Blog
For quick announcements, anecdotes and commentary from Local 79, visit this blog — updated more frequently than our news section.
National Day Against Homophobia
National Day against Homophobia will be celebrated in 2013 on Friday May 17th and this year’s campaign theme is Fight the Homophobia Web Virus.
On the 10th anniversary of SARS
A very sad anniversary was marked recently. It was ten years ago that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) first appeared in Toronto.
Jewish Heritage Month
On February 23, 2012, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 17, making the month of May Jewish Heritage Month in the Province. The legislation received strong cross-party support, being introduced by Liberal MPP Mike Colle as a private member’s bill with co-sponsorship from Peter Shurman of the Progressive Conservative Party and Cheri DiNovo of the NDP. [...]
Asian Heritage Month
In December 2001, Senator Vivienne Poy introduced a motion in the Senate of Canada to designate May as Asian Heritage Month and in May, 2002 the Government of Canada officially recognized May as Asian Heritage Month. This is a worthy acknowledgement of the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to Canada. [...]
April 28, 2013: Day of Mourning
The following message was spoken at the Day of Mourning memorial by CUPE Local 79 First Vice-President Nancy Murphy on April 26th, 2013.
Don’t make the City an employer of precarious work
This letter from CUPE Local 79 Vice-President Nancy Murphy was sent to Mayor Ford and the members of his Executive Committee. It warns against the increasing level of precarious employment in Toronto, and asks the City not to take part in creating that kind of work by facilitating the contracting out of cleaning services.
Action needed on precarious employment in Ontario
The following letter by CUPE Local 79 President Tim Maguire was sent to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, urging for government action on the trend of increased precarious employment.
Against Road Tolls: The 407-ization of the daily commute
The following letter was written by CUPE Local 79 President Tim Maguire and sent to the City of Toronto’s Planning and Growth Management Committee. Modified versions were sent to the Chair of Metrolinx and the Premier of Ontario (posted subsequently). It expresses Tim’s views that road tolls are not a fair way to make up [...]
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 21 is designated by the United Nations (UN) as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It’s a day observed all around the world to focus attention on the problems of racism and the need to promote racial harmony. The UN made this designation in 1966 to mark a tragic event that [...]