As the Strike at Villa Columbo Approaches One Month, Community Groups Rally in Support of CUPE 5525

As workers at the Villa Columbo Supportive Housing Unit in North York are approaching one month on the picket lines, community organizations and their union are showing up to support them. Management at Villa Columbo, a subsidiary of Villa Charities, walked away from the bargaining table one month ago, after tabling a proposal full of concessions and a payment package well below the poverty line. Villa Columbo has since hired strike breakers, also known as scabs, and is refusing to return to good-faith negotiations with the Union. These 25 personal care workers have been marching ever since, filling the neighbourhood with chants and bullhorns.

On Tuesday, June 24^th, the members of CUPE 5525 will be joined by CUPE National President, Mark Hancock, and National Secretary Treasurer, Candace Rennick, as well as members of Anakbayan, a Filipino youth organization that supports social and economic justice causes in North York and Migrante, Ontario.

“Scab labour is a despicable, immoral tactic used by unscrupulous employers to try to break unions,” said Mark Hancock, National President of CUPE. “Villa Columbo thinks it can bully these 25 women into accepting poor pay and bad working conditions. We’re here to tell them that these workers aren’t alone – they have the support of over 755,000 CUPE members across the country.”

“These women deserve the basic respect to have a living wage,” added Candace Renick, National Secretary Treasurer for CUPE. “This community, and all of CUPE will keep standing beside them until Villa Columbo and Villa Charities gets back to the table.”

What: Rally and March to support striking members of CUPE 5525

Where: 3010 Dufferin Street, marching to 40 Playfair Ave, North York ON, MB62P9

When: Tuesday, June 24^th, 2025, from 12 pm to 1 pm

Who:

• National President of CUPE, Mark Hancock
• National Secretary Treasurer of CUPE, Candace Rennick
• Members of CUPE 5525
• Members of Anakbayan, North York

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