The province’s scramble to introduce paid sick days must meet the needs of workers with permanent, adequate and universal paid leave says Canada’s largest private sector union.
TORONTO - Unifor is demanding pandemic pay and priority vaccine access for workers at grocery stores and warehouses, as COVID-19 case numbers skyrocket and cases of the more contagious variants of concern increase.
CHETWYND—Multinational energy company CNRL is trying to bully its way into concluding a legal strike by Unifor Local 449, says Unifor.
“The energy workers in Chetwynd deserve the wage and benefits pattern that has been bargained industry-wide,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “CNRL must pay its fair share.”
VANCOUVER—The continued resistance by the Horgan government to legislate paid sick days represents a serious gap in the province’s strategy to stop the spread of the coronavirus, says Unifor.
“The B.C. government must pull out all the stops to protect public health. Employer-paid sick days is a key policy tool to let workers stay home if they’re sick,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “We need bold leadership in Victoria who is willing to stand up to a handful of business lobbyists in the name of public health.”
VANCOUVER—Unifor’s campaign for paid time off for workers to get vaccinated has succeeded with an announcement today by the Horgan government that employers shall grant three hours of work time for vaccination appointments.
April 18, 2020 TORONTO–Unifor National President Jerry Dias is available to comment on the federal budget, to be delivered on April 19, 2021. “This federal budget comes during a time of crisis, it needs to include both immediate health and economic measures to address COVID-19, but it also must look to the future. This budget is an opportunity to fix the systemic issues that this pandemic has laid bare, so we can build back a stronger economy that delivers decent paying full-time jobs and a stronger social safety net,” said Dias.
TORONTO - Unifor urges the Ontario provincial government to legislate paid sick days and fast-track vaccination for all workers deemed essential under new third-wave province-wide restrictions.
April 15, 2020 TORONTO–Unifor will hold a news conference to reveal the results of a new poll on support for Ontario to mandate paid sick days for workers. “This poll clearly shows that the people of Ontario want and need paid sick days,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The time has come for Premier Ford to admit the error of taking away paid sick days from workers and to recognize that his government is out of excuses to continue to deny workers this right.
TORONTO—As the State of Michigan and Enbridge Inc. enter mediation about the Line 5 pipeline, Unifor argues that the pipeline is a safe and stable source of good jobs in Ontario and Québec.
Essential workers are speaking out on the need for vaccination access and paid sick days to protect them from COVID-19, in a series of new videos of frontline Unifor members.
New amendments to the already draconian Bill 254 place extreme restrictions on unions and advocacy groups, aiming to silence dissent in the year before a critical election.
New federal measures aimed at bolstering Air Canada will help protect good jobs and is an important step on the road to economic recovery, says Unifor.
“Today’s announcement by the federal government is a recognition that aviation workers are pivotal to the Canadian economy,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The relief package provides a good balance of certainty for communities large and small, the company, and its workers.”
TORONTO—New federal measures aimed at bolstering Air Canada will help protect good jobs and is an important step on the road to economic recovery, says Unifor.
April 12, 2021 THUNDER BAY–Unifor Local 39-11 Superior North Emergency Medical Services paramedics have voted 97.5% in favour to ratify a new collective agreement with the City of Thunder Bay. “Narrowing the compensation gap between paramedics and other city emergency responders is an important gain in this new contract,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
April 10, 2021 THUNDER BAY–Unifor Local 39-11 Superior North Emergency Medical Services paramedics and the City of Thunder Bay have reached a tentative collective agreement, avoiding strike action. “These members have been on the frontline since day one of this pandemic and their skillset, education, and training are second to none in terms of first responders,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
April 10, 202 THUNDER BAY–Unifor is calling on the City of Thunder Bay to break the impasse in contract negotiations to avoid a paramedic strike just hours away at midnight. “Our bargaining committee believes that an agreement is within reach but city negotiators are refusing to drop a demand for frontline paramedics to cover supervisor managerial work, taking them away from patient duties and leaving citizens vulnerable with fewer available ambulances,” said Rob Moquin, Unit Chair for Unifor Local 39-11 City Paramedics.
TORONTO—Unifor is calling on the federal government to provide amnesty in next week’s budget to low-wage workers facing a major tax hit on Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments during a tax season that coincides with the financial fallout of wave three of COVID-19.
We hope all members had an opportunity for family time over the Easter weekend even if it was virtually, as most communities in Canada had travel restrictions in place for Covid-19 protocols.
Your provincial bargaining committees over the last two months have proceeded with virtual negotiations with Loomis Express. We have struggled to get many things accomplished due primarily to the difficulty of having any meaningful dialogue with the company on our proposals.
It’s been more than a year since the coronavirus pandemic took hold and air transportation was severely restricted.
Statistics Canada released the latest economic statistics on air travel this week. Unsurprisingly the numbers paint a troubling picture.
Large Canadian airlines carried less than 800,000 people in January. That’s nearly 90% less than the number of passengers the same airlines carried in January 2020.Operating revenues are down 85% compared to January 2020. GDP created by the industry fell even further, to just 11% of pre-COVID levels.
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