Oxfam Canada staff begin strike, cite lack of support for gender-affirming care, domestic violence protection and fair wages

Oxfam Canada staff are now on strike, saying their employer needs to address issues like leave provisions for gender-affirming care, protections for workers experiencing domestic violence, and a fair wage increase in line with a cost-of-living adjustment. 

“The strike comes after over a year of negotiations in which workers sought to protect key workplace rights and maintain language that supports fairness and dignity for all employees,” said members of CUPE 2722 in a statement released Thursday.

In the announcement, Carla Caxaj, a member of the CUPE 2722 bargaining committee, said that staff were “disappointed to find [themselves] on the picket line today,” adding that part of their ask is for “Oxfam to apply the same principles to its workers here in Canada that it advocates for globally.”

In a follow-up interview with Future of Good, Caxaj reiterated that “members did not want to go on strike” and are “committed to Oxfam Canada’s mission, values and feminist principles.”

“Unfortunately, after extensive bargaining, we were unable to reach [….] a collective agreement that protects our hard-earned rights over the years and that provides a fair-wage increase for our workers,” she said. 

“After all of that, we were forced, essentially, to go on strike.”

As for provisions for gender-affirming care, Caxaj said the union proposed “progressive language” as part of negotiations on the collective agreement, which was not well-received.

She acknowledged that the collective agreement has been fought for more than four decades, and includes an “amazing article” on the cost-of-living adjustment, which many other unions do not have.  

“We want to see that protected so that we’re not getting wage increases that don’t even cover what we’ve already lost to cost-of-living over the past years,” Caxaj said. 

Oxfam Canada has been a unionized workplace for 40 years, said Executive Director Lauren Ravon. She added that Oxfam Canada has “one of the best collective agreements in our sector, or perhaps in Canada,” including competitive pay, flexible leave and benefits. 

Preserving what Oxfam Canada currently offers has been a priority at the bargaining table, while at the same time, “increasing the percentage of our funding that goes to the Global South. That is kind of our North Star here,” said Ravon.

The humanitarian sector more widely has a different story, Ravon said, with both government funding and donations down dramatically. 

“Many of our peers are really struggling, both to maintain their teams but also to deliver on what their charitable purposes are,” she said. 

“I think we all know that we’re going to have choppy waters ahead.”

Both parties said in statements that they would be willing to return to negotiations. 

“My intention is for us to all get back to work and pursue our mission,” Ravon said. She added that the offer on the table was “very respectful.” 

“We’ve sent our last offer to settle for the employer and we hope to hear back from them,” Caxaj said. 

Union members will be picketing in Ottawa and Toronto. Oxfam Quebec’s operations are not impacted by this strike.