“To put it simply, we cannot afford to delay any longer on a just and equitable transition towards a sustainable economy.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Equality and Human Rights
The National Union of Public and General Employees encourages all its members to wear pink on April 14 to let our LGBTQI2S+ friends, family, co-workers, and community members that we are with them in the fight for equality.
"Equal Pay Day serves as a reminder of these longstanding gaps and inequities, and that we must not let up the fight for pay equity. On this day, and every day, NUPGE is committed to fighting for equal pay for equal work for our members across the country." — Bert Blundon, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
Inequality, especially during this pandemic, is putting people's lives at risk. NUPGE supports the World Health Organization's call for "building a fairer, healthier world" because a fairer world is a healthier world.
"This report by a federal government agency shows how governments and employers failed seniors in long-term care as we went through the first, then the second, wave of COVID. And now they are failing them again in the third wave. Canada cannot continue to ignore this crisis; the impact on residents and workers in these facilities is a national tragedy. To protect our seniors, the Canada Health Act must govern long-term care in Canada." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President.
“We can’t celebrate in person, but NUPGE is proud to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility. We stand by our transgender members and transgender friends, family members, and neighbours, and we promise to keep fighting against discrimination in the legal system and in society.” — Bert Blundon, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
Now known as Bloody Sunday, it is the latest in the ongoing state-sponsored violence and deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines.
“Just as many young people will continue to advocate for policy change and fight against racism, so must we all. Only with everyone working together to advocate for change at every level will we achieve a truly equitable, non-racist society.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
"The Canadian government has a responsibility to take action to right this wrong. I am asking you to raise this matter with your French counterparts and to communicate the view that the proper course of action is for the French authorities to drop these unfounded charges against Diab and to not continue with the prosecution." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
"As we celebrate the contributions women and gender-diverse people have made to make Canada and the world a better place, we commit to pressuring the government to ensure that they have a voice in the economic recovery. As the pandemic has highlighted, the inequities of the past must not be part of our future." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
The Canada Pharmacare Act, Bill C-213, represents a critical step forward towards full universal public pharmacare. The National Union is urging all members of parliament to vote for this private members' bill.
Migrant and undocumented people are at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis, but at the same time, many migrants in Canada don’t have a health card or coverage.
“A high-quality and accessible post-secondary education system will be crucial to meeting the challenges of today and to a more equitable, more sustainable future. We need our colleges and universities, more than ever, to train workers who design, build, and maintain green infrastructure, who perform care work, including child care and long-term care, and the numerous other skills that contribute to our society.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
“There was never a logical reason to include people experiencing homelessness in the curfew. People experiencing homelessness have no permanent shelter to stay in during the curfew, nor do they have the resources to pay the fines for breaking curfew. Had people experiencing homelessness been exempt from the curfew from the start, Raphaël André would still be with us today.” ― Larry Brown, NUPGE President
NUPGE Annual Report: 2020 in Review is a look back on what NUPGE accomplished in 2020.
"This International Human Rights Day, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is calling on governments to ensure policies brought in because of the global pandemic do not violate human rights" — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
"Canadian governments, employers, and unions all have a role to play in eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, and to ensure the proper supports are in place for those who are affected. In fact, I believe we have a shared responsibility to do so." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President.
Every year, in honour of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) recognizes a union member for their disability rights activism. The 2020 recipient is BCGEU/NUPGE member Darryl Flasch.
The campaign, Make Amazon Pay, is demanding changes to both Amazon’s company policies and government legislation.
“In making these commitments to lower emissions, it is imperative to consider and mitigate the impact on workers and communities.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President