December 20 2024

As we enter the holiday season, I want to extend my very best wishes to each of you and your loved ones. 

I also want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable contributions you as workers, professionals and union members make from coast to coast.

In every province, you are the backbone of our communities, serving the public with dedication, skill, and compassion. Your work is the foundation of the public services Canadians rely on every day.

The public knows full well how vital your work is. As the President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), I have the added privilege of witnessing something even deeper — your relentless efforts everywhere in the country to protect and enhance the quality of public services, safeguard jobs in communities large and small, and ensure equity at work and dignity for everyone.

This past year, many of you took incredibly brave stands on picket lines and at bargaining tables — standing up not only for your own rights but for the values of equity, justice, and solidarity that strengthen the fabric of our society.

I’ve also seen the remarkable way you come together across regions and sectors sharing knowledge and experiences, working together to develop strategies, and bringing them back to your Component unions and workplaces to achieve real improvements in everything you do. 

And in as a reminder of the best of the labour movement, your solidarity continues to extend beyond our union, supporting your fellow workers and union members across Canada and around the world in their struggles for better working conditions and equity.

Looking ahead, I do not need to tell you that we face many challenges at home and abroad. Your determination will be needed more than ever as we work to defend hard-won rights that help ensure a fairer future, dignity for all, and the public good.

Thank you for all you do, the difference you make, and for continuing to be a force for good.

Wishing you all a safe holiday season.

cc: Jason MacLean, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer