Unifor strongly opposes Bell Media’s application to the CRTC to eliminate all regulatory requirements for local news at all of its CTV, CTV2 and Noovo stations across Canada. We will do everything in our power to ensure that Bell Media continues to live up to its legislated obligations to fund and create local news and programming.
The 30 maintenance workers at Saputo Dairy Ltd. Supply of Canada GP in Edmonton, Alta., will join the production workers who have an existing separate certification of this location with Unifor Local 445.
“It’s about time,” said Unifor Local 445 President Guy Desforges.
Unifor locals and members – from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia – put their best foot forward during the Tears for Hope relay race on June 17.
The Tears to Hope Society provides support to the families and loved ones of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and gender diverse people (MMIWG2S). The charity relay event raised funds to help support a healing centre in northern British Columbia.
NEW WESTMINSTER—Workers in Metro Vancouver could become the first employed by Amazon to enjoy the benefits of a union after Unifor announced plans to start a drive.
“Joining a union will ensure that workers at Amazon can flex their united strength and push this notoriously difficult employer to improve working conditions,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “They took risks during COVID-19 to ensure millions of us could stay home and get key deliveries on time. It’s time they get the chance to benefit from a solid, enforceable collective agreement.”
The Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA-Unifor Local 5454) reached a tentative five-year agreement with NAV Canada in Ottawa on June 16.
“Congratulations to the bargaining committee on an outstanding job to get a deal that recognizes the very important work done by Canada’s first-class air traffic controllers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“CATCA members provide critical services needed for safe travel in our country. They are professionals who see collective bargaining as one way to improve that service to Canadians.”
The 200 members of Unifor Locals 222Q and 216 at Kruger Wayagamack, a paper mill in Trois-Rivières, Que. ratified a new agreement by 92.3% (222Q) and 93.4% (216) on June 19, ending a three-week strike.
“The members of the negotiating committees are very happy with the result,” said Joël Vigeant, National Representative and Forestry Coordinator for Unifor Québec. “It's not easy to decide to go out on strike, but battles are worth fighting. We had clear expectations, and those expectations were met.”
Workers at Kruger Wayagamack began their strike on June 1.
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day to celebrate in the enduring culture and achievements of Indigenous peoples.
Earlier this month Unifor partnered with the Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network to sponsor Indigenous Day Live on June 17, a cultural and artistic show with the theme “Celebrating Our Youth.” The event celebrated Indigenous youth and their important contribution to communities and their role as future leaders.
TORONTO – Unifor believes the government’s new Air Transportation Accountability legislation doesn’t address the root problems of air passenger travel – working conditions in the sector.
“They’re missing a huge piece of the puzzle,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
Toronto, ON—Metro grocery workers unite in demand for fair pay, access to benefits, and stable work hours in a historic strike vote ahead of their first contract negotiations since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
Unifor Local 2169 members voted 93% in favour of ratifying a new collective agreement with Boeing on June 17 after three weeks of successful negotiations.
Bill 124 is back in the courts. The Government’s appeal will be heard by three judges of the Ontario Court of Appeal from June 20-23.
The Government will go first because they are bringing the appeal. That will take most of the first day. The unions will then respond on Wednesday and Thursday.
Unifor’s team is confident and prepared to defend members’ constitutional rights once again. We expect that we will have our turn on Thursday morning.
On June 20, we observe World Refugee Day, a crucial opportunity to raise awareness and advocate for the rights and well-being of refugees worldwide.
According to the UNHCR, the number of refugees surpassed 35 million by the end of 2022, with an additional 108.4 million people forcibly displaced from their home countries due to various reasons such as war, conflict, famine, human rights abuses, and climate change. Shockingly, the global displacement crisis now exceeds the scale seen during World War II.
TORONTO – Unifor has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross in providing vital emergency as wildfires continue to threaten numerous communities in Alberta, Quebec and the Atlantic Region, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate.
Lana Payne, Unifor National President, shared the views of workers and the union during a meeting with Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, earlier this week.
Payne and the Unifor team discussed the challenges workers are facing as a result of a series of interest rate hikes including climbing mortgage and rent costs. The team stated concerns that the rising interest rate could trigger a recession, that would put people out of work or cause businesses to create fewer jobs.
TORONTO – The 1,400 members of a Unifor Local 2002 unit have voted 80% in favour of ratifying a new four-year contract with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA).
“I’m so proud of the bargaining committee at Local 2002,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This agreement is groundbreaking in the aviation industry and sets a new standard for what we can accomplish moving forward. It is a testament to the committee, who has tirelessly represented the members’ interests throughout the negotiation process.”
REGINA—For the third time this year Unifor has uncovered a privatization scheme at SaskTel that sends work out of province or to a low-bid non-union firm.
“The Sask Party government seems intent on bleeding all of the good jobs out of SaskTel,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “SaskTel was once a local, good job creator. Then Scott Moe and Brad Wall got their hands on it.”
Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle joined Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, NDP Member of Parliament Daniel Blaikie and other representatives to help announce the tabling of Bill C-50, The Sustainable Jobs Act.
More than 80 Skilled Trades members from across the country gathered at the Unifor Skilled Trades Council to discuss key issues and strategize to secure and grow good paying trades jobs.
“Our Skilled Trades members convene three times a year in order to stay on top of common issues and to bring forward workplace concerns that can benefit from the shared experience and wisdom of Council delegates,” said Dave Cassidy, Unifor National Skilled Chair.
TORONTO – Unifor is deeply concerned and outraged about today’s announcement from Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE Inc.) to cut 1,300 positions and to close six and sell three radio stations in response to not being able to outwait Bill C-11.
Unifor has reached a tentative agreement on behalf of ORNGE Air Ambulance Paramedics.
“With the united support of the membership behind them the bargaining committee was able to secure a tentative agreement that addresses key priorities for air ambulance paramedics,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “My congratulations to the bargaining committee for their hard work.”
TORONTO – The 1,400 members of a unit at Unifor Local 2002 have reached a tentative deal with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) after over four weeks of negotiations.
“Congratulations to the bargaining committee for all their hard work,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This agreement is a significant step forward in securing improved working conditions and benefits for our aviation members at GTAA.”
The members in this unit are in 350 different job classifications, based out of Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
HAMILTON, ON – Hundreds of hospital staff including nurses, personal support workers and lab technologists rallied today at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton against the Ford government’s plan to contract out hospital services to private, for-profit clinics.
Under the theme of "Moving Canada, Connecting the world," members from the air, marine, rail, and road sectors came together at the Unifor Transportation Conference, held June 9-11 at the union’s Family Education Centre in Port Elgin.
Unifor members at Local 510 in Quebec have ratified its collective agreement with Autobus Longueuil Inc., ending an 11-week-long strike.
The tentative agreement was reached on June 2, 2023, with the Ministry of Labour's conciliation department and the members voted to accept the deal on June 4. Subsequently, the employees returned to work the day after the ratification vote.
Honourable Bill Hogan
Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
Minister Hogan and Premier Higgs,
Response to the changes to Policy 713
New Brunswickers have come to know Policy 713 in the past month, and I have heard myself from hundreds of Unifor members who are fearful of your government’s attempt to water down this life-saving policy and drum up anti-trans sentiment through damaging public statements over the past several weeks.
On behalf the International Transport Federation (ITF) Canadian Coordinating Committee, representing tens of thousands of transport workers across Canada including rail, we extend our solidarity with India railway workers and unions, including All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF) and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR). We are all reeling in the wake of the tragic train crash in Odisha, India – one of the worst the country has seen in a century. We send our deepest sympathies and condolences to all the families that have lost loved ones in the accident.
FFAW-Unifor has launched a campaign for federal support for those impacted by the post-pandemic collapse in the NL snow crab fishery. The detailed proposal includes income support requests for fish harvesters, fishery workers, and enterprise owners, to address significant income shortages this year and provide the help needed to make it to next season.
“I think Atlantic Regional Council was about changing the narrative,” said Jennifer Murray, Atlantic Regional Director.
Atlantic Regional Council (ARC) gathered more than 230 Unifor members, leaders, and staff in Moncton, New Brunswick, to discuss and debate priority issues for the union.
OSHAWA—Unifor General Motors members at Oshawa Assembly will build the next-generation of full-size internal combustion engine pickup trucks with the announcement today that GM will invest $280 million in the plant.
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