The UN expert on poverty is warning that privatization of public services tramples on human rights, hitting people who are already marginalized the hardest. Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty, looked at privatization from a human rights perspective. His report finds that “privatization often involves the systematic elimination of human rights protections and further marginalization [...]

Join hundreds of CUPE members from across the province as we rally with the Ontario Health Coalition to stop cuts to health care. WHEN: Tuesday, October 23rd WHERE: Queen’s Park, Toronto A CUPE Ontario bus will be picking up members in Niagara and Hamilton. Please save your seat by emailing Brittany at secretary@cupe2977.com [...]

Across Ontario, library workers are extending an invitation to the public to join them this coming week for a celebration of Ontario Public Library Week. Library workers, represented by CUPE, will hold celebrations in communities across Ontario, highlighting the important role libraries play in enhancing the quality of life for all residents, as well as [...]

As the Canadian government steps up the push for privatization in developing countries, a new report “raises serious red flags” about P3s. In a recent speech at the United Nations, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promoted private sector investment in infrastructure to meet UN goals to end poverty, address climate change and tackle inequality in the developing world by 2030. [...]

TORONTO, ON –As Ontario’s already overcrowded hospitals hit the fall flu season, a PC government announcement that slashes surge beds and funding by more than half, is “deceptive, misleading and very concerning”, says Michael Hurley president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.

CUPE NATIONAL WILL: Continue to support and work with our allies to promote the introduction of a national public pharmacare plan. Promote a national public pharmacare plan that: Covers everyone Provides comprehensive coverage of all safe, evidence-based, and effective prescription medications, with a preference for generics where applicable Provides access to medications without financial barriers Is enacted through new legislation [...]

Given a generational opportunity to revamp NAFTA, the Trudeau government has fallen short on its promise to negotiate the modern, progressive trade deal that Canadians deserve. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is anything but “progressive”, and it will set Canada back on critical priorities like Pharmacare. CUPE applauds the elimination of Chapter 11, the ISDS (investor-state dispute settlement) mechanism from NAFTA, [...]

Last week, on September 21 and 22—for the first time ever—women foreign ministers came together at a meeting hosted by Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and her European Union counterpart, Federica Mogherini.  A group of civil society organizations from the Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada have come together to use this summit as [...]

The Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) has some solid advice for Finance Minister Bill Morneau: there’s no time to lose in tackling climate change, growing inequality and drastically underfunded public services. Morneau will deliver his fall economic update in the coming weeks, setting the stage for the Liberal government’s 2019 pre-election federal budget. Business groups [...]