The International Day of La Francophonie is a unique opportunity to celebrate our language and its invaluable contribution to the rich diversity of our world. In Quebec and Canada, we cannot mark this event without reflecting on the great responsibility we bear to ensure the promotion and vitality of the French language in an environment that presents many challenges.
A delegation of five Unifor women were honoured to represent Unifor as delegates of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York City from March 6 to 10.
TO: The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; The Honourable Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of Ontario; The Honourable Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
Dear Premier Ford and Ministers McNaughton and Smith,
Unifor Local 462 members reached a three-year deal with Gesco Limited Partnership in Brampton, Ont.
“The members were seeking to increase wages and ensure job protection due to market conditions,” said Andrew Kellman, the president of Local 462. “Members overwhelmingly voted for this agreement and appreciated the hard work that Unit Chair Larry McIntyre and bargaining committee members Jason Gardner and Val McGraw put into getting them wage bumps.”
TORONTO, MEXICO CITY – Autoworker unions in Canada and Mexico applaud the launch of a trade complaint by the Canadian government to stop labour abuses at a Mexican auto parts facility owned by global automotive supplier Fränkische.
Ontario’s 2023 budget release is set for March 23. Will the Ford government finally invest in strengthening programs and services such as health care and education or continue to create chaos while cutting taxes and privatizing health care?
TORONTO –With the simultaneous decisions from the Competition Bureau and Transport Canada’s public interest review approving WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing, Unifor remains steadfast that the acquisition must result in increased job quality for workers at Sunwing and WestJet.
Unifor’s 2023 Prairie Regional Council (PRC) focused on the union’s work to build worker power through political fightback, social activism, and tough collective bargaining.
Approximately 150 delegates from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta participated in the three-day council during March 8-10 in Calgary.
Council opened with a welcome from Prairie Regional Chairperson Guy Desforge followed by a blessing from Elder Bruce Starlight and a dance performance by Brown Bear Woman Events.
Two premiers with the most ideologically divergent views in Canada, both recently elected by party members but untested in a general election, tabled their first budget on February 28.
There is a lot to be gleaned from the Eby and Smith budgets about “left” and “right” philosophies and more importantly, the outcomes for working people.
REGINA—Highly qualified union workers at SaskTel should do the work involved in the company’s massive expansion of its fibre optic broadband network into rural Saskatchewan.
TORONTO – Leading up to March break and the busy summer travel season, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) decision to cap flights and the number of travelers fails both passengers and airport workers, says Unifor.
“The GTAA is punishing the traveling public by limiting flights and services as a band-aid solution to airport congestion, instead of fixing the problem by implementing common sense solutions to improve job quality and hire needed workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
OTTAWA – On International Women’s Day 2023, hundreds of community organizations from across Canada have signed a statement declaring that gender equality cannot be achieved without supporting, celebrating, and uplifting trans women. Canada has seen rising hate against trans communities, and particularly against trans women, but trans women deserve our respect and care – in addition to concrete government action to address anti-trans hate.
Unifor Marine Workers’ Federation (MWF) Local 1 is growing!
Members of the Local are reaching out to friends and colleagues to recruit skilled tradespeople to help build the future of the Royal Canadian Navy.
“We walk into this shipyard every day knowing we are part of something truly special,” said Shannon Sampson, President of Unifor MWF Local 1. “We are eager for our Local to grow and we’re ready to welcome skilled workers to join our Unifor MWF Local 1 family.”
For Bob Lederer, creating bargaining Women’s Advocate language at his workplace’s collective agreement was personal.
In 2004, he was a new worker at the paper mill at Resolute Forest Products in Thunder Bay. At that time, the mill was not unionized. He and his co-workers wore headsets for communication and one particular interaction made him aware of the sexism in the heavily male-dominated workforce.
Manufacturing workers at Ingredion – which processes corn into sweeteners and other products in Cardinal, Ont. – have ratified a new four-year agreement.
“This agreement recognizes the skill and hard work of our members at Ingredion,” said Local 483 President Bill Garlough. “There were no concessions in the new agreement.”
The 150 members of Local 483, which includes processing and Skilled Trades workers, voted to ratify the contract on March 3, 2023, by 82%.
The new agreement begins March 15, 2023, and expires April 14, 2027.
WINNIPEG—Despite some spending measures aimed at winning re-election, the Heather Stefanson government is still defined by growing hospital wait times, health care privatization, and suppressing the minimum wage, says Unifor.
“Manitobans will not forget the Stefanson government’s deliberate and wilful dismantling of the health care system,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “One budget cannot undo years of mismanagement by the conservative government.”
TORONTO- Unifor members working at CN voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action amid ongoing negotiations in which CN has tabled a package of broad concessions.
Local 100 members voted 98%, and Council 4000 members voted 97% in favour of strike action. The earliest possible date of job action would be March 21, 2023, following a 72-hour notice.
The Robinson Solutions Maintenance unit from Unifor Local 222 in Oshawa, Ont. ratified a new agreement Feb. 28 at 84%, ensuring that members from Skilled and Semi-Skilled Trades get the respect they deserve.
“We made sure that our Skilled Trades workers had an hourly wage that reflected the global competitiveness of the skilled trades market,” said Local 222 President Jeff Gray. “These skilled workers deserve to be paid what they are worth. We are very proud that the goal was achieved. As the expression says, skilled labour isn’t cheap and cheap labour isn’t skilled.”
The 55 members of Unifor Local 197, working at Jubilant Draximage in Montreal, accepted the tentative agreement recommended by the negotiating committee at a meeting held last week.
"The negotiation process was long, but the outcome is more than positive,” said Hugues Perreault, Unifor Quebec National Representative. “I would like to acknowledge the exemplary work of the union committee and the rigor they demonstrated throughout this round of negotiations.”
On Friday, March 3, 2023, 150 members of Unifor Local 324-99 voted 88% in favor of a new four-year collective agreement with West Fraser Timber covering its Barwick oriented strand board (OSB) mill near Fort Frances.
The eight members of Unifor Local 591G at Shorewood Packaging have struck a new four-year deal with their Scarborough, Ont. employer.
“The members who work at this shipping location should be proud of the big gains made in this agreement,” Burke Moffat, President of Local 591G.
“This was a strong agreement that would not have been possible without the ground support from members who attended meetings and made their voices heard along with the hard work and commitment of the bargaining committee.”
Unifor members working at CN voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action. Local 100 members voted 98%, and Council 4000 members voted 97% - standing firm behind the demand for a collective agreement that values all workers.
REGINA—After a new proposal to outsource unionized SaskTel jobs surfaced on government websites this week, Unifor has demanded a stop to contracting out.
“With each outsourcing post, the Sask Party government is undermining good jobs and good customer service at SaskTel, and customers should be concerned,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “This government must stop sending jobs out of province and offshore. Why is the Sask Party so obsessed with killing good, local jobs?”
More than 30 workers at Menzies Aviation at Halifax Stanfield International Airport successfully joined Unifor on March 1.
“We welcome these new members to our union. The need for aviation workers to have representation is so important during this period of contract flipping and chaos at Canada’s airports,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Unifor will stand by them through whatever turbulence comes our way in the industry.”
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