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Remembering Sydney Allan Martin

09 July 2021

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, Local 79 member Sydney Allan Martin passed away unexpectedly. 

Sydney was a loving and dedicated father to his 5 children, beloved partner, son, brother, uncle, and friend. 

Sydney was an employee in the City of Toronto’s Shelter, Support & Housing Administration division, and will be missed dearly by his fellow coworkers.

CUPE Local 79 sends our condolences, our thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of Sydney Allan Martin.

To view Sydney’s funeral service, visit: https://youtu.be/xiWUHNw9vxU

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CUPE Local 79, CUPE-Ontario, OCHU-CUPE stand firmly opposed to the City’s proposed by-law that would prohibit protests and picketing within designated “bubble zones.” Any version of this by-law is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and unjustified. The right to peacefully protest and picket is a fundamental freedom protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Enacting a by-law that restricts this right without clear, compelling, and evidence-based justification is a dangerous step toward silencing dissent. Acts of violence, threats, or harassment are already illegal and are properly addressed by the Toronto Police Service. Adding a municipal by-law on top of existing criminal laws does not make the public safer; rather, it opens the door to targeted suppression of unionized workers, community groups, and others who speak out against injustice. This proposal is deeply concerning for CUPE Local 79 members working as City of Toronto Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS) by-law officers. MLS officers are not trained, equipped, or mandated to police protests. Peacekeeping at demonstrations should remain the responsibility of the Toronto Police, who already have the authority and resources to do so. Should MLS officers be directed to enforce any version of this by-law, CUPE Local 79 will pursue all available legal avenues to protect our members and challenge the by-law’s validity. We will not allow our members to be used as political tools to restrict civil liberties or undermine lawful protest. It is also deeply concerning to OCHU-CUPE who represent thousands of health care workers in Toronto. These health care staff already enjoy significantly restricted rights in collective bargaining and to refuse unsafe work. This by-law effectively remove their right to protest outside hospitals and long-term care and homecare workplaces over issues of safety, funding and collective bargaining. As such it represents an attack on our fundamental rights of free expression, guaranteed under the Charter.  CUPE Ontario and OCHU stand firmly behind ensuring the rights of our members are upheld. We will not hesitate to challenge this by-law.
Today, on the National Day of Awareness and Remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people—also known as Red Dress Day—we wore red to honour the lives that have been lost, the families left behind, and the need for justice. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities in calling for action to end this ongoing national tragedy.
Today, we join workers around the world in celebrating the power of working people and the ongoing fight for justice on the job and in our communities. May Day is a reminder that every right we enjoy — from the weekend, parental leave and health and safety protections — was fought for by workers standing together and demanding better.
Every year on April 28, we honour workers who have been injured, made ill, or killed because of their jobs. We stand in remembrance, reflection, and solidarity with those whose lives have been forever changed by workplace tragedies — and we recommit ourselves to fighting for safe and healthy workplaces. This year, we recognize not only visible hazards, but also the often-unseen dangers that impact workers’ lives: unsafe conditions, poor air quality, exposure to harmful substances, and the growing mental health toll of stressful and under-resourced workplaces. Today, we mourn for the dead. And we fight for the living.
CUPE Local 79 members showed up at today’s rally to defend our Charter-protected right to protest (coinciding with the Charter’s birthday!). City Council is considering a by-law that could severely limit our ability to protest, strike, and picket — the very tools workers and communities rely on to push for change. Tell your City Councillor and Mayor Olivia Chow to reject any by-law that undermines our right to protest.
CUPE Local 79, CUPE-Ontario, OCHU-CUPE stand firmly opposed to the City’s proposed by-law that would prohibit protests and picketing within designated “bubble zones.” Any version of this by-law is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and unjustified. The right to peacefully protest and picket is a fundamental freedom protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Enacting a by-law that restricts this right without clear, compelling, and evidence-based justification is a dangerous step toward silencing dissent. Acts of violence, threats, or harassment are already illegal and are properly addressed by the Toronto Police Service. Adding a municipal by-law on top of existing criminal laws does not make the public safer; rather, it opens the door to targeted suppression of unionized workers, community groups, and others who speak out against injustice. This proposal is deeply concerning for CUPE Local 79 members working as City of Toronto Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS) by-law officers. MLS officers are not trained, equipped, or mandated to police protests. Peacekeeping at demonstrations should remain the responsibility of the Toronto Police, who already have the authority and resources to do so. Should MLS officers be directed to enforce any version of this by-law, CUPE Local 79 will pursue all available legal avenues to protect our members and challenge the by-law’s validity. We will not allow our members to be used as political tools to restrict civil liberties or undermine lawful protest. It is also deeply concerning to OCHU-CUPE who represent thousands of health care workers in Toronto. These health care staff already enjoy significantly restricted rights in collective bargaining and to refuse unsafe work. This by-law effectively remove their right to protest outside hospitals and long-term care and homecare workplaces over issues of safety, funding and collective bargaining. As such it represents an attack on our fundamental rights of free expression, guaranteed under the Charter.  CUPE Ontario and OCHU stand firmly behind ensuring the rights of our members are upheld. We will not hesitate to challenge this by-law.
Today, on the National Day of Awareness and Remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people—also known as Red Dress Day—we wore red to honour the lives that have been lost, the families left behind, and the need for justice. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities in calling for action to end this ongoing national tragedy.
Today, we join workers around the world in celebrating the power of working people and the ongoing fight for justice on the job and in our communities. May Day is a reminder that every right we enjoy — from the weekend, parental leave and health and safety protections — was fought for by workers standing together and demanding better.

CUPE Local 79

Keeping Toronto at its best is what gets us up every morning. The work is worth it. And so are we.

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