Union Solidarity

As part of ongoing efforts to bargain better outcomes for patient care and hospital staff, health care unions launch television ads aimed at the OHA

TORONTO, ON – Three unions negotiating with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to resolve the ongoing hospital staffing crisis, job safety concerns and pandemic-related mental health supports, today launched a province-wide television advertising blitz to fix the mess and save hospital care in Ontario.

On the second day of Unifor’s Prairie Regional Council, remarks from National Secretary Treasurer Lana Payne and Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley helped forge a strong fightback theme to the discussions.

Workers at Chatham Kent Health Alliance in southwestern Ontario have voted overwhelmingly to join Unifor.

“These workers join with thousands of health care workers who are already part of Unifor, and can now draw on that depth of experience and knowledge to negotiate better working conditions,” said Unifor Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne. “Welcome to Unifor.”

Voting took place electronically from March 30 to April 1, 2022. A majority of the 519 eligible workers voted in favour of joining Unifor, leaving their previous union, CLAC.

This opinion piece first appeared in Saltwire Media on April 1, 2022

In 2014, then-Premier Stephen McNeil’s throne speech set the tone for what would be his eight-year term as leader of the province — and the tone was decidedly aggressive, anti-worker and specifically anti-union.

The Liberal leader was no friend of public sector unions, delivered a knockout blow to the province’s film sector, and eliminated the Graduate Retention Rebate, making it harder for young workers to remain in the province. 

OSHAWA—Unifor welcomes today’s announcement that federal and provincial investments for General Motors have been finalized and will help secure a third shift at the Oshawa plant and Canada’s first full assembly line retool to build electric commercial vehicles in Ingersoll.

 “This is a proud moment for Unifor members at General Motors,” said Shane Wark Unifor Assistant to the National President. “Today’s funding announcement was years in the making and shows how much we can accomplish when autoworkers, automakers, and governments work together.” 

By Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer

When Unifor members ratified new collective agreements with Ford, Fiat-Chrysler and General Motors in the fall of 2020, ushering in a first wave of large-scale battery electric vehicle assembly mandates, we knew something big was about to happen. 

March 11 marks the beginning of the third year since the World Health Organization formally declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

Workers in all sectors and types of workplaces have been affected by this public health crisis. They have been put at risk of transmission, and many workers have fallen ill or died as a result of this disease.

COVID-19 has caused nearly six million deaths worldwide and more than 37,000 in Canada alone. Over the past two years, front line workers have carried the heaviest burden while having to fight for basic protections.