-

CUPE 1600 members vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action at Toronto Zoo

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a vote today, members of CUPE 1600 at the Toronto Zoo sent a strong message to their employer, voting 99 per cent in favour of strike action if necessary to secure a fair collective agreement.

“This strong mandate shows our members are united and our goal remains to reach a fair agreement at the bargaining table,” said Lynda Bongelli, president of CUPE 1600. “Our members are the people who care for the animals, keep the Toronto Zoo running, and make sure visitors have a safe and meaningful experience every day. Their work is essential to a major public institution in this city, and it deserves to be respected.”

The strike vote gives the union a mandate to take strike action if required, but a strike deadline has not been set. CUPE 1600 is seeking an agreement that improves hours of work and protects against precarious work, while rejecting employer concessions that would cut overtime, sick time, and bereavement leave for many workers.

CUPE 1600 represents more than 400 workers across over 140 roles at the Toronto Zoo, including zookeepers, horticulturalists, trades workers, educators, conservation staff, and guest services workers. Their collective agreement expired on March 31, 2026.

:gv/cope491

Contacts

For more information, please contact:
Katrina McGaughey, CUPE Communications Representative
514-898-6139
kmcgaughey@cupe.ca

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
English

Contacts

For more information, please contact:
Katrina McGaughey, CUPE Communications Representative
514-898-6139
kmcgaughey@cupe.ca

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

Smithers municipal workers deliver strong strike mandate

SMITHERS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Municipal workers in Smithers, represented by CUPE 1570, have voted 90 percent in favour of strike action. “Our members are proud to provide public services in Smithers, and taking a strike vote is not a step we take lightly,” says Adrian Smith, President of CUPE 1570. “This result sends a clear message that workers want to see a different approach from the employer at the bargaining table.” CUPE 1570 and the Town of Smithers began bargaining in November 2025. Negotia...

Critical action needed by Premier Doug Ford on Ontario’s minimum wage: “If a $20 minimum wage had been implemented in 2021 the October 1 minimum wage would be more than $24 an hour.”

Toronto, ON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Critical action needed by Premier Doug Ford on Ontario’s minimum wage...

Ontario’s hospital privatization plan ‘not adding up’ as public funding on for-profit clinics balloons while wait-times increase: new CCPA Report

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ontario’s funding of for-profit medical imaging (MRI) and surgical services is increasing wait times and threatening public health care, says a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). In Not adding up: Surgical and diagnostic privatization in Ontario, CCPA Senior Researcher Andrew Longhurst analyses unpublished data – obtained through Freedom of Information requests – from Ontario’s 918 licensed private centres and two private hospitals offe...
Back to Newsroom