Unifor outlines priorities for economic growth and progress for workers as Ontario legislature resumes

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Joint statement from National President Lana Payne and Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi

Unifor calls on the Ontario government to prioritize investments in health care and key industrial sectors, protect public services, and ensure the creation of good union jobs as legislature resumes.

Ontario has an opportunity this fall to build a fairer economy and make investments that will have lasting benefits for workers and their families. Unifor calls for bold action to create good union jobs, particularly through investments in vital sectors such as manufacturing, auto, transportation, health care, and other crucial public services.

Our priority is ensuring that every Ontarian has access to stable, well-paying jobs and the vital public services they depend on. 

Unifor continues to campaign for increased support for healthcare workers who are on the front lines of Ontario’s healthcare system, especially as the province grapples with a staffing crisis in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

We need the Ontario government to keep emergency rooms open, ensure that every Ontarian has a family doctor, and improve access to surgeries, specialists, and diagnostic testing—while creating a staffing strategy centered on decent work and pay to recruit and retain staff to meet urgent, growing patient needs. Unifor strongly believes that the best strategy to deal with wait times and to improve Ontario’s health care system is by directing public funds to public health care, not for-profit clinics.

Unifor calls on the provincial government to ensure adequate funding for the health care sector and to respect the collective bargaining rights of workers who continue to face challenges, including understaffing, burnout, and fallout from Bill 124.

Additionally, Unifor calls on the Ontario government to pass Bill 173, the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, to protect and support victims and survivors of violence. Our union is encouraged by provinces like Nova Scotia who unanimously passed similar Unifor-backed legislation.

The union is also continuing its campaign to protect Canadians from the dangers of replacement workers, who prolong labour disputes, increase the risk of violence on the picket line and compromise workers’ right to strike, through the passing of anti-scab legislation in all jurisdictions across Canada.

Workers need the Ontario government to take immediate action to ban the use of scab labour and enhance workers’ fundamental workplace rights, like the right to strike. With anti-scab rules coming into force next year for federally regulated employees and anti-scab measures already in place in Quebec and British Columbia, Ontario must step up for workers by taking unlawful employers to task for failing to bargain fairly.

Earlier this year, the union successfully ratified a significant contract with CN following a national campaign to stop the employer’s use of replacement workers during a 37-day strike.

Unifor is strongly pushing for government-backed sectoral investments that encourage stable union job growth, strengthen Ontario’s local economies, and the province’s position in the global manufacturing sector. This includes critical investments in Ontario’s auto sector to protect jobs and strengthen our manufacturing leadership in the evolving electric vehicle market.

Unifor welcomes continued collaboration with the Ontario government in our joint call for needed federal funding for production of new TTC subway trains at the Alstom Thunder Bay plant. With proper support from all levels of government, the Alstom plant can continue to strengthen our economy and produce world-class transit vehicles here at home. All while contributing to the province’s future in sustainable transportation and protecting hundreds of good union jobs.

Unifor is also committed to creating good jobs in the energy sector through its "Keep it in the Pipe" initiative, which focuses on preventing methane leaks and building Canada’s energy infrastructure while positioning Ontario as a leader in sustainable energy practices.

Recognizing the vital role of local news in maintaining informed communities, Unifor is calling on the Ontario government to introduce additional measures that support local news outlets struggling in an increasingly challenging media environment. Earlier this month, Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE Inc.) and its subsidiaries issued another wave of job cuts resulting in 120 layoffs across Ontario and Quebec—this follows more than 4,800 job cuts that occurred in February 2024.

Unifor applauded the Ontario government’s announcement that it will direct key provincial agencies to ensure at least 25% of their ad spends will go to Ontario publishers. Unifor continues its call on the federal government, as well as other provinces, to follow Ontario’s lead on and commit to supporting Canadian news.

Local news is essential to our democracy, and we are at a critical juncture where many outlets are on the brink of closure. The provincial government needs to take action to ensure that local journalism survives, whether that’s through financial support or legislation that protects newsrooms from further cuts.

In conclusion, Unifor is urging the Ontario government to take bold, immediate action to support workers and vital industries as the legislature resumes. By prioritizing investments in healthcare, protecting public services, and strengthening workers’ rights, Ontario can build a fairer, more sustainable economy for all.