Unifor Local 1999 members at Mr. Furnace Heating and Air Conditioning have ratified a new three-year collective agreement that delivers meaningful wage increases and improved benefits for HVAC installers and service technicians.
"Every worker deserves a contract that respects the value of their skills and keeps pace with the cost of living," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "This agreement does that, and it's a credit to the members and the bargaining committee who made it happen."
Strong workplace inspection and investigation skills are essential to protecting workers and preventing injuries and illness. From April 10 – 12 2026, more than 140 Unifor members joined the National Health and Safety Conference to build these skills.
The conference took place at Unifor’s Family Education Centre in Port Elgin under the theme, Root Cause, Real Change, with a focus on moving beyond surface-level symptom management, and towards identifying the root causes of unsafe conditions to eliminate hazards and create safer workplaces.
The Unifor Auto Council came together to chart a strong path forward for the 2026 Detroit Three negotiations, bringing union leaders, bargaining committee members, and retired worker representatives together to discuss priorities, the fight to defend jobs, and the global pressures impacting Canada’s auto industry.
More than 70 union activists from across Alberta spent three days in Calgary last week, training to knock on doors, engage in campaign conversations with coworkers, and build grassroots activism.
The Labour Votes coalition training, held April 7–9 at the Sheraton Eau Claire Hotel, brought together members from Unifor, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the United Steelworkers (USW) for an intensive program covering the political issues facing Alberta workers and the practical skills needed to do something about them.
On behalf of Unifor, I want to extend my sincere congratulations on your 2026 Hillman Prize Award.
Your reporting on the abuses at Maplehurst Correctional Complex stands as a powerful example of journalism in the public interest and the ability to remain tenacious when shut down by government roadblocks.
Unifor members of Local 4304 at Grand River Transit (GRT) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, with 93% supporting the mandate as negotiations continue ahead of the collective agreement expiry on April 30, 2026.
Unifor Local 4304 members working at Great Canadian Coaches (GCC) have ratified a new collective agreement, with 91 per cent voting in favour of the deal.
“This ratified agreement shows what a strong and united membership can accomplish at the bargaining table,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Congratulations to the bargaining committee and Local 4304 members for securing important gains that will improve working conditions and fairness on the job.”
Unifor members from across Ontario working in long-term care and retirement homes gathered this week in Toronto to prepare for upcoming bargaining, share strategies, identifying priorities, and strengthening coordination across the province.
Held April 7–9 at the Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport, the conference brought together local union leaders, bargaining committee members, and staff to assess the current economic and bargaining climate and to chart a path forward for workers in the province’s care sectors.
April 14, 2026, is Equal Pay Day in Canada. The day marks, on average, how many months into the new year a woman must work to earn what men did by December 31, 2025.
Unifor recently took part in the General Assembly on Trade Unionism, a unique forum for reflection in Quebec that brought together over 500 activists from the province’s main union organizations. The aim of this initiative was to re-examine the role and approach of the labour movement and to identify concrete solutions for dealing with current and future challenges.
The following statement was released jointly today by Canada’s two largest industrial unions, Unifor and the United Steelworkers:
U.S. sector-based tariffs (“section 232 tariffs”) have hit Canadian manufacturing workers and businesses hard, impacting families and entire communities. Many Canadian steel mills, auto plants, wood product facilities and aluminum fabricators have slowed or shuttered production, leaving thousands of skilled workers unemployed.
LONDON—Unifor is raising concerns about staffing changes at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and warns that that the restructuring will further intensify pressure on health care workers across the system.
The hospital has confirmed significant staffing changes, including the elimination of hundreds of positions through attrition.
VICTORIA—The employer’s insufficient offers on wages, mental health benefits, and protections for gratuity earners has forced Unifor Local 4276 members at the Fairmont Empress Hotel to vote to strike if a resolution cannot be negotiated this month.
“The Fairmont Empress is synonymous with great service provided by Unifor members,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Local 4276 members have earned a fair contract and are prepared to stand up for what they deserve.”
HALIFAX- Unifor members at Parkland Truro, Parkland Cape Breton, and Martha’s Place Antigonish retirement homes in Nova Scotia will be in a legal strike position as of April 16, after a no board report was issued by the Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration on Tuesday.
“Workers have spoken clearly, they need a deal that reflects the value of their work and keeps pace with standards in long-term care,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Unifor stands firmly behind these members as they fight for the respect and compensation they deserve.”
Members of the Forestry Sector Council Executive Committee and Unifor leadership met in the Unifor National Office March 27–29 to share bargaining updates and discuss the state of the industry.
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our profound concern about the proliferation of sexually explicit AI-generated content, specifically through tools like xAI’s “Grok”.
TORONTO—As Canadian workers mark one year of economic disruption and job losses triggered by U.S. tariffs targeting Canada’s auto industry and other key sectors, Unifor is escalating the union’s clear demand to corporate and government decision-makers: “Sell Here. Build Here.”
“The last twelve months saw workers in trade exposed industries go through hell. We’ve witnessed job loss and workers left in limbo as Trump continues to hammer our economy,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
Lewis, 88, a former politician, broadcaster and labour mediator, was a long-time friend to Unifor, Canadian Auto Workers’ (CAW) Union, and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP). Throughout his life, he made a profound and lasting impact on working people with his fiery speeches and effective activism.
This week marks one year since the United States imposed 25% tariffs on the import of Canadian autos, one of the most damaging measures in a series of escalating trade attacks by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canadian workers and industries.
The auto tariffs struck at the heart of Canada’s manufacturing economy, threatening tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and disrupting an integrated North American supply chain.
For more than a year, Canadian workers have been on the front lines of Donald Trump’s trade war and the damage it has caused across key sectors of our economy.
Unifor is calling on a mediator to help address key outstanding issues as bargaining continues for nearly 2,000 hospital workers across northern Ontario, with a focus on achieving stability and respect for frontline care.
“This round of bargaining is about fairness, and our hospital workers deserve so much more,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Workers doing the same jobs, in the same hospitals, should not be paid differently or have access to different benefits—our members are feeling utterly disrespected.”
Unifor took to Parliament Hill to push MPs from all sitting parties to enact worker’s demands to Protect Canadian Jobs, as U.S. imposed tariffs continue to put Canadian jobs and entire communities at risk across the country.
During the union’s federal lobby week, Unifor leadership, including national officers, National Executive Board members and local leaders sat down to share their experiences in workplaces and industries at risk, and to push for urgent action.
Unifor Local 2002 members at Air Canada Flight Operations Crew Scheduling have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, with 96% voting in favour.
“Congratulations to the bargaining committee for negotiating a fair deal that reflects the essential role our aviation members play in airline operations,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“Their precision, expertise, and dedication are critical to ensuring the airline operates smoothly.”
Unifor welcomes targeted investments in Ontario’s 2026 Budget that support workers including improved pension protections. The union stresses that more needs to be done to address rising unemployment, affordability, and strained public services, particularly the province’s under resourced health care system.
“Ontario sits at the centre of Canada’s economy and the front lines of the ongoing trade war, where workers in trade-exposed sectors and their families are feeling the impact,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
On Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV), March 31, Unifor stands firmly with trans, non-binary, two-spirited, and gender-diverse people.
The Trans Day of Visibility is a call-to-action. Recognizing human rights should not always be about defending against attacks. TDOV reminds us that we have the power to lead by example, to build a more just and equitable world now and for the next generation.
Unifor is deeply saddened by the loss of life during the tragic aircraft incident at LaGuardia Airport that claimed the lives of two Air Canada Jazz pilots and injured dozens more.
Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and colleagues of the pilots who lost their lives, as well as with all those who were injured and impacted by this devastating event. This loss is being felt across the entire aviation community.
OTTAWA – Unifor leaders from across the country are in Ottawa this week, meeting with more than 75 MPs from all sitting parties to deliver the message to Protect Canadian Jobs.
“In the face of U.S. tariffs, everything is on the line for workers in Canada, and we need the federal government and all political parties to match the urgency of this moment,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We’re ready to deliver a message to protect Canadian jobs, our country’s industrial economy, and defend trade union rights.”
