VICTORIA—Unifor applauds the leadership of the John Horgan government for introducing a bill to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
“The UNDRIP is important to reconciliation and helps build a legal framework to let Indigenous communities thrive,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
October 20, 2019 TORONTO –The election of a Liberal minority government, with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois holding the balance of power gives workers a strong voice in Parliament. “This election was always about workers and big questions. How can we create good paying jobs, provide vital services including healthcare, and confront climate change as a country? Canadian voters delivered an answer on how today- we’ll do it together,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. Unifor actively opposed the Conservative election agenda with a successful campaign to Stop Scheer.
REGINA—As the province-wide service disruption enters its third week, Unifor has offered to go to binding arbitration on outstanding monetary issues with employers.
“Unifor members want to return to serving the people of Saskatchewan, but they won’t do it without a fair contract or a commitment from the Crowns to arbitration,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “If the Crowns agree to this reasonable offer, nearly 5,000 Crown workers could be back at work tomorrow.”
REGINA—After a day of dialogue with Crown employers, Unifor National President Jerry Dias will hold a media availability to provide an update on Crown sector bargaining.
WHAT: Crowns sector bargaining update WHO: Unifor National President Jerry Dias and other local union leaders WHEN: October 18 at 5 p.m. WHERE: SaskPower headquarters, 2025 Victoria Avenue, Regina
TORONTO—Today labour activists from across Ontario occupied Doug Ford’s office to demand action from the provincial government to prevent workplace death and injuries at Fiera Foods.
“Desperate times call for extreme measures and the situation at Fiera Foods is certainly desperate,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “We are calling on the Doug Ford government to protect precarious workers like those at Fiera Foods and we won’t take silence as an answer.”
REGINA—The construction of on-site living quarters for scab labour by the Co-op Refinery is only going to derail contract talks, warns Unifor.
“Making plans to bus scabs in to an active refinery is going to totally disrupt good-faith bargaining,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “It’s reckless and unnecessary.”
October 10, 2019 VANCOUVER – Unifor members at Coast Mountain Bus Company have delivered an overwhelming 99 per cent strike mandate, after negotiations for a new collective agreement broke off on October 3, 2019. “Our members take the responsibility of providing safe, dependable public transportation seriously and they’re asking Coast Mountain to properly recognize the dedication and effort that the workers put in day in and day out to properly deliver it,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
REGINA—Members from Unifor’s six Crowns are disappointed to announce that the Water Security Agency agreed to a tentative agreement that includes the two-year wage freeze imposed by the Scott Moe government.
VANCOUVER – Unifor Coast Mountain Bus Company members will conduct a strike vote on Thursday, October 10, 2019.
“This strike vote takes place following months of negotiations with Coast Mountain,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “This is an opportunity for our members to voice their concerns and vote ahead of the resumption of negotiations with the company on October 15.”
TORONTO—Shortly after serving 72-hour strike notice, Unifor Local 114 has secured a new tentative agreement for Dynamex Couriers, a subsidiary of Transforce.
“Congratulations to the bargaining committee for achieving their goals,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Dynamex Couriers have earned a fair contract.”
Unifor launched a new Ontario-wide campaign today that takes the Doug Ford government to task on its drastic budget cuts to municipalities, health care, and education, as well as the anti-worker legislation it plans to introduce when parliament returns later this fall.
REGINA—After announcing a return to work earlier today, SaskTel workers have now been locked out by the employer, triggering a cancellation of the planned return to work at other Crown corporations.
“Just when we thought Scott Moe couldn’t make things worse, he proved us wrong, from Asia no less,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The provincial government engineered a strike by Crown workers by imposing a wage freeze, now it stands idly by while SaskTel workers are prevented from returning to work.”
TORONTO—Transforce’s failure to make a fair wage offer to their Dynamex Couriers has forced their union to serve 72-hour strike notice.
“The boom of e-commerce is happening on the backs of couriers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “It’s time Transforce share their success with the workers that keep it in business.”
REGINA—5,000 striking Crown workers will be back at work on Tuesday after Premier Scott Moe left the province in the middle of the largest strike action in decades.
“Premier Moe caused the strike, and now he has fled the province and his responsibilities” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
Unifor retains the legal right to resume picket lines if necessary.
KAMLOOPS—Unifor 10-B members working at Dearborn Ford (a subsidiary of Cam Clark Auto Group) have voted to ratify a new three-year collective agreement that includes wage increases and a pension enhancement.
“The new collective agreement at Dearborn Ford is the result of tough bargaining and impressive solidarity,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The bargaining committee and the entire unit should be proud of their work.”
REGINA—Unifor’s various offers to find a resolution to the ongoing contract dispute with Crown employers have all been rebuffed by the provincial government, leaving the union with no other option than to strike.
“Contract negotiations must be about a give and take—but the Moe government’s refusal to bargain fairly is driving Saskatchewan towards a major service disruption,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Unifor has presented creative offers to find a path forward, but the government seems intent on forcing a strike.”
REGINA—Employers have called off contract talks after they steadfastly refused to move off of a government-imposed wage freeze.
“Work-to-rule” job action is scheduled to begin Monday at 12:01 a.m., with escalation planned for the end of the week.
“Picket lines are our last resort, but we’ve said from the start that wage freezes were simply not fair,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Considering the Premier gave himself a 2.3% raise this year, Crown workers’ demands are more than reasonable.”
REGINA—After bargaining for the last nine months Unifor Local 594 has declared an impasse with the employer at the Co-op Refinery Complex.
“Unifor members are the key to safety at the refinery. It’s only reasonable that a company making billion-dollar profits puts a deal on the table that properly addresses the needs of their workers,” said Scott Doherty, Assistant to the Unifor National President.
ST. JOHN’S—Members of Unifor Local 2121 have ratified a four-year collective agreement that boasts an 11.75 per cent increase over the life of the contract.
“Unifor is Canada’s energy union,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Workers on Hibernia help generate incredible wealth and they’ve earned the significant wage increase.”
REGINA—The Moe government’s refusal to abandon wage freezes for Crown workers has forced the union from SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SecurTek, DirectWest, SaskWater, and the Water Security Agency to file notice of job action.
They join SaskTel, making a total of seven Crowns that could be in some form of job action or work stoppage beginning Monday at 12:01 a.m.
HALIFAX – Unifor Local 2215 members at IMP Aerospace voted to accept a last-minute offer from the company, hours before strike action was to begin.
“Our members were firm in rejecting the company’s previous offer and were ready to hit the picket line Friday morning,” said Linda MacNeil, Atlantic Regional Director. “A strike is a last resort, so they are glad the company reconsidered and came back with a more reasonable offer.”
REGINA—Unifor negotiators are working down to the wire but time is running out for the Scott Moe government to make a fair offer to nearly 5,000 Crown workers with strike mandates.
“It’s not a hard formula: show Crown workers the respect they deserve and we can avert province-wide job action,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Without a serious offer, Scott Moe will engineer service disruption that could have been avoided.”
REGINA—Negotiators for Unifor, including National President Jerry Dias, will be making an announcement regarding the ongoing bargaining with seven Crown corporations in Saskatchewan.
“Saskatchewan Crown utilities and services are the envy of other provinces,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The hard-working men and women that deliver high-quality public services have earned a fair contract.”
Nearly 5,000 workers from SaskTel, SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskWater, the Water Security Agency, SecurTek, and DirectWest are in a legal strike position.
TORONTO— DHL must share gains from the explosion of e-commerce sales and end regional disparities as Unifor begins contract talks with the world’s largest shipping company.
“DHL is a successful global giant, but it is the workers on the ground that make that success possible,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Fair compensation is an important goal for this round of negotiations.”
SASKATOON—Unifor and several like-minded organizations devoted to fighting climate change will hold a conference to discuss next steps for the economy and mobilizing for a worker-centred approach to green jobs.
REGINA—Unifor members at four more Crown corporations have voted overwhelmingly to strike if necessary, bringing the province-wide total to seven.
“Scott Moe is steering Saskatchewan towards a major service disruption,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “All because he refuses to grant Crown workers the same pay increase that he gave himself.”
Hundreds of members of the Windsor community and people from across Ontario assembled near the Nemak plant in solidarity with workers protesting the company’s decision to break the collective agreement by announcing their intention to close the plant.
WINNIPEG—Canada’s largest union in the private sector has vowed to continue to fight for public Manitoba Hydro, health care, and other valued public services.
“Manitoba Hydro is a fantastic public utility that hundreds of thousands of Manitobans and Manitoba businesses rely on,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “It delivers affordable power and good jobs. Strengthening Manitoba Hydro and health care should be a priority for the next government.”
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