As Trade Unionists, We’ll Resist Ford’s Agenda: CUPE Ontario

- Craven Ford spent millions for electoral status quo, says union -

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Doug Ford cynically exploited a period of national and international tumult to return the Conservatives to government in Ontario. But for all his self-serving opportunism, Ford failed to win the dramatically increased majority that was his pretext for a costly and unnecessary election, said CUPE Ontario, the union that represents 290,000 public sector workers in the province.

That failure will help fuel CUPE Ontario members’ resistance to the Conservatives’ appalling anti-worker agenda, declared the union’s leaders. They vowed to fight back “at the bargaining table and beyond.”

“Last night, one of the most anti-labour, anti-public service governments was returned, and it needlessly spent $189 million of Ontarians’ money to make it happen,” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “But working people won’t be intimidated. Even when the chips are down, CUPE members always stay in the game. We can be counted on to resist, fight back and win.”

Ford counted on the snap election – the first February election held in Ontario in 142 years – to hamper campaigning and voter turnout. And it did: the percentage of voters casting a ballot in this election was 45%, less than half the number of eligible voters.

CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Yolanda McClean pointed to one satisfactory aspect of the election results: the Ontario New Democrats held their spot as the official opposition in the legislature.

“We know that Ontario NDP MPPs will maintain strong opposition to the Ford Conservatives and will continue to be our allies in the fight for the rights of working people,” said McClean.

A record number of CUPE members supported and got involved in CUPE Ontario’s election campaign. They worked with locals and CUPE councils and held countless one-on-one conversations with other CUPE members about the election.

“We owe these members our thanks and appreciation and we’re proud of their hard work. They’ve helped strengthen the foundations of our union and better equip us for the fightback,” said Hahn.

He concluded by urging members to “never forget the power we hold as workers. While elections matter, they are not the only way we have to defend our members and protect the public services we deliver.  

“As working-class people, we organize every day. And we will continue to meet every challenge by mobilizing, showing up and standing up for each other in solidarity.”