DURHAM, Ont.—Unifor is warning the community of potential strike action by First Student school bus drivers servicingelementary and high school students in Whitby and Ajax in Durham Region.
Unifor welcomes the Hudson Bay Company’s (HBC) decision to restore commission to workers following a grievance filed by the union claiming that the move violated legally binding collective agreements. Unifor also doubles down on its call for HBC to pay its legal severance obligations to workers.
“The message that HBC is sending to workers is that if they could get away with paying them less, they would,” says Unifor National President Lana Payne. “HBC is not above the law, and we will not let them get away with shortchanging workers.”
“The politics of this country need us: they need our vision, they need our experiences, and they need our voice,” says Unifor National President Lana Payne to #ARC2025 delegates in St. John’s.
Watch highlights from Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray's remarks to delegates at the Atlantic Regional Council in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Unifor welcomes the decision by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) to uphold anti-dumping and countervailing duties on silicon metal from China. The decision, announced April 30, 2025, protects hundreds of jobs in Canada, notably at the Silicium Québec plant in Bécancour, where workers are represented by Unifor.
U.S. President Donald Trump is focusing on Canada’s film industry in his latest attack on Canadian jobs, ordering the U.S. Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to begin the process of imposing a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the United States.
"Once again, President Trump is using bogus national security claims to justify punishing tariffs against Canadian workers," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "This is an attack on one of Canada’s key cultural and economic sectors, and it’s nothing short of outrageous."
From May 12 to 18, we mark National Nursing Week by recognizing the essential role nurses play in delivering and defending public health care across Canada.
Atlantic Regional Council delegates kicked things off with a May Day rally, marching in the brisk air through downtown St. John’s holding flags, signs and banners bearing three important words: Protect Canadian Jobs.
Workers at Select Finishing in Wallaceburg, Ont., which provides custom coatings for metals and plastics, including on vehicles, are celebrating being new members at Unifor.
“Every new unit in the Independent Auto Parts Supplier Sector (IPS) is great news,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“One of the best ways for workers to protect and improve their jobs is to form a union, especially those in industries that are feeling the largest threat of Trump’s tariffs. We thank you for choosing us to have your back.”
DURHAM—Members of Unifor Local 4268, who are First Student Bus drivers in Bowmanville, Ontario, have voted 87% in favour of ratifying a new three-year contract from their employer.
“Congratulations to the bargaining committee for helping our members address the key important issues, including making a living wage,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
Members of Unifor Local 666 working at the Niobec mine in the Saguenay region went on strike on May 1, following a deadlock in negotiations to renew their collective agreement.
On April 24, members had voted 99% in favor of a strike mandate, clearly expressing their desire to obtain a fair agreement, particularly regarding wage adjustments to reflect the rising cost of living.
Unifor is calling for swift action following General Motors’ announcement that it plans to reduce its Oshawa Assembly Plant from a three shift to a two shift operation this fall, citing Trump imposed tariffs.
TORONTO—Unifor Local 2488 members at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto have ratified a new three-year collective agreement that delivers steady wage increases and important improvements to working conditions for 300 frontline and support workers.
Unifor's Lana Payne and Samia Hashi led a rally of thousands of workers, activists and allies in Windsor to defend Canadian jobs, stand strong against Trump's economic war on our country and build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy.
Unifor members and staff joined more than 600 participants at 20th anniversary of the annual Steps for Life walk in Toronto’s Coronation Park on April 27 to mark the National Day of Mourning. The event, organized by Threads of Life, honours workers who have died or been injured on the job and supports their families.
Unifor Quebec Council focused on solidarity, mobilization and the future as delegates met April 23 to 25, 2025, in Trois-Rivières.
Under the dynamic chairmanship of Sophie Albert,the first day of the Council kicked off with the report of Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier.,. In a rousing speech, Cloutier took the opportunity to warmly thank the members for their confidence during his first term andreiterated the crucial importance of solidarity.
May 5 is Red Dress Day—a day of remembrance and solidarity for the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people (MMIWG2S), and a time to renew the union's collective commitment to justice.
The Unifor Brink’s Pre-Bargaining Conference took place April 28 and 29 at the national office in Toronto, where delegates from Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec discussed proposals from the locals to prepare for negotiations with the armoured car company later this year.
Unifor National President Lana Payne told members with the world rapidly changing, the uncertainty stemming from the ongoing U.S. trade war makes things tougher for workers. But the glue that will keep worker power strong is solidarity and investing in a Made-in-Canada industrial fightback.
TORONTO— U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest executive order to phase in new tariffs on auto parts is part of a continued attack on Canada’s auto sector and the tens of thousands of workers it supports.
VANCOUVER—More than 200 unionized workers at Vancouver’s exclusive Arbutus Club have begun job action for fair wages.
“The affordability crisis is front and centre with this labour dispute,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The Arbutus Club caters to the city's wealthiest clientele. Surely it can afford to pay the employees a decent, liveable wage.”
The club, which charges tens of thousands of dollars in initiation fees, includes high-profile elites such as Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini.
TORONTO – Unifor congratulates Liberal leader Mark Carney on his election and urges him to swiftly take action to build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy for working people in light of the trade war with the U.S.
May Day is more than a celebration of past victories—it’s a call to action. A day to recommit ourselves to the struggle for justice, dignity and fairness for the working class and to draw strength from the collective power of working people everywhere.
This year, we mark May 1 under the shadow of escalating attacks on working people. We must remain vigilant against the stripping of union rights, slashing of public services, and the targeting of the most vulnerable workers—especially migrants—with policies rooted in exploitation and division.
The second-annual Unifor Education Technical Office Professional (ETOP) Council took place April 23 and 24 at the union’s national office in Toronto, with its biggest turnout yet.
“We have lots of different workplaces that are impacted by influences due to the nature of the work they’re doing. How it impacts us looks different than in other industries,” said ETOP Council Chair Emily Heikoop.
WINDSOR—With fists raised and voices roaring, thousands of Unifor members, labour leaders, and allies surged into Windsor’s Riverfront Festival Plaza on April 26 in a powerful show of defiance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s assault on Canadian jobs.
“This is the fight of our lives,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “They are not [Trump’s] jobs to take. They are Canadian jobs. They are Unifor jobs, and we are going to do whatever we have to do to defend them and protect them.”
Unifor extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed, and expresses concern for those injured, in the vehicle ramming at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival hosted by the Filipino community in Vancouver.
WINDSOR- With fists raised and voices roaring, thousands of Unifor members, labour leaders, and allies surged into Windsor’s Riverfront Festival Plaza today in a powerful show of defiance against U.S. President Trump’s assault on Canadian jobs.
“Trump’s trade war is a direct attack on Canadian workers, and today we are sending a clear message – we won’t back down,” declared Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We will fight for our jobs, our industries, our future and our country. This rally is proof that we are united, we are strong, and we are ready.”
Unifor and its staff union, the Canadian National Representatives Union (CNRU), have each donated $5,000 to Canadian Blood Services in support of National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, highlighting the urgent need to boost donor registration across the country.
As of this month, more than 4,100 Canadians are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. While 90 per cent of Canadians support organ donation, only 32 per cent have formally registered.
Unifor recognizes May 3, World Press Freedom Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.
World Press Freedom Day is a reminder to governments of their commitment to press freedom and provides an opportunity to pay tribute to journalists and media workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
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