TORONTO – Job cuts at Global News operations in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia highlight the need for immediate government action to ensure a future for Canadian journalism.
VANCOUVER—Unifor is urging the British Columbia court overseeing creditor protection hearings for Northern Pulp to ensure the ridiculous squabble between Paper Excellence and the Nova Scotia government doesn’t destroy the forest industry in Nova Scotia. A financing agreement that is good for workers, protects the environment, and supports the continuation of the forestry sector in Nova Scotia must be achieved.
TORONTO — Ontarians are being urged to join a growing call for profound changes to the province’s long-term care system that would end profit-making in the provision of residential care. Today, SEIU Healthcare, CUPE, and Unifor, unions that represent workers across the long-term care sector, invited families to demand reforms from Premier Doug Ford so money goes to better care for seniors, not profits for corporate shareholders.
TORONTO – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., SEIU Healthcare, CUPE Ontario, and Unifor, unions that represent healthcare workers across the long-term care sector, will unveil the next stage of their joint advocacy, calling for profound change to improve the conditions of work and care through an end to for-profit care.
TORONTO – The short-term federal funding package for provinces lays the groundwork for recovery, but still misses bigger picture economic needs, says Unifor.
“The federal government has come through with a first step for economic recovery, but it is just a start,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Now it’s up to Premiers and the federal government to continue this collaboration, make these changes permanent, and create a long-term plan that puts working families first.”
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, governments have necessarily taken public health seriously. To protect the public, we shut down businesses and stayed indoors. For the travel and tourism sector, this has resulted in serious impacts to their ongoing viability, and more specifically to the jobs that many Canadian families rely on. As our economy begins to reopen, it becomes more important than ever that governments focus on balancing public health and labour market considerations.
Provincial COVID-19 data released by Public Health Ontario shows the cost of years of ignoring health workers’ demands, and the risks of continued inaction.
Today we reached a tentative agreement with Bell. Your Unifor Local 7 bargaining committee unanimously recommends acceptance.
Details of the deal will be available once we have set up the ratification process. Bargaining was prolonged by the pandemic and was unique because of the video conferencing. That will be true of the ratification meetings and online voting we will need to do.
As Ontario’s leading school bus driver union, Unifor warns that urgent action is needed for wheels to turn on school buses in September. The health and safety of students and school bus drivers must be a key priority as the Ontario government and school boards work to develop plans to return to an in-school setting.
TORONTO—Widespread layoffs at Pearson International Airport may have been unavoidable at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they expose the Government of Canada’s lagging response to safeguard the future of the aviation industry, says Unifor.
TORONTO - Today the heads of Canada’s largest grocery store chains faced sharp questions from MPs about their treatment of frontline workers during the pandemic, but industry must make lasting changes to correct declining working conditions in the retail sector. “It’s not that complicated. Workers are supporting these grocery chains through a pandemic that still isn’t over,” Dias said. “As President of Loblaw, Sarah Davis took home $6.7 million and her company is making record profits.
TORONTO—Unifor leadership representing air transportation workers met with federal Minister of Transportation Marc Garneau and representatives from his office today via videoconference to discuss the importance of ensuring the airline industry is able to weather the storm until Canada is able to return to successful travel and tourism after COVID-19.
OTTAWA – More than 1000 VIA Rail workers received layoff notice today, along with news that Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s CERB rules still deny them employer-paid income top up.
HALIFAX—Unifor is urging the Nova Scotia government to work with Northern Pulp to secure Debtor-In-Possession (DIP) financing amid the company’s restructuring.
Unifor launches the Build Back Better campaign with a digital media conference on Facebook with Unifor National President Jerry Dias and Unifor members from across the country present the plan.
EDMONTON—Premier Jason Kenney’s Bill 32 attempts to undermine the voice of Alberta’s working people while ensuring corporations remain as powerful and unaccountable as ever, says Unifor.
“When unions use free speech rights to speak out against injustice, we’re standing up for all workers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Combined with criminalizing protest under the new Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, Jason Kenney is using the power of big government to silence the voices of working people.”
BURNABY— After weeks of discussions, Unifor and Gateway Casinos are pleased to announce a return to operations agreement was reached between both parties.
“The COVID-19 crisis has hit Canada’s gaming industry particularly hard, all but shutting down this vital sector affecting thousands of workers and their families,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “This agreement with Gateway Casinos is an important step in the right direction towards providing our members with certainty in these uncertain times.”
HALIFAX—Unifor welcomes the announcement by Nova Scotia’s Health and Wellness Minister Randy Delorey of a review of the COVID-19 outbreak at Northwood’s Halifax campus.
Unifor welcomes the announcement by Nova Scotia’s Health and Wellness Minister Randy Delorey of a review of the COVID-19 outbreak at Northwood’s Halifax campus.
Racism lives here in Canada. Since April, nine Black, Indigenous, or racialized people in Canada have been killed during interactions with police.
We were all horrified and outraged by the murder of George Floyd in the United States. As trade unionists in Canada, we cannot ignore the deadly threat racism poses to our Black, Indigenous, and racialized sisters, brothers, and friends north of the border.
We must do more than speak up against it, we must work together to abolish Racism.
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