accounted for $2.5 million of the total revenue.

Expenses: Total expenses were $282.8 million, which came in at $2 million under budget.

Salaries are under budget by $2.1 million and current benefits are over budget by $2 million.

Operating Expenses:

Below are some of the more significant items on operating expenses:

1. Overall programs are $4.1 million under budget.

2. Office Expenses are $958,000 under budget.

3. Telecommunications are $483,000 under budget.

NATIONAL DEFENCE FUND

Quarter 4 - Statement of Financial Position

Assets: As at December 31, 2025, we have $42.8 million in Total Assets compared to $42.7 million at December 31, 2024.

The cash balance at December 31, 2025, is $1.2 million, a decrease from $6.5 million at December 31, 2024. In addition, we have investments totalling $38.5 million on the books as at December 31, 2025, an increase of $6.3 million from December 31, 2024.

Liabilities: Under Liabilities, we have accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $2.8 million at December 31, 2025, compared to $4.0 million at December 31, 2024. There is also $19.4 million in cost-shared campaigns’ liabilities compared to $15.3 million at the end of 2024. Finally, $2.2 million is owed to the General Fund at the end of 2025, compared to $2.5 million at December 31, 2024.

Fund Balance: At December 31, 2025, the Fund Balance was $18.4 million compared to $20.8 million at December 31, 2024.

Quarter 4 - Statement of Operations

The preliminary deficit, before unrealized losses, for 2025 is $2.1 million. Of note is that the National Executive Board has approved an overall budget deficit for the year of $6.2 million. This is a measure taken to spend some of the surplus that has been building in the Defence Fund over the past few years.

Revenue: Total revenue in the Fund at December 31, 2025 is $19.1 million. Per capita tax allocated to the Fund at December 31, 2025, was $17.5 million, and $1.6 million in interest was earned on investments.

Expenses: Total expenses in the Fund were $21.2 million as follows:

Cost-shared Campaigns: $12.5 million in cost-shared campaigns have been approved by the National Executive Board. There was a recovery of $2.8 million in unused funds from prior years’ cost-shared campaigns that have been closed out during the year.

Major Organizing Campaigns: Expenses at December 31, 2025 were $3.2 million against an annual budget of $4 million.

National Strategic Initiatives: Expenses at December 31, 2025 were $2.3 million against an annual budget of $2.7 million.

Regional Strategic Initiatives: Expenses at December 31, 2025 were $3 million with a budget for the year of $4.3 million.

Temporary Representative Positions: This schedule shows the actual spending against the budget amount to provide for the cost of temporary representative(s) position(s) in each region. Actual spending at December 31, 2025 was $2.9 million against an annual budget of $4.6 million.

NATIONAL STRIKE FUND

Quarter 4 - Statement of Financial Position

Assets: Total Assets in the National Strike Fund at December 31, 2025 are $121.1 million, compared to $135.9 million at December 31, 2024. These assets consist of $3.7 million in cash, $3.1 million in per capita receivable, $321,000 in accounts receivable and $114 million in investments. 

Liabilities: We have accounts payable and accrued liabilities totalling $2.3 million and $7.2 million due to the general fund at December 31, 2025.

Fund Balance: At December 31, 2025, the Fund Balance was $111.7 million, compared to $132.6 million at December 31, 2024.

Quarter 4 - Statement of Operations

The Fund had a deficit from operations of $19.7 million and an unrealized loss of $1.2 million, bringing the net deficit to $21 million.

Revenue: The total revenue, including realized investment income, was $26.1 million.

Expenses: Total expenses at December 31, 2025 were $45.8 million as follows:

Strike Related Expenses:                           $37,937,798

Strike Averting Expenses:                          $6,484,830

Legal and Arbitration Expenses:               $897,106

Bargaining Rights Legal Challenges:       $495,000

STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS FOR THE Q4 2025 FINANCIAL REPORTING PERIOD

CUPE members are standing up and demanding more and better all across the country. During the Q4 reporting period, the following locals were on strike, or locked out:

Local 3912 (NS) – Mount Saint Vincent University

Local 3912 (NS) – Saint Mary’s University

Local 830 (PEI) – City of Charlottetown Water & Utilities

Local 4317 (QC) – Port of Montreal

Local 5490 (Airline) – Pascan Airlines

Local 1983 (QC) – Montreal Transit Commission

Local 5564 (QC) – Autobus Fleur de Lys

Local 1544 (ON) – Timmins Transit

Local 1281-33 (ON) – York University Faculty Association

Local 410 (BC) – Greater Victoria Public Library

Local 15 (BC) – City of Vancouver

Local 1699 (BC) – Regional District Fraser Fort George

Local 2269 (BC) – District of Squamish

STRIKES, LOCKOUTS AND SETTLEMENTS FOR THE CURRENT QUARTER (Q1)

At the date of writing this report, the following locals had been on strike or locked out in the current quarter:

Local 4317 (QC) – Port of Montreal, 32 office support workers on strike from September 22, 2025 to March 6, 2026.

Local 5490 (Airline) – Pascan Airlines, 20 flight attendants on strike since October 28, 2025.

Local 5564 (QC) – Autobus Fleur de Lys, 22 members on strike from November 16, 2025 to February 10, 2026.

Local 301 (QC) – City of Montreal, 4,000 outside workers on strike on February 4, 2026.

Local 301 (QC) – City of Kirkland, 60 outside workers on strike on March 4 and 5, 2026.

Local 1281-33 (ON) – York University Faculty Association, 8 workers on strike from October 27, 2025 to February 6, 2026.

Local 3912.5 (NS) – Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 90 workers on strike since March 4, 2026.

PER CAPITA ARREARS

For the quarter ended December 2025, total arrears were $15,538,376, an increase of $679,068 or 4.57% from the previous quarter ended September 2025. Total arrears have increased by 6.29% as compared to December 2024. Overall arrears per member are $20.23, an increase from $19.72 at December 2024. Arrears per member are calculated based on the December 31, 2025, twelve-month average membership of 768,184.

PROPERTIES AND LEASEHOLDS

During the first quarter of 2026, we are actively analyzing and pursuing opportunities
in Cornwall, Kingston, and Fraser Valley, where our current facilities no longer meet our requirements. We are also in negotiations for potential new spaces in Medicine Hat, Saskatoon, Moncton, Peterborough, and Corner Brook, as well as for additional space at our Edmonton location. All these transactions are driven by internal growth and the need to secure safe, high-quality spaces. We are also in the process of negotiating lease renewals in Terrace, Red Deer and Niagara.

We currently have several ongoing construction projects for new office spaces in Sydney, St-John’s, London, Hamilton, Peel and Prince George. We are also working on elaborating the scope of work for projects at the Ontario and Atlantic Regional Offices.

CUPE’s growth over the last few years has resulted in us outgrowing several of our current office facilities. This has caused a significant increase in relocation projects, putting significant pressure on the property management team. We will soon be hiring
a National Coordinator, Construction, to help meet the increasing demand for the construction of new, high-quality office spaces.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) REPORT

Member Relationship Management System (MRMS) Enhancements

The IT team is implementing new MRMS features, focusing on the Local Union Information (LUI) module. Enhancements include managing organizations and provincial structures, integrating settlement and pension data from the Collective Agreement module, and deploying the National Committees integration to Production.

In collaboration with O&RS and Finance, IT is testing the feasibility of in-person payments for field organizing projects. Square was selected as the payment provider; Finance has set up the account and live testing is underway. The team is also exploring online payments and multi-member workshop registration for the Education module.

Our online Strike Forms are now live in Production. A support process has been established, a pilot local/unit identified, and key stakeholders have met to plan the pilot. Education is developing training materials.

JustPay V3

JustPayV3, used by Ontario and Quebec Job Evaluation Representatives, continues
to receive minor updates. JustPayV2 will be retired within three months.

Global Justice Fund

The project to facilitate online donations to the Global Justice Fund has reached the prototype phase. Version two of the Business Requirements Document is complete, including updated wireframes and UI designs. Stripe was selected for payment integration, and development of the integrated prototype is underway.

Per Capita Tax System Replacement

Transition to the new Local Remittance System is progressing through user acceptance testing and bug fixes, with go-live planned for May 1, 2026.

Avanti

The HR Avanti Time & Attendance project remains in user acceptance testing, with a tentative early spring go-live date.
  

Information Management (IM) Solution – CUPEDocs

Saskatchewan’s CUPEDocs rollout is complete. Focus has shifted to adoption monitoring, staff support, and usage analysis. The IM team is also planning the 2026 roadmap, including regional rollouts, stronger governance, and updated retention and disposition strategies.

Network and Infrastructure

CUPE is transitioning its network infrastructure from a vendor-managed hosted service to a co-managed, internally hosted model. As part of this shift, the network management and analysis platform now operates within CUPE’s own cloud environment, enabling greater visibility and control. A key benefit of this approach is that the internal IT team can proactively monitor, manage, and update the network more efficiently when needed.

In addition, the IT department has secured an agreement with a third-party provider to back up CUPE’s Microsoft Azure infrastructure. Following a comprehensive review of the current environment, this solution is expected to reduce storage costs by approximately 50% over a three-year period while strengthening overall resilience and data protection.

New Executive Assistant in NSTO

As reported in my last report, Stephanie Malinsky has returned to her assignment in time to lead the School Board bargaining coming up this year. With this transition, I would also like to welcome Angella MacEwen to the role of Executive Assistant in the NSTO.

Angella is known to many of you as our current Acting Research Director, as well as CUPE’s Senior Economist, a position she held for over seven years. Before coming to work with CUPE, Angella was the Senior Economist at the Canadian Labour Congress for many years. Angella has been a New Democrat federal candidate, a Fellow with the Broadbent Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and a well-known thinker and writer on progressive economics in Canada. 

We are all looking forward to working with Angella in this new capacity, and I know you will join me in congratulating and welcoming her to her new role.

PENSION ADMINISTRATION

Effective January 1, 2026, I became the Chair of the JBT and Vickie Houston became the Vice-Chair.

The Joint Board of Trustees will have its first scheduled meeting of the year on April 1. The Trustees will discuss, amongst other things, the preliminary valuation results at January 1, 2026.

The Actuarial Valuation filed on September 16, 2025 confirmed an employer contribution rate of 13.20% of pensionable earnings, which will remain in effect for 2026.

Retirements

Catherine R. Bumbaca, Air Canada Component, February 1, 2026

Karen D. Wilson, British Columbia Regional Office, February 1, 2026

Michael J. Walters, Lakehead Area Office, March 1, 2026

Jeffrey M. Van Wyk, Ontario Regional Office, March 1, 2026

Nathalie C. Carrier, Timmins Area Office, April 1, 2026

François Rollet, Quebec Regional Office, April 1, 2026

Gérald LeBlanc, Edmundston Area Office, May 1, 2026

Robin Silverman, Ontario Regional Office, May 1, 2026

Rhonda Heisler, Saskatchewan Regional Office, December 1, 2026.

CONCLUSION

CANDACE RENNICK

National Secretary-Treasurer