Solidarity with CUPE 1490 members

Our fellow CUPE members need our help. CUPE 1490 workers in Black River- Matheson, Ontario have been on strike all winter. They have been subject to disgraceful treatment from the mayor and council of Black River-Matheson, who have barred them as well as all CUPE members and staff from municipal buildings, hired scabs to do their work, and even threatened to have them arrested for exercising their legal right to strike.

We are asking all CUPE members to take a moment to send a letter to the mayor and council of Black River – Matheson to let them know that when they try to bully CUPE members in their community, our entire union is watching. Please share this email with your members and ask them to take a moment to send a letter in solidarity with Black River – Matheson members.

• Click here to send your letter

Solidarity means standing up for each other, no matter what division or sector we are in. By flooding the municipal council in Black River – Matheson with letters from across the country, CUPE members can send a message to all our employers, that we are willing to stand together to protect our rights. We are stronger when we stand together.

In Canada, nearly 50% of children live in a child care desert, meaning in an area where there are more than three children for every available spot in a child care facility.

While the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system has managed to reduce fees by an average of 50% for parents, securing a spot for their child remains a significant challenge.

To ensure every child has a child care spot, three major barriers must be addressed: the labour crisis in the sector, the lack of infrastructure, and the threat of privatization.

These are three different barriers, but they have one common solution: sufficient funding from the federal government.

Invite members of your local to send a letter to the media to bring this issue to the forefront of discussions and pressure the government to invest $17 billion in child care over three years: $7 billion to resolve the labour crisis in the sector and $10 billion in infrastructure.

Early childhood educators urgently deserve a fair recognition of the work they do, and this recognition comes through better working conditions and benefits, including access to a pension plan. This is how we will attract and retain enough child care workers.

• Send a letter to the media

Thank you for your support.