WINNIPEG—Unifor Local 144 members at Griffin Wheel – a Winnipeg foundry that produces train wheels – have ratified a new four-year contract, ending a 19-day lockout.
ST. JOHN’S–Unifor reached a tentative agreement with Loblaw-owned Dominion stores in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Details of the tentative agreement will first be shared with Dominion members of Unifor Local 597 in a series of ratification meetings to be scheduled in the coming days.
Unifor represents more than 1,200 Dominion grocery workers at 11 stores across the island of Newfoundland.
The Canadian Air Navigation Specialists Association (CANSA) at Unifor Local 1016 met with Nav Canada with the assistance of the FMCS Conciliator for a third time on April 10 and 11 without any progress towards reaching a fair deal. The parties are now at an impasse as conciliation ended on April 12.
TORONTO - Unifor members employed by Expertech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Canada Enterprises Inc., expressed overwhelming support for a strike mandate.
Technicians supported the measure by 93.4%, while clerical workers voted 81% in favour of strike action. The vote, which achieved a remarkable 86% turnout, demonstrates the willingness of workers to stand up for their rights.
OTTAWA – In his appearance before the House of Commons Heritage Committee, Bell CEO Mirko Bibic failed to justify cutting thousands of jobs while Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE) increased their dividends to a record-high $3.7 billion in 2023.
Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi and President of Unifor Local 975 Doug Carter testified on April 8 to the Standing Committee on the Interior about contracting out and methane leaks in Ontario’s gas sector that result in increased costs to consumers.
“The Ontario government has a unique chance to contain household gas prices increases, fight climate change, and protect good jobs at the same time. It’s a win-win for workers and Ontario families,” said Hashi.
Unifor and its predecessor unions have bargained a national pattern in the energy and chemical sector since 1965. Over the last year, many members identified ideas for updating or modernizing the process, and Unifor’s energy and chemical sector council convened a meeting in Calgary during April 9–11 to amend the program.
Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier opened the meeting with remarks that described how profitable the sector is in 2024, and that the national pattern should stay ambitious to ensure the workers are getting their fair share of the profits.
On April 16, 2024 we mark Equal Pay Day which is a stark reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality in the workplace in Canada and a call to rethink how we value labour as a society.
Equal Pay Day symbolizes the average additional time it takes for women in our country to earn what men did in the previous year, highlighting the persistent gender wage gap. For many women it may take even longer to achieve equal pay.
Unifor is holding BCE Directors accountable with the unveiling of the "Meet the Board" component of its ‘Shame on Bell’ campaign, aimed at shedding light on the corporate figures behind Bell's recent wave of job cuts.
VANCOUVER—The campaign for workers at Amazon facilities in Metro Vancouver to form a union has reached a pivotal stage today after Unifor filed two applications to the B.C. Labour Relations Board (BCLRB).
“Workers at Amazon are seeking job security, better health and safety, and fair wages,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Forming a democratic union in their workplace is the path to improved conditions of work.”
Unifor is thrilled its Fund Durham Region Transit campaign propelled Durham Regional Council to reaffirm its dedication to working towards fully funding the 127% service growth needed – or 625,000 hours – for its transit system by 2032.
To: Members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
Dear Committee members,
We write to you today regarding Unifor’s concerns with the Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE) Board of Directors’ decision to eliminate thousands of good Canadian jobs across the country while continuing to increase shareholder dividends and payouts to its executives.
VANCOUVER—After months of signing union cards at two Metro Vancouver Amazon facilities, Unifor is ready to announce the next stage of the drive.
“Hundreds of workers at Amazon have signed union cards and talked to Unifor organizers about their hopes for safer work, better pay, and improved benefits,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We’re excited to move to the next phase of this historic campaign.”
The Education Department delivered an 8-hour pre-apprenticeship training program for members of Unifor Local 222 working at the GM Oshawa facility. Conducted on March 23 and 24, the sessions attracted approximately 150 participants applying for apprenticeship positions negotiated in the 2023 round of auto bargaining.
We want to extend our sincerest thanks to all who participated in the recent Canadian National Translation Ltd (CNTL) strike vote, which concluded at midnight yesterday. Your active involvement is crucial to our collective bargaining efforts.
We are pleased to announce that a decisive 82% majority have voted in favour of authorizing a strike should negotiations with the employer fail to reach an agreement.
BRAMPTON—Fifty workers at MDA’s new global headquarters and space robotics centre launched strike action on April 8 following the company’s refusal to negotiate.
“Fair wages shouldn’t be light years away for workers at an incredibly profitable company such as MDA,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The facility houses some of the most skilled workers in the industry and they deserve a fair contract that reflects their contribution to MDA’s bottom line.”
The 135 Unifor members working at the Agropur Dairy Cooperative production plant in Bedford, N.S. have signed a new five-year contract that has wage increases of over 16.4% over the life of the agreement, including a 5% pay bump in the first year.
Unifor mourns the deaths of the seven aid workers from the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen, recently killed in Gaza when their convoy was struck by an Israeli military drone.
Rather than focusing on reaching a settlement with Unifor, GreenShield Canada (GSC) has chosen a publicity campaign that is further inflaming the five-week dispute.
Unifor represents more than 600 members, mostly women, who work in the company’s Windsor and Toronto offices and have been on strike since March 1.
VICTORIA—More than fifty Unifor members from across the province participated in meetings during April 2–4 with MLAs from their regions and cabinet ministers overseeing key economic sectors.
“This was a great opportunity to directly communicate the ideas and concerns of working people with the very decision-makers who update B.C.’s laws and regulations to improve working conditions for all,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Lobby meetings are an important tool in our broader approach to affecting change for workers.”
TORONTO—Unifor calls on Ford Motor Company to consider all possible options to mitigate the negative impact on workers following the announced substantial delay in the launch of EV production at the Oakville Assembly Plant.
Windsor Salt is blaming market conditions for an impending idling of its mining operations in Windsor, Ontario.
The cessation of operations could result in up to 150 Unifor members receiving lay-off notice. Unifor Local 1959 and 240 are currently in negotiations with the company on which workers will remain for maintenance procedures.
“Our goal in the next few days is to negotiate an aggressive return-to-work protocol to ensure the lay-off period is as short as possible,” said Local 1959 President Doug Shaw.
HALIFAX— Unifor members at CN Autoport have ratified a three-year collective agreement, ending a 37-day strike at the transshipment facility in Eastern Passage, N.S.
Unifor applauds the federal government’s announcement that the upcoming budget will include a $1 billion investment to help provide healthy meals for children and assist families during the affordability crisis.
“With high grocery costs and a surge in food bank usage across the country – with one-third of them being children – we need a structured national school nutrition program now,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
SYDNEY, N.S.—Unifor has filed for conciliation on behalf of Marine Atlantic workers represented by Locals 4285 and 4286 after the employer has demonstrated an unwillingness to bargain by delaying meaningful negotiations.
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