Political Pulse - Fall 2017

POLITICAL PULSE
NEWS FROM CUPE ONTARIO Fall 2017
In this issue...
Greetings from Fred and Candace.......2
Member profile .......................................3
School Board Legal Victory...................3
Carnival 2017..........................................4
North Bay’s first PRIDE..........................5
Victory in Wasaga..................................5
Back to court for Premier on Hydro.....6
Paramedic conference..........................6
Strong solidarity on Labour Day..........7
Queen’s Park Review.............................8
CUPE O takes AMO................................9
Political Action Conference..................9
Strike Pay from day one......................10
Healthcare workers conference.........10
Time to Care rally for seniors..............11

Your CUPE Ontario Officers
Fred Hahn
President
Candace Rennick
Secretary-Treasurer
POLITICAL PULSE
News from CUPE Ontario
With more than 260,000 members,
CUPE Ontario is a strong voice for rights
and fairness for our members and our
communities.
We work at the provincial level for
legislative, policy and political change
on issues affecting public services,
equality, healthy communities and a
better Ontario for everyone.
CUPE Ontario
80 Commerce Valley Dr. E. Suite 1
Markham, ON L3T 0B2
(905) 739-9739
Greetings from Fred and Candace
Friends,
In the midst of all that is happening to push forward and demand
better, let’s take a minute to appreciate everything we’ve
accomplished so far this year.
Together we’ve been working for real change that improves the
lives of working people and we’ve had some significant victories
that will make a real difference in the lives of our members and all
working people.
We are about to win major changes to our labour laws that include
increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and requiring that
part-timers are paid the same as full-timers who do the same
work. This only happened because of the work of CUPE Ontario
activists and our allies, who have been campaigning for these
improvements for years.
When faced with tough bargaining our locals have been fighting
back and winning – 12 locals walked the picket line. Their strength
and perseverance has been noticed by other employers who are
beginning to understand that CUPE members are only going to
bargain forward.
At national convention, Ontario members led the charge to win
strike pay from day one to increase our ability to fight concessions
and make real gain.
Across Ontario, CUPE members have stood strong in the face of
hard times and are now turning the ship around. We’re not only
winning improvements for our members, but fighting to make
Ontario better for everyone in our communities.
As we head into a spring election we will continue to push for the
needs of working people. Together we have even greater victories
in our futures.
Fred Hahn
President
&
Candace Rennick
Secretary-Treasurer
www.cupe.on.ca
This document was proudly produced with unionized
labour: cope343
Keep informed!
Follow us
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Twitter.com/CUPEOntario
YouTube.com/CUPEOntario
2 Political Pulse | Fall 2017

MEMBER
SPOTLIGHT
Sandy Heeralal-Judhan - Change maker
of the time.
If you looked up
unstoppable in the
dictionary you would
likely find a picture of
Trinidadian born
Sandy Heeralal-
Judhan. A member of
CUPE 4400, Sandy
works for the Toronto
District School Board
as an early childhood
educator by day and
a superhero the rest
If Sandy sees a problem, she’s determined to fix it and
she will rope in everyone she comes across to make sure
it happens. She believes strongly in the power of building
bridges between communities and puts that into practice
pulling together her union life, her personal passion for
equality and her membership in the Lions Club.
Recognizing the severe lack of resources in remote First
Nations communities, Sandy was compelled to do
something. She started by connecting with people in the
small Oji-Cree fly-in community called Deer Lake First
Nations. Identifying needs for their community school,
she then went to work, enlisting volunteers and soliciting
donations.
She didn’t stop there. Today she’s packing transport
trailers for the people of the Mishkeegogamang Ojibway
Nation. Not only did Sandy get enough supplies donated
to fill three storage containers, she also got the storage
space donated and then arranged for a shipping
company to donate the transport up to the remote
community. The community has planned a big barbeque
for the day the trucks arrive.
“Whether it’s space, volunteer time or donations, it’s
amazing what people will offer if you just ask,” says
Sandy. “People’s generosity often brings me to tears.”
Working with connections in the medical community
Sandy is also trying to get equipment donated to help
treat serious diabetes problems and the medical staff
necessary to train community people on how to use it.
“The more I work with people in these communities the
more I hear their stories of loss and hardship that just
blow my mind,” she says. “It compels me to do more.”
In her own city of Toronto, Sandy works with youth
through Native Canadian Friendship Centre.
VICTORY FOR SCHOOL BOARD WORKERS - NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT
CUPE members who worked for an Ontario school board in either 2012-13 or 2013-14 are eligible to receive their
share of a settlment CUPE reached with the government as a result of the union’s successful charter challenge
against Bill 115 (Putting Students First Act, 2012.)
Bill 115 forced contracts on school board workers rather than respecting the bargaining process.
The Ontario Superior Court ruled that Bill 115 had “substantially interfered” with the rights of education workers
under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The court found that the act stripped workers of their right to
bargain collectively.
As settlement for the breach, $56.7 million will be paid out among approximately 60,000 CUPE school board
workers.
If you are a school board worker who was working during the years affected, you
can find out more information by visiting: bill115.cupe.on.ca
Political Pulse | Fall 2017 3

CARNIVAL 2017
Celebrating Caribbean culture important part of fight for racial justice
On the first weekend of August, CUPE Ontario members
took to the streets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
Toronto Carnival. Joining the parade in vibrant costumes
and dancing to steel bands CUPE members jumped up
in recognition of all that Caribbean culture has brought
to the city and delivering a strong statement against
discrimination and hate.
Carnival first came to Canada in 1967, originally taking
place on Simcoe Day to mark the end of slavery in
Canada on August 1, 1834.
Our members handed out leaflets, created by CUPE
Ontario’s Racial Justice Committee, to onlookers along
the parade route, covering three main issues: the need
for festival funding from all levels of government; police
accountability; and decolonizing Canada 150.
With the recent resurgence of neo-Nazi activity,
emboldened by President Trump’s election in the U.S.,
it is vital our union join the movement against hate
and racism. Not even a week after Carnival, we saw a
rally of violent white supremacists, where thousands of
white men baring torches, chanting unbelievable hatred,
flooded the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia.
This kind of overt hate and racism is not just confined
to our neighbours south of the border. It’s happening in
our own backyard. We’ve already seen branches of the
so called “Proud Boys,” attack a First Nations’ rally in
Canada.
We’re also experiencing it in our workplaces.
Immediately following the Charlottesville hate rally, a
group of white nationalists tried to organize a rally on
the University of Toronto’s campus. CUPE members
at local 3902 reacted quickly, writing an open letter
to the university’s president condemning “the use of
our workplace as a platform for hateful, racist, antiblack,
anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and otherwise whitesupremacist
rhetoric.”
In times like these, our union will not remain silent.
Rather, we are determined to raise our collective voices
against hate and white supremacy. It’s only together that
we can truly address the inequalities in our society.
4 Political Pulse | Fall 2017

First PRIDE in North Bay brings out more than 2000 people
When CUPE Ontario vice-president
Henri Giroux and newly elected
National Northern Ontario Rep,
Amanda Farrow-Giroux began to
organize North Bay’s first PRIDE
march, they never dreamed more
than 2000 people would come out
to celebrate. What began as a plan
hatched after attending Toronto’s
PRIDE, turned out better than they
could possibly have hoped.
“Our community clearly needed
this,” said Giroux. “The outpouring
of support from people of all ages
and all walks of life was truly
inspirational.”
Never ones to dream small, the two
wanted more than a march. They
got the City to approve a flag raising
ceremony and with the help of
others, organized a march followed
by a lakefront family barbeque. The
march closed down streets and the
park overflowed with people
enjoying fun activities and taking
advantage of the information booths
about city services and other
supports for the LGBTQ community.
“I can tell you there were a lot of
tears shed that day. It’s pretty
powerful when people feel
recognized and accepted,” said
Farrow-Giroux. “We feel very
honoured to have played a role in
making this happen. We can’t wait
for next year.”
“It was an honour to attend North Bay’s
first PRIDE,” said CUPE Ontario
President Fred Hahn. “It was a truly
inspiring day.”
Victory for the people of Wasaga. Inspiration for the rest of us.
The people of Wasaga Beach
celebrated a huge victory this
summer after they came together
and successfully stopped their
mayor and council from selling off
Wasaga Distribution Inc. (WDI)
With the help of the Keep Hydro
Public Coalition, local residents
successfully pressured the Wasaga
Beach council to keep and expand
the local public hydro distribution
company which is rated as one of
Ontario’s most efficient hydro
providers with the lowest electricity
cost in the province.
Thousands of residents got
involved, demonstrating their
opposition to privatizing their local
utility. Through talking to their
neighbours, local volunteers put up
over 4200 Keep Hydro Public lawn
signs and collected over 8000
petition signatures from residents
opposed to privatizing WDI.
After months of community
involvement, Wasaga Beach council
voted unanimously to keep WDI
public at an emergency meeting
back in July – a complete about
face from where they started when
the Mayor originally proposed the
plan.
“Wasaga Beach volunteers are a
shining example for the rest of the
province on how we can win back
the ownership of Hydro One
through grassroots campaigning,”
said CUPE Ontario President Fred
Hahn, a member of the Keep Hydro
Public Coalition. “Hydro should be
affordable for everyone, not in the
hands of profit driven
shareholders.”
Political Pulse | Fall 2017 5

CUPE to appeal judge’s decision to dismiss hydro lawsuit
Judge Cavanagh’s decision to dismiss our lawsuit over
the sale of Hydro One was a huge disappointment to
the people of Ontario and we have now filed an appeal
to have the decision overturned, said Fred Hahn,
president of CUPE Ontario.
“We know the government’s decision was not in the
best interest of the Ontario people, we know they
structured the deal in a way that benefitted a large
number of bankers operating as middle men on the
deal, and we know those same bankers held Liberal
party fundraisers to explicitly celebrate the sale of
Hydro One shares. This is all a matter of public record,”
said Hahn.
“Though we are pleased that the judge ruled the
Premier and her Ministers cannot hide behind
parliamentary privilege, we are baffled by his
conclusion that the pleading was unsupported,” he
said.
In June, government lawyers argued that the three were
protected from any wrong doing because they are
protected by parliamentary privilege, and asked the
judge to dismiss the case before it could proceed to
trial.
“We believe the evidence we brought forward is more
than enough to meet the necessary test for proceeding
to trial and are at a loss as to how the judge could rule
against proceeding,” said Hahn.
“This is not the first time a CUPE lawsuit has faced
preliminary hurdles before going on to win on appeal
and then at trial. We are hopeful the appeal court
will allow the case to move to trial,” Hahn said.
CUPE Paramedics work to raise their profile
Paramedics Services Workers across Ontario are
highlighting the vital role that paramedicine plays in
communities. Members came together for their
conference themed “Raising our Profile” in Niagara Falls
this.
Renewing their commitment to protect the critical work
paramedics do in local communities, members received
training on how to become strong public advocates on
the important role they play in our health care system.
Delegates also strategized on how to build local
strength and how to successfully lobby for enhanced
paramedic services to keep up with growing community
need.
Members also elected Jason Fraser, a
paramedic in Peterborough, as their
new committee chair and held the
inaugural meeting of the CUPE
Ambulance Committee of Ontario
(CACO) Women’s Caucus to shine light
on issues affecting women in the
workplace.
6 Political Pulse | Fall 2017

Workers on the rise
LABOUR DAY 2017
Record turnouts at Labour Day events across Ontario
had a feeling of renewal and sense of pride.
“We’ve come through more than a decade of austerity
that has resulted in job cuts, frozen wages, short staffing
and with many people having to work multiple low-wage
jobs,” said Hahn. “Working people are fed up of taking
hit after hit while corporate executives keep getting
richer. Workers are standing together, pushing back and
we’re starting to make substantial changes that will
improve peoples lives.”
“Thanks to the labour movement working together
with community organizers we have managed to make
significant gains this year for our lowest paid workers
and those working part-time,” said Candace Rennick,
Secretary-Treasurer for CUPE Ontario. “Bringing
minimum wage up to $15 an hour and getting equal pay
for part-timers doing the same job as full-timers, will not
only make their lives better, it will help to stop the slide
backwards. These wins will put us on stronger ground to
win greater improvements for all workers.”
“Coming through a year that had a record number of
CUPE strikes has definitely strengthened a sense of
solidarity among our members,” said Hahn. “The out
pouring of community support our members received
was something for us to truly celebrate this year.”
Political Pulse | Fall 2017 7

QUEEN’S PARK REVIEW
The legislature’s back and election season is upon us
On September 11, MPPs returned to Queen’s Park after
the summer recess. Heading into an election year, we
can expect all parties to be trying to position themselves
to get our votes.
If things weren’t bad enough for the government – with
Premier Wynne having popularity ratings lower than any
other Premier on record – the first week of the fall
session began with two high-profile trials on the
misconduct of high-ranking Liberals.
Two top staffers from Premier McGuinty’s office are on
trial on criminal charges of destroying public information
in the cover up of the gas plant scandal.
Premier Wynne’s former Deputy Chief of Staff and a
well-connected party organizer are on trial, charged with
offering illegal inducements (bribes) to get an unwanted
Liberal candidate out of the way for the Sudbury byelection.
Glenn Thibeault went on to win the seat for the
Liberals and is now Minister of Energy.
When it comes to interference in recent nomination
races the Liberals aren’t the only ones in hot water.
Accusations of serious irregularities, including ballot
stiffing, have emerged in at least six Conservative party
nomination meetings in recent months, including Ottawa
West Nepean, Richmond Hill and Newmarket Aurora.
Outrage has been so loud that the party has been
forced to hire Price Waterhouse Coopers to start
overseeing the process.
Behind all the shenanigans, there is very important
legislation working its way through the political process
at Queen’s Park. Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces and
Better Jobs Act, has been amended and brought back
for second reading.
Among other things, Bill 148 will increase the minimum
wage to $15 an hour, require employers to pay part
timers the same as full timers doing the same work,
make it easier for some workers to join a union, and
protect newly unionized workers from being fired without
just cause before they have their a first collective
agreement.
While much within Bill 148 is a great victory for workers
in Ontario, the labour movement is unanimous in its
shock that the Liberal government chose to only extend
card-based certification to a small group of workers,
leaving out the majority. There is still a final opportunity
for amendments before final reading and CUPE Ontario
will continue to push for this to be fixed.
Also, ahead in this fall’s legislative agenda will be Bill 33,
anticipated to be introduced by the NDP for second
reading at the beginning of November. The “Time to
Care” bill would entrench a four hour a day, minimum
care standard for seniors living in long-term care. Right
now, there is no minimum standard of care in Ontario.
Aging seniors are suffering while workers are run off
their feet with one personal support worker trying to
meet the needs of more than 30 residents in some
cases.
Written in collaboration with CUPE Ontario, Bill 33 would
dramatically improve the quality of care in long-term
care homes across the province.
Let your MPP know that you want them to support Bill
33, visit TimeToCareOntario.ca
8 Political Pulse | Fall 2017

CUPE connects with hundreds of
Ontario’s municipal councillors
CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn and leaders from
our municipal sector met with hundreds of mayors
and councillors from across the province at the
Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO)
annual conference held in Ottawa this year.
There to promote the union’s municipal priorities,
CUPE’s outreach was well-received. As municipalities
struggle with how to increase the revenue they need
to provide quality public services, CUPE Ontario
offered a much-needed voice in support of
progressive revenue tools.
Don’t miss
CUPE Ontraio’s 1 st
Political Action
Conference
November 12 - 15
Toronto Sheraton Centre
A “Hands-On” conference on political
engagement, lobbying, direct action
and more.
Guest speakers, plenary sessions,
workshops and real world experience
you won’t want to miss.
Facing provincial legislation that could damage
frontline emergency medical support, CUPE
paramedics were on hand to highlight the value of
paramedic services in ensuring patient safety.
Councillors at AMO overwhelmingly disagreed with
proposed introduction of “fire medics,” noting
paramedics provide the best quality emergency
medical response in a more cost-effective way.
Highlighting the important victory in Wasaga Beach
that stopped the privatization of their local electricity
provider, discussions with councillors showed that
the vast majority supported keeping their local
electrical utility public.
Following hundreds of face-to-face discussions, the
CUPE Ontario team collected contact information
from supporters so we can continue the
conversations as we gear up for the 2018 municipal
elections.
Guest speakers include:
Stephen Lewis
and
Desmond Cole
For registration details visit:
cupe.on.ca/political-action-conference
Political Pulse | Fall 2017 9

CUPE members win strike pay from the first day
Thousands of CUPE members from across the
country voted to strengthen our bargaining power by
changing CUPE’s strike pay to begin on the first day
of a strike or lockout.
“This historic change goes hand in hand with our
members’ clear decision to put their employers on
notice – in CUPE we will not accept concessions,”
said CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn.
“Strengthening our strike pay provisions shows we
mean business.”
Ontario workers have been under attack for
decades. In response CUPE implemented its new
Bargain Forward policy earlier this year. The
Convention’s decision to implement strike pay from
day one of a strike or lockout is just one tool to
support the new policy that’s been developed to give
locals what they need to succeed at the bargaining
table.
“Workers in Ontario have been forced to accept less,
while those at the top keep lining their pockets with
more money,” said Candace Rennick, CUPE Ontario’s
secretary-treasurer and regional vice president to the
national board. “Our members have said enough is
enough. They’re sending a clear message. If you’re
coming after us, we’re going to be ready and we’re
going to fight back.”
Health Care Workers demand change
CUPE Ontario’s healthcare workers’ conference, themed “Health Care
Rights, Everyone’s Fight,” was held in Niagara Falls this year.
After decades of privatization creeping into our health care system
- driving up cost and eroding patient care – the fight to protect our
universal health system requires all of us. Adequate funding for
patient care is a top priority for CUPE members in working in the
sector.
The Time to Care campaign topped the conference agenda. In
Ontario, there is no minimum care standard for aging seniors living in
long-term care and this is not acceptable.
Everyone left the conference determined to make a four-hour
minimum care standard for long-term care residence a key issue in
the upcoming provincial election.
Violence in the workplace, universal Pharmacare and protecting our
public blood system were also key agenda items.
10 Political Pulse | Fall 2017

BETTER SERVICES
Long-term care workers sound the alarm on quality of care
There is a crisis in long-term care that is hurting Ontario’s
aging seniors and it is directly related to staffing levels.
“There simply aren’t enough staff to meet the growing
and complex care needs of the aging residents. This
means daily care is rushed and lacks the necessary
compassion,” said Bonnie Soucie, an RPN speaking at a
rally outside the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health
Centre in Ottawa. “Insufficient staffing means care is
compromised in many ways, from resident cleanliness
and infection control to feeding.”
Long-term care workers across Ontario are holding rallies
and town halls to raise the public’s awareness and build
support for Bill 33 (The Time to Care Act) which, if
passed, would mandate a minimum of four hours of daily
care for each resident. Right now, there are no set
minimum standards in Ontario.
“A very sad aspect of the insufficient care levels are the
conditions that increase incontinence because there are
not enough staff to answer call-bells when residents
need help to the toilet,” said Candace Rennick,
Secretary-Treasurer for CUPE Ontario and former longterm
worker, speaking at the rally in Renfrew. “Care staff
are demoralized. They want the province to act now to
increase care hours.”
“The research shows that staffing and funding levels are
lower in Ontario than in the rest of the country,” said
Michael Hurley, President of OCHU, speaking at the rally
in front of Fairview Manor in Almonte. “People need to
know what’s going on and they need to speak up – that’s
the only way the government will make the urgent
changes we need.”
Ontario seniors built this province. They deserve to be
safe and cared for in their final years. CUPE members are
working hard to get the government to support Bill 33
when it goes to second reading on November 2, 2017.
“Our government should be ashamed of the state of
long-term care in this province,” said Rennick, speaking
at a community town hall in Peterborough. “It’s time to
put things right.”
To let your MPP know that you want them to support
Bill 33, visit TimeToCareOntario.ca
Political Pulse | Fall 2017 11

Workers demand protection from violence on the job
Hundreds of health care workers and allies rallied
outside the Ontario Hospital Association office on
October 5, to raise awareness of the violence they
face at work on a daily basis.
As in most public service sectors, violence against
health care workers is a growing epidemic. Calls for
better protection against workplace violence in the
health care sector has been ignored in their latest
round of contract negotiations.
“This is simply unacceptable,” says Michael Hurley,
president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.
“Workers should not have to fear for their safety every
time they go to work. We will not stand by and let this
continue to happen.”
Treena Hollingsworth, a personal support worker at
the rally, said that many health care workers who
have been assaulted on the job are so physically or
psychologically scarred that they may never work
again.
Upcoming Events
Oct 31 – Nov 5 Fall School Toronto Sheraton Centre
Nov 12 – 15 Political Action Conference Toronto Sheraton Centre
Dec 11 – 14 Racial Justice & Human Sheraton Parkway North
Rights Conference
Jan 22 – 25 Secretary Treasurers Conference Sheraton Parkway North
Feb 22 – 25 OUWCC Conference Ontario Regional Office
Feb 27 – Mar 4 Spring School Toronto Sheraton Centre
12 Political Pulse | Fall 2017