Nicholas Marcus Thompson

Today I learned that the union I led for two terms, until 2023, Union of Taxation Employees Toronto North, was dissolved. The news is heavy. This is where I grew into the labour movement and found my footing as a leader.

This was where my activism took its first breath. It was here that I learned how to fight injustice strategically through organizing and collective action. It was here that I learned how to bring people together around fairness and dignity.

It was here that I learned Roberts Rules of Order, labour law, jurisprudence, negotiation, lobbying, and how to navigate systems that resisted change. Most of all, it was here that I learned how to lead because workers trusted me with their hopes and their futures.

This local shaped far more than my skills. It shaped the direction of my life.

It was here that I launched the Union Matters show to ventilate labour issues and give workers a voice.
It was here that I held the townhall that sparked what would grow into the Black Class Action.

It was here that I first began organizing to change Canada’s Employment Equity Act and to push for reforms that would reach far beyond one workplace.

The class action and the broader movement for justice in the federal public service were born in these rooms and carried forward by the workers who stood with me.

So yes, I am saddened. Losing UTE Toronto North feels like losing a part of my own story. But change will always come. What stays with me is the impact, the lessons, and the fire that was sparked here.

To the members now in other locals across the Greater Toronto Region, carry forward the best of what we built. The heart of UTE Toronto North lives in you.