VANCOUVER—Unifor leadership led more than 1,500 members and supporters as they rallied at the union’s Constitutional Convention in downtown Vancouver to stand up for Canadian workers.
“We are going to do whatever it takes to protect Canadian jobs from destruction from Donald Trump,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“He wants to steal our jobs, to take our critical resources and undermine our democracy and our very sovereignty and he still sees us as the 51st state. This is the fight of our lives. And I want to be very clear – Trump will not win.”
AMHERSTBURG, Ont.—Unifor members at the Diageo plant in Amherstburg, Ont. are prepared to fight to save the 170 union jobs following the company’s shock decision to close the Crown Royal bottling facility in February 2026.
VANCOUVER—Lana Payne vowed to continue fighting for workers everywhere in Canada after she won the election for the National President seat by a landslide today at Unifor’s Constitutional Convention in Vancouver.
“It’s been an honour and a great privilege to be your National President. My honour today has grown three-fold,” Payne said in her acceptance speech.
“We have workers to defend, jobs to protect and a country and economy to get on track. And this country needs us. Canada needs this union. It needs the progressive force that we are.”
VANCOUVER—Unifor will rally tomorrow as more than a thousand attendees at the union’s Constitution Convention unite to ‘Protect Canadian Jobs.’
The union is committed to fighting back against the damaging effects of Trump’s trade war— including unjust tariffs on Canada’s steel, aluminium, softwood lumber and auto sectors.
“This is a rally cry for every Canadian worker. Let us be clear: No deal is better than a bad deal when it comes to tariffs,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
Join us as we stand together to protect Canadian jobs!
VANCOUVER—Unifor awarded its highest honour, the Nelson Mandela Award, to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) in recognition of media workers’ dangerous and unrelenting coverage of the conflict in Gaza.
“We are proud to award the PJS for the incredible work to do and sacrifices they make to tell the world the truth about what is happening in Gaza,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
BRADFORD, Ont.—After a seven-week strike, Unifor and Toromont Industries in Bradford, Ont. have reached an agreement to end the strike and submit the outstanding wage issue to interest arbitration for final determination.
“Donald Trump’s attacks on Canada’s auto, steel, aluminum and forestry sectors are hitting workers in real time,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Walking back counter-tariffs is not an olive branch—it’s an open invitation for more U.S. aggression. It sends the wrong signal at the worst possible moment.”
From the outset of this trade war, Unifor has been clear: Canada’s leverage must be used to defend Canadian jobs—not bargained away without reciprocity.
WINDSOR— Titan Tool & Die has escalated its lockout of 25 workers by hauling the last remaining raw materials out of its Windsor plant. Union representatives witnessed the removal today and believe the materials are being moved to the United States.
BRADFORD, Ont.—Unifor Local 112 members at Toromont Industries in Bradford, Ont. rejected an Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) directed vote that was forced by the company, by 87%.
“This employer needs to understand that you can’t force our members into a corner instead of addressing the issues and bargaining an agreement,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
TORONTO— Unifor strongly condemns the federal government’s imposition of binding arbitration between Air Canada and CUPE Flight Attendants, cutting short a legal strike action just hours after it began.
THUNDER BAY, ONT.—Unifor is very pleased to see that all three levels of government have confirmed that Toronto Transit Commission subway trains will be manufactured at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay, securing jobs for workers represented by Unifor Local 1075.
MCCLEAN LAKE, SK—Wage increases, a Skilled Trades adjustment, and benefits improvements are highlights of a new collective agreement ratified August 13, 2025 by members of Unifor Local 48-S at the Orano uranium mine.
“Unifor members make the Orano mine safe and productive. The collective agreement reflects their value to the Canadian mining and energy sectors,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
TORONTO—The provincial government’s move to increase Ontario-made content in biodiesel could rejuvenate the domestic industry and secure Canadian jobs, says Unifor.
“Ontario’s and Canada’s energy security must be a top priority,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “As with regulating the biodiesel market, there are many solutions at hand to strengthen the industry and create good jobs.”
WINDSOR—The ongoing dispute at Titan Tool & Die continues to escalate after the company locked out approximately 25 Unifor Local 195 members on Monday August 11, 2025, following the company’s demands for sweeping concessions and emptying the plant of tools, equipment and work. Locked out workers have between 30 and 40 years of service and an average age of 59 years.
DUNCAN, B.C.—Transdev transit workers have voted down tentative offers that failed to close the wage gap with B.C. transit counterparts in Victoria and Vancouver. In the same vote, held August 7, they also opposed binding arbitration. This follows last month’s rejection of the provincial mediator’s recommendations.
The strike, which began February 8, centres on securing fair wages in line with other transit workers across the province.
VANCOUVER—Amazon has failed to overturn the B.C. Labour Relations Board’s ruling and the company suffered a scathing indictment from the Board about its conduct during the Unifor unionization drive at the Delta B.C. facility (“YVR2”).
TORONTO—Unifor, Canada’s forestry union, welcomes the federal government’s new measures to support Canada’s softwood lumber industry, including an emphasis on income supports for workers, product and market diversification, and a commitment to using Canadian lumber and wood products more effectively.
WINDSOR—Wage protections, paid holidays, and improved benefits are highlights of a new three-year collective agreement reached with the Best Western Plus Waterfront in Windsor, ending a two-month strike.
“It was very important for these workers and Unifor to take a stand at a hotel where members were facing rollbacks. They stood together and stood firm,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Members across the country rallied behind these determined hospitality workers to support their fight for fairness.”
KITIMAT, B.C.—Wages, improvements to benefits, and pension adjustments are the highlights of a new collective agreement ratified by Unifor Local 2301 members during voting on July 25–29.
“Unifor members at Rio Tinto are responsible for the safe and productive operations of a key facility in Kitimat,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Congratulations to Local 2301 on making key gains in their new contract.”
CHATHAM, ON—Unifor Local 127 members at Dajcor Aluminum began strike action after the union learned the company was planning to remove equipment and bring scab labour into the facility.
“Any attempt to remove equipment from a Unifor facility or bring in scabs will always be met with the swiftest possible response from our union,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This is a clear case of escalation that calls for action. Our members have every right to defend their jobs, their plant, and their community from these deceitful tactics.”
HAMILTON—The abrupt closure announcement by Biox Corporation is the latest example of a failure to secure Canada’s domestic energy supply, says Unifor.
The union is urging federal and provincial officials to make simple regulatory changes that could help re-start the facility and lay the groundwork for securing Canada’s energy future.
TORONTO—Unifor is calling on the federal government to negotiate a long-term agreement for softwood lumber exports to the United States that will avoid the rollercoaster of duties and threatened tariffs currently causing chaos in a sector that relies on long-term planning.
ABBOSTFORD, B.C.—Unifor Local 114 members at Cascade Aerospace voted in favour of a new three-year collective agreement, bringing a two-week strike at the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility to an end.
“Aerospace jobs are among the most difficult, demanding, and highly technical in the country,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “I am incredibly proud of members for standing shoulder to shoulder throughout this dispute—not just for themselves, but to help raise standards across the entire Canadian aerospace industry.”
CORNER BROOK, N.L. - Unifor is encouraged by Kruger Inc.’s announcement that it plans to invest up to $700 million in its Corner Brook, N.L. mill to modernize the facility.
WINDSOR—Unifor members at NextStar Energy have voted 88% in favour of ratifying their first collective agreement, marking a historic milestone for workers at Canada’s first large-scale electric vehicle battery cell manufacturing facility.
“Bargaining a first collective agreement is never easy, and this one took place in an exceptionally difficult economic and political climate,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The work of our bargaining committee at NextStar Energy ensures that as the electric vehicle sector grows, good union jobs grow with it.”
HALIFAX—Unifor is concerned by reports of International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Inspectors being refused access to ships in port in Halifax, Vancouver and in Montreal as part of their routine efforts to ensure minimum working and living conditions for the crew are being met.
MONTREAL – Members of Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 have ratified a new collective agreement with VIA Rail.
“This agreement delivers meaningful gains for our members at VIA Rail and protects the critical work they do serving passengers across Canada,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We fought hard to secure improvements that matter to our members and to protect good jobs for the future.”
TORONTO—CN Tower hospitality workers have voted to ratify a tentative agreement with their employer, bringing a nearly two-week labour dispute to an end.
The agreement was reached with Canada Lands Company, the federal Crown corporation that owns and operates the CN Tower. Members of Unifor Local 4271 voted to approve the deal in a ratification vote held earlier today.
TORONTO—Unifor is condemning U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose a 35% tariff on non-CUSMA compliant Canadian goods as a reckless act of economic extortion designed to strong-arm Canada into an unfair trade deal.
“There’s only one answer to this extortion from the U.S. president: push back—hard,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Canada must use every bit of leverage we have. Workers are counting on our government to defend their jobs and industries. Concessions won’t stop a bully, but collective strength will.”
