My name is Brett Geneau, and I’m a Member Organizer and front-line worker from the Ontario Health atHome (OHAH) Champlain office in Eastern Ontario. As the OHAH representation campaign continues and other unions send out information about CUPE, I wanted to reconnect with you, correct some misrepresentations made by OPSEU, and give you a rundown of the truth about the CUPE advantage. Let’s cut through the noise and show you why CUPE is the best union for health care workers.
- We have an excellent record of harmonizing wages and language UP after mergers.
CUPE has practical experience in Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act (PSLRTA) mergers, like the one that is now ongoing across Ontario Health atHome. Our track record shows the CUPE advantage. In the past we have been able to gather the best language and best pay structures across different collective agreements post-merger, bringing everyone up together. Once CUPE wins this ongoing representation vote, we will again move forward with this strategy, a strategy that means gains for all workers, regardless of their previous representation.
Remember: when this PSLRTA campaign is over, you will not be adopting an existing collective agreement. You are voting for which union you think is most capable of negotiating the best new agreement possible. That union is CUPE.
- By any measure, CUPE is the largest, most well-resourced union participating in this representation campaign.
At 800,000 members strong, with over 300,000 members in Ontario, CUPE is the largest union seeking to represent Ontario Health atHome workers. We are also the largest health care union in the province at 90,000 strong. We have experience representing a wide array of different job classifications in the health care sector, giving us unique skills and knowledge to defend your rights at work.
Our size means you have a robust team of experts in various fields ready to support you, from lawyers to researchers, communications representatives, organizers, servicing representatives and more. As members of CUPE you have access to significant resources to fund campaigns in support of your bargaining priorities.
Beyond this, you can count on CUPE to use our collective power to pressure employers and the government, turning crisis into victory, as we saw in the repeal of Bill 124 and our fights for education workers and flight attendants. CUPE has a proven track record of standing up and fighting back.
Our $108 million strike fund means we have the power and resources to fight every struggle tooth and nail, regardless of the size of your local. The strike fund is available to any local in a strike or lock-out position and follows clear rules for access. There is no special approval required – when push comes to shove CUPE has your back!
- Dues are divided between 0.85% to National and the rest (average: 0.65%) decided by locals, staying with the local.
Locals have their dues set internally based on what the members of the local decide. Our average total dues are 1.5%, with 0.85% going to CUPE National to support you in various ways, from representing you in grievances, to research, communications, legal support and more. On average, locals vote to have an additional 0.65% in dues which stay with the local to be used directly for events, swag, communications, or other initiatives decided by the local. This is part of our commitment to local autonomy.
Despite what you may have heard, with CUPE there are no membership fees or additional fees beyond your dues
- “No concession” bargaining, no two-tier contracts, and a voice at the table for local members during bargaining.
CUPE passed a “no concessions” bargaining policy over a decade ago. This means that we do not bargain away your current language or wages or agree with the employer to a proposal that is worse than what you already have. Employers are aware of this CUPE-wide policy, meaning we enter every negotiation with an already-established position of strength,
We also do not pursue two-tiered contracts, meaning you can be sure the local membership is not divided based on when they were hired. We stand together.
Bargaining priorities are set by the membership. CUPE is a member-led union, meaning we empower local members to pursue what they want. Priorities are set by the local membership – not by our National office. Despite what you may have heard, there’s no pressure to take a bad deal – when crunch time hits you have the support and backing of Canada’s largest and strongest union
Local members are also elected to the bargaining committee, ensuring your membership has direct voices at the table with the employer. Local autonomy is expressed here again, through the voice of the members.
The CUPE advantage is clear.
From our policies on local autonomy and no concessions, to our size and resources, and especially our track record harmonizing wages and language up in previous mergers, CUPE is best positioned to move toward a strong new collective agreement. Ontario Health atHome workers like you and I deserve to make serious gains at the table. We have been waiting for too long.
I know, like so many other health care workers, that CUPE is the best union for us. Let’s make history in 2026 by uniting under one, new and powerful provincial local. On February 10 to 12: Let’s choose CUPE.
In solidarity,
Brett Geneau
Member Organizer and Ontario Health atHome worker