All News

ICS couriers in Vancouver vote to take job action

VANCOUVER, April 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Concerns over job security, restoring pension funding, and greater autonomy in the workplace have pushed couriers at ICS to vote in favour of strike action if a resolution cannot be found.

"We want to get a solution done at the bargaining table," said Unifor Local 114 plant chair Kevin Gibbs. "But ICS has to get serious about a deal."

Advisory: Unifor and CLC host forum on Bill C-51

TORONTO, April 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor and the Canadian Labour Congress will host a forum Thursday for experts and interested groups to share their perspectives on the Harper government's proposed anti-terror legislation Bill C-51.

Hundreds rally at Pearson airport against layoffs and pay cuts

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TORONTO, April 8, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor members and allies from across Ontario rallied at the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) to protest proposed outsourcing of services for seniors and passengers requiring wheelchair assistance.

Be a donor!

April 19 is the kick-off of Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week in Canada...

Media Advisory - Layoffs and pay cuts prompt demonstrations at Pearson airport

TORONTO, April 7, 2015 /CNW/ - The Greater Toronto Airport Authority's (GTAA) campaign to convert good jobs to low-wage jobs will lead to demonstrations on Wednesday by the union representing customer sales and service agents. The GTAA's demand that service for passengers requiring wheelchair/special assistance be outsourced at Air Canada led to a halt in contract talks between the carrier and Unifor last week.

PPWC and Unifor commit to bargaining cooperation in pulp and paper sector

VANCOUVER, April 3, 2015 /CNW/ - Two of the country's largest unions in the pulp and paper sector have agreed to work jointly in the next round of pulp and paper bargaining in Western Canada. Unifor and the Pulp, Paper, and Woodworkers of Canada (PPWC) met in Vancouver last week to re-establish the Joint Pulp and Paper Caucus for the upcoming negotiations in 2017.

Unifor makes headway for long-term care workers

TORONTO, April 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor health care members employed in long-term care facilities across Ontario are ratifying strong agreements this month that include increases in wages and benefits.

Air Canada talks break down after GTAA meddling

TORONTO, April 1, 2015 /CNW/ - The Greater Toronto Airport Authority's (GTAA) campaign to convert middle-class jobs to low-wage work has led to a halt in talks between Air Canada and customer sales and service agents.

"The GTAA has derailed national negotiations and threatened airport operations from coast to coast," said Jerry Dias, Unifor's National President.

Unifor calls for universal ORPP

TORONTO, March 31, 2015 /CNW/ - With only one-third of Ontario workers having a workplace pension, the province needs a universal and mandatory pension plan to ensure that workers can retire with dignity, Unifor told a legislative committee today.

/R E P E A T -- Unifor to make Ontario Pension presentation/

TORONTO, March 30, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor Ontario Regional Director Katha Fortier will speak to the Ontario Legislature's Standing Committee on Social Policy on Tuesday, March 31, to urge the government to implement a universal and mandatory pension plan for the province.

Unifor to make Ontario Pension presentation

TORONTO, March 30, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor Ontario Regional Director Katha Fortier will speak to the Ontario Legislature's Standing Committee on Social Policy on Tuesday, March 31, to urge the government to implement a universal and mandatory pension plan for the province.

Auto industry benefits all of Canada

TORONTO, March 30, 2015 /CNW/ - A new study released today confirms the massive economic benefits from the General Motors operations in Oshawa.

"Canada is a great place for GM to do business, and we all benefit greatly from them being here," Unifor National President Jerry Dias told a press conference this morning.

/R E P E A T -- Unifor to release major auto industry study/

TORONTO, March 27, 2015 /CNW/ - Canada's largest union in the private sector, and the leading union in the auto sector, will release an independent study Monday examining the economic impact of the General Motors plant in Oshawa.

Pay Equity

It is a fact of the Canadian labour market that the pay gap between men and women continues to define the lives of women in the workplace.

Precarious employment

The rise in precarious work has had a disproportionate impact on racialized workers, women, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and young people. Characteristics of these types of employment include low pay, no job security, poor and often unsafe working conditions, intensive labour, excessive hours and low or no benefits. More and more workers are resorting to employment service agencies to find work leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and wage theft.

Unequal Access to the Labour Market

Good jobs should address the interaction of race, gender, disability, LGBTQ, Aboriginal and immigrant status on labour market outcomes. These factors represent a persistent gap in access to employment, unemployment and under employment, as well as income.

Employment Equity

Numerous studies have documented the prevalence of systemic discrimination in employment. Women, workers of colour, Aboriginal people, workers with disabilities and LGBTQ workers are subject to differential treatment in the labour market.

Income inequality

Income disparities arising from unequal access to labour markets have an adverse effect on a wide range of social indicators of well-being, including a person’s health status, housing status, educational attainment, and political participation.

South Korea: The Tripartite Commission’s Social Pact for Job Creation

In the aftermath of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, representatives from government, business and labour in Korea (‘Tripartite Commission’) established the Social Pact for Job Creation, which was a basket of social, economic and industrial policies meant to foster growth.

Some examples of the recommendations, which came in four broad categories, include the following: