TORONTO – The troubling reports from Canadian Armed Forces serving in long-term care homes in Ontario reinforces the systemic crisis in the provinces long-term care system.
SOUTHEY— Premier Scott Moe’s endless dithering on whether or not to impose a settlement from the mediators in the Co-op Refinery lockout has prompted workers to establish information pickets at five rural Co-op properties.
“It boggles the mind why Scott Moe can’t finish the job he started,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Why did he appoint the nation’s best mediators if he was just going to sit on their recommendations? It doesn’t make any sense.”
TORONTO—Unifor is proud to partner with the Hospitality Workers Training Centre to support laid off workers in hospitality and food service across the Greater Toronto Area.
“Hotel and food service workers are among the hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “That’s why our union acted immediately to ensure workers could access vital services from the Centre for job training, food and housing security, and mental health supports.”
TORONTO–Unifor reiterated its call for the federal government to grant workers receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to receive the Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUB) they would be entitled to under normal layoff circumstances, during testimony today before the Federal Finance Committee.
REGINA—After revelations that the Regina Police Service kept secret a bomb threat against picketing members, Unifor will examine its options for expanding an existing complaint against the RPS.
“Regina police have been at the beck and call of the company from the beginning of the lockout,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Now there is clear evidence that their loyalty to the refinery has veered into a recklessness that could have cost lives.”
TORONTO – Unifor welcomes the Ontario government’s announcement to launch an independent commission to investigate Ontario's Long-Term Care (LTC) system, so long as a manageable patient to staff ratio is put in place and recent changes such as pay increases and worker protection are maintained.
FOAM LAKE—Federated Co-operatives Limited’s refusal to accept the recommendations of Premier Scott Moe’s mediators has again affected the fuel supply for farmers, says Unifor.
“It will not be business as usual for the refinery while they’ve locked out highly skilled workers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “This lockout must end with the mediators’ terms.”
Unifor has written to Premier Ford demanding that all Community and Home Care as well as supportive housing facilities be included in provincial directives so that all workers will be provided proper Personal Protective Equipment to avoid further deaths.
Flood relief efforts in Fort McMurray will receive a boost after Unifor Local 707A and Unifor’s Social Justice Fund partnered to donate $30,000 to the Wood Buffalo Food Bank.
TORONTO - Unifor stands with workers across the country and around the globe in recognizing and celebrating the outstanding contributions of nurses through the release of a report highlighting the contribution of RPNs and LPNs during National Nursing Week May 11 - 17, 2020.
TORONTO – Unifor mourns the loss of Leonard Rodriques a Local 40 PSW member who passed due to a preventable workplace exposure to COVID-19. “I want to extend my deepest sympathies to Leonard's family, as well as his union sisters and brothers who are working for Access Independent Living Services,” said, Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Leonard worked for more than thirty years providing care for those in need.
HALIFAX – Unifor is pleased to see government respond to Unifor’s demands for premium pay for health care workers and welcomes the latest announcement by Premier Stephen McNeil to provide a cash bonus for health care workers in Nova Scotia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The plan to relax COVID-19 restrictions on British Columbia’s economy is incomplete if it doesn’t include restoring public transit service, says Unifor.
As Ontario establishes collection of race-based data on COVID-19, Unifor requests responsible collection guidelines and asks other provinces to follow suit.
TORONTO – Unifor is calling on Doug Ford to immediately revise the Ontario's pandemic pay premium to include all health care workers. "I applauded Doug Ford when he announced the pandemic pay premium for health care workers but the devil is always in the details," said, Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "The premium leaves out many hospital workers, some of whom are doing the same job as those in long-term care and social services.
VANCOUVER—Unifor locals from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia have marked International Workers’ Day by making donations to local food banks across Western Canada.
ST. CATHARINES—Members of Unifor Local 1999 working at Mr. Furnace have been served notice that they could be locked out of their jobs on Monday, in the midst of a public health and economic crisis.
“It’s a new low for labour relations to see an employer issue this notice during a pandemic,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “COVID-19 is already responsible for hundreds of thousands of layoffs. Locking out workers that still have their jobs is an especially heartless move right now.”
Pressure is growing for Premier Scott Moe to end the Co-op Refinery lockout with binding arbitration after the Regina City Council endorsed the idea today by a near unanimous vote of 9-1.
After Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) snubbed the premier’s mediators and unilaterally forced a final contract vote on refinery workers, Unifor Local 594 members have voted 89 per cent against the contract.
Unifor welcomes the Ontario government’s announcement today that it will expand access to emergency child care for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
REGINA—Locked out members of Unifor Local 594 will hold a car rally at the legislature grounds on Wednesday to pressure the provincial government for a legislated solution to the 145-day lockout at the Co-op Refinery.
“By snubbing the report from the premier’s mediators, Co-op has demonstrated that it cannot be trusted to bargain nor end the lockout in good faith,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “We’re encouraging Premier Moe to show leadership and bring an end to this dispute.”
TORONTO-Sunwing becomes the third airline to apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Supplement (CEWS) in an effort to maintain as much of their workforce as possible.
"We're pleased to see more employers joining the effort to keep Canada's airlines working," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "Economic recovery is impossible without taking care of workers first."
TORONTO—Unifor is cautioning the Ontario government that it must consult with workers before proceeding with plans unveiled today in its framework for reopening the province’s economy.
Unifor is calling on the federal government to close a loophole in Bill C-14 that will allow unethical employers using scab labour to qualify for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).
TORONTO – After weeks of campaigning for a pandemic premium pay for frontline health care workers, Unifor leadership and members received today’s news from Premier Ford of a $4.00 per hour premium with tearful relief. “For years, long before this pandemic, we have fought for the recognition and respect frontline workers deserve, particularly in the struggling long-term care and retirement home sector,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The pandemic has brought much needed attention to sectors that were in crisis already.
Unifor’s National President is available to comment on the announcement today that Health Canada has contracted General Motors in Oshawa to begin manufacturing urgently needed masks for health care professionals and for Canadians.
