Oxfam Canada has issued a statement on their website on the current collective bargaining process. We'd like to respond with the following:
Local 2722 is bargaining in a context where Oxfam Canada has publicly reported strong financial results and repeatedly told staff that the organization has been ending on solid financial footings including "year-on-year increases in public fundraising revenue," "record success at securing funding from GAC [Global Affairs Canada - the main source of project funding]," and having "surpassed" its FY26 fundraising goals. These results reflect the dedication of workers who deliver Oxfam Canada's national advocacy, international programming, and partnerships with communities globally.
Despite this, Oxfam Canada is refusing to fully recognize existing Collective Agreement (CA) rights on cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), while also withholding meaningful wage increases and resisting improvements to progressive leave provisions. To the union, this is not a question of affordability, but of priorities and respect for workers.
Oxfam Canada has advertised a 6.5% wage increase; however, this figure does not reflect the fully implemented COLA provision as written in the collective agreement. In reality, the actual new wage increase being offered is 0.5% - well below social service sector standards. Our COLA provision has been in our agreement for over 20 years, designed to protect wages against inflation.
Over the past several years, members have experienced a loss of purchasing power of approximately 6.26% due to the rising cost of living (2018-2024) and our COLA provision not being implemented as written. This has affected wages and related entitlements such as pensions, EI benefits, and severance. COLA should function as a baseline protection, not a ceiling.
The reality about step increases and wage suppression
Oxfam Canada referenced step increases as part of an overall wage increase for our members. Currently, Oxfam Canada operates with a 10-step graduated increase in our wage grid. While this system on paper presents a picture the employer seeks to paint as "increases", in reality, it is a tool for wage suppression against all workers. Our 10-step system is unusually long and drawn out. It allows the employer to park employees' wages at a discounted rate instead of paying an employee what the full worth of the work is.
72 days of paid leave per year in addition to bereavement and compassionate leave
Yes, we have and continue to fight for strong leave provisions to help protect members when they need it most and to help better support their lives outside of work. It's important to note that these 72 days include provisions like vacations, statutory holidays, and special leave which are granted on a specific needs basis.
The union does not believe that a member who needs time off after surviving gender-based violence or to receive gender-affirming care should be asked to use their vacation time.
With regards to special leave, the union's proposal does not increase the maximum number of days; instead, it expands the leave's scope to include family caregiving and broadens the definition of immediate family to encompass "chosen family." Approximately 13 other CUPE CAs across the country acknowledge the term "chosen family" to move beyond the biological definition of family. Why won't a progressive organization like Oxfam Canada, that advocates for caregiving responsibilities and caregivers, 2SLGBTQI+ rights, refugee rights, and more, apply the same principles for its own staff?
Oxfam Canada says they remain committed to reaching a negotiated agreement and wants to get us all back to work and focused on the mission
This is surprising, considering that Oxfam Canada has refused to budge from the May 26, 2026 offer that the union felt forced to reject. When we entered mediation on June 8, the union demonstrated a willingness to compromise by moving on key priorities, yet the employer dug in and continues to hold the same line. Their public claims of trying hard to reach a fair deal and get staff back to work simply don't match reality. We see the union putting in the work, while Oxfam Canada offers nothing but a "take it or leave it" attitude.
We remember our union history
Our membership remembers our history. Over a decade ago, when Oxfam Canada fell on hard times and feared they might have to close their doors, they came to Local 2722 seeking help, support, and sacrifice. The union stepped up. We made those sacrifices to ensure the vital work we all believe in could continue. But now that the employer is back on their feet and financially healthy, they are turning their back on us.
Preserves the generous benefits package
Oxfam Canada claims their proposal preserves generous CA benefits. What they fail to mention, however, is that they are seeking to shorten layoff timelines, making it easier to let members go in the future. Oxfam Canada has concessions on the table that would strip away rights Local 2722 already holds. While the union has put forward compromises where possible, the employer refuses to budge from its May 26 offer.
We believe the hard-earned strengths of our current CA must be fiercely defended and enforced through this negotiation process. We are committed to ensuring the employer respects every aspect of the agreement throughout its term. With this in mind, we continue to stand firm at the bargaining table to protect our working conditions, strengthen them where we can, and say a definitive "no" to concessions.
We do have a strong Collective Agreement - one that has taken us 44 years to build. We are proud of it, and we are on strike for the first time ever to stand up for the rights we have, while continuing to push for reasonable enhancements.
Unions don't negotiate a race to the bottom. We negotiate to lift one another up!
The language and wage rates achieved at one collective bargaining table help protect rights at others. We are looking to have our existing rights respected, while standing up against concessions and changes that increase workplace precarity. Our goals are progressive rights and a fair general wage increase that is both reasonable and aligned with a sector that has historically been underpaid.
We hope a resolution can be reached quickly - not just for our members, but for the global partners, colleagues, and communities they serve. Ultimately, we hope Oxfam Canada will take pride in the strong collective agreement we have achieved through decades of dedication, instead of framing these rights as mere privileges and making staff feel guilty for standing up for workers' rights.
CUPE Local 2722 · Oxfam Canada staff · Contract expired March 31, 2025