TORONTO—Dallas-based HF Sinclair will end base oil refining at its Mississauga, Ontario plant by 2027, shutting down Canada's largest producer of the refined oils that keep every engine, turbine and industrial machine in the country running.
"This is a reckless decision made in a Dallas boardroom by people who will never have to look these workers in the eye," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We are about to hand control of that supply to producers in other countries at the exact moment governments here are telling us supply chain security matters.”
HAMILTON—Unifor has signed a memorandum of understanding with Biidaaban Renewable Energy that opens the door for Local 593 members to return to work this summer at the Hamilton biodiesel facility, nearly a year after the plant's previous owner moved to close it permanently.
OTTAWA—Unifor welcomes the focus on CANDU in the federal government’s Nuclear Energy Strategy, released on June 22.
“Canada needs a sovereign, secure, and unionized production supply chain across the energy sector,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “With a focus on Canadian intellectual property, the Nuclear Energy Strategy has the potential to safely grow our world-leading nuclear sector.”
Vice President of the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates-Unifor Local 7474 (SPEA-Local 7474) Reza Ziaei told an audience at the Canadian Nuclear Association’s annual conference that a unionized workplace has helped foster mutually respectful labour relations and can be a foundation for long-term stability.
“From job security to structured and predictable labour relations, a unionized workforce is a very positive force within AtkinsRéalis,” said Ziaei. “Every worker at every skill level can benefit from having a union.”
Unifor National President Lana Payne urged the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources today to put energy workers at the centre of Canada's plan to become an energy superpower, warning that aging infrastructure, "run-to-fail" maintenance strategies, and shrinking domestic capacity are putting the country's energy security at risk.
Watch National President Lana Payne testify to the House of Commons Natural Resources committee to express Unifor's support for reducing Canada's export dependency on the U.S. and warned against the industry's growing reliance on "run to fail" models that endanger energy workers and their communities.
The Honourable Brian Jean Minister of Energy and Minerals, Government of Alberta
Minister,
On behalf of Unifor’s Energy Industry Council, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to meet on November 24 to discuss the priorities of our energy worker members. Unifor Energy Council represents 15,000 members working in oil and gas extraction, natural gas distribution, electric utilities, and petroleum refineries across Canada.
HAMILTON—The abrupt closure announcement by Biox Corporation is the latest example of a failure to secure Canada’s domestic energy supply, says Unifor.
The union is urging federal and provincial officials to make simple regulatory changes that could help re-start the facility and lay the groundwork for securing Canada’s energy future.
