On January 5, 2026, Doug Ford’s short-sighted return to office mandate came into effect for all public sector employees in Ontario. On that same day, CUPE members at Ontario Health atHome held a province-wide day of action, taking their lunch breaks out in the bitter cold to draw attention to the impact this policy has on workers, and on the Ontario public we serve.
This was a follow-through from our earlier actions. We held a rally in Toronto during the CUPE National Convention on October 9th, after putting out public statements, sending letters to the Minister of Labour and Premier’s office, and working with members to build power with a petition.
This campaign isn’t over. With CUPE, workers at Ontario Health atHome will have a union willing to fight for real, enforceable language to protect the right to work remotely in the new collective agreement. With the power of a unified bargaining unit, and the groundwork of this public campaign, we can end the chaos this Return to Office mandate has created.
Below is a list of media stories that cover the day of action. At CUPE, our members lead the way, build power together, and win big.
LIST OF MEDIA HITS: