TORONTO—The PC government’s hurried passage of gas sector legislation will result in a failure to properly contain methane leaks, an increase to operational costs, and greater contracting out of union jobs, says Unifor.
BRAMPTON—Unifor National President Lana Payne will join members and supporters from across the GTA for a rally on Thursday May 16 at 10 a.m. to support Unifor Local 112 and 673 on strike at MDA Space in Brampton, Ontario.
SYDNEY, N.S.—Unifor members at the Sobeys store in Sydney, N.S. ratified a new collective agreement that continues the union’s pattern of achieving record wage gains in the grocery sector.
Unifor members from 14 locals gathered in Thunder Bay, Ont. on May 13-14, 2024, for the Northern Ontario Leadership Meeting (NOLM) to identify specific issues of the region, including in the health care and forestry sectors, and Indigenous communities.
“A big reason why NOLM was created a decade ago was because it was sometimes challenging to send 125 Northern Ontario delegates to the Ontario Regional Council (ORC) all the time,” said Unifor Northern Area Director Stephen Boon.
We are pleased to announce that Unifor members working for CN Transportation Ltd. (CNTL) have successfully ratified a new four-year collective agreement. This achievement reflects our commitment to securing improved working conditions and fair compensation for all members.
This challenging round of bargaining has resulted in an agreement that sets a new standard for equitable labour practices in our sector.
OTTAWA– Unifor applauds yesterday’s Ontario Superior Court ruling that the City of Ottawa was negligent in enforcing its taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to illegally operate in 2014 for two years, effectively harming the taxi industry – many of whom are Unifor members.
“Hard-working, established taxi drivers in Ottawa finally have some justice after being abandoned by their city, who succumbed to the whims of multinational tech giants,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
Unifor proudly recognizes the dedication and care provided by Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in Ontario on the occasion of Personal Support Worker Day on May 19. These health care heroes are essential to the well-being of every community, providing compassionate support and expert care that impacts countless lives every day.
This year, we celebrate not only their daily contributions but also a significant victory for all public sector health care workers in Ontario.
At a time when the Canadian media sector faces job cuts, news deserts and a struggle for supports to save local news, Unifor is proud to fund the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto and welcomes the work of its two interns in this year’s summer program.
“Our union is thrilled to support the next generation of journalists,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
With Budget 2024, the federal government has, once again, opened the door for airport privatization and profitization in Canada.
Overall, while Unifor was pleased to see this year’s federal budget build upon the social fabric Canada needs, the union is disappointed that Budget 2024 has advanced the possibility of airport privatization or for-profit transformation of Canada’s airport system.
Unifor members gathered at the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ont., for the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) Conference centered around helping members recognize signs of mental health and addiction struggles in themselves and others, and equip them with resources and strategies to connect people with the support that they need.
QUEBEC-Firefighters working for the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) across Quebec have voted 99% in favour of a strike as negotiations have stagnated since their previous contract expired on January 1, 2023.
SOPFEU forest firefighters negotiated non-monetary language in individual local negotiations which concluded in February 2024, and then all six local unions bargained as one unit to negotiate wages, meeting with the employer over the course of a dozen days.
REGINA—The Scott Moe government’s refusal to address class size and complexity in public schools is more evidence that it’s time for change, says Unifor.
“Unifor stands with Saskatchewan’s teachers in their fight for justice and a fair collective agreement,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Teachers are trying their best to improve the public education in Saskatchewan, but the Sask Party government refuses to invest in public schools.”
Today, Unifor mourns the loss of Gary Parent, an exceptional member and fierce advocate whose legacy of devout trade unionism, humble leadership, and dedication to community will inspire and support generations of workers for many years to come.
Unifor proudly honours the relentless and unwavering commitment of paramedics to mark Paramedic Services Week from May 19 to May 25.
This year’s theme, "Help Us, Help You", focuses on sharing tips on how community members can best support paramedics and other emergency services personnel in the event of an emergency. By working together, community members and first responders can help build a safe and healthy community.
Témiscaming– Unifor is expressing its consternation following the press release published on May 7 by Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM), justifying the suspension of its activities at its cellulose plant in Témiscaming, Quebec. RYAM acknowledged that this decision is about demonstrating, among other things, that the site and its various processes can be operated separately with the goal of facilitating its bid to sell the business, which the company initiated last fall.
Unifor is proud to support the Rainbow Week of Action organized by Momentum, a Canadian non-profit that organizes and amplifies advocacy for social and gender justice.
The week of action, that takes place from May 11 – May 17, 2024, will host and promote rallies, letter-writing campaigns, webinars, phone banks, and more in communities across the country.
During May 1–3 Unifor Prairie Regional Council delegates took stock of the region’s work over the last 12 months and strategized about the year ahead.
Performers and an elder from the Kahkewistahaw First Nation welcomed delegates to Regina, located on Treaty 4 territory, the traditional land of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis.
Unifor reaches a tentative agreement with CNTL, averting strike action
Unifor has reached a tentative settlement with CN Transportation Ltd. (CNTL) on a new four-year collective agreement.
The union’s bargaining committee opened negotiations with CNTL on November 13, 2023 in Brampton. The first tentative settlement was rejected by a slim vote of 52% during ratification meetings held from January 23 to February 2.
Unifor Local 31-X has ratified a transformative four-year contract with the town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands.
"We are amazed and excited for this new agreement,” said Connie Still, Unit Chair of Unifor Local 31-X. “Members and their families have been struggling to make ends meet and the economics negotiated in this contract will certainly bring some relief. I am proud of our team and to be represented by Unifor."
Nominations are now open for the annual Unifor Bud Jimmerfield Award and we want you to tell us about a Unifor member who deserves recognition for their work in making workplaces safer.
“Don't mourn my death, fight for the living.”
This is the challenge that Bud Jimmerfield passed on to all Unifor members prior to his death, following years of exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in his workplace.
The latest federal budget includes significant investments in VIA Rail, supporting Unifor’s Get Canada Back on Track campaign efforts to expand and sustain Canada's national passenger rail services.
“This budget’s commitment to VIA Rail operations funding is a win for every member who has voiced the need for reliable and expansive rail services,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “It’s a clear result of Unifor’s relentless advocacy under our ‘Get Canada Back on Track’ campaign.”
Each year on May 17, Unifor joins a global community of advocates and activists to raise awareness and take action to combat the challenges, discrimination, and violence faced by queer and
TORONTO—Workers at Nestle have decided to strike over a lack of improvements to their pension plan. Also at issue is the time it takes workers to get to the top rate of pay.
“Nestle workers in the past have gone on strike over pension contributions and again, it’s at the crux of this dispute,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Retirement security is very important to our members, and you throw an affordability crisis on top of that, and it’s no wonder our members are determined to fight here.”
Unifor Local 1285 members at Martin Brower, who are warehouse workers and transportation drivers, have ratified a deal that includes a 22 per cent wage increase over the life of the agreement, job security protections, and pension and vacation improvements.
STONEY CREEK—Unifor members working at Waste Management Canada Corp. (WM) began strike action on May 2, 2024. Major issues with the employer include forced overtime and lack of work-life-balance.
“Our dedicated members handle the tough job of ensuring commercial businesses have their garbage and recycling collected and removed in a safety-sensitive environment,” said Local 4268 President Debbie Montgomery.
To: University of Toronto; McGill University Concordia University; University of Ottawa University of British Colombia; University of Victoria Vancouver Island University; McMaster University
To University Administrators:
RE: Respecting the right to assemble and protest on Canadian university campuses
Delegates at Prairie Regional Council celebrated May Day as the council kicked off at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Regina. The delegates from Manitoba, Alberta and host province Saskatchewan will discuss and debate resolutions, hold mid-term elections and hear from exciting guest speakers and Unifor leadership.
