Unifor members from across Ontario met in Toronto April 25 and 26 to train and plan for the upcoming provincial election.
Members are booked off from work to canvass members in target ridings in the provincial election to support the union’s goal of preventing a second Doug Ford majority government.
Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi kicked off the day by highlighting the importance of this election, especially in order to represent the workers who have been targeted and let down by Ford over the last several years.
During Asian Heritage Month in May, Unifor joins with our members to celebrate accomplishments and honour people's diverse experiences from all across Asia including north, southeast and west Asia.
Unifor wants members to share their stories, hear others’ experiences and take away the lessons learned from each other in the workplace to build our solidarity. Let's embrace the history of our workers’ successes and understand the challenges and barriers faced by Asian and South Asian members of our communities and of our union.
In the spirit of International Workers Day, May 1, 2022, Unifor joins with workers around the world in calling for peace and worker rights.
We stand with the workers and people of Ukraine who in this moment suffer the scourges of war with bombardments and assaults on cities and towns throughout their country resulting in a humanitarian and refugee crisis. According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, 5,085,360 refugees fled Ukraine between Feb 22 and April 20, 2022.
This is a day to reflect on the importance of our environment and the clear connection that it shares in the life long health of all of us and our families. As well, we recognize how social activism and overall concern for a safe environment will ensure our victory over the threat of the COVID-19 virus and all other global health challenges to the human race in today’s overstressed environment.
On the heels of the $5 billion Stellantis-LG battery plant announced for Windsor, Unifor auto workers gathered in London to discuss both the opportunities and challenges of transforming Canada’s auto sector.
Members of VersaCold Logistics in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, ratified a new collective agreement with their employer that will deliver strong gains over the next four years.
“Our bargaining committee worked hard, and took advantage of the strength and capacity of Unifor to improve these cold storage warehousing jobs,” said Bill Maddox, Local 1015 Unit Chairperson. “These members work hard and are an essential part of the local food supply chain. It’s essential that work is valued.”
Highlights of the new collective agreement include:
In two recently ratified collective agreements, Unifor committees at Locals 444 and 1090 achieved agreements that will go a long way to help members recover from lengthy pandemic-related lay-offs.
In Windsor, Unifor Local 444 members at the Caesars casino ratified a new three-year collective agreement by 93% on March 20, 2022. The contract is filled with improvements, including wage increases each year, a pension enhancement of 1%, and a signing bonus of up to $1,600 per member.
Unifor, through the Women’s Department, has partnered with the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children (CREVAWC) at Western University to examine sexual harassment in the hospitality, gaming and airline sectors.
Through an anonymous survey, the group aims to identify actions to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and violence at work and to support workers.
During a time when the Newfoundland and Labrador unemployment is nearly 8 percentage points higher than the national average, the Bay du Nord approval will ensure the province’s energy sector remains a source of hundreds of good paying, unionized jobs. Hundreds more jobs are sure to be created by indirect economic activity.
TORONTO- Unifor’s Ontario Regional Director and Human Rights Director wrote to Ontario Premier to demand the province immediately adopt the ONDP’s Bill-86, Our London Family Act.
“By refusing to support Bill 86 in the legislature last week, Ford revealed that his party and government does not consider the safety and well-being of Muslims in Ontario to be an imminent priority,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director.
During the week of April 11-15, your bargaining committee worked through multiple items and prioritized making a clear presentation of the membership’s position on teleworking. In our region, approximately 550 members are deemed to be remote or mobile, while others have been directed to return to the office with no recourse based on a policy (Bell Workways) that is entirely employer-directed.
As a reminder, Bell owns its policies, which are only limited by language we negotiate into the collective agreement and/or applicable laws.
Premier Andrew Furey’s new budget is titled “Change is in the Air,” but it’s still unclear if his government is blowing towards implementing additional damaging PERT report recommendations or towards a fair and inclusive economic recovery for all.
Budget 2022 indicates the government is ready to make some significant transformations, but not yet ready to decide which direction that change will lead. I’m left with more questions than answers about which path they will choose or if they will opt to do the bare minimum on both – essentially sticking with the status quo.
MONCTON-Unifor members at Acadia Toyota in Moncton, N.B., ratified an agreement today with their employer, ending a five-day strike.
“We are pleased to see a deal reached that responded to the workers’ demands for increased pay and improvements to personal days,” said Linda MacNeil, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. “There is power in withholding our labour and in standing together to fight for what’s right. Thank you to every Unifor member and retiree who visited the picket line or sent messages to offer their support and solidarity.”
Canada’s largest private sector union is relieved the provincial government is restoring the Ontario Northland passenger rail line, which has been out of service since 2012.
In Canada, this year Equal Pay Day is April 12, 2022. Equal Pay Day marks the day that the average woman must work in order to have earned what the average man did in 2021. It’s 2022 and unions and other progressive organizations are still fighting to close the pay gap in Canada. We pride ourselves on so many progressive labour conditions but when it comes to ensuring women are paid equally we still fall short.
As part of ongoing efforts to bargain better outcomes for patient care and hospital staff, health care unions launch television ads aimed at the OHA
TORONTO, ON – Three unions negotiating with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to resolve the ongoing hospital staffing crisis, job safety concerns and pandemic-related mental health supports, today launched a province-wide television advertising blitz to fix the mess and save hospital care in Ontario.
Recap: last year upon the completion of provincial bargaining, the public health restrictions in place meant we did a one-year roll over collective agreement that was ratified by the membership with a wage increase that expired on March 31, 2022.
BELLEVILLE—Wage increases and benefits enhancements were part of a new collective agreement ratified today by a vote of Unifor Local 1839 members working at Belleville Transit.
TORONTO–– Unifor members at Metro Distribution Centre warehouses have negotiated significant wage gains in a new collective agreement, ending a seven-day strike action.
“This collective agreement achieves the best maximum pay rate and fastest progression in the industry. There is no doubt that it will raise the bar for warehouse workers across Ontario,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi. “Unifor has negotiated an inflation beating increase of more than 8% on average in the first year in addition to pension and benefit wins.”
MONCTON—Three Unifor members from Local 4501 were struck by a vehicle while on a picket line in front of Acadia Toyota in Moncton, N.B.
“Our members have the right to picket for fair wages without experiencing violence,” says Linda MacNeil, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. “Thankfully, the members only sustained bumps and bruises, but this could have ended in a tragic situation.”
This week Unifor Council 4000 and Unifor Local 100 continued bargaining with the employer. The employer continues to push concessions onto our members. This approach by the employer has forced the bargaining committees to reach an impasse with the employer.
Because of the impasse, the Union filed a Notice of Dispute requesting the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
On the second day of Unifor’s Prairie Regional Council, remarks from National Secretary Treasurer Lana Payne and Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley helped forge a strong fightback theme to the discussions.
OTTAWA – Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, says Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tightened the belt on workers in this year’s federal budget.
“Unifor is pleased there was some continued effort to improve the lives of workers in Canada by investing in programs that move the country towards a fair, inclusive and resilient economy,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “But the goalposts and investments fall far short of what we need after two turbulent years of a pandemic.”
TORONTO–Striking Metro Distribution Centre workers will vote Friday April 8, 2022 on a tentative agreement reached between Unifor Local 414 and the company.
The more than 900 full-time workers at four distribution centre locations in Toronto’s west end began strike action on April 2 after voting to turn down a prior agreement.
The warehouse distribution centre locations in Etobicoke supply Metro and Food Basics grocery stores across southern Ontario along the Kingston – Windsor corridor.
More than 100 health care workers rallied outside London, Ont.’s Meadow Park London Long Term Care on Wed., April 6, 2022, waving signs and cheering as supporters honked their horns as they drove by.
Organized by Unifor Local 302, this is the second rally involving workers at “the group of 11” long-term care homes – including Meadow Park – who turned to protest after their employers stalled bargaining since December 2021. The first protest took place at Trillium Village in Sarnia, Ont. on Dec. 15.
On the Day of Mourning, we remember the thousands of workers who have been killed or injured on the job, or contracted a workplace-related disease or illness.
As we carefully exit the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, with the virus becoming endemic, we remind all locals and their leadership to use this moment to review protocols, identify opportunities for training, and raise awareness among your members about the importance of workplace health and safety.
Accessibility
Documents can be requested in alternative/accessible formats by emailing communications@unifor.org
