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Tentative agreement reached for Pascan Aviation flight attendants

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:46:05 -0400

This Tuesday evening, a tentative agreement was reached between Pascan Aviation and its 19 flight attendants, members of CUPE. The strike, which began on October 28, 2025, and lasted 323 days, has now been suspended.

In the next few weeks, the flight attendants, members of CUPE 5490, will be invited to vote on the agreement by secret ballot. Out of respect for the members, no comments will be made about the contents of the agreement in advance of the ratification vote.

The previous collective agreement had expired on July 18, 2025.

Pascan Aviation is based out of Montreal Metropolitan Airport (YHU), formerly known as Montreal-Saint-Hubert Airport. It offers flights to the following destinations: Longueuil, Québec City, Gaspé, Bonaventure, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Saint John and Halifax, as well as chartered flights.

Airport privatization will cost passengers and workers

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:54:19 -0400

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is warning the federal government against handing control of Canada’s major airports over to private investors, saying privatization will mean higher costs for passengers and more pressure on airport workers.

Canada’s airports are critical public infrastructure. They exist to serve passengers, workers and communities, not to be profit centres for private investors. Surrendering control of our strategic transportation infrastructure simply does not square with this government’s stated goal of building a stronger, more resilient and sovereign Canadian economy.

International experience shows who pays the price for airport privatization. After Perth Airport was privatized, charges to airlines per passenger – costs ultimately passed on to travellers – skyrocketed by more than 60%, while Sydney Airport ultimately cut 40% of its workforce.

Private investors aren’t putting billions into Canadian airports as a public service. They expect a return, and that money has to come from somewhere. Canadians already pay too much to fly, and airport workers already face precarious work and constant pressure on their wages and working conditions. Privatization will only make those problems worse.

Canada’s not-for-profit airport authorities already attract private capital while reinvesting surpluses in airport infrastructure. They also return approximately $525 million annually to the federal government through airport rents. CUPE is calling on the federal government to shelve its latest privatization scheme and keep Canada’s airports in public hands.

“There is no magic to airport privatization: private investors expect a return, and Canadians will be the ones paying for it. That means pressure to raise fees, cut staff and cut corners on the services travellers rely on.” – Mark Hancock, CUPE’s National President

“Canada’s airports are essential public infrastructure, built over generations and paid for by Canadians. We should be investing in the workers and services that make them work, not turning them into a new revenue stream for private investors.” – Candace Rennick, CUPE’s National Secretary-Treasurer

“Anyone who works in Canada’s airline industry can tell you the last thing we need is another layer of profiteers skimming profit off the backs of the already underpaid and overworked people who keep this industry flying. The government’s plan will make flying worse and more expensive for literally everyone except the big institutional investors who stand to profit off this scheme.” – Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE’s Airline Division

CUPE health care workers voted 99% in favour of job action in Saskatchewan’s largest strike vote

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:09:55 -0400

CUPE health care workers have voted 99% in favour of job action in Saskatchewan’s largest strike vote. Between September 8 and 14, 13,358 members cast their ballots to secure a decisive strike mandate after 3 years of stalling and concessionary demands from the employer at the bargaining table.

CUPE 5430’s 14,000 health care workers have been without a contract since March 31, 2023, and have gone over four and a half years without a wage increase. Despite critical short-staffing, crushing workloads, and declining morale, CUPE 5430 members have continued to step up and provide critical care and services in hospitals, health centres and care homes across Saskatchewan while the employer slow-walked negotiations.

“It’s shameful how long the Minister of Health has allowed our members to go without a wage increase or the respect they deserve,” said Bashir Jalloh, President of CUPE 5430. “These incredible strike vote results send that minister and his government a message that our members are done waiting, are united, and ready to fight for a fair contract.”

“This vote is about respect, fair wages, and safe staffing. It is about having a health care system where people can build a career, support a family, and actually stay in their community,” said CUPE’s National President Mark Hancock. “This government cannot solve a recruitment and retention crisis without respecting and fairly compensating the people on the front lines. They cannot build a stronger health care system by burning out the people holding it together.”

The latest employer offer from the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) is inadequate and will leave Saskatchewan health care workers behind. If accepted, SAHO’s offer:

Includes concessionary demands that would increase contract staffing and move health care workers farther from their homes with little notice or consideration for work/life balance.
Would leave most CUPE members making less than their counterparts in Western Canada, deepening the retention crisis.
Does not catch CUPE members up after years of wage erosion compared to the cost of living. Between 2012 and 2025, the cost of living in Saskatchewan increased 33.7% compared to a general wage increase (GWI) of 14.32% for CUPE 5430 members. Over the same time, members’ wage increases were outstripped by a 61.6% increase in minimum wage.

“We are here today to put the Minister of Health and his government on notice. This strike mandate is a message that CUPE 5430 members are done waiting and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the deal they deserve,” added Jalloh.

CUPE Manitoba supports free daycare for low-income families

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:34:24 -0400

Manitoba’s largest union announced their support for the Government of Manitoba’s initiative providing free child care to low-income families.

“Manitoba has quickly taken the lead as providing the most consistent, affordable and high-quality child care,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “We believe this government needs to be recognized for putting the child care needs of Manitobans front and centre.”

The announcement of free child care for low-income families is the latest in a series of progressive and pragmatic child care initiatives this government has taken including:

Support for retention and recruitment of child care staff with direct wage assistance for child care workers.
True $10/day child care for every child, every day in registered spaces, unlike the lotteries and scattered approach seen in other provinces.
A commitment to non-profit child care not seen in neighboring provinces.

“Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning, Tracey Schmidt is clearly committed to a made-in-Manitoba, not-for-profit child care system that works for families,” said McKay. “She has resisted calls to roll back affordability initiatives or take a privatized approach that would see American owned child care operators into Manitoba.”

Workers at Kensington Health Long-Term Care and Hospice call on the community for support, amid contract negotiations

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:27:20 -0400

The workers of CUPE 4599 provide quality care for the residents of Kensington Health Long-Term Care and Hospice in Toronto’s Kensington Market. The work is physically and psychologically demanding, but the workers show up every day to provide care for some of the most vulnerable members of the community because they care. High workload, coupled with high stress and low pay has caused turnover at the home to skyrocket. With contract negotiations underway, the local is taking to the streets to call on the community to help them fight for better working conditions.

Workers held an information picket outside their workplace Saturday afternoon, handing out flyers and calling on community members to support them. The biggest concerns for the union going into negotiations are vacation quotas that prevent staff from being able to take time off, and a lack of long-term disability benefits to help take care of staff when they get sick or injured on the job.

“Our members are tired,” said Frank O’Malley, President of CUPE 4599. “Turnover is high because we don’t get a chance to rest.”

“We also are fighting for disability accommodations for staff members with permanent injuries and medical conditions who want to continue working,” added O’Malley. “Our previous management valued the skills of these, often long-term employees, and found meaningful work for them to the benefit of our residents, but our new management has no use for them.”

The Union and the Employer met once over the summer and were scheduled to meet again earlier today. If talks fail, they will need to call on a conciliator to help the parties find common ground. Under the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act, long-term care workers are denied the right to strike, which often means workers like those in CUPE 4599 must rely on community support to help them keep their employers at the bargaining table.

“We care for some of the most vulnerable people in this community,” said O’Malley. “We need our employer to care for us.”

“Stop the cuts at Bruyere Health:” CUPE 4540 presents worker-community petition to Bruyere hospital management at rally

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:46:18 -0400

The workers at Bruyere Health have found strong community support in their campaign to stop the degradation of care at their hospital, where 55 frontline jobs are being axed. Over the past few weeks, 1,400 people have signed a petition imploring hospital management to “Stop the Cuts.”

On September 10, CUPE 4540 held a rally outside the hospital and later presented a blown-up version of the petition to management. The rally was supported by sister Locals within the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE).

In March, the hospital announced it will be eliminating 9 registered practical nurses (RPN) and 46 personal care aide (PCA) positions. The PCA cuts represent 30 per cent of the workers assisting patients with activities of daily living including walking, toileting, and bathing.

Douglas Currier, registered practical nurse and president of CUPE 4540, representing 875 staff at Bruyere, says these drastic measures take away from the goal of providing safe patient care. He said the PCA cuts shift the burden of providing personal care to RPNs, who are already stretched thin due to their own workload issues. In a December 2025 CUPE survey, 67 per cent staff reported working through their scheduled breaks.

The cuts at Bruyere are part of a broader trend of about 2,000 layoffs in the hospital sector because of provincial austerity policies. While hospitals say costs are rising by 6 per cent annually, the Ford government has merely allocated a 3.3 per cent funding increase for 2026-27 – a real dollar funding cut accounting for inflation.

“The Ford government has taken a wrecking ball to our health care system that we condemn in the strongest terms,” said Currier.

“I have spoken with hundreds of frontline staff, and they are beyond exasperated by these unconscionable decisions. These changes are intensifying workloads and will lead to more injuries and workplace violence, and poorer quality of care,” he added.

Currier said that while government funding cuts are the main problem, the hospital management should have explored other avenues to reduce its fiscal deficit.

Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE), said that the government’s constant drive to reduce health care spending was badly hurting communities that desperately rely on local hospitals like Bruyere. Ontario has the lowest per-person hospital spending in Canada.

“The population in this community is growing and aging, but their local hospitals are being choked of funding in the face of rising demand,” he said.

“The cuts at Elisabeth-Bruyere hit a particularly vulnerable patient population. These cuts withdraw thousands of hours of personal and nursing care from patients with very complex medical conditions, many of whom are permanently bedridden. The Ford government must be held to account for the consequences of their hospital funding cutbacks.”

The successful petition drive shows that the community and workers are united in this fight, and they will continue campaigning to improve services at Bruyere, Currier said.

Workers' rights must be protected in privacy law updates

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:40:22 -0400

Employers are implementing AI systems that rely on ever increasing amounts of worker data and personal information. This data can be fed into invasive bossware systems that surveil and manage workers. In this context, workers need updated laws that protect their privacy, dignity and equity at work.

The federal government held a review of the federal Privacy Act that governs how it treats the data of both federal government employees and public service users. CUPE made a submission to this review through a working group made up of trade union representatives and labour movement leaders, labour lawyers and academics.

Workers’ data in the age of AI

Workers’ privacy rights are more important than ever as employers implement invasive AI “bossware” tools. These systems can dictate who gets hired, how tasks are assigned, how workers are assessed and even discipline and termination.

The submission made key recommendations to protect workers including:

Provide notice and informed consent to workers and their unions about data collected in the workplace. The notice should include how the personal data will be used and where the data will be stored.
When automated decision-making systems are used in the workplace, notify workers and their union of the personal information used to make the decision, the purpose and scope of the decision and the logic and parameters that affect the decision.
Prohibit invasive tech such as facial recognition, emotion recognition and other biometric data collection or monitoring tools from the workplace.
Strictly limit the collection of sensitive worker data information including health information, accommodation requests, biometric data and equity data.

The federal government must ensure that updated privacy laws provide greater protections for workers’ data and privacy. Updates to privacy law also need to protect the public as governments introduce increasing numbers of AI systems that assess, review and make decisions about public services. This will help ensure that workers and the public are protected through this era of technological transformation.

Court ruling on EI, a win for new parents who lose their jobs

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:18:13 -0400

The Federal Court of Appeal has found that denying Employment Insurance (EI) supports to new parents who lose their jobs is discriminatory. The federal government could have resolved this inequity years ago. Now the courts are forcing action.

Workers are being denied EI for not having enough qualifying hours after returning from parental leave or being cut off from EI because of the arbitrary 50-week limit on combined regular and parental benefits.

“Since women still take the majority of EI parental benefits, they are far more likely to be affected by this discrimination,” said Candace Rennick, CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer. “This is wrong and should have been addressed years ago.”

The federal court found these provisions violate the Charter: “They reinforce the longstanding economic disadvantage associated with pregnancy and motherhood by diminishing the unemployment protection available to women.”

The court gave the federal government one year to address the discrimination in the EI Act. At that point, those affected may pursue their claims through the EI appeals process.

“Making women wait another year to have this discrimination addressed is just wrong,” said Rennick. “The federal government must change the EI Act now”

CUPE held a press conference with the NDP in 2024 on this issue. CUPE asked that workers be allowed to use their qualifying EI hours for both regular and parental benefits, up to a maximum 104-week benefit period. These changes would address the discrimination in the EI Act.

This court case was filed by six women in Quebec who lost their jobs before, during or after parental leave and were denied regular EI benefits. On January 10, 2022, the Social Security Tribunal (SST) General Division allowed the appeal and found the 50-week limit on combining special and regular EI benefits to be in breach of the Charter. This decision was appealed and overturned by the SST Appeal Division. The applicants filed an appeal with the Federal Court and they won.

CUPE pushes to strengthen workers’ rights in submission to upcoming 2026 Federal budget

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:10:04 -0400

CUPE has submitted key priorities for Budget 2026 that include bold investments in public infrastructure and public services. This will help create good jobs, protect communities and lay the foundation for economic resilience in the face of Trump’s latest round of tariffs. This budget must prioritize people and public services over privatization and tax cuts.

CUPE recommends increased federal funding to provinces and territories for the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care program. Throughout Canada, far too many families are unable to find licensed care. Low wages and poor working conditions are the driving force for the staff shortages and the resulting wait lists. CUPE has recommended 12 billion dollars in federal funding for child care, with planned increases of 5% per year. The government must ensure provinces and territories use the funds to negotiate fair and competitive wages, pension plans and better benefits for child care workers

The federal government must ensure people can access the medical care they need at no cost by ensuring compliance with the Canada Health Act. In Alberta, recent legislation aims to formally create a two-tier health care system. CUPE is also calling on the government to increase the Canada Health Transfer, provide permanent funding for long-term care and home care and sign pharmacare agreements with all provinces and territories.

CUPE also urges the government to invest in public infrastructure rather than high-risk private and public-private partnerships (P3s) that funnel public money to large corporations. The federal government should prioritize public funding and low-cost financing that deliver projects faster, more predictably, and at a lower cost. Budget 2026 should ensure that all additional infrastructure funding and financing, including through the Canada Strong Fund, supports public infrastructure and public ownership.

Public universities, colleges and polytechnics in Canada have not seen a real dollar increase in federal funding in nearly two decades. More than 14,000 post-secondary workers have been laid off since December 2025. CUPE is calling on the federal government to increase and stabilize funding for public post-secondary education. Budget 2026 should also invest in public colleges and polytechnics to deliver skilled trades training, create dedicated funding for post-secondary infrastructure, and lay the groundwork for a national strategy that protects public education, good jobs and the programs and services students rely on.

This upcoming fall budget is vital to ensure our jobs are protected and our economy stays strong. CUPE will continue to advocate for workers throughout the country, fighting for ways to lower costs and improve working conditions. It is only through a strong working class that our country will make it through this trade war.

To view the complete list of CUPE recommendations for the 2026 Federal Fall Budget, please click here.

Fact sheet: What is a disability?

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:08:53 -0400

CUPE is committed to the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life. As a union, we have the power to advance disability justice in the workplace and beyond. This factsheet aims to raise awareness and educate CUPE staff, CUPE members, and all those living in Canada about the multiple facets of disability.

Disability justice is a framework to advance equity, solidarity and human rights in our union. This framework, developed by Sins Invalid, builds on disability rights and centres the leadership of Black, Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQI+ people with disabilities. Disability justice looks at how racism, sexism, classism or other systems of oppression interact and create compounding barriers.

The diversity of disabilities

A disability is a condition that affects how a person moves, thinks, or interacts in the world. However, people are often disabled not just by their conditions, but by barriers in society, such as inaccessible spaces, workplace rules, or negative attitudes.

Every disability is unique to the individual experiencing it. In Canada, roughly 8 million people aged 15 years or older - nearly 28% of the population - have a disability or multiple disabilities.

People with disabilities who are also marginalized by racism, gender discrimination, or transphobia face additional barriers. Some communities are more likely to experience certain disabilities, for example, the universities of Manitoba and Toronto, respectively, found that Indigenous and South Asian people in Canada are three times more likely to develop diabetes.

Ableism is any form of discrimination or bias, whether conscious or unconscious, against people with disabilities. Ableism is reflected in harmful attitudes, beliefs, policies or practices that falsely judge people with disabilities as inferior.

Disabilities can be temporary, episodic, permanent or chronic. Some people are born with a disabling condition, like spina bifida. Some people acquire a disability, like diabetes, over the course of their life while others become disabled as a result of an accident, and some people have invisible disabilities such as Autism or Crohn’s disease.

Physical disabilities

Among workers with disabilities, pain-related (63%) and flexibility (36%) were the most common physical disabilities in 2022.

In 2022, 7.4% of Canadians aged 15 years and over had a seeing disability. Despite the fact that, on average, Canadians with vision loss attain a higher educational level than other people in Canada, they face higher unemployment and underemployment rates than other people with disabilities in general.

An estimated 357,000 people in Canada are culturally Deaf, meaning they were born Deaf. Three and a half million people in Canada have some degree of hearing loss.[iv] Less than half of working age people with a hearing disability are employed.

Vision and hearing challenges will become increasingly common as our population ages.

Deaf is capitalized because it means they are part of the Deaf community. Some people see it as their identity, and for some, less so a disability.

Invisible disabilities

The challenges imposed by disabilities are not always visible.

Many people picture wheelchairs, guide dogs, and other more obvious signs of disabilities, but not all workers with mobility issues require a wheelchair, and not all visually impaired workers are completely blind. Disabilities like autism, depression, arthritis, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not visible.

Invisible disabilities can require accommodations that are not obvious to others, such as flexible work arrangements. People who have invisible disabilities can face stigma and discrimination, including disbelief that their disabilities exist.

It’s important to avoid making assumptions about a person’s health status or disability.

Perceived disabilities

Sometimes workers are discriminated against because an employer or co-worker perceives them to be disabled when they are not.

Consider a worker returning to work following a heart attack with full medical clearance and who has been told by her employer that she cannot perform certain tasks. This worker is being discriminated against because she is not allowed to perform her job. This discrimination is the result of a perceived disability, not based on fact, which can create barriers for workers.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity means that people’s brains work in different ways. These differences are a normal part of human diversity.

“Neurodivergent” describes people who process information, communication or behave differently from what is considered neurotypical, or most common. Some neurodivergent conditions may be considered disabilities, especially when workplace or social barriers make it difficult for a person to fully participate. For example, a worker with ADHD may face challenges in a rigid work environment but can succeed with accommodations such as flexible scheduling or task supports.

Some other examples are:

Autism spectrum disorder
Learning disabilities
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Recognizing neurodiversity helps workplaces reduce stigma and provide appropriate accommodations so all workers can thrive.

Mental disabilities

Mental disabilities can take many forms, and symptoms may not be obvious to employers and co-workers. In 2022, 46% of workers with disabilities had a mental health-related disability, the second most common type of disability among workers after pain-related disabilities.

Among youth (aged 15 to 24 years) with disabilities, 68% of them had a mental health-related disability. Anxiety disorder and depression are the most common.

Other mental disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Bipolar disorders
Dyslexia
Memory problems
Schizophrenia
Phobias

Mental health in the workplace

Stress can be associated with severe physical and psychological effects, including sleep disorders, fatigue, depression, susceptibility to injury, and a compromised immune system.

Stress is often a part of life and the workplace but someone’s capacity to handle everyday stress is shaped by factors such as housing, economic stability, war and conflict, experiences with trauma and more. In many cases, stress and anxiety are caused by poor working conditions, steadily worsened by privatization as well as racism, transphobia, ableism and more.

Recognizing toxic levels of stress and mental health are a part of workplace health and safety. Employers have a responsibility to prevent harm caused by workplace conditions while also meeting their duty to accommodate.

Substance dependence

Substance use disorder, addiction or substance dependence are terms often used interchangeably and are considered a disability.

According to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the worker, the employer, and the union all have a responsibility to address substance dependence in a respectful, collaborative and timely manner.

Workers are required to disclose accommodation needs though often do not because of stigma and discrimination. Employers have a duty to inquire in a confidential, non-judgmental manner if there are signs that substance dependence might be impacting a worker’s job.

The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition stresses the importance of workplace responses that focus on actual safety, early support and accurate assessment. Supportive, non-stigmatizing accommodation and health and safety processes are crucial.

Episodic disabilities

An episodic disability is experienced when a person goes through periods of ill health when they require accommodation or are unable to work. Often, accommodations required include accommodating absenteeism, understanding the inability to predict absences, flexible work hours, and working from home.

Some examples include:

Arthritis
Crohn’s disease
Long COVID
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)
Repetitive strain injury

Advances in medicine have made it possible for people with chronic conditions like lupus, HIV and AIDS or cancer to live full lives and continue to work. But sometimes chronic conditions flare up. The cause may be unknown or even result from stressors in the workplace. Treatments can also take physical, emotional and financial tolls that must be considered.

Sometimes disabilities can be triggered in the workplace. People with occupational asthma, for instance, may be completely free of symptoms as long as they work in an area with no irritants.

Regardless of the cause, people suffering from episodic disabilities are entitled to protection from workplace discrimination just as those with other forms of disabilities.

Temporary disabilities

There are cases where temporary conditions have been considered disabilities, including for injured workers.

Some examples of temporary conditions are:

Heart attack
Broken bones, sprains and joint injuries
Fibromyalgia
Intermittent back pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and other repetitive stress injuries

Some of the conditions listed above can also be recurring or chronic conditions, but the flare-ups from the conditions can be temporary.

Temporary disabilities are not the same as episodic disabilities. A temporary disability eventually ends, while episodic disabilities may recur indefinitely. While these categories are distinct, they are not always mutually exclusive. A condition may fall into more than one category depending on the duration, its effects, reoccurrence, and other factors.

Disability justice and equity

Applying a disability justice framework to disabilities in the workplace can foster a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace and union. Sins Invalid’s disability justice principles promote leadership of the most impacted, cross movement organizing, cross disability solidarity and are valuable goal posts for workplaces and unions working in solidarity with workers with disabilities.