December 6 marks the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, where 14 women were singled out and murdered in an attack motivated by the gunman’s hatred of feminism and women. One of those women, Maryse Laganière, was a CUPE member who worked at the school.
Thirty-six years later, we continue to fight against violence in our workplaces, our schools and our homes. At work, women continue to face disproportionate levels of harassment and violence – especially in sectors serving the public. Women who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+ and persons with disabilities are even more likely to be targeted. For some, however, work can be a refuge when there is violence at home – though far too often those facing domestic violence will continue to receive abusive calls, emails or visits at work.
As the femicide rate continues to rise in Canada, we must continue our fight against gender-based violence at home and at work. We must also tackle violence within the labour movement. Too many workers – especially women and workers who experience oppression – have been subjected to violence and harassment in union spaces. Read the report of CUPE’s National Safe Union Spaces Working Group, about the progress we’ve made and the work ahead.
On this day, and every day, we join those across the country demanding an end to gender-based violence everywhere that it occurs.
Take action:
- Organize or attend a December 6 event in your workplace or neighbourhood.
- Follow our work: at CUPE’s 2025 National Convention, CUPE delegates voted on a resolution to develop and implement strategies for raising awareness about domestic and gender-based violence – including training, workshops, and educational materials.
- Use CUPE’s Stop Workplace Sexual Violence guide to raise awareness, support survivors and challenge sexual violence.
- Download and share CUPE’s Violence Prevention Kit, and speak out against any violence you witness.
- Bargain for paid leave and other protections for workers facing domestic violence. We have seen some recent gains in this area. This year, transition house workers in Nova Scotia, who support women experiencing domestic violence, secured a pension and wage increases in their latest round of bargaining. All workers in Nova Scotia now also have five days for domestic violence leave. For more, see CUPE’s Domestic Violence and the Workplace Bargaining Guide and the CLC’s Domestic Violence at Work Resource Centre.
- Support organizations like women’s shelters, the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the Canadian Council for Refugees or Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.
- Read the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and support the work of the Native Women’s Association of Canada to challenge this genocide.
