Krista Laing

Krista Laing is a municipal worker, union leader, and lifelong advocate for public services, currently serving as Chair of CUPE Ontario’s Municipal Workers Committee.

She built her career on the front lines in her hometown of Oshawa, working in arenas, recreation centres, parks, and roads. From maintaining rinks and facilities to plowing streets and operating heavy equipment through Ontario winters, Krista understands firsthand what it takes to keep a city running and the importance of respecting and supporting the workers who do that work every day.

Her commitment to workers’ rights began early. At just 15 years old, she witnessed the impact of the GM Oshawa Truck Plant closure, an experience that shaped her determination to hold corporations accountable and fight for working people.

Krista became active in CUPE through Local 53 in Whitby and later as a student worker in Oshawa, but it was with CUPE Local 250 representing Oshawa’s outside workers where her leadership took off. With the support of mentors and peers, she rose from steward to recording secretary, and then made history as the first woman and youngest president of the local. Obtaining record wins like paternal leave top up, bringing a large winter maintenance contract back in house and increasing the notoriety of local 250.

She has since taken that leadership to the provincial level, also serving as President of the Durham Region Labour Council serving 29 000 members where she oversees staff, operations, and budgets gaining real, hands-on experience in financial accountability. She is also the Vice President of CUPE 9112.

For nearly three years, she has also managed a large sector budget at the provincial level, led province-wide campaigns, and made decisions grounded in a simple principle: every dollar comes from members’ hard-earned paycheques. She has been a strong defender of the OMERS pension plan, organizing, educating, and advocating to protect members’ retirement security.

Krista has stood on picket lines across Ontario, supported strike preparation, and worked alongside locals to win real gains at the bargaining table. She believes financial leadership is not just about balancing budgets: it is about protecting members’ money and turning it into tangible results.

Much of her activism is shaped by her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field. She is a strong advocate for women in trades and municipal services, and for building unions that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. As a neurodivergent worker who has been open about her mental health journey, she believes that transparency helps break stigma and creates safer, more inclusive workplaces.

For Krista, this campaign is about accountability, coordination, and building a stronger, more connected union one that delivers real results for members.