2026 CUPE NS Convention Report
Tian Liao
To begin with, I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to attend CUPE Nova Scotia’s 2026 Convention with delegates from my Local 3912. I am one of the over 5000 precariously employed academic workers across five universities in Nova Scotia, represented by our Local. While I am familiar with the work and concerns of my Local, I hoped to gain a better understanding of the issues affecting CUPE members across the province, how priorities are established, how resolutions are debated and adopted, and how members from different locals work together to advocate for change. As a delegate representing Local 3912, I also attended to share the experiences of academic workers with members in different sectors and to become more engaged with the broader CUPE community.
Main Focuses of the 2026 Convention
One of the strongest themes throughout the convention was solidarity. Delegates demonstrated solidarity with long-term care workers who were in their seventh week of strike, and it is important that we support workers across sectors. Other important focuses included support for new Canadian members through education on immigration laws, mobility and challenges faced by Indigenous and racialized workers, climate change and pollution, the privatization of health care, and the rising cost of living.
Outside the formal sessions, I spoke with delegates and guest speakers from different sectors. I shared some of the challenges faced by members of my Local, CUPE 3912, particularly precarious employment and the difficulty of maintaining member engagement because many positions are contract-based. These conversations also gave me the opportunity to hear how other locals have addressed similar issues through organizing, advocacy, and member outreach. Although our workplaces differ, many of the concerns we discussed were shared across sectors.
I want to highlight two presentations from this year’s Convention. The first was by Tracy Pinder, CUPE Atlantic Regional Director, who spoke about the importance of being proactive and how we can interpret the changing world order. With a rapidly shifting world order as the backdrop, we need to think about what these changes mean. We need to think about what world we want, and we can decide what happens next. The second presentation was by Stacey Gomez, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia, who spoke about the experiences of Temporary Foreign Workers in Nova Scotia. This presentation explained the difficulties faced by Temporary Foreign Workers and the importance of advancing the rights, equality, and well-being of migrant workers.
This year’s Convention broadened my understanding of the challenges experienced by workers across Nova Scotia. It also reminded me that many of these issues are connected. The Convention gave me a broader perspective on the successes CUPE members have achieved, the challenges that still need attention, and advice on how to strengthen member engagement and solidarity.
After this year’s Convention adjourned, I reflected on what I learned from the Convention with delegates from my Local. I also met with members in my Local to share what I learned at the Convention. Through this report, I want to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of CUPE Nova Scotia members, and I hope my report helps raise awareness of the issues that members are actively working to address. I hope this report encourages further discussion, and I believe that meaningful change happens when members listen to one another, learn from different experiences, and work together.
In Solidarity,
Tian Liao
CUPE Local 3912