North America and the Caribbean

Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project Staff Unionise

Workers at NSWP member organisation Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project became the newest members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in September. The CUPE is Canada’s largest union, with 700,000 members across the country. Maggie’s and the CUPE released a joint statement to celebrate this milestone, which can be read below or on the Maggie’s website.

COVID-19 Impact – North America and the Caribbean

In April 2020, NSWP launched a global survey to understand the impact of COVID-19 on sex workers. The survey received 156 responses in total from 55 different countries, out of which 53 responses were from 6 countries – Canada, Guyana, Mexico, Suriname, Trinidad, United States – in the North America and the Caribbean region.

Canadian Activists Issue Statement to Stop Bill 251

Organisations in Canada, including NSWP members, have circulated a statement calling on Ontario to stop the expansion of policing powers and put an end to Bill 251.

Ontario’s Bill 251 is named the Combating Human Trafficking Act, but the statement explains that this law will do nothing to prevent human trafficking and will instead target the most marginalised.