-

CORRECTING and REPLACING Gutting Canadians’ Charter rights will not make us stronger against Trump: CUPE

CORRECTION...by Canadian Union of Public Employees

Ottawa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Media contact information of release should read: Lou Arab, Acting Director, Communications larab@cupe.ca Cell: 780-271-2722

The updated release reads:

GUTTING CANADIANS’ CHARTER RIGHTS WILL NOT MAKE US STRONGER AGAINST TRUMP: CUPE

Canada's largest union, CUPE, says new federal legislation tabled Monday is a direct attack on Canadians’ Charter rights and freedoms, and is calling on the federal government to halt the legislation in its tracks.

"Gutting hard-won rights and protections for Canada’s workers will not help this government deliver certainty – it will do the opposite," said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. "Let's be clear: we will not win this trade war or make Canada stronger by stripping away the Charter rights of our own people."

The legislation introduced today appears to be every item on corporate Canada's wishlist codified into law, including increased federal powers to short-circuit lawful strike action and longer timelines to allow workers to exercise their labour rights.

"The Liberals can't build Team Canada by acting like enforcers for Bay Street and stepping on workers' rights – workers are Team Canada," said CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick. "When companies know the government will bail them out, they have no incentive to do the hard work at the bargaining table to get a deal done. We saw that with Air Canada. This bill gives airlines, shipping companies and other major corporations all the advantages over workers."

“We’ve been here before, and our track record speaks for itself,” said Hancock. “Generations of workers have fought, bled, and even died for the rights the Liberals aim to wipe out with a stroke of a pen. If this is a fight the Liberals want to have, we’ll be all in.”

Contacts

Lou Arab, Acting Director, Communications
larab@cupe.ca
Cell: 780-271-2722

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
EnglishFrench

Contacts

Lou Arab, Acting Director, Communications
larab@cupe.ca
Cell: 780-271-2722

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

Budget 2026 doubles down on corporate handouts and attacks on workers

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE, Canada’s largest union, says the 2026 federal budget is the next step in selling what Canadians have built over generations to billionaire investors. The result: cuts to jobs and vital public services that workers and their families depend on. Letting private investors profit from public services like health care and from infrastructure like airports makes life harder and less affordable for workers, and leaves Canada unprepared for the economic challenges ahead....

Media advisory: CUPE, Canada’s largest union, available for comment on 2026 federal budget

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Canadian Union of Public Employees is available to comment on the 2026 federal budget. CUPE Senior Economist Ricardo Tranjan is available for English and French interviews from Ottawa on Thursday, Nov. 5 after 4 p.m. CUPE is Canada's largest union, with more than 800,000 members working in 11 sectors including health care, education, municipalities and transportation. We advocate for strong public services and better working conditions for the people who deliver the...

Striking library workers condemn management’s decision to terminate retirees’ benefits; Library Board targeted seniors day before strike began, union learns

THUNDER BAY, ON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The union representing over 70 workers on strike at the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) has learned that the Library’s Board of Directors terminated employees’ benefits the day before the strike began, while workers were still at the bargaining table. The union has also confirmed that the Board targeted former library employees, now retired, whose benefits should not be affected by a strike. Only in the face of an angry backlash did management reinstate retir...
Back to Newsroom