Share
Unifor members from across the Atlantic provinces met in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador for the annual Atlantic Regional Council. The delegates work in a variety of industries and sectors including telecommunications, pulp and paper, fisheries, off-shore oil, dairy, shipbuilding, and health care.
With the change in government after last October’s federal election and the provincial election in Newfoundland and Labrador in November, there were many discussions about the future of the region and what the new governments ought to be doing to protect workers, families and communities.
“I take my seat in Parliament and my role as an MP very seriously and I can tell you that there needs to be more talk of people, of families and communities and less about corporations and profits,” said Tracey Ramsey, NDP MP in Windsor/Essex.
Ramsey, a Unifor member from local 200 and now the federal NDP’s critic for international trade, spoke about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and how disastrous a deal it will be for Canadians.
Human Rights Chair of Newfoundland and Labrador Remzi Cej spoke about the need to recognize the diversity of the Atlantic region, the strength in communities that welcome refugees and people of different backgrounds.
“We have to stop saying ‘I can’t imagine’ when people talk about their experiences with us,” said Cej. “We can all connect to each other on a basic human level. Never suggest that your imagination is that limited.”
Resolutions were passed on commitments to supporting the local fisheries in Newfoundland and Labrador, demanding a new federal Health Accord, closing the gender wage gap, fighting for a $15 minimum wage, and supporting the involvement of young workers in the life of the union.
