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Atlantic Regional Council delegates kicked things off with a May Day rally, marching in the brisk air through downtown St. John’s holding flags, signs and banners bearing three important words: Protect Canadian Jobs.
That message echoed through the Council as local presidents shared the concerns coming out of their workplaces as they face direct and indirect impacts from U.S. tariffs. With many challenges facing key sectors in the region, members are stepping up and speaking up as leaders in the fight.
“There is a theme this weekend, and the theme is about all of you,” said Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray. “You are the strength, you are the power, you are the courage, you are the inspiration–-you are the union.”
Murray acknowledged the work led by the region’s council executive and standing committees, and encouraged every member to step up and find a place for themselves in the union.
“Being inspired is powerful - but what we do with that feeling is what defines us," she said in her address.
The council welcomed National President Lana Payne and heard more about the critical issues facing Unifor members.
“My friends, there is no sugarcoating the size of the problem in front of us. This is the fight of our lives,” said Payne. “When times are tough, we know how to fight. We know how to organize. We know what is possible.”
National Secretary-Treasurer Len Poirier acknowledged that members are on the front lines on many fronts, from tariffs, to AI and new technologies––but that collective bargaining remains one of the best tools to defend workers.
“Scope clauses, work ownership language, responsibility to notify, right to agree, creation of a technological change committee, retraining opportunities, income protection, severance pay, right to privacy, protection from overreach and the grievance and arbitration process are all tools in our toolbox,” said Poirier, offering the support of the union’s researchers and other service departments to strengthen collective bargaining proposals, as needed.
Part of the work Unifor is doing on behalf of members is to demand involvement on government and business-led roundtables, like the Prime Minister’s Roundtable on Canada-U.S. Relations of which Payne is the sole labour representative, and the provincial roundtables Murray joined in Newfoundland and Labrador and in New Brunswick.
Special guest Jessica McCormick, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, shared her commitment to making sure workers’ issues are centered.
“In Newfoundland and Labrador, workers and their families are deeply worried,” said McCormick. “Our response must include targeted supports to protect these workers and ensure that no one is left behind, addressing not only direct jobs and economic impacts but also the downstream effects on communities, including rural and remote ones.”
Delegates also heard from a Newfoundland and Labrador icon, Gerry Rogers, who fought for greater supports victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) as a social worker, filmmaker, and as a former MHA and leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP. She encouraged Unifor members to continue the powerful work in shining a light on the epidemic of intimate partner violence and fighting for government action.
Save the date for the Atlantic IPV Symposium on June 3, 2025 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street spoke about The Lucky 7, the crew of fish harvesters who were lost at sea yet survived after spending 52 hours in a life raft.
“When I got that text that the Elite Navigator was overdue, that familiar dread was there,” said Street. “Against all odds, these men survived––a testament to their training, skill and determination.”
The Atlantic Regional Council and the national union donated a combined $10,000 to the Jacob Puddister Memorial Foundation after hearing from its director Kelsey Puddister who lost her brother Jacob to suicide. The foundation offers much-needed mental health support across the Avalon peninsula.
The Council continued its commitment to providing learning opportunities around mental health supports for workers with the first Atlantic region Employment and Family Assistance Plans (EFAP) Conference led by the Atlantic Regional Council EFAP Standing Committee.
Guest speaker Tim Henneberry, founder of Fog Off clothing, talked about the need to share our mental health concerns with others, and that the stigma around mental illness and mental health challenges will only go away once everyone feels safe to talk about it.
The Atlantic Regional Council was proud to partner with Fog Off clothing for this year’s sweatshirts, hoping members will not only wear the message with pride, but be reminded with each wear that the union always has their backs.
"No One Should Travel Down A Foggy Path Alone"
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WATCH the ARC Video “You are the Union”
WATCH Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray speech highlights.
