MONTREAL – A strike deadline for VIA Rail workers, set for July 11 at 12:01 a.m. has been extended to July 11 at 4:00 p.m. eastern.
“We remain hopeful that a deal can be reached,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “Our bargaining committees have been steadfast in wanting to achieve a deal that respects and values their work.”
A strike deadline for July 11, 2022 was announced last Thursday, in an effort to give the public ample notice and an opportunity to make alternative arrangements for travel. Rail services will continue Monday.
Tonight both Council 4000 and Local 100 bargaining committees have decided to extend the bargaining deadline to July 11 at 16:00 hours ET.
The bargaining committees have been working throughout the weekend pushing back against the employers concessions. As of now we have removed all concessions and will be spending the remaining time to discuss remaining monetary items.
Though talks with the employer are progressing, we must still be ready to take job action should an agreement not be reached.
TORONTO- Talks ended between Bell and Unifor’s 6,000 members in the Bell Clerical and Aliant groups following a week of simultaneous negotiations, pushing Unifor ACL to declare an impasse.
Negotiations ended today without coming to an agreement with the company for the Unifor ACL and Clerical groups, during the week’s historic, simultaneous negotiations.
The employer was made aware well in advance of the union’s top priorities and did not come prepared to have meaningful discussion on those issues.
Members in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario united this week in our negotiations. Your committees, including national staff, brought fair proposals to the company and were met with stubborn refusals.
As mentioned earlier this week both Council 4000 and Local 100 resumed negotiations with the employer this week in Montreal. Unfortunately, talks have not progressed in the way we had hoped. In consultation with the National Union, both Council 4000 and Local 100 issued strike notice to VIA Rail this evening.
MONTREAL – Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 announced the union’s 72 hours’ strike notice to VIA Rail after talks failed to progress.
“VIA Rail workers are frustrated that the employer continues to push concessions and not work towards a fair and equitable collective agreement for our members,” said Scott Doherty, Executive Assistant to Unifor’s National President and lead negotiator. “Unifor members at VIA are highly skilled and contributed to the success of the company. We will do whatever it takes to get members the collective agreement that they deserve.”
TORONTO— Unifor sees the Paper Excellence Groups’ acquisition of Resolute Forest Products as a signal the company intends to maintain and grow its presence in Canadian forestry, which is a good sign for Canadian forestry workers.
Unifor’s Family Education Centre was able to make a little boy’s wish come true over the Canada Day weekend, providing him and his family with a beachfront cottage vacation in partnership with the Make a Wish Foundation.
“I have been around our union for many years but the sense of pride I felt in our union helping to make Ben's wish come true is something I won't soon forget," said Rolly Kiehne, Unifor's Director of Education.
MONTREAL – Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 members issue a strong strike mandate ahead of July 11 deadline, as negotiations continue in Montreal.
“The strike vote result sends a clear message to the employer: The membership supports the bargaining committee, is firm in their demands, and is prepared to take action if needed,” said Scott Doherty, Executive Assistant to Unifor’s National President and lead negotiator. “At this critical time, VIA Rail members deserve the best possible agreement, and that can only be won by working together, in solidarity.”
From June 20 to July 1, 2022 both Council 4000 and Local 100 conducted strike votes with VIA Rail members across Canada. The results for the vote were 99.4% in favour of strike action at Local 100 and 99.3 % in favour of strike action from Council 4000 members.
This is the strong mandate Council 4000 and Local 100 bargaining committees need as we continue to meet with the employer this week in Montreal. Your bargaining committees are committed to meet with VIA Rail right up to the strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Monday July 11, 2022.
TORONTO – Sunwing pilots filed a complaint at the Canada Industrial Relations Board Monday, July 4, 2022, alleging their employer bargained in bad faith during a recent round of negotiations because the employer already knew the company was being sold to WestJet.
“Despite management reassurances that the company was not a candidate for a sale or merger, Sunwing was sold to WestJet shortly after the collective agreement was signed – a huge slap in the face,” said Scott Doherty, Unifor’s Executive Assistant to the National President.
Bell Clerical and Bell Aliant commenced bargaining in February. From the start, it was the desire of our bargaining committees to utilize the collective power we have in numbers at some point in bargaining. Both groups have bargained separately thus far.
Our bargaining agendas include common themes of better wages, work from home policy and job security. Both bargaining tables also share a common denominator: Bell’s lead negotiator is the same at both tables.
AJAX—Wage increases and sweeping improvements to benefits are features of a new collective agreement for Unifor members working at the Hilton hotel in Ajax.
“Protecting wages from inflation was a top priority in this round of bargaining,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “I congratulate the team at Local 1090 for negotiating gains in the new contract.”
TORONTO- Unifor will seek judicial review of an arbitration award that set the new terms of collective agreements covering hundreds of long-term care workers that continues a trend of failing workers in the sector.
TORONTO–E-commerce warehouse workers at HBC Logistics have voted overwhelming at 80% to accept a new tentative agreement, ending a nine-day strike action.
“These workers stood firm with the full weight of Unifor behind them to successfully fight for retroactive pay to cover the time that they worked during the pandemic without a contract,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi.
Windsor Star workers have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year contract that provides annual improvements to wages, an additional statutory holiday and language aimed at protecting the news organization's journalists from online bullying and harassment.
“This collective agreement represents real gains in the media sector – both wage increases and addressing the harassment being faced by journalists today,” Unifor Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne said. “Congratulations to all the members for this deal.”
Watch old friends reunite and new friends join the fold at Atlantic Regional Council in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador June 1-3, 2022. Delegates to the democratic body of the union vote on the priorities and projects the union will tackle in the coming year.
Pride activists are dusting off flags and banners after years of cancelled festivities and social isolation.
This past weekend’s Toronto Pride festival saw an estimated 1.8 million people come out to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Unifor joined in the celebrations and marches, including an important emergency action on Saturday June 25, 2022 in support of reproductive justice.
TORONTO–Striking e-commerce warehouse workers at HBC Logistics will vote on a tentative agreement reached between the company and Unifor Local 40’s bargaining committee.
“I congratulate the bargaining committee on reaching a tentative agreement for these workers, primarily women with the majority being newcomers, who literally carried The Bay through the pandemic,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi.
Kleenzone workers who provide cleaning services at the Sanofi Pasteur Plant in Toronto will achieve significant pay hikes and improved benefits through a new four-year collective agreement.
“With inflation as a key concern, these members stood together and pushed the company to improve wages,” said Mike Hill, Unifor Local 1701 President. “As a result, their bargaining committee was able to deliver an immediate $2 an hour increase with additional pay increases in each year of the contract.”
CHATHAM – Health care workers are taking their issues right to Chatham, Ont.’s Riverview Gardens after they say negotiations have broken down.
Negotiations have broken down between Unifor Local 127 and Riverview Gardens, a Home for the Aged operated by the municipality.
“Throughout the pandemic, our members have always put residents of long-term care first and they demand fair pay and respect,” said Katha Fortier, Assistant to Unifor’s National President. “It’s time Riverview Gardens listened.”
Today’s U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will cause harm, medical risk, and preventable death for American women and trans people, and embolden organizations who want the same for us in Canada.
Safe, accessible reproductive care should never be up for debate, let alone criminalised or limited for those who need it.
Wage increases and a comprehensive benefits package are highlights of a new three-year first collective agreement with Plains Midstream near Windsor.
“The members of this unit identified problems in the workplace, organized a union, and bargained a solid collective agreement,” said John Dagnolo, Unifor Local 200 president. “They should be very proud of taking action to have a voice in their workplace.”
The federal Ministry of Labour’s ongoing inspections to uncover violations of new laws to protect truck drivers are important for maintaining good wages and preventing fraud, says Unifor.
VANCOUVER—Container truck drivers’ concerns are being ignored as the Port of Vancouver forces through a program to retire trucks arbitrarily, says Unifor.
“The program is a farce. Not only does it ignore the financial concerns of truck drivers, it exempts more than 98% of trucks on B.C.’s roads,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “It’s ‘greenwashing’ at its worst. The Port’s plan imposes massive costs on truckers and will have no real effect on emissions.”
WINNIPEG—Unifor Local 681 will hold a rally at Manitoba Hydro Place as part of the second day of picket line action against the employer and join the leader of the opposition to call for a legislative committee to hear testimony on the impasse.
“With record profits forecasted for the employer, we call on Premier Heather Stefanson to answer questions about why gas workers in the province are being denied the same wage increases awarded to other Crown workers,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director.
TORONTO–More than 330 e-commerce warehouse workers at HBC Logistics (The Bay) began strike action at noon today. Negotiations broke down suddenly after the company refused to offer an increase in compensation for the past year, when workers continued to provide services without a contract during the pandemic.
More than 70 members, staff, and union leadership joined an Education Department webinar about the gender fluid traditions of First Nations. It was coordinated as one of the ways Unifor is celebrating both National Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Pride month.
The session was the fourteenth in the Turtle Island series led by Unifor Indigenous Communities Liaison Gina Smoke.
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