St-John's - Members of Unifor local 597 will mark the one-year anniversary of the day their American-based employer locked them out, with a bus ride from Gander to the Newfoundland and Labrador legislature in St. John’s for a solidarity rally.
“If the province had stronger labour laws there is no way this American company could get away with its shameful union busting and would have to instead negotiate fairly,” said Lana Payne, Atlantic Regional Director.
The Unifor ACL bargaining committee made progress on several issues this week and both sides have agreed to extend discussions into January.
“We have accomplished long awaited results this week in signing off on multiple issues, including paid domestic violence leave for members, agreements on performance management and the formation of a joint committee on mental health,” said Bobby MacDonald, Chair of Unifor ACL.
Negotiations between Unifor and First Student Canada underway
Toronto – Negotiations are currently underway between First Student Canada and Unifor Local 4268, representing school bus drivers in the Bowmanville, Kincardine, Port Elgin, Wiarton and Owen Sound regions.
“We just ratified a collective agreement with First Student drivers in the Durham Region so it’s our goal to build on that success to achieve wage increases and the elimination of unpaid driving hours in these additional regions,” said Debbie Montgomery, President of Unifor Local 4268.
Halifax - On December 6, Unifor and Bell Aliant honoured the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women with concrete action by negotiating paid domestic violence leave.
Vancouver — In a written submission to the Fair Wage Commission, Unifor is recommending an immediate adoption of the $15 minimum wage to alleviate poverty and stimulate the economy.
“Any way you look at it, B.C.’s current minimum wage is a poverty sentence,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “There is no time to waste. B.C. should raise the minimum wage to $15 now.”
The Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions, and the employers, (NSHA and IWK) have completed three days of conciliation and plan to meet again in January for another five days. The three days of meetings in November provided good discussion and some progress. However, a lot of work remains.
To date the parties have held 27 bargaining sessions to conduct a very complex set of negotiations that require bringing together collective agreements from all four unions (Unifor, NSGEU, CUPE, and NSNU) in the acute care and community care sectors.
When people are hurting, such as after a natural disaster, the normal human reaction is to find a way to help.
In fact, for most people, the immediate reaction is not whether they should offer help, but to think about how they can help out best.
In La Doré, Quebec, where the major employer is a Resolute Forest Products sawmill, the obvious way for them to help victims of a devastating hurricane last August in Florida was to send down some of the softwood lumber they produce at the local mill.
November 24, 2017 Toronto – Unifor Local 4268 has served First Student Canada with a strike notice effective as of 12:01 a.m. on Thursday November 30, 2017. “We hope to reach a fair deal with First Student as we know the service our drivers provide is vital to students and their families,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi.
November 24, 2017 Edmonton—A bargaining impasse between Unifor Local 21A and AT Films Inc. (RPC BPI Agriculture) has led the union to apply for mediation. “The company is waging an attack on health benefits and pension obligations,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “AT Films appears intent on taking bargaining on a path towards customer service disruption and job action.” The union went on strike in July 2015 to protect contract language on pensions and benefits and says that cuts in this round are a non-starter. AT Films Inc.
November 20, 2017 Mexico City – Unifor National President Jerry Dias will visit the site where two striking Mexican miners were brutally murdered near the Media Luna mine in Guerrero State, Mexico. “I am saddened and angered that these workers were murdered for standing up for their right to join the union of their choice,” said Dias.
Ottawa—Unifor rail workers are back in Ottawa this week to urge senators to amend the government bill authorizing workplace surveillance (Bill C-49).
“C-49 was rushed and will have widespread implications for workers in every sector,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The federal government has simply not done its homework on these extraordinary surveillance measures.”
Another crucial element of our Bargaining Sessions with Bell Canada will be addressed during the week of November 27. In February, Bell demonstrated its apathy toward workers by sending out an email announcing that the company was terminating the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) or as Bell refers to it, Post-Retirement Benefits (PRB) after April 1, 2019.
The Unifor ACL Bargaining Committee would like to clarify some key information after receiving a number of inquiries from members about the Defined Benefit Pension Plan changes announced by Bell this past year.
Currently members can retire with an unreduced pension if:
The fifth session of bargaining wrapped up Nov. 9, 2017 with little progress to report.
“All non-monetary issues have been explored but the packaging of a deal has proven to be difficult, as the decision to move to greater issues is being overshadowed with the lack of productivity accomplished so far,” said Roch Leblanc, National Representative and Chief Negotiator.
November 13, 2017 Toronto – Unifor Local 444 members at the Dresden and Point Edward Casinos have ratified new three-year contracts with Gateway Casinos & Entertainment. “These contracts provide a framework for negotiations with private corporations that have taken over casinos from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation,” said Deb Tveit, Assistant to the Unifor National President.
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