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Celebrating Our Power

 

Too soon, we're at the tail end of summer and getting ready for Labour Day. 

Wherever you are in Ontario, we hope you'll find a way to show support for our labour movement at this pivotal time in our history. 

In Ontario, the Ford government has gone to war with the education sector, and has forced through Bill 5, which rips through labour and environmental protections to an extent that would even shock Mike Harris. 

In Ottawa, pretend progressive Prime Minister Mark Carney gets ready for mass layoffs to finance military purchases that will send revenue to American arms manufacturers. 

There is a better, worker-friendly vision for the future. Let's fight for it. See you on September 1.

Barrie and District Labour Council

Heritage Park
5 Simcoe St, Barrie, ON L4M 1L6
September 1, 2025; 11:00 am – 2:00pm
Contact: [email protected]
Website: https://barrielabour.ca/

Brantford & District Labour Council
69th Annual Labour Day Soapbox Derby: Icomm Drive at the Lorne Bridge
Registration 8:00 am, Race Start 9:00 am
Contact: Roxanne Bond: http://www.brantforddistrictlabourcouncil.ca/roxanne-bond—recording-secretary.html
Website: http://www.brantforddistrictlabourcouncil.ca/

Durham Region Labour Council
Labour Day Picnic
Memorial Park Oshawa – 110 Simcoe St. S. Oshawa, ON L1H7M7
September 1, 2025; 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Contact [email protected] for details
Website:  https://durhamlabour.ca/events/

Hamilton & District Labour Council
September 1, 2025; 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Parade – Corner of Bay St. N and Stuart St.- 10:30 am
Picnic – Bayfront Park – 11:30 am
200 Harbour Front Dr, Hamilton, ON L8L 1C8.
Contact: Anthony Marco, President [email protected]

Kingston and District Labour Council
Labour Day Parade and BBQ
McBurney Park, 30 Alma St, Kingston ON
September 1, 2025; 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Contact: [email protected]
Website: kingstonlabour.ca

 

 

COPE welcomes staff of Human Rights Watch

We are pleased to welcome employees of Human Rights Watch Inc. to the COPE family.

HRW is a leading non-governmental organization investigating and shining the light on war crimes, crimes against humanity, child labour, torture, human trafficking and LBGTQ rights. We need HRW and its employees more than ever.

HRW Inc. employees in Canada have voted to join COPE Local 225, and now the work begins to negotiate a collective agreement, which we hope will also include staff at the sister organization HRW Canada.

COPE looks forward to being a partner with employer and employees in the important work of Human Rights Watch.

Internal investigation underway at Hamilton Community Legal Clinic after rupture with Indigenous committee

Audrey Davis, left, and Lyndon George, also named NaWalka Geeshy Meegwun, right, are members of the Indigenous advocacy group Circle of Beads.

In 2024, they called for an Indigenous council seat outside of City Hall. (Samantha Beattie/CBC)

 

Please click on the following link for article.

Internal investigation underway at Hamilton Community Legal Clinic after rupture with Indigenous committee | CBC News

OFL to Ford: We'll meet you on the ground, there's no reconciliation in broken treaties

Please click on the link below to view full statement:

ofl-to-ford-well-meet-you-on-the-ground-theres-no-reconciliation-in-broken-treaties/

Human Rights Watch staff in Canada vote to unionize with COPE Local 225

Human Rights Watch staff in Canada vote to unionize with COPE Local 225.

They chose a path rooted in justice and collective strength. It’s time for the employer to demonstrate integrity by supporting—not resisting—their right to organize.

When those who fight for justice every day choose to unionize, the message is clear:

Human rights begin at home.

It’s time for their employer to live up to the values it promotes.

#HumanRightsWatch #HumanWatchCanada #CWALocal1180 #COPElocal225 

Community members rallied outside the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic in support of COPE 343 unit member NaWalka Geeshy Meegwun (Lyndon George).

Community members held a rally Monday at the Hamilton Legal Community Clinic saying Indigenous voices are not being heard or respected.

Those who participated say the clinic has broken its “Indigenous Justice initiative,” and the clinic no longer has an Indigenous liaison to help those in need.

A group of concerned people say the non-profit Community Legal Clinic serving low income residents of Hamilton is suppressing Indigenous voices by not providing access to an Indigenous liaison.

“When you are working with Indigenous people, you need Indigenous people to advise and guide you on how to best work with us. So when you ignore that, that’s oppression. That’s like, we’ll tell you how we’re gonna service you or how we are going to work with you, and that’s not equality,” said Audrey Davis, a concerned community member.

In 2013, the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic established an Indigenous Justice initiative with the goal of building relationships between the clinic and the Indigenous community.

Part of that agreement was providing an Indigenous Justice coordinator to act as a knowledge keeper and liaison between the Indigenous community and the clinic.

However, those rallying say that Indigenous Justice coordinator, named Lyndon George, is gone and is no longer representing the community.

“He is very much an active participant in the community. Yes, he is well liked. He sits at many tables. He takes the lead on a lot of the work and is just a good Indigenous, two-spirited man,” said Davis.

The executive director at the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic declined to comment on the rally.

In the clinic’s own report, they write that this Indigenous Justice coordinator “plays a critical role in connecting Indigenous clients to the services they need.”

Those rallying say the clinic needs to listen to Indigenous voices because communication has broken down, and trust has been lost.

“I hope that the Hamilton Legal Clinic responsibly and honourably addresses these concerns and then further takes the steps to conduct their organization in a better way,” said Myka Burning, another concerned community member.

They say the clinic is not respecting its own agreement.

Hamilton legal clinic faces backlash over Indigenous representation concerns

National Indigenous Peoples Day

This coming Saturday (June 21) is a day of great spiritual, cultural and political significance for the First Peoples of Canada. 

It is the day of the summer solstice, a time to celebrate and give thanks for the bounty and beauty of this time of year and for having survived another winter. For many nations, it was a time to leave the interior and head to summer areas closer to water, where they often would meet up with relations they had not seen since the last gathering time. 

June 21 is also a day for all communities to honour the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and their lands on which this country was built, a time to acknowledge and respect Indigenous and Treaty rights. Sadly, those rights appear to be forgotten in the current discourse over fast-tracking development in the interests of spurring Canadian economic development. 

Indigenous Peoples will not accept such a disrespecting of their rights, nor should any citizen of Canada. The fight to protect land and culture began with the arrival of the Europeans. It will continue, no matter how inconvenient that might be for politicians trying to make haste. 

 

Statement on COPE National convention in Winnipeg

 

A number of COPE/SEPB locals in Ontario have called on COPE National to postpone its convention scheduled for this week in Winnipeg. 

The province has declared a state of emergency because of wildfires, and First Nations leaders have called on conferences to be cancelled so that hotel rooms can be provided to the thousands of evacuees, some of whom have been sleeping on cots. 

COPE locals supporting the statement urge the national union to act in a spirit of reconciliation and answer the call of First Nations leadership. 

 

Solidarity_Statement_2025_06_03.pdf

Solidarity_Statement_FR_2025_06_03.pdf

Pride 25 — now more than ever

With equity, diversity and inclusion under attack south of the border and elsewhere, Pride Month 2025 is even more timely and important.

Pride Month speaks not only to freedom for 2SLGBTQ+ communities, but for the right of every person to live their lives fully and authentically, in safety and without fear.

There are events across the province this month and into September. The biggie, as usual, will be Toronto Pride Weekend from June 26 to 29, centred in the Church-Wellesley Village.

Here, thanks to the Ontario Federation of Labour, is a list of events taking place across the province. Chances are, there’s an event taking place near you. See you there!

https://ofl.ca/event/2025-pride-event-schedule/

Workers come together!