VANCOUVER—The controversial plan to force hundreds of container trucks out of the Metro Vancouver port transportation system will cause chaos in a system already under unique pressure from the pandemic, flooding, and supply chain issues, says Unifor.
“Without action from Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, gridlock will overtake Vancouver’s ports,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Millions of British Columbians rely on the efficient operation of their ports. Ignoring the issue has only made matters worse.”
JOLIETTE, QUEBEC – Members of the production and office units of Unifor Local 177 have unanimously rejected a management offer presented at a recent union meeting.
The employer’s offer came in the wake of a bargaining blitz held in the days leading up to Christmas. Unfortunately, the parties were unable to reach a tentative agreement at that time, mainly because of the employer’s continuing demands for concessions deemed unacceptable to the workers.
TORONTO – Keeping children, education workers and the community safe when some students return to class this week starts with the buses that provide transport to Ontario schools, says Canada’s top school bus driver union.
“Keeping schools safe for students, staff, and for their families when they return home, means full protections for all involved - from the time students board the bus, until the time they get home,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias says.
TORONTO – Top executives at Canada’s grocery giants have been paid millions in bonuses while continuing to deny pandemic pay to frontline essential grocery workers.
“These same executives took away $2 an hour pandemic pay from their workers after only a few weeks of the first wave back in June 2020,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The CEO’s and top execs continue to reap the rewards of COVID-19 boosted sales while their workers face the risks to keep food on the table for Canadians.”
OTTAWA – Unifor is kicking off a weeklong federal lobby to communicate urgent repairs needed to fix Canada’s broken Employment Insurance (EI) system.
“There is no time to waste when it comes to fixing EI. Workers across the country are running out of benefits and running into barriers with a program that seems more determined to punish them instead of help them,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
TORONTO–Health care workers at eleven long-term care facilities will begin escalating community actions across southwestern Ontario after talks with employers broke off.  
TORONTO- Unifor wrote to Ontario’s Labour Minister following a disappointing report from the government’s Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee (OWRAC).
SARNIA—The bargaining committee for more than 70 Unifor members doing the dangerous work of treating toxic waste have reached a tentative collective agreement with the employer at Clean Harbors.
“Unifor Local 914 members went to the picket line to uphold the principles of equity in the workplace,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Solidarity and collective action matter. Thank you to all of the Unifor members that helped pressure the employer to do the right thing.”
VANCOUVER—Container truck drivers at Aheer Transportation and Prudential Transportation could be on strike as soon as December 3, 2021 after 72-hours notice was served today by Unifor.
“Unifor will not let Aheer and Prudential escape their responsibilities to workers,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The pattern collective agreement negotiated this summer is fair and reasonable. There will be no exemptions for greedy employers.”
TORONTO — Unifor Locals at Enbridge Gas Inc. have filed an application at the Ontario Labour Relations Board and filed a grievance in order to defend bargaining unit rights after learning that Enbridge Inc. is contracting out union work to a wholly-owned subsidiary.
“We will fight for union rights for all energy workers who have been cheated out of better wages and benefits,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Enbridge cannot continue to use smoke and mirrors to create a shadow workforce doing the same work under a different name.”
OTTAWA – Unifor applauds the introduction of legislation to provide 10 paid sick days for all federal private sector workers.
“Today is a day of leadership, and shows what can be done when you are aggressive and progressive… It’s about the millions of Canadians who are depending on provincial governments to pass comparable legislation,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President at today’s announcement with the federal Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan.
NAPANEE- Following a unanimous rejection on Lennox and Addington Interval House (LAIH) employer’s ‘final offer’ forced vote, striking shelter workers are united and ready to return to the bargaining table.
TORONTO– As the holiday shopping season ramps up on Black Friday, Unifor has launched the ‘Warehouse Workers Unite’ campaign to improve working conditions for workers in warehousing, distribution and logistics facilities across the country.
“Frontline essential warehouse workers literally carry the load to ensure that we have access to the goods that we need but they also bear the brunt as pressure for faster and faster delivery results in ever-worsening conditions, with increased demands to work at almost impossible speeds,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
VANCOUVER—Container truck drivers at two large Metro Vancouver port trucking companies voted overwhelmingly to strike if necessary to achieve a fair agreem
SARNIA—The workers responsible for treating toxic waste at Corunna’s Clean Harbors site went on strike starting at 12:01 a.m. today.
“Gender equality and fairness are at the core of this job action,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The employer can either follow the collective agreement and ensure wages keep up with inflation or it can expect work disruptions.”
AJAX–Unifor has elevated pay, benefits and working conditions for 1,000 warehouse workers at the Loblaw Distribution Centre in Ajax, Ontario with the negotiation of a new four-year collective agreement.
TORONTO- New legislation to set a $15 minimum wage in Ontario will help the province’s lowest-paid workers and raise wages for thousands of Unifor members with minimum wage plus clauses in their collective agreements.
“Workers on the frontlines of our retail, wholesale, gaming, warehousing and broader service sectors who are paid a fraction of their worth will see this increase directly,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “I’m glad this government has reversed course and has now decided to raise workers’ wages.”
TORONTO — Unifor welcomes the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, introduced today by the provincial government, and continues to push for better working conditions for all in the sector.
BELLEVILLE—Wage and benefits enhancements are the highlights of a first collective agreement ratified today by Unifor Local 1090 members, ending their five-day strike at the Shorelines casino.
“Unifor is Canada’s union for gaming and hospitality workers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Shorelines Casino Belleville workers showed great solidarity and determination to win their first collective agreement.”
The ratification ends the strike action that began at 1:01 a.m. on Friday, October 22, 2021.
TORONTO–Unifor Local 112 and 673 members ratified new agreements with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada today, ending a three-month long strike at the aircraft manufacturer’s Downsview facility in Toronto.
TORONTO–The introduction of legislation that would require companies to develop disconnect from work policies is a welcome start to improve work-life balance for Ontario workers.
BELLEVILLE—At 1 a.m. a strike commenced at Shorelines Casino Belleville. Picket lines will be erected later in the morning.
Bargaining committees for Unifor Local 1090 and the employer worked late into the night to reach an agreement. Parties will resume meetings again on Friday, October 22 with the goal of resolving the dispute to resume casino operations.
TORONTO–Unifor Local 112 members at the Pan Pacific Toronto hotel ratified a new agreement with the employer by 100 per cent.
“Unifor is Canada’s union for hospitality workers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “I’m extremely proud of the work our Local 112 bargaining committee did to secure a such a strong agreement in these challenging times.”
TORONTO –The federal government’s decision to end the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) before implementing a permanent fix for the country’s inadequate Employment Insurance (EI) program will revert workers to failed pre-pandemic income security measures, Unifor says.
