Grassriots Workers Join Canadian Union of Public Employees

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Workers at Grassriots, a Toronto-based fundraising, advocacy and digital marketing agency, are now officially members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Friday’s Ontario Labour Relations Board decision follows a strong vote to unionize with CUPE.

"We are excited to join CUPE and look forward to bargaining a collective agreement that reflects the values central to our work with organizations advocating for justice, equity, and a better world,” says Terra Gillespie, a member of the new CUPE bargaining unit and a senior marketer at Grassriots. “We’re especially proud to continue that work as union members."

Grassriots is an internationally recognized agency that specializes in services for progressive organizations.

"Today, Grassriots celebrates the unionization of its workers," says Ryan Baillargeon, Grassriots founder & CEO. "Grassriots was born out of the progressive left and we are in solidarity with the labour movement. We know that our work will be strengthened by being a unionized workplace."

The workers are part of a growing movement of staff at progressive agencies and social change organizations staff joining CUPE, including those at Egale, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, and Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project.

“CUPE supports the right of every worker to have an equal voice at the table. And we’re thrilled to welcome this group, who want to work together to improve their workplace and contribute to the future of Grassriots and its progressive goals,” said Kristy Davidson, a CUPE representative who helped organize the workplace.

Across Canada, CUPE has more than 715,000 members who work in municipalities, healthcare, social services, universities, schools, transportation and communications.

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