International

For Gavin McGarrigle, the Good Friday Agreement hits too close to home.

The Unifor Western Regional Director spoke of his earliest memories as a six-year-old crossing the border between Ireland and Britain frequently with his family before emigrating to Canada in 1981. During those crossings, he recalls the chaos and violence.

“I can remember standing on the side of the road in front of a massive guard tower while our family’s car was ripped apart by British soldiers on patrol,” he said.

Unifor National President Lana Payne brought a message of solidarity, union building and worker power in a keynote address at the United Auto Workers (UAW) Special Bargaining Convention, held in Detroit March 27-29, 2023.

“Our unions are about building worker power. They have always been about building worker power,” Payne told UAW delegates. “We are experiencing a special moment across the working class in North America. And that if we organize enough to seize it, we can profoundly change the future for working people in both our countries".

In a keynote address to delegates at the United Auto Workers Special Bargaining Convention, Unifor National President Lana Payne speaks on the need to plan for the transition to a green future to ensure that workers are not left behind, workers bearing the cost of interest rate hikes and inflation, and the unique moment of opportunity for working people to change the future.

TORONTO, MEXICO CITY – Autoworker unions in Canada and Mexico applaud the launch of a trade complaint by the Canadian government to stop labour abuses at a Mexican auto parts facility owned by global automotive supplier Fränkische.

TORONTO – Unifor’s Social Justice Fund is making a $75,000 donation to the Humanitarian Coalition for the Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Relief Fund.

“The scale of the damage and suffering caused by these earthquakes is overwhelming, and the response must match the scale of the crisis,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The Humanitarian Coalition is bringing together international partners to support search and rescue and family reunification, as well as deliver vital aid including physical and mental health supports.”

Under the banner of “WOMEN-LIFE-LIBERTY,” members of Unifor Quebec and Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier braved the cold on Feb. 4, 2023 to support the Iranian people at a demonstration in downtown Montreal.

"As a union, how can we not respond to this call for freedom?” said Cloutier, addressing the protesters. “That's why we are here, to join our voice to those millions of other voices calling for freedom, justice and security.”

Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Confederation Building, Suite 733
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Fraser,

RE: REVERSING THE DEPORTATION AND GRANTING IMMIGRATION STATUS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT, ABU HENA MOSTOFA KAMAL

Unifor stands in full support and solidarity with protestors bravely taking to the streets across Iran in the wake of the murder of 22-year old Mahsa Amini on September 16th, at the hands of Iran’s Guidance Patrol (commonly known as the ‘morality police’), after allegedly failing to adhere to the country’s strict dress code.