PSAC welcomes 74 workers at The Stop Community Food Centre in Toronto who are now part of the union’s 200,000 strong membership. 

The Stop is a community hub providing a wide range of comprehensive services focused on food security, including a drop-in meal program, a healthy food bank, perinatal support, a community bake-oven and kitchen, an urban greenhouse and garden as well as an Indigenous medicinal garden. The centre now serves over 50,000 meals and grows over 2,000 pounds of produce per year while also helping clients connect with income support and housing resources. 

Workers have remained committed to safely providing these critical community services despite the increased risks of exposure to themselves since the pandemic began. 

The unionization campaign was launched to address systemic racism in the workplace, build a more transparent and collaborative working environment and ensure fair wages for food security work. The Stop’s workers chose PSAC because of the union’s longstanding commitment to engaging on questions of equity.  

“We decided to come together to form a union because we firmly believe that promoting equity in the workplace will help us to better serve the communities we work with in Toronto’s West End,” explained Christina Rousseau, who is part of the union organizing committee. “We are passionate about the work we do, and I believe the union will make our team even stronger!” 

“Our newest members at The Stop perform important work every day, helping to ensure a healthy community and advocating for food security,” said PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President Sharon DeSousa. “I am very excited to welcome these and new activists into our union.” 

The Stop’s workers join over 1,500 PSAC members working in the social services and health sector across Canada.