CUPE members attending the pension forum at the 2025 convention were met with welcome news: the focus of many pension fights today has shifted from fighting off cuts to ambitious plans that turn surpluses into wins for workers.
Two panels highlighted recent wins across the country.
The first panel focused on CUPE’s success in using pension fund surpluses to improve benefits for members. While employers were seeking—and in some cases taking—contribution holidays, CUPE locals had other plans.
Buoyed by a strong financial position, the Health Care of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), for example, has improved benefits four times since 2018 and increased the maximum cost of living allowance under the plan to 100% of the Consumer Price Index.
In Nova Scotia, CUPE members successfully bargained for joint trusteeship of the Nova Scotia Health Employees’ Pension Plan. Now funded at an impressive 154%, the plan was also able to significantly increase member benefits with some members seeing their pensions almost double.
The second panel celebrated victories in extending pension coverage to more vulnerable workers. At Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital, young, precarious, and part-time workers were brought into HOOPP. Meanwhile, CUPE helped secure Ontario Municipal Retirement Systems (OMERS) coverage for workers at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.
Panelists emphasized that these wins did not come easily. Securing representation on pension boards or, where possible, joint trusteeship is critical for workers to have control over how pension funds are managed and surpluses used. They also stressed the importance of educating members about their pension plans and the significance of surpluses.
While challenges remain, especially with employers seeking to divert surplus funds, CUPE’s pension fights are now yielding real, lasting gains for members.