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Town Daycare members approve new agreement

SYDNEY, NS, March 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Staff at Town Daycare in Glace Bay have ratified a new collective agreement with their employer after four days on strike.

Hasty pick and pay a threat to homegrown content

TORONTO, March 19, 2015 /CNW/ - Today's approach to pick and pay cable by the CRTC will be needlessly disruptive to Canada's broadcast and entertainment industries, putting at risk this country's ability to tell its own stories, Canada's largest media union says.

"If the CRTC is determined to go down this road, it should do so only on a gradual, experimental and trial basis," Unifor Media Director Howard Law said.

Letter to Minister Baird regarding Uganda and LGBT rights

Dear Minister,

Last week, Uganda’s President Museveni signed the law imposing harsh penalties for homosexuality. As the President of Canada’s largest private sector union, I write to urge you to take action to show Canada’s condemnation of this law, recall Canada’s consular representative from Kampala and introduce special immigration measures.

Board's decision shows turmoil of school bus system

OTTAWA, March 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The loss of 140 school bus jobs in Ottawa today is an illustration of the unneeded turmoil caused by the Ontario government's Request for Proposals process for handing out contracts, and points to the need for reforms to the system, the province's primary school bus union says.

Media Advisory - Pearson airport layoffs create turmoil and threaten service for passengers with special needs

TORONTO, March 19, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor is objecting to a move by the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) to change providers leading to layoffs of more than 260 workers who service passengers with special needs.

"Unifor was formed to fight back against the abuse of low-wage and precarious workers," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "We will do whatever it takes to ensure these workers are treated fairly and aren't thrust into unemployment by the whims of the GTAA."

Last group of Unifor members approve new agreement with CN

TORONTO, March 18, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor Local 100 members have ratified the final new agreement with CN Rail by 79 per cent.

Voting took place at membership meetings over the last two weeks, in 22 locations across Canada. The agreement was reached on Monday, February 23, avoiding a lock-out by CN.

Unifor 2301 files in court to limit toxic emissions from Rio Tinto smelter

KITIMAT, BC, March 17, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor says that increased sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions are a major public health threat and is going to court to stop it. Local 2301 filed for a Judicial Review in the Supreme Court of British Columbia this morning to challenge an October 2014 decision to allow the Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. aluminum smelter expansion to proceed without installing SO2 scrubbers.

Town Daycare workers on strike March 17, 2015

SYDNEY, NS, March 17, 2015 /CNW/ - Staff at Town Daycare in Glace Bay went on strike this morning following failed negotiations and an unsuccessful conciliation process.

Unifor members approve five new agreements with CN

TORONTO, March 16, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor members have ratified five new agreements with CN Rail, with one still outstanding.

Voting took place at membership meetings over the last two weeks, in 50 locations across Canada. The agreement was reached on Monday, February 23, avoiding a lock-out by CN.

Black Press blocks Unifor's attempt to end dispute

DUNCAN, BC, March 14, 2015 /CNW/ - The owners of Black Press have rejected mediation to solve the 3.5-month old strike at the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial. Unifor members in Duncan have been on the picket line since December 1 to defeat the employer's proposal to give inferior wages and benefits to new employees ("two-tiering").  

Agreement reached with the government

Each of the four health care unions will hold membership meetings (Unifor dates to be announced) to hold a vote in order to get member support of this new agreement. The following are the most important aspects of the agreement reached between the four health care unions and the Nova Scotia government.

BC's minimum wage increase is an insult to working families

VANCOUVER, March 12, 2015 /CNW/ - Today's announcement by Labour Minister Shirley Bond that the minimum wage would be fixed at $10.45 in today's dollars for the indefinite future is a poverty sentence, according to Canada's largest private sector union.

No quality without quantity

TORONTO, March 12, 2015 /CNW/ - Today's decisions from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) threaten the quality of local programming available to Canadian viewers, Unifor says.

"Canadians rely on quality locally produced programming to inform them about their communities and the issues that affect their lives," Unifor Media Director Howard Law said.

UNB Employees Association votes to join Unifor

FREDERICTON, March 12, 2015 /CNW/ - Members of the University of New Brunswick Employees Association (UNBEA) voted Wednesday to become members of Unifor in a near-unanimous decision.

"We're thrilled with the result of the vote," said Augustine Brideau, UNBEA president. "With the next round of bargaining coming up, we all felt that we'd be in a much better position to defend the interests of our membership with the strength of Unifor behind us."

First ever LBTI event inside the UN building

Lisa Kelly is part of an international delegation of trade union women leaders attending the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW59), taking place in New York from March 9-20 2015. The session marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – signed onto by governments who committed to action on a number of issues related to women and girls including violence, poverty, education and training, power and decision making and many other areas.

Union women head to the UN to demand equality and justice around the world

Lisa Kelly is part of an international delegation of trade union women leaders attending the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW59), taking place in New York from March 9-20 2015. The session marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – signed onto by governments who committed to action on a number of issues related to women and girls including violence, poverty, education and training, power and decision making and many other areas.

Good jobs are possible

A recent hiring surge at the Ford plant in Oakville shows that when labour...

McCurdy new NDP leader

Earle McCurdy, the past president of Unifor-FFAW, has been elected leader...