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OSHAWA— Unifor members at Durham Region Transit (DRT) are celebrating the announcement that Durham Region will more than double bus service provided by the transit authority over the next decade.

“Our union has diligently worked to expand public transit and are pleased to see Durham Region’s decision to dramatically increase funding to support public transit service and infrastructure,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This is good news for our members and for the community."

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Close to a thousand people gathered today in St. John’s in front of the Confederation Building, calling for action to save the province’s snow crab fishery. The Union that represents over 14,000 people in the province, including all 10,000 professional fish harvesters and some 3,000 processing workers, says that it’s the government’s responsibility to protect the people who rely on the fishery, and ensure processing companies operate in a manner that benefits the people of our province. 

TILLSONBURG–Unifor has launched a new labour action centre to assist former Adient workers, who were displaced when the company abruptly announced the closure of its Tillsonburg seating foam plant in November 2022.

SURREY—Wage increases and benefits enhancements are key features of a collective agreement between Unifor and Coast Mountain Bus Company, ratified today by members of Unifor locals 111 and 2200. 

“The gains in this collective agreement will help improve working conditions and the quality of life for Metro Vancouver’s transit workers and their families,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

VICTORIA—The membership of Unifor Local 4276 voted overwhelmingly today to ratify a new three-year contract with their employer at the Fairmont Empress Hotel.

“Unifor members at the Fairmont Empress have secured a strong collective agreement and have helped set the table for upcoming negotiations in the hospitality sector,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Congratulations on a job well done.”

OAKVILLE—Unifor welcomed today’s announcement by the Ford Motor Company that the company is investing $1.8 billion to retool the Oakville Assembly Complex beginning mid-2024 to build next-generation passenger electric vehicles in 2025.

Fort Frances, Ontario - Over 55 members of Unifor Local 324-19 voted 96% in favour of a new three-year contract with Weechi-it-te-win Family Services on April 3.

TORONTO-It would take the average Canadian supermarket worker 340 years to earn Loblaw CEO Galen Weston’s 2022 total compensation of $11.79 million, says Unifor.

CHARLOTTETOWN-The decisive Progressive Conservative win in the Prince Edward Island provincial election shows the need for coordination between progressive organizations and the labour movement to amplify workers voices, says Unifor.

REGINA—The Sask Party government must stop shielding information about where outsourced SaskTel jobs are heading and come clean about why Crown corporation jobs are leaving Saskatchewan, says Unifor.

“The people of Saskatchewan deserve answers about why Minister Don Morgan is so eager to send good jobs to Alberta and overseas,” said Len Poirier, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer.

“SaskTel is owned by the people of Saskatchewan. Let’s make it do better to employ the people of Saskatchewan.”

SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA—The joint bargaining committee for Unifor Locals 111 and 2200 have achieved a tentative agreement with Coast Mountain Bus Company.

“Transit workers kept Metro Vancouver moving throughout the pandemic. They have clearly demonstrated their value to the Lower Mainland economy and they deserve fair wages and benefits,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

TORONTO –Unifor is demanding an update on the Competition Bureau’s civil investigation into whether Google has engaged in certain practices that harm competition in the online display advertising industry in Canada.

“Every day that Google is allowed to monopolize ad revenue, more harm is inflicted on the Canadian news industry, which has a negative impact on democracy as a whole,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

TORONTO- Unifor commends the 2023 federal budget’s focus on new industrial manufacturing investments but condemns inaction to fix an Employment Insurance system that fails workers.  

“Significant new incentives to attract critical manufacturing and build the necessary value chains here in Canada is very welcome news. But these incentives must include strong labour conditions. Unifor will continue to push for good union jobs and fair wages,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. 

VICTORIA—A lack of progress from the employer at the bargaining table has forced members of Unifor Local 4276 to give their bargaining committee a strike mandate.

“The Fairmont Empress is a top-tier hotel and its workers deserve respect and fair compensation. It is a leader in the industry and we expect the collective agreement to lead the way,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “The employer must come to the table prepared to bargain a fair contract that reflects the critical contribution of hotel workers.”

TORONTO- Infrastructure, industry and health care investments are welcome in the Ontario budget, but government needs to take the next step and translate spending into good jobs and a stronger public health care system, including workforce development strategies.

"The Ontario government has put much needed money on the table - now they have to finish the job by ensuring that the work is done here in Ontario by Ontario workers. If we are going to build the transit of the future, let’s build it in Ontario,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

TORONTO—The Ontario government’s 2023 budget must reinvest in public health care and support workers and critical industries to make better use of recent windfalls, says Unifor.

REGINA—Key public services that working people rely on every day will see little to no increase in service levels from the 2023 provincial budget that earmarks a massive surplus for the Sask Party government’s re-election bid in 2024.

MONTREAL- Unifor has reached tentative collective agreements with CN Rail, averting strike action.

“These negotiations were fraught with challenges, including demands for concessions by CN,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “With the solid support of the membership, the bargaining committees were able to stand up to this large profitable company and persevere to secure the tentative agreements.”

VANCOUVER—Unifor is reaching out to members and supporters this week to sign a petition to stop the displacement of local fish harvesters on the Pacific coast.

“Canadian natural resources, such as the Pacific fishery, should provide good jobs and benefit working families,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “The federal government is failing coastal communities and the rest of Canada by allowing massive multinational corporations to plunder our communal wealth.”

LONDON—More than 150 auto parts workers at Sodecia Automotive hot stamping facilities in London, Ontario voted to join Unifor last month after a year-long union drive.

“Auto parts workers understand that joining Unifor means driving higher standards of living for workers across the industry,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Momentum is growing across the sector to join our union as workers look to secure a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.”

VICTORIA—Another Unifor transit worker local union has secured a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in a contract ratified March 15, 2023. 

The COLA clause was first achieved by Sea to Sky transit workers after their historic 2022 strike.

TORONTO, MEXICO CITY – Autoworker unions in Canada and Mexico applaud the launch of a trade complaint by the Canadian government to stop labour abuses at a Mexican auto parts facility owned by global automotive supplier Fränkische.

TORONTO –With the simultaneous decisions from the Competition Bureau and Transport Canada’s public interest review approving WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing, Unifor remains steadfast that the acquisition must result in increased job quality for workers at Sunwing and WestJet.  

REGINA—Highly qualified union workers at SaskTel should do the work involved in the company’s massive expansion of its fibre optic broadband network into rural Saskatchewan.

TORONTO – Leading up to March break and the busy summer travel season, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) decision to cap flights and the number of travelers fails both passengers and airport workers, says Unifor.

“The GTAA is punishing the traveling public by limiting flights and services as a band-aid solution to airport congestion, instead of fixing the problem by implementing common sense solutions to improve job quality and hire needed workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

WINNIPEG—Despite some spending measures aimed at winning re-election, the Heather Stefanson government is still defined by growing hospital wait times, health care privatization, and suppressing the minimum wage, says Unifor.

“Manitobans will not forget the Stefanson government’s deliberate and wilful dismantling of the health care system,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “One budget cannot undo years of mismanagement by the conservative government.”

TORONTO- Unifor members working at CN voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action amid ongoing negotiations in which CN has tabled a package of broad concessions.

Local 100 members voted 98%, and Council 4000 members voted 97% in favour of strike action. The earliest possible date of job action would be March 21, 2023, following a 72-hour notice.

REGINA—After a new proposal to outsource unionized SaskTel jobs surfaced on government websites this week, Unifor has demanded a stop to contracting out.

“With each outsourcing post, the Sask Party government is undermining good jobs and good customer service at SaskTel, and customers should be concerned,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “This government must stop sending jobs out of province and offshore. Why is the Sask Party so obsessed with killing good, local jobs?”

TORONTO–The news of layoffs and restructuring at Global News this week chips away at already barebones newsrooms and puts democracy at risk as the number of media workers dwindles in the industry, says Unifor.

“It is becoming impossibly difficult for media workers to face the news of restructuring and layoffs on a regular basis,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Journalists are the backbone of our democracy. We need to save local news by investing in newsrooms – not cutting them. We will continue to support our members during this devastating time.”

EDMONTON—The temporary financial windfall from volatile oil prices was squandered in a UCP budget that does little to secure a stable future for Albertans, says Unifor.