We wish you all a restful holiday season!
Whether you’re on shift or off with loved ones, thank you for the care, effort, and solidarity you bring to our workplace and the Local every day.
Surrounded by loved ones, spending quiet time alone or at work, remember that solidarity doesn’t take a day off — you are an important part of our collective, today and always.
A Greetings message from Cupe Ontario:
As 2025 draws to a close, we at CUPE Ontario extend our deep gratitude and enduring solidarity to all 310,000 CUPE members throughout the province.
As we end another year, let’s remind ourselves of the power of our collective resistance. We can be proud of our union, our members and the fightbacks we’ve mounted in countless ways: we’ve held the line, won gains, stopped governments in their tracks, and inspired each other and our neighbours.
Together we’ve weathered a challenging year. The public services and commonly held resources that working-class people cherish are under relentless attack by provincial Conservatives and federal Liberals. The cost-of-living crisis continues unabated, with no real help from the elected governments that campaign on being “for the people.”
When so much of what we hold dear in our province remains under threat from the Ford Conservatives, our holiday festivities hold ever more symbolic power. As we share the season’s traditions and create news ones across communities and across cultures, we build the very solidarity that right-wing forces seek to undermine. Our celebrations are spaces where we recharge our spirits, strengthen our bonds and remind ourselves of the power we hold when we unite.
The festive season belongs to working people. Unions fought for workers’ right to paid time off, from paid vacation to statutory holidays, including Christmas, Boxing and New Year’s days. We honour the struggles of those who came before us with every laugh shared, every meal prepared with love, every moment of quiet rest.
At this time of year, we also pay special tribute to our fellow CUPE comrades who work throughout this season in municipalities, hospitals, long-term care homes, community living, child care centres and so many other workplaces. Over the holidays, our communities rely more than ever on the skill and dedication of these workers. We are grateful to them and proud of their work, and we will always centre the way they keep the province running so the rest of us can enjoy our break.
As we enter what for many is time away from work, let’s celebrate what we’ve achieved and ensure we never let those who care only about profit deny us our ability rest, rejoice and relax. Resting and recharging are key parts of our collective power and joy isn’t separate from our fight for justice – it is fuel for it.
On behalf of the staff and executive board of CUPE Ontario, we wish happy holidays to you and your loved ones. May this season bring peace, joy and merry celebrations to strengthen us as we continue our fight for a better world.
In celebration and solidarity,
Fred Hahn
President
Yolanda McClean
Secretary-Treasurer