Members of Local 434 at Maibec CanExel, who manufacture wood siding products at their sawmill in East River, Nova Scotia, ratified an agreement by 89% securing sick days for the first time in addition to wage increases and other improvements.
“The Local 434 bargaining committee did a great job and achieved strong gains for Maibec workers,” said National President Lana Payne. “Congratulations to the committee and members on this new agreement.”
The 2024 Bud Jimmerfield award was presented to Unifor Local 1937 member Robert Girard at Canadian Council in Montreal.
“Our union recognizes Robert’s tireless work as a health and safety advocate over many years, both to thank him and to inspire other Unifor members to follow in his footsteps,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We know it is this essential union-building work that helps to ensure workers are going home to their families at the end of each day. Defending health and safety is the ultimate in solidarity and is worthy of our union’s highest recognition.”
TORONTO/MONTREAL – Following Expertech’s move to cut 120 positions across Ontario and Quebec on October 1, Unifor is once again sounding the alarm about the hollowing out of good jobs at Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE Inc.) and its subsidiaries.
TORONTO— Unifor applauds the implementation of a 100% tariff on imported Chinese EV vehicles, effective today, and looks forward to the imposition of 25% tariffs on unfair imports of targeted Chinese steel and aluminum products, effective October 22, 2024.
The opening day of Unifor’s 2024 Canadian Council in Montreal, Que., was moving, inspiring and full of support. Delegates were officially welcomed by Don Barnaby, a Mi'kmaq First Nations member and traditional dancer, who spoke about his journey of healing generational trauma.
TORONTO— Unifor opened bargaining with DHL Express Canada today on behalf of members at local unions who work at the courier’s locations across Canada.
“Improving working conditions and securing fair wages at DHL Express Canada is all about demanding respect, safety, and improved conditions for our road transportation members,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
The closing day of Canadian Council presented an opportunity for listening, learning, and teaching about Canada’s dark history of settler colonization and exploitation of Indigenous people on the eve of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, marked annually on Sept. 30.
“Today, we turn our focus to one of the highest priorities to us as trade unionists and as residents of this land,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
In her report to Canadian Council, Samia Hashi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director, shared a warning about the horrors of a hollowed out increasingly private health care system. She pledged to keep up the fight against conservative privatization in Ontario and support the efforts of the union to organize new members right across the province.
Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor's Western Regional Director had a lot to celebrate in his report at Canadian Council 2024- including a year of exciting organizing drives, historic strike action, and working to throw out an anti-worker conservative government in Manitoba.
But there's a lot of work left to do, including acting on climate change and continuing Unifor's bargaining and political action campaigns.
In one short day in September 2024, Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray and other Unifor members got the Nova Scotia government to reverse course and declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. Hear the story and more updates from a year of action in Atlantic Canada.
Unifor's National Secretary-Treasurer Len Poirier reports on the union's activity over the past year- including an unprecedented year of strikes for members across the country.
He shone a light on how members' dues are at work defending worker's rights at the bargaining table and on the picket line, shared appreciation for the members that make our union great and called out Bell for sowing chaos in Canada's telecommunications industry.
In the past year, Unifor members in Quebec mobilized in forestry, aerospace, marine, telecommunications and so much more. Watch Daniel Cloutier's address to Canadian Council in Montreal.
Lana’s speech set the tone for the day, highlighting the energy and strength of everyone in the room. From industry councils to local leadership, she reflected on the challenges we’ve faced and the victories we’ve achieved through collective action. Watch as Lana Payne reminds us to continue building on our momentum and reminds us that our greatest power is in our solidarity.
The first day of Unifor’s Canadian Council was a tour de force.
A thousand Unifor local leaders and activists packed Montreal’s Palais des congrès on Sept. 27 ready to celebrate the last year of the union’s victories, share stories of activism, and renew a shared commitment to move forward with solidarity during the three-day council.
MONTREAL— Unifor has filed for conciliation with CN Rail in an effort to move talks into a positive direction. The union is hopeful that with the involvement of a conciliator, progress can be made on key issues.
Unifor mourns the final round of layoffs expected on Sept. 27, after it was announced the Berry Global plastics manufacturing plant in Edmonton plans to permanently close.
“Our members are skilled and hard-working and had brought those skills to work every day building this company. We do not accept that this closure was necessary,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“Suddenly shutting down the plant with little notice shows a true lack of communication and respect for our members.”
MONTREAL- Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, today introduced the union’s vision for the future of the aerospace sector.
Presented by Unifor National President Lana Payne and Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier the policy initiative aims to raise awareness of the union's priorities for action in industrial and workforce development at a time when the sector is struggling to regain momentum since the end of the pandemic.
September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, an observance that honours the survivors of residential schools and remembers those who did not return home. Known as Orange Shirt Day, this day draws its name from the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, whose orange shirt—a gift from her grandmother—was confiscated on her first day at a residential school in 1973.
On October 1, Unifor celebrates the International Day of Older Persons. This year’s theme from the United Nations is Aging with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.
Unifor members and locals from coast-to-coast-to-coast are set to celebrate this year’s Canadian Council from Sept. 27 to 29 at the Montreal Convention Centre.
“We are so excited to showcase worker power, solidarity, and all of the wins over the last year in our union,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
MONTREAL- Unifor invites media to attend the release of the union’s new aerospace policy. The policy presents Unifor's vision for the aerospace sector and proposes a number of industrial policy recommendations to address current and future challenges identified in the industry.
This event will be attended by Lana Payne, Unifor National President, and Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec Director, who will discuss the impacts and challenges of this new strategic direction.
Unifor has brought together experts, union leaders and rank and file union members to put together a worker-led plan for Canada's aerospace industry. Read the plan at https://aerounifor.ca/en/
World News Day on September 28 is a global initiative that spotlights the role journalists play in providing trustworthy news and information.
This year it will also draw awareness to the turmoil and threats facing the industry, which undermine citizens and democracy all over the world.
Every year, our union marks World News Day because we believe it is impossible to improve the conditions of work, and the conditions of the world, without trusted news sources.
“Employment Insurance is the most important income security program for workers in Canada, and is in desperate need of reform,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
MONTREAL— Unifor Local 100 and Council 4000 have officially opened negotiations with CN Rail, representing more than 3,600 rail workers across the country, with key priorities focused on improvements to wages, pensions, benefits and work ownership protection for rail workers.
