-

“McVety Can’t Be Rewarded for Hate”: CUPE Ontario Says the Canada Christian College’s University Status Must Be Revoked

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With growing criticisms of the hateful speech of Charles McVety, President of the Canada Christian College (CCC), an NDP motion opposing efforts to grant CCC University status passed yesterday. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario is now calling on the Conservative party to respect the vote and immediately move to prevent the CCC from becoming an accredited University.

“This government’s job is to keep people safe – not to legislate hate,” said Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario. “The Ford Conservatives should be thankful that the NDP passed this motion and gave it a second chance to do the right thing. Now they just have to respect the will of the legislature, even if they disagree.”

The union is specifically calling on the government to withdraw the section of Bill 213, Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020, which grants the college University status. Failing to do so, says CUPE Ontario, would mean giving a private for-profit institution, run by McVety, a long-time supporter of Premier Ford with a history of homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia, a bigger platform.

This comes amid reports that McVety and the college either donated or rented meeting and event space to Ford’s leadership campaign, a move which not reported in Ford’s financial returns.

“Ford’s always telling us that he’s here for us, or that he’ll do whatever’s necessary, or that we’re not alone,” said Hahn. “How can we believe him? Backroom deals that privatize our public education system and give legitimacy and a platform to homophobia, transphobia, and racism isn’t how a leader proves we’re in this together. Now’s the time to make sure that McVety’s college stays a college.”

kw/cope491

Contacts

Daniel Tseghay
Communications Representative, CUPE
dtseghay@cupe.ca | 647-220-9739

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
English

Contacts

Daniel Tseghay
Communications Representative, CUPE
dtseghay@cupe.ca | 647-220-9739

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

CUPE 1698: Lockout Threat Puts Fraser Valley Library Services at Risk

ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) has issued 72-hour lockout notice to CUPE 1698 members who provide library services across the region. If the employer proceeds with a lockout, children, families, and community members who rely on their local libraries will lose access to critical services and supports. “This is an unprovoked attack on library workers and the communities we serve,” said Laurie Dyck, President of CUPE 1698. “CEO Scott Hargr...

P3 Schools a Mistake Alberta’s Made Many Times Before

EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--How many times can Alberta conservatives make the same mistake building schools? That’s a question posed by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Alberta) today as the Alberta government announces it will again use public-private partnerships (P3s) to build schools. The government has twice abandoned this model in the past. CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal pointed out that the conservative government used P3s to build schools up to 2014, and then aband...

CUPE 1328 and the OSBCU Call for Early Bargaining as Underfunding and Staffing Crisis Deepens at Toronto Catholic District School Board

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) and CUPE 1328, representing over 2,500 education workers throughout the Toronto Catholic District School Board, are urging the Ford government and Education Minister Paul Calandra to begin collective bargaining with unions as soon as possible, as severe underfunding and chronic staffing shortages continue to harm students and education workers across Ontario — including in the Greater Toronto Area. “There can be no ‘bu...
Back to Newsroom