We are providing another update as DHL has informed us they are locking us out.
As we received this news, our members initiated lockout picket lines across the country.
Unifor has decided to keep our strike notice in place at 11 a.m. EST. At that time, our members will be both locked out and on strike.
When the employer issued its lockout notice first, four days before the negotiations were scheduled to end, it was a sign of disrespect and pressure tactic for us to take concessions.
TORONTO—Unifor members at DHL Express Canada were locked out by their employer after midnight on June 8, after the workers refused to accept concessions put forth by the company.
“We will not stand by while DHL locks out our members across the country and threatens to use scabs in an attempt to pressure our members to take concessions. Our members deserve respect and a fair contract,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
We are providing another update as the deadline is fast approaching at midnight, which is the time DHL designated on their lockout notice filing.
The bargaining committee remains hard at work, negotiating with the employer, to get a reasonable agreement. We remain optimistic; however, we are aware that the clock is ticking and there are some outstanding issues which our union is still hammering out with DHL.
Unifor members at DHL Express Canada locations across the country have voted 97% in favour of strike action. While Unifor always remains committed to reaching an agreement at the bargaining table, we are prepared to use our right to strike.
DHL Express has likewise filed notice of its intent to lockout workers.
As we engage in bargaining, and in advance of the June 8th strike deadline, we expect DHL to bargain in good faith with the Union to negotiate a renewed collective agreement that respects workers.
DURHAM, Ont.—Unifor members at Durham Region Transit (DRT) have reached a tentative agreement with Durham Region on June 6, averting potential strike action.
Details of the agreement will not be disclosed until a ratification meeting is held, which will take place in the coming days.
DRT serves more than 14 million riders annually across Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Whitby.
A one-day symposium in Fredericton, N.B. gathered Unifor members and leaders with organizations who provide frontline services and supports for people across the province experiencing, fleeing, and recovering from Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray welcomed attendees and talked about the union’s Women’s Advocates, workplace representatives trained to listen and to connect members with community supports and services.
Quebec City — Unifor Québec condemns the announcement of plant closures and the termination Groupe Rémabec’s forest operations. The union is also questioning the motivations behind the employer’s radical decision that will severely impact workers in several regions of Quebec. Close to 1,400 workers could lose their jobs permanently, a real economic shock for several already fragile communities.
FREDERICTON–Unifor is encouraged by the motion that passed unanimously in the New Brunswick Legislature today to declare Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) an epidemic and systemic crisis. This declaration follows discussions with Minister of Women’s Equality Lyne Chantal Boudreau at the Unifor Intimate Partner Violence Symposium held on June 3.
TORONTO—On June 4, DHL Express Canada served Unifor with notice of its intention to lock out workers, even as negotiations continued – a callous move by a global courier giant that continues to post massive profits and growth.
“This is the purest show of contempt and disrespect to our members. We won’t be intimidated by DHL’s pressure tactics,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“Our members deserve a fair contract. It’s time this employer delivers respect to its workers.”
VANCOUVER—Following the closure of Glacier Media’s digital community newspapers in April and May, which affected the jobs of Unifor Local 2000 members, journalists are now banding together to form a worker co-op with the goal of launching a newspaper in regions of British Columbia.
“This grassroots project exemplifies the tenacity and dedication of journalists who care about their communities and the work they produce,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This is not just a fight against news deserts, but a battle for democracy.”
Unifor members from across the country gathered in Port Elgin May 30 - June 1 to mark a historic milestone—25 years since the union’s first-ever Pride Conference.
Since its founding, Unifor and its predecessor unions have worked to create space for queer and trans workers to lead, organize, and build a movement rooted in justice, inclusion, and collective strength. In 2000, predecessor union CAW held the first Pride Conference in Port Elgin. At this year’s conference, delegates honoured that history while confronting the urgent challenges of today.
Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi has been appointed to the board of the Ontario Health Coalition, strengthening the union’s role in the fight to defend and expand public health care in the province.
Hashi’s appointment comes at a critical time for Ontario’s health care system, as the Ford government continues its push to privatize services like surgeries and diagnostics. Public hospitals are stretched beyond capacity, staffing shortages are worsening, and patients are paying the price—sometimes literally—as for-profit clinics expand.
Watch a re-cap of Unifor's 2025 Prairie Regional Council meeting in Winnipeg, where delegates had focused discussions on defending recent gains and growing the fightback against attacks on Canadian sovereignty.
DURHAM, Ont.—Unifor is warning communities in Durham Region of potential strike action by Durham Region Transit (DRT) workers that will interrupt service in eight communities, as a 12:01 a.m. June 7 deadline looms.
“We stand with our transit members as they fight for what is fair and just,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
After 15 weeks and stalled negotiations, Unifor held a rally in front of the British Columbia legislature in Victoria on May 28 to demand accountability from the regional transit authority—BC Transit—and the provincial government.
TORONTO— The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50% is a direct threat to Canadian jobs and economic stability.
Unifor is urging the federal government to act without delay to defend Canada’s manufacturing sector and counter the escalating trade assault.
MEDICINE HAT–The sudden closure of CHAT-TV in Medicine Hat, Alberta has resulted in the layoff of 16 Unifor media workers and the end of nearly seven decades of trusted local news programming.
WestJet members of Unifor Local 531 now have their own dedicated office space at Calgary International Airport.
The local proudly opened its first space for WestJet members on May 27, a significant step for them to be present more often in the airport where 910 of their members work.
More than 250 members joined the celebration, including Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer Len Poirier and Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle.
FREDERICTON--Unifor will hold a media availability outside the N.B. Legislature as the union leads a one-day Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Symposium to work with frontline service providers in the province to demand strong leadership from the provincial government.
From a May Day rally to protect Canadian jobs, to discussions about how each member can find their place in the union to make this work their own. Watch a recap from Atlantic Regional Council 2025.
Council 4000 and Local 100 wrapped up negotiations with VIA Rail this week in Montreal, but despite the bargaining committees working late into the evenings, no tentative agreement was reached.
MONTREAL— Contract talks between Unifor and VIA Rail have broken off, setting the stage for a national rail dispute that threatens to disrupt passenger travel across the country later this month.
“We didn’t come to the table looking for a dispute—we came to get a deal,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “But VIA Rail’s refusal to take our demands seriously has left us with no other choice. If they’re not willing to fix what’s broken, they’re forcing this dispute onto workers and passengers alike.”
WINDSOR—Unifor Local 195 members working at the Best Western Plus in Windsor are on the picket line today in a push for fair wages and to fight back against concessionary demands from their employer.
“Unifor members at Best Western Plus deserve wages that reflect the value they bring to the hospitality sector and respect for the hard work they do every day,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Instead of seeking to improve working conditions, the employer has demanded concessions. Our members won’t stand for it.”
Unifor calls on world leaders to follow recent actions taken by the governments of Canada, France and the United Kingdom placing political and economic pressure on the Israeli government to end its ongoing military offensive in Gaza, to urgently allow access to humanitarian aid blocked from entering the region for over 11 weeks.
We continue to call for the release of all remaining hostages held captive by Hamas and for a lasting ceasefire.
After 15 weeks and stalled negotiations, Unifor held a rally in front of the British Columbia legislature in Victoria on May 28 to demand accountability from the regional transit authority—BC Transit—and the provincial government.
Unifor Atlantic Jennifer Murray brought the union’s advocacy to the forefront during the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) warehousing meeting in Brussels, Belgium this week.
In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, Unifor brought members together for an unforgettable evening of learning, storytelling, and solidarity.
The 2025 theme—Asian Canadian Legacy: We Contribute. We Serve—was brought to life through a webinar, hosted by Unifor organizers Hassan Mirza and Simon Lau, on May 27. The webinar featured a panel discussion to explore the intersection of immigration, labour, and anti-Asian racism.
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