An active Toronto is worth it.

CUPE Local 79 represents over 13,000 part-time and full-time recreation workers who make Toronto a great place to live, learn and play. They’re counselors and mentors, teaching new skills and connecting communities. Rec workers often hold multiple certifications and provide support for marginalized people and neighbours with disabilities, but many make minimum wage in Canada’s most expensive city. We know this work is worth more. And so are they.  

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City-run recreation centres are places where kids can spend a few extra hours after school while their parents finish work, and where seniors can come together for a good workout and a great conversation. At more than 100 indoor and outdoor pools across Toronto, we teach swimming skills that will last a lifetime. City arts programs and performance spaces are often the first opportunities many kids have to experience their creative potential. However, the same jobs in communities outside Toronto frequently offer better pay and more stable schedules.

Part-time recreation workers like Anna have to wear many hats: they’re instructors, mentors — sometimes all on the same day. But with minimum wages, fewer people can afford to put their skills to work for Toronto.

We engage youth with their city.

In neighbourhoods across Toronto, CUPE Local 79 members develop programs that build connections between young people and their communities, giving them a voice and the opportunity to effect change. 

Our members help ensure that racialized, disabled, and other marginalized youth experience equity in their city. For youth at risk, recreation programs often become a pathway to productive opportunities and positive outcomes they may not have access to anywhere else.

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Christian

Community Recreation Programmer

At points in my life, I never felt like I belonged. Recreational programming was where I felt that essence of community and belonging. So, I understand the importance that recreation truly has and I just wanted to provide for the younger version of myself. But the amount of love and attention that’s needed for the space to operate and flourish is well beyond the allotted hours I could work in a day.

Community Recreation Programmers build the programs and operate the facilities that provide valuable recreation and learning opportunities to entire neighbourhoods. They often bring a deep understanding of the needs of their community, and are frequently a first point of contact for neighbours seeking resources or support.

Today our City is

taking rec workers for granted.

Wait lists for city recreation programs have ballooned to over 200,000 people. If nothing is done, that’s expected to grow to 400,000 in the coming years. Without the staff to deliver programs, families will simply be out of luck.

Many of our part-time workers make minimum wage in the most expensive city in Canada. Not only that, but they’re often expected to hold multiple certifications and deal with high-risk situations at community centres involving mental illness and addiction.

Part-time recreation workers are expected to be available seven days a week, while the city can cancel shifts with almost no notice. Many do not get benefits or sick days, which means that if they have the flu, they have to choose between going to work at an after-school program sick or not getting paid. 

We know our communities are worth it. Help us continue to deliver the services they depend on.