Jobs and the Economy

The Honourable Minister Freeland, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Finance

Dear Minister Freeland,
                                                                     Re: Canada’s Affordability Crisis

WINNIPEG—Unifor is urging the Government of Manitoba to accelerate its plans to increase the minimum wage, calling for $15 per hour be the standard by the end of the 2022.

“Premier Heather Stefanson has conceded that it’s not okay for Manitoba’s most vulnerable workers to be paid the lowest in Canada,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Stefanson has to aim higher than ‘not the worst’. Manitoba’s workers deserve fair pay and a robust system of employment standards that protect them from greedy and unethical bosses.”

Unifor called on the Biden’s top trade officials to put an end to aggressive and unfair trade policies affecting Canadian workers at an in-person Roundtable on Labour and Trade with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai, Canada’s Minister of International Trade Mary Ng and Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan,

This column originally appeared in the Toronto Star on May 7, 2022

The price of food, gasoline and other consumer goods is rising fast — faster, it seems, than most workers’ wages can keep up. Average prices rose by 6.7% last month, compared with the year prior. Average wages, on the other hand, fell by 1.6%.

Most economists seem confounded by the root cause of inflation.

By Navjeet Sidhu, National Representative, Research Department

As Ontario heads towards a June 2nd election, there are increasing concerns regarding the growing lack of income security and affordability in the province.

Premier Andrew Furey’s new budget is titled “Change is in the Air,” but it’s still unclear if his government is blowing towards implementing additional damaging PERT report recommendations or towards a fair and inclusive economic recovery for all.

Budget 2022 indicates the government is ready to make some significant transformations, but not yet ready to decide which direction that change will lead. I’m left with more questions than answers about which path they will choose or if they will opt to do the bare minimum on both – essentially sticking with the status quo.