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In a time marked by uncertainty, turbulence and growing feelings of insecurity, Human Rights Day, marked every December 10, serves as a powerful reminder that human rights are not abstract principles—they are our everyday essentials.
They shape our routines, our workplaces, our relationships and the possibilities available to us. They are the quiet protections and freedoms that allow people to live with dignity, safety and hope.
This year’s theme, Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials, underscores three simple truths—human rights are positive, human rights are essential, and human rights are attainable.
These values guide Unifor’s ongoing commitment to workers and communities across Canada and around the world.
Human rights don’t only protect us from harm, they create the conditions for joy, security and opportunity.
Unifor recognizes that human rights are lived realities. When workers feel safe to organize, when families can rely on fair wages, when individuals can speak up without fear—these are expressions of human rights in action. They bring stability, happiness and possibility into daily life.
Human rights are the common ground shared across differences of race, gender, belief, identity or background. These rights anchor us in times of instability, whether it’s economic, political, or both. When everything feels uncertain, your right to safety, freedom of expression, decent work and fair treatment becomes the bedrock on which life is built.
Across Canada and globally, these essential rights continue to be threatened. Violence, discrimination, exploitation and systemic inequality undermine the safety and wellbeing of working people, particularly women, racialized communities, Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and migrants.
Unifor stands firmly with all who defend these essential rights and demand lasting change.
Whether we are advocating for anti-scab legislation and stronger labour protections in trade agreements or supporting workers in their struggles for justice around the world, Unifor’s work is rooted in the understanding that workers’ rights are human rights—and these rights are essential.
We remain committed to elevating the voices of equity-deserving workers and ensuring that their rights are fully represented through collective bargaining and union advocacy.
Human rights begin with everyday actions. They start with how we treat one another—speaking up against unfairness, supporting coworkers, listening to those whose voices have been ignored. These small choices build a culture of dignity and fairness.
But human rights also depend on our collective actions. Unions like Unifor play a critical role in this collective work.
The right to organize and bargain collectively is one of the most powerful tools workers have to make human rights attainable. It ensures fair wages, safe workplaces and dignity on the job. The erosion of these rights, through legislation, underfunding or corporate pressure, has profound consequences for working people across Canada and globally.
As we mark Human Rights Day, we honour the courage of those, past and present, who have led the fight for equality, fairness and justice. Their resilience teaches us that human rights are not merely ideals; they are attainable realities built through generations of collective effort.
Unifor commits to carrying this legacy forward by continuing to fight for social justice, economic equality, and a world where every person can live with respect and dignity.
A Call to Action
The Resolution No. 7—Temporary Foreign Worker Programs and Regularization of Immigration Status passed at Unifor’s Constitutional Convention in Vancouver in August, and further campaign work will continue to advance its goals and build on the newly released resource guide on Strengthening Worker Unity and Inclusion.
On this Human Rights Day, Unifor calls on governments, employers and institutions to take concrete, measurable steps to protect and strengthen human rights.
We urge all workers to stand in solidarity and demand a world built on equality, freedom and justice.
We also call on governments at every level to protect the right to organize and ensure strong, fair collective bargaining—because these rights are not optional. They are positive. They are essential. And they are attainable.
Together, through solidarity and collective action, we can build a more just, united and peaceful world where human rights truly are everyday essentials.
For questions about equity work within Unifor, contact @email or @email. For information about the Unifor Social Justice Fund, contact @email.
