Applications are being accepted for the Nancy Riche Memorial Scholarship, established by the NL Federation of Labour in partnership with Higgins Insurance (A Part of Orbit Insurance Services).

This annual award was created this year to honour the legacy of Nancy Riche; a fierce and dedicated trade unionist who believed deeply in education, solidarity, and the power of workers and the union movement.

The scholarship provides $2,500 to a union member (or dependent) in Newfoundland and Labrador who is pursuing post-secondary education.

Quick Details:

• Eligibility: Must be a resident of NL and a member (or dependent of a member) of an NLFL-affiliated union.
• Value: $2,500.
• Requirement: Applicants must submit a 2 – 5-minute video AND fill out the online application form.
• Theme: “What does solidarity mean to me and my community?”
• Deadline: September 30, 2026

You can find the full terms of reference and application form on the NL Federation of Labour website. 

If you have any questions regarding the scholarship, please contact the NL Federation of Labour.

CUPE Nova Scotia has invited CUPE NL members to join them for their upcoming Health and Safety Conference on October 6th to 8th, 2026 at Digby Pines.

This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow CUPE activists, share ideas, and build solidarity across the Atlantic region.

If you’re interested, please fill out and submit the registration form.

Come to CUPE’s Fall Weeklong School and build the skills needed to create healthier, stronger workplaces. Choose one of three program streams designed to help us better support ourselves, our locals, and our worksites as we tackle the challenging issues we face together.

Class size will be limited to approximately 25 participants per stream. Participants will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration fees MUST be received by September 30th. Please note, you must fill out the online registration form AND send a cheque and paper registration form by mail for your registration to be completed.

Fees are $1600/person for double occupancy or $2000 per person for single occupancy; fees include registration, room and all meals, Sunday dinner through Friday lunch. Some scholarships are available. For more information, NL members can contact Sherry Hillier (sherryh@cupe.ca), and NS members can contact Nelson Scott (vicepresident@cupe.ns.ca). Please include “weeklong school scholarship” in the subject line of your email.

STREAM 1: The Year of Health and Safety

We will tackle the skills and knowledge required to provide proper health and safety advocacy, with a focus on preventing and addressing issues that affect both psychological and physical safety in the workplace and on the role of union advocates in that process.

• Introduction to Health and Safety
• Preventing Mental Health Injuries at Work
• Making Committees Work
• Basics of Incident Investigation
• Violence Prevention
• Workload and Overwork

STREAM 2: Representing Members

Everything you should know and need to know about representing members.

• Introduction to Stewarding
• Duty of Fair Representation
• Representing members in front of Management
• Grievance Handling
• Ally Skills for Stewards
• Challenging Racism
• Understanding Mental Health
• Handling Discipline and Discharge
• What Stewards Need to know about Arbitration

STREAM 3: Local Executive Training

As union activists, we often ask why some members are involved while others are not, and what we can do to change that. This stream brings together workshops from our Local Executive Training, Steward Learning Series, and Anti-Racist CUPE programs to explore member engagement, leadership, inclusion, and solidarity. Participants will build practical

skills for using their elected positions to strengthen their locals, support the broader labour movement, and contribute to stronger, more connected communities.

LOCAL EXECUTIVE TRAINING:

• Leading as a Team,
• Essentials for Inclusive Unions
• How to Have Good Meetings

STEWARD LEARNING SERIES:

• Mediating Member-to-Member Conflict
• Duty of Fair Representation
• Grievance Handling

ANTI-RACIST CUPE:

• ARC 101

 

2026 FALL WEEKLONG SCHOOL BROCHURE copy

Register now for the Eastern Human Rights Conference, taking place October 27–29 in Moncton!

Join CUPE members from across the Atlantic and Maritime regions to learn about human rights, collective action and building solidarity in our union and communities.

The conference will offer three days of dynamic workshops, panels and interactive activities. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Please note participants will also have the chance to attend a Migrant Workers Forum being held before the conference on Monday, October 26, from 7-9 pm.

For more information and to register, click HERE.

Registration information

Registration fee: $150 per person

Registration closes end of day Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Registrations will not be accepted after this date to allow sufficient time to plan the conference.

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OBJET : INSCRIPTION à la Conférence sur les Droits de la personne 2026

Les inscriptions sont maintenant ouvertes pour la Conférence sur les Droits de la personne – région de l’Est qui se tiendra à Moncton du 27 au 29 octobre 2026.

Joignez-vous à des membres du SCFP des régions de l’Atlantique et des Maritimes pour en apprendre davantage sur les droits de la personne, l’action collective et le renforcement de la solidarité dans notre syndicat et nos communautés.

S’étalant sur trois jours, la conférence proposera des ateliers dynamiques, des panels de discussion et des activités interactives. C’est un événement à ne pas manquer!

Veuillez noter que les participants sont aussi invités à participer au Forum sur les travailleuses et travailleurs migrant(e)s qui aura lieu juste avant la conférence, le lundi 26 octobre de 19h à 21h.

Cliquez sur le lien pour en savoir plus et pour vous inscrire à la conférence.

Inscription

Coût : $150 par personne

La période d’inscription se termine le 1 octobre 2026 en fin de journée.

Il s’agit d’une date limite ferme pour laisser suffisamment de temps à la planification de l’événement.

Canadian Union of Public Employees Newfoundland and Labrador (CUPE NL) is deeply concerned by NL Health’s use of a fake promise for an extra paid leave day during a cybersecurity test when health care workers are already stretched thin and continuously denied their leave requests.

“While I understand that cybersecurity awareness is important, especially in a healthcare setting, targeting a benefit like paid time off is disgusting,” said CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador President Sherry Hillier. “These workers are tired, burned out, and desperate for time off. As the employer, NL Health knows that and chose to exploit that feeling anyway.”

Burnout is not a new issue in health care settings however, it has reached new heights during the CorCare roll out, which workers have reported as stressful, full of issues, and causing increased workloads.

“The phishing email specifically targeted the workers who put countless hours into the CorCare rollout. Vacation and leave were denied, family time was lost due to the overtime required. While NL Health’s apology was appreciated, I am still unsure how such a massive lapse in judgement occurred in the first place. How does anyone, in good conscience, design a cybersecurity test for their own employees while knowing how much they missed for this new system?” finished Hillier.

SAVE THE DATE: Eastern Human Rights Conference 2026  

Mark your calendars! The Eastern Human Rights Conference will take place October 27–29 in Moncton. 

 Join CUPE members from across the Atlantic and Maritimes regions to learn about human rights, collective action and building solidarity in our union and communities. 

The conference will offer three days of dynamic workshops, panels and interactive activities. This is an event you won’t want to miss! 

Registration details coming soon.

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À VOS AGENDAS : Conférence sur les Droits de la personne 2026 

Retenez la date! La Conférence sur les Droits de la personne – région de l’Est aura lieu du 27 au 29 octobre 2026 à Moncton. 

Joignez-vous à des membres du SCFP des régions de l’Atlantique et des Maritimes pour en apprendre davantage sur les droits de la personne, l’action collective et le renforcement de la solidarité dans notre syndicat et nos communautés. 

 S’étalant sur trois jours, la conférence proposera des ateliers dynamiques, des panels de discussion et des activités interactives. C’est un événement à ne pas manquer! 

 De plus amples détails sur l’inscription seront bientôt disponibles. 

CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador says Budget 2025–2026 includes welcome investments in public services, but fails to address the key issue holding those services back: low wages.

“This budget funds projects—but it doesn’t fund the people needed to make those projects succeed,” said Stacey Lucas, Secretary-Treasurer, CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador and Regional Vice President. “Without fixing wages, this plan doesn’t work.”

The union says the province is investing in housing, long-term care, childcare, and post-secondary education—but ignoring the workforce crisis already limiting service delivery.

At Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, new funding to repair units and hire staff is positive, but existing vacancies remain unfilled due to non-competitive pay.

“You can’t expand services if you can’t recruit and retain workers,” said Lucas.

CUPE NL says this pattern is repeating across the public sector, where wages have effectively declined over the past decade. With most collective agreements up this year, the union warns that continued wage stagnation will deepen staffing shortages and undermine new investments.

In long-term care, the province’s plan to add beds raises the same concern.

“You can build new facilities, but without workers, those beds won’t be there for families who need them,” said Lucas.

The union also welcomed additional childcare spaces and supports for families but noted that demand continues to outpace supply—and that staffing pressures remain unresolved.

“Spaces don’t operate themselves,” said Lucas. “If wages don’t keep up, the system won’t either.”

CUPE NL is calling on the government to address the wage crisis as a central part of its plan to strengthen public services.

“If government is serious about delivering results, it needs to invest in the people who make those services possible,” said Lucas.