Edmonton – Unifor pledges to continue building progressive organizing in Alberta following the election of a majority United Conservative Party (UCP) government. “Through a difficult and heated election, voters made it clear that they were worried about the future of good jobs for Albertans,” said Unifor President Jerry Dias. “If implemented, Jason Kenney’s plan will threaten good jobs in the energy sector and will mean outright cuts to public sector jobs in education and healthcare.
Calgary – Workers from Alberta’s oil sands and Unifor members who are worried about the future of the industry if the UCP forms government will be campaigning in support of the NDP today. Photo and interview opportunities are available while they door knock and engage voters, in a last minute push to support NDP candidates before the election.
CALGARY - Workers from Alberta’s energy sector are calling on oil sands company executives to speak out about the threat Jason Kenney’s policies represent to the future of the oil sands.
“The CEOS and executives at Alberta’s biggest oil sands companies know the NDP got it right,” said Kim Conway, Chair of Unifor’s Energy Council.
CALGARY - Workers from the front lines of the energy sector are calling on the oil companies to speak out about the serious threat Kenney’s policies will have on their future. They know that the industry must change. Diversification is the only way it will survive and the NDP’s plan will save Alberta from economic ruination in the energy sector.
The oil patch CEOs know it too. Suncor’s CEO once said, “Kenney’s approach of ignoring what our potential customers really want puts both investment and jobs at risk.”
TORONTO – Ford’s first budget threatens future growth and prosperity with dramatic tightening of public service spending and lack of leadership on manufacturing.
"Conservatives have failed to reflect the priorities of working families in Ontario,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “Essentially freezing government spending on education, health and social services won’t go unnoticed in public services that are already underfunded and in dire need of core funding.”
TORONTO- Unifor members are organizing events at union halls across the province on April 11, 2019 to watch the provincial budget announcement and discuss the effects of Budget 2019.
WINDSOR- Unifor members working at Windsor Regional Hospital were shocked by the news of the hospitals plan to layoff 80 workers, including those in housekeeping and food services. “Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj is trying to sell these layoffs as necessary cost improvements that will have no impact on direct patient care,” said National President Jerry Dias. “That could not be further from the truth.
TORONTO- Unifor calls for an end to Ford Conservatives’ cruel cuts set to harm students’ education, eliminate thousands of full time teachers and steal the province’s prosperity.
VICTORIA – Dozens of Unifor members from across the province are gathering in Victoria for three days of lobbying aimed at improving working conditions for the people of B.C., including children.
“Its 2019 and yet women in B.C. still make significantly less than their male colleagues,” said Joie Warnock, Unifor Western Regional Director. “For every dollar a man earns per hour, women make 65 cents. That’s close to the highest wage gap in Canada and B.C. is long overdue for pro-active pay equity legislation.”
TORONTO - Unifor members call foul on Bell’s move to slash technicians’ hours across Ontario and Quebec.
Hundreds of Technicians working for Bell are categorized as part-time in name only, regularly working 40-hour weeks for many years. Last week, Bell suddenly changed that, so that technicians across Ontario and Quebec are seeing hours and pay cheques cut in half.
REGINA—The Scott Moe government has failed to secure a new collective agreement with yet another group of Crown corporation workers before the expiry of their agreement—this time with the nearly 3,000 workers represented by Unifor at SaskTel.
“Premier Moe is steering negotiations towards a province-wide service disruption,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Crown workers have had enough. They’re prepared to take a stand to defend high-quality Crown services.”
WINNIPEG- Premier Brian Pallister’s crass attempts to win popularity with tax cuts will drain core public programs of funding, says Unifor.
“Tax cuts are a gift to the wealthy and a slap in the face to working families,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Pallister’s tax cuts mean one thing for working families: inferior hospitals and schools.”
The theme is "We are Fearless: Organizing our Communities, Supporting Each Other, Growing the Resistance”. Speakers will support our critical social programs including health care, education and justice, dignity and fairness for all workers.
Community speakers and performers include Indygo Arscott, Indigenous Activist; Catherine Brooks, Indigenous Elder; Nicky Lawrence, blues singer; singers Moscow Apartment and more.
OTTAWA- Retail workers at Ottawa-area Rexall stores are set to return to the bargaining table united in their demand for decent wages and fairness.
“Rexall is raking in profits, but expects employees to be content with precarious, part-time, minimum wage jobs,” said Gord Currie, President of Unifor Local 414. “Retail workers deserve better. We fought for reforms like fairer scheduling through legislative change then the Conservatives rolled it back. Now we’re facing the employer to write decent work into the contract.”
TORONTO- Ontario’s largest union in the private sector expresses deep concern for the proposed amalgamation of healthcare oversight and delivery into an unaccountable partisan agency.
TORONTO – Workers represented by Ontario’s largest public and private sector unions have joined forces to deliver a message to the provincial government: if priorities don’t shift in the provincial budget, we’re ready to ramp up the fight.
Unifor and OPSEU members from sectors and regions across Ontario are at Queen’s Park this week to meet with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and present a vision for well-funded public services and decent work in Ontario.
NORTH BAY –Unifor Local 103 has reached a tentative agreement with the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) to renew all five Unifor Agreements that expired on December 31, 2018.
“I want to congratulate our bargaining committee on their hard work in attaining a fair settlement during challenging times at ONTC,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
TORONTO -Visitors to the Canadian Auto Show in Toronto this weekend were greeted by Unifor members and encouraged to join Unifor’s campaign to boycott GM vehicles made in Mexico.
TORONTO – Media are invited to a press conference marking the start of a provincial lobby week that will bring together public and private sector workers in Ontario.
Representative of OPSEU and Unifor will come together in Toronto to lobby for much-needed investments and legislative changes in order to build strong public services and grow good jobs.
On Wednesday, the presidents of both participating unions will communicate that shared vision for a more fair and equitable province, and will be available for questions.
TORONTO - Unifor Local 4268 has reached a tentative agreement with Campeau Bus Lines on February 14. If accepted by the membership strike action will be averted.
“I am proud of the hard work of our bargaining committee in reaching a fair settlement for our members driving Campeau school buses”, said Jerry Dias Unifor National President. “School bus drivers are tasked with ensuring the safety of our children, but are often not compensated for all the work performed.”
TORONTO – Sting and the cast of his musical THE LAST SHIP will travel from Toronto, where the musical is playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre, to Oshawa to perform in solidarity with GM workers at the city’s Tribute Communities Centre on Thursday, February 14, 2019. The performance will include songs from THE LAST SHIP, which features music and lyrics written by Sting.
This new musical tells a similar story to what is threatening to happen in Oshawa, with the potential demise of the GM plants that employ thousands of people.
HALIFAX – Unifor MWF-Local 1 members at the Halifax Shipyard celebrated today as the federal government announced the official signing of the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) design contract with Irving Shipbuilding and its partners. It is the single largest government purchase in Canadian history.
After securing solid contract gains last spring, about 140 Unifor members at Norbord in Barwick are now seeing big profit sharing cheques to kick off 2019.
TORONTO- General Motors (GM) has announced that it earned a whopping US $8.1 billion profit in 2018, this as the company plans to sacrifice tens of thousands of Canadian jobs with the closure of the Oshawa Assembly Plant.
“General Motors is raking in money. Executives and shareholders continue to do incredibly well while they callously plan to take away the very livelihood of Canadian workers in Oshawa,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
TORONTO - Campeau Bus Lines’ demand for unpaid work time from school bus drivers and other violations of the Canada Labour Code must be stopped, says Unifor.
“Campeau is getting away with not paying workers, and that’s going to end,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “These bus drivers deserve equal treatment and a fair contract.”
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