Joseph DiFlaviano, CUPE Ontario Pink Triangle Committee Member, gives a brief history of Pride in Canada where we have our own roots in celebrating LGBTQ rights.

Canadian Medical Association Journal says all health facilities in Canada need to urgently update their PPE guidelines. “Although good ventilation can mitigate long-range aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the WHO and CDC’s acknowledgement of airborne spread at close range highlights an urgent need to revisit PPE guidelines in all Canadian health care settings.

60,000 hospital workers represented by CUPE and SEIU protest June 14, calling on the PC government to scrap its law limiting wage increases to 1% for each of the next 3 years. Inflation was 3.4% in April year over year. Ontario’s ‘health care heroes’ can’t afford to accept large cuts to their real wages and believe that they should be able to bargain wage increases at least equal to inflation.

Quebec bargains 2% increases for health care workers. Ontario limits our increases to 1%. Day of action June 14 Inflation was 2.2%from March 2020-2021and the Ontario government has limited our wage increases to 1%for the first 3 years of our contracts. But the Quebec government just signed deals that give its health care workers 2% increases in each year of the contract and 1% lump sum payments in the first and third years.

Every year, LGBTQ2+ CUPE members and their allies come together to celebrate Pride and demand an end to homophobia, transphobia and oppression. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage communities, CUPE calls on governments and employers to prioritize safety for LGBTQ2+ people.

CUPE Local 786 members, Join us on June 9 at 6:30pm for a special pride month webinar where panellists will discuss the history of pride, the meaning of the Pink Triangle symbol, and the work of the CUPE Ontario Pink Triangle Committee.

The Workers with Disabilities (WWD) Committee has a vacancy that we wish to fill by appointment. The WWD Committee consists of seven Ontario CUPE members, elected every two years at the Human Rights Convention. The Committee convenes twice a year for two-day meetings, as well as a three-day Equity Retreat where all Equity committee members are invited. We also have monthly phone meetings as we work on various campaigns and assignments.