Toronto Public Library Workers Union Local 4948

By failing to declare gender-based violence an epidemic our governments fail to treat it with the seriousness it requires.

But through collective bargaining, we can materially improve the lives of workers experiencing domestic and sexual violence through protected leaves and job and compensation protections.

At today, our local's VP, Christie Paschakis, urged union leaders across the province to join the 86 CUPE locals who have prioritized this work at the bargaining table. Our local is proof that this necessary language CAN be won.

"CUPE Ontario should also be urging progression on these issues internally: supporting locals, developing model language, training bargaining committees, and making paid domestic violence and sexual violence leave the standard across this union," Christie said.

"If we want to set the tone for society, we should first set the standard in our own workplaces."

Last Thursday we held our first Steward Council of the year.

We've got a great group of area chairs, vice-chairs and stewards committed to ensuring our workplaces are safe and fair for our members!

“Competitive wages are critical for a safe, reliable system,” says Sumit Guleria, president of CUPE 2. “Our members are falling behind comparable public sector jobs, despite performing highly specialized work that is unique in this country."

Solidarity to our CUPE Local 2!

CUPE Local 2 is committed to reaching a fair deal, and that happens at the bargaining table.

What we’ve seen from the TTC so far is escalation, including moving to conciliation before meaningful negotiations even began and requesting a no-board report yesterday, triggering a countdown toward a strike or lockout. That raises serious questions about whether the focus is on bargaining or applying pressure to reach a deal ahead of the World Cup, at a time when our members are facing a cost-of-living crisis.

Our members are proud to keep Toronto moving safely and are ready to play a key role in delivering a successful FIFA World Cup for Toronto. This contract timing doesn’t change that, but it does underscore the need for a fair, reasonable deal.