VANCOUVER—The continued resistance by the Horgan government to legislate paid sick days represents a serious gap in the province’s strategy to stop the spread of the coronavirus, says Unifor.
“The B.C. government must pull out all the stops to protect public health. Employer-paid sick days is a key policy tool to let workers stay home if they’re sick,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “We need bold leadership in Victoria who is willing to stand up to a handful of business lobbyists in the name of public health.”
VANCOUVER—Unifor’s campaign for paid time off for workers to get vaccinated has succeeded with an announcement today by the Horgan government that employers shall grant three hours of work time for vaccination appointments.
April 18, 2020 TORONTO–Unifor National President Jerry Dias is available to comment on the federal budget, to be delivered on April 19, 2021. “This federal budget comes during a time of crisis, it needs to include both immediate health and economic measures to address COVID-19, but it also must look to the future. This budget is an opportunity to fix the systemic issues that this pandemic has laid bare, so we can build back a stronger economy that delivers decent paying full-time jobs and a stronger social safety net,” said Dias.
TORONTO - Unifor urges the Ontario provincial government to legislate paid sick days and fast-track vaccination for all workers deemed essential under new third-wave province-wide restrictions.
April 15, 2020 TORONTO–Unifor will hold a news conference to reveal the results of a new poll on support for Ontario to mandate paid sick days for workers. “This poll clearly shows that the people of Ontario want and need paid sick days,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The time has come for Premier Ford to admit the error of taking away paid sick days from workers and to recognize that his government is out of excuses to continue to deny workers this right.
TORONTO—As the State of Michigan and Enbridge Inc. enter mediation about the Line 5 pipeline, Unifor argues that the pipeline is a safe and stable source of good jobs in Ontario and Québec.
Essential workers are speaking out on the need for vaccination access and paid sick days to protect them from COVID-19, in a series of new videos of frontline Unifor members.
New amendments to the already draconian Bill 254 place extreme restrictions on unions and advocacy groups, aiming to silence dissent in the year before a critical election.
TORONTO—New federal measures aimed at bolstering Air Canada will help protect good jobs and is an important step on the road to economic recovery, says Unifor.
April 12, 2021 THUNDER BAY–Unifor Local 39-11 Superior North Emergency Medical Services paramedics have voted 97.5% in favour to ratify a new collective agreement with the City of Thunder Bay. “Narrowing the compensation gap between paramedics and other city emergency responders is an important gain in this new contract,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
April 10, 2021 THUNDER BAY–Unifor Local 39-11 Superior North Emergency Medical Services paramedics and the City of Thunder Bay have reached a tentative collective agreement, avoiding strike action. “These members have been on the frontline since day one of this pandemic and their skillset, education, and training are second to none in terms of first responders,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
April 10, 202 THUNDER BAY–Unifor is calling on the City of Thunder Bay to break the impasse in contract negotiations to avoid a paramedic strike just hours away at midnight. “Our bargaining committee believes that an agreement is within reach but city negotiators are refusing to drop a demand for frontline paramedics to cover supervisor managerial work, taking them away from patient duties and leaving citizens vulnerable with fewer available ambulances,” said Rob Moquin, Unit Chair for Unifor Local 39-11 City Paramedics.
TORONTO—Unifor is calling on the federal government to provide amnesty in next week’s budget to low-wage workers facing a major tax hit on Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments during a tax season that coincides with the financial fallout of wave three of COVID-19.
TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford’s announcement of yet another provincial State of Emergency lacks the commitment to mass vaccinations and paid sick days that are required to stop the spread of COVID-19.
WINNIPEG—Tax cut gimmicks and a manufactured crisis in education will not protect Manitobans and build the economy, says Unifor.
“It is a dangerous move to reduce the government’s fiscal capacity when it has so much important and life-saving work to do,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Manitobans need strong public services and Crown corporations, not an experiment in conservative ideology.”
REGINA—If Saskatchewan’s families were looking for leadership in the latest provincial budget, they will be sorely disappointed, says Unifor.
“The Scott Moe government seems content to coast along while families are struggling,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
Unifor has been calling for the provincial government to help the province’s most vulnerable with a boost to the minimum wage and employer-paid sick leave but those calls were unanswered in today’s budget.
VANCOUVER—The B.C. government needs to stand up to a handful of business lobbyists and implement paid vaccination leave and paid sick leave, said Unifor.
“As it stands, workers are paying to take time off work to be vaccinated,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Workers don’t need the bare minimum to defeat COVID-19, they need every possible opportunity to be vaccinated without financial penalty.”
TORONTO- Unifor supports the proposed combination of Canadian Pacific (CP) with Kansas City Southern (KCS).
“This new North American single-line will drive growth not only in Canada, but across the continent,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “This powerful combination will be good for Unifor members in rail, and allows CP and KCS to fully utilize the USMCA to serve customers in all three countries.”
Unifor represents 1,400 workers at CP in Canada, and 9,200 rail workers across the country.
TORONTO—Unifor is calling on all provinces to mandate paid time off to allow workers to get vaccinated when it is their turn to do so.
“While some good employers out there are already doing this, most are not and won’t unless government forces them to just do the right thing,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
GODERICH—Members of Unifor Local 16-O working at Compass Minerals have ratified a new collective agreement that secures many of the outstanding issues from the 2018 strike.
“Skilled bargaining combined with collective strike action in 2018 made this contract possible,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
VANCOUVER—As British Columbia gears up to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to the general public, Unifor is urging the provincial government to follow Saskatchewan’s lead and give workers paid time off to receive the vaccine.
ST. JOHN’S —The election of Premier Andrew Furey with a majority government provides the opportunity for the Liberal government to reset its priorities to improve the lives of workers and their families.
“We’ve lost precious time during a period of crisis in election campaign mode, now it’s time for Premier Furey to roll up his sleeves and work to deliver policies that will make a difference,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Linda MacNeil.
TORONTO—After the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal carbon tax is constitutional, Unifor is calling on the conservative provincial governments that have resisted climate action to get to work.
“You can criticize the federal carbon tax all you want, but complaining is not a plan,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Climate change is real and urgent action is the only moral course of action. If you’re a premier who doesn’t think the federal plan suits your jurisdiction, then you must act immediately to raise the bar.”
PICKERING- SEIU Healthcare, CUPE and Unifor will protest healthcare failures in the Ontario budget, including the lack of sufficient measures to reverse the staff exodus from low-paying precarious jobs, the omission of paid sick days, and refusal to make the temporary wage increase permanent for all healthcare workers, at Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s constituency office. This action will observe COVID-19 safety protocols. What: Ontario budget healthcare funding protest When: Thursday, March 25, 2021 11 a.m.
TORONTO – Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s 2021 provincial budget fails to address Ontario’s crisis in long-term care, and leaves questions about the direction and strength of the province’s economic recovery says Unifor.
Ahead of tomorrow’s budget in Ontario, hospital, and long-term care workers, who have borne the worst of pandemic risks in the last year, surrounded Queen’s Park in a drive-by action with a clear message for Premier Doug Ford and his finance minister: Respect Us. Protect Us. Pay Us.
VANCOUVER—Unifor took its campaign for workers’ rights directly to provincial government legislators during an intensive online lobby session this week in British Columbia.
“Speaking directly with key decision-makers is a key part of our strategy for change,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “MLAs heard from Unifor members in dozens of sectors speaking directly about their experience on the shop floor. We also presented research to help make the case for a suite of new worker-friendly policies.”
