Updates

UNITE HERE Local 261 Statement on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day 2026

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a day to honour the children who never returned home from residential schools, the Survivors who continue to carry the truth, and the families and communities who live with the intergenerational impacts of this system.

The day originates from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 80, which called for a national statutory holiday to ensure public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital part of the reconciliation process. It is rooted in the leadership, testimony, and resilience of Indigenous Survivors, families, and communities who forced Canada to confront the truth of cultural genocide carried out through the residential school system.

Labour and Reconciliation Are Intersectional

The work of unions has always been connected to the broader struggle against colonial systems that displace, exploit, and exclude Indigenous peoples. Colonial policies created and maintain the barriers that Indigenous workers face: unequal access to employment, unsafe working conditions, under-representation in leadership, and workplaces that fail to respect Indigenous knowledge, family structures, and cultural obligations.

As a labour union, Local 261 recognizes that advancing workplace equity is inseparable from the fight for Indigenous justice. This means:

  • Fighting for fair hiring practices, cultural safety training, and collective agreement language that protects the rights of Indigenous workers.
  • Supporting paid recognition of September 30 as a statutory holiday for all workers so Indigenous members and allies can participate in community ceremonies and remembrance without loss of income.
  • Using inclusive practices in union events ensuring Indigenous members have real voice and power within our structures.
  • Educating our community on the true history of colonialism and building respectful, ongoing relationships with local Indigenous nations on their terms.

We centre Indigenous voices and leadership in this work. Reconciliation is not something non-Indigenous people can define or control. It requires listening to, following, and resourcing the priorities set by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Actions We Encourage

On this day and beyond, we call on our members to:

  • Participate in remembrance and advocacy on October 4, the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S).
  • Learn a greeting in a local Indigenous language. Find the territories and languages where you live at native-land.ca.
  • Advocate publicly for the full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, as well as justice for MMIWG2S, clean drinking water, and Indigenous economic rights.
  • Support Indigenous-led organizations working for economic well-being and justice, including the Assembly of First Nations , and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition.
  • Track the status of the 94 Calls to Action at org/calls-to-action.

Learning Opportunities (virtual and in Ottawa):

Our Commitment

Local 261 is committed to advancing workplace equity; fighting for fair hiring practices, cultural safety training, and inclusive collective agreements that protect the rights of Indigenous workers. We are committed to continuous education, encouraging our members and all working people to confront the true history of colonialism and to build meaningful, accountable relationships with local Indigenous nations.

Justice on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation means actualizing the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action. It means ensuring equitable access to jobs, safe working conditions, fair wages, and the elimination of systemic barriers that prevent Indigenous peoples from fully participating in labour, governance, and economic life.

The work of reconciliation and the work of the labour movement are connected. We will continue to show up, not only on September 30, but every day, in solidarity with Indigenous workers, communities, and nations.

In solidarity,

UNITE HERE Local 261

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