The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis without precedent and requires unprecedented cooperation and action from all levels of government to adequately protect the health and safety of everyone in Canada.
TORONTO —Today Sunwing Airlines announced it will suspend operations after March 23, 2020 and all pilots, approximately 470 in total, will be laid off on April 8, 2020.
“We will not accept any situation where workers are left to fend for themselves, not at Sunwing, not anywhere,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “That’s why we’ve called on all levels of government to confront this unprecedented pandemic with unprecedented action to protect the livelihoods of workers affected by this crisis.”
TORONTO –Leaders at Unifor, FCA Canada, Ford of Canada, and General Motors of Canada today announced a joint task force to implement enhanced protections for manufacturing and warehouse employees at all three companies during the current COVID-19 / Coronavirus crisis.
TORONTO – Unifor is urging Premier Doug Ford to demand long-term care facilities close their doors to all visitors in order to protect the health of long-term care residents and workers from COVID-19 exposure.
In the past five days, the situation regarding COVID-19 had moved quickly and created an unprecedented situation for many working people and Unifor members in Canada.
Unifor has adopted an all hands on deck approach to supporting members during these challenging and uncertain times. We have worked every day to answer questions, communicate with employers, and call on governments to flatten the curve and respect working people in this time of crisis.
TORONTO— The Government of Ontario’s legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic fails to institute paid sick days that will enable workers to protect themselves and others from exposure to the virus.
TORONTO— Unifor members working as customer sales and service agents and customer relations representatives at Air Canada ratify a historic collective agreement.
We are living in unprecedented times, and the window to flatten the curve is closing fast, and so is the opportunity to minimize the economic fallout of a pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic presents a tremendous challenge – both to human health and to the economy.
The solution to protecting our health, by closing the border and asking Canadians to stay home, is a wise move to prevent the spread, but it will have a swift and devastating effect on businesses who will be forced to issue massive layoffs or reduce hours.
The Covid-19 pandemic exposes the strengths and weaknesses of public health systems around the world. The necessary responses to that pandemic are testing broader social safety nets, many of which have been damaged by years of austerity. As many economies fall into likely recession, governments are demonstrating their capacity, or lack thereof, to respond to this tremendous challenge.
COVID-19 is a pandemic illness. Public health agencies are monitoring the outbreak of this illness and providing public health and infection control guidance. That guidance is evolving rapidly. In the meantime, many workplace issues are developing about COVID-19.
TORONTO – Unifor calls for bold and immediate action from government and employers to protect casino workers impacted by today’s announcement from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to temporarily shut down all Ontario casinos in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Government and employers are acting now to protect the health and safety of casino workers and patrons,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The result of that decision cannot leave workers vulnerable to the economic impact that this will have on their lives.”
TORONTO – Unifor is urging employers across every sector of the Canadian economy to protect workers from COVID-19 exposure and assist in slowing the spread of the pandemic to ease the impact on the health care system.
OTTAWA— Unifor Local 1016 members who work as Canadian Air Navigation Specialists have voted 97 per cent in favour of ratifying a new four-year collective agreement with Nav Canada.
The General meeting scheduled for Wednesday March 18 has been cancelled due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. We will reschedule at a later date. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Bargaining with BellMTS resumed on March 10. Because we are dealing with Bell we did NOT get in all three scheduled days. The final day was cancelled because Bell could not get a response back to your committee.
Unifor makes worker safety a top priority and as such is calling on the federal and provincial governments to dedicate resources to the protection of all health care workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yesterday, March 12, representatives from the NSGEU, NSNU, CUPE and Unifor met with officials from government, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, infection control specialists, and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Strang.
TORONTO –Unifor is urging employers across every sector of the Canadian economy to protect workers from COVID-19 exposure and assist in slowing the spread of the pandemic to ease the impact on the health care system.
On March 8 we celebrate, we mourn and we double down on our determination to do more.
International Women’s Day this year comes on the 50th anniversary of two important events – the abortion caravan to Ottawa and the Royal Commission on the Status of Women.
These landmarks are worth celebrating, even as we recognize the work that still needs to be done.
Members of Unifor’s predecessor unions were involved in the caravan, which began in Vancouver and made its way to Ottawa to push back against changes to Canada’s Criminal Code on abortion.
VICTORIA—The bargaining committee for Fairmont Empress hotel workers have reached a tentative agreement with the employer.
“Unifor is a union for hotel workers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “I’m proud of the work accomplished by Local 4276 to lead the hospitality sector in British Columbia.”
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