CONCORD, ONTARIO—Unifor Local 112 members at auto parts maker UTIL Canada Ltd. are on strike today after efforts to reach a negotiated settlement failed.
“Workers at UTIL are highly skilled and dedicated workers who deserve a collective agreement that reflects their years of loyal service,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “Unifor Local 112 has the full support of our union’s 315,000 members in their fight for a fair contract and a more respectful and equitable workplace.”
TILLSONBURG, ONTARIO—Unifor Local 1859 members ended a five-day strike at the Autoneum plant today after ratifying a new collective agreement.
“I would like to congratulate all Unifor Local 1859 members for standing strong, fighting for and winning a fair contract,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “This agreement would not have been possible without the memberships’ strength and solidarity as well as the hard work and dedication of the union’s bargaining team.”
Unifor is about to embark on a historic week to address racism.
Next week – from June 12 to 17, 2022 – elected racial justice advocates, union members, and community organizations will discuss strategies to address racial harassment and discrimination in the workplace at the inaugural Racial Justice Advocate training course in Port Elgin, Ont.
"Unifor has always championed working towards eradicating racism, not only in workplaces but in the world," said Lana Payne, Unifor's National Secretary-Treasurer.
Atlantic Regional Council members are regrouping to build a bigger, better and stronger union.
“This council united us in a way we have sorely missed,” said Linda MacNeil, Atlantic Regional Director. “The pandemic years were isolating for so many of us and that feeling was delightfully absent for the two days we sat in that room together. It makes us all the more thankful for the solidarity we build through the daily work of the union.”
“We must be involved in politics, to speak our shared values as workers and fight against the privatization of services meant for everyone” - Linda MacNeil
Retired Unifor Local 222 member Joe Sarnovsky, who served his local for several years as communications director, is in Poland as a volunteer cook for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
“It is quite an emotional experience,” Sarnovsky said from Przemysl, Poland, where he is volunteering with World Central Kitchen. “I’ve met some incredible people – Ukrainians fleeing the war, and volunteers from around the world.
Watch as Unifor's Atlantic Regional Director, Linda MacNeil welcomes delegates to the first in person Atlantic Regional Council gathering since 2019. Members and locals are in St. John's building solidarity in the region.
TILLSONBURG, ONTARIO—Auto parts workers at the Autoneum plant in Tillsonburg, Ontario went on strike today after union members rejected the company’s offer.
“For more than fifty years, workers at the Tillsonburg plant have been an important part of the local economy and a vital part of the province’s auto parts supply chain,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “Unifor Local 1859 members have the full support of our union’s 315,000 members in this dispute.”
Unifor’s fourth Constitutional Convention is just weeks away and it’s time for your local to register your delegates before the July 22, 2022 deadline and book travel and accommodations.
This year’s theme is #UniforTogether and the convention starts Monday August 8, 2022 until August 12, 2022 at the Toronto Convention Centre.
It’s the first chance for members to connect in person since 2019, after the last two Canadian Councils were cancelled due to the pandemic. The union has not gathered since the Constitutional Convention in Quebec City in 2019.
VANCOUVER—After the latest rejection of the employer’s offer by the Unifor Local 114 membership, the parties have agreed to the province's appointment of Vince Ready as a special mediator.
“After two years of bargaining and failed sessions with a mediator, it’s clear a more structured process is necessary,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “We look forward to making submissions to the mediator about the high cost of living and wage disparities.”
TORONTO – A survey of journalists and media worker members of Unifor has found high levels of online and in-person harassment on the job, and the problem is only getting worse.
“The results of this survey are simply devastating,” said Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne, a former journalist.
“We are seeing increasing attacks on media workers who are simply doing their jobs – jobs that are vital to a functioning democracy. We cannot tolerate this any longer.”
General Motors workers in Silao, Mexico have ratified a new collective agreement – the first negotiated by their CILAS/Unifor-backed independent union – that gives them a voice in the workplace for the first time, more money and improved working conditions.
VANCOUVER—B.C. Transit’s third-party contractor PW Transit failed to make enough progress on wage parity, resulting in a membership-driven rejection of Friday’s tentative agreement, says Unifor.
“Members have the final say in adopting the contract that governs their working conditions,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Clearly the employer fell short in closing the gap that exists between transit workers doing the same job in Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region.”
WINNIPEG—Unifor is urging the Government of Manitoba to accelerate its plans to increase the minimum wage, calling for $15 per hour be the standard by the end of the 2022.
“Premier Heather Stefanson has conceded that it’s not okay for Manitoba’s most vulnerable workers to be paid the lowest in Canada,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Stefanson has to aim higher than ‘not the worst’. Manitoba’s workers deserve fair pay and a robust system of employment standards that protect them from greedy and unethical bosses.”
TORONTO- Unifor members at Bell Technical Solutions (BTS) voted to ratify a strong collective agreement that delivers significant improvements in benefits, RRSP contributions, and wages for members across Ontario.
VANCOUVER—The bargaining committee from Unifor Local 114 has signed a tentative agreement with B.C. Transit third-party contractor PW Transit during a mediated session of negotiations today.
TORONTO – In the face of increasing harassment of journalists and media workers online, made worse by polarizing politics and the anonymity of social media, Unifor is launching a new website to help journalists and media workers get the help they need when they need it.
“The harassment journalists face on the job is simply horrific. It is often racist and misogynist, and cannot be tolerated,” said Unifor Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne, herself a former journalist.
TORONTO—Inadequate compensation from a profitable employer drove Unifor Local 999 members to begin a legal strike at 12:01 a.m. on May 25, 2022.
“We refuse to let inflation eat into our wages,” said Jeff Gray, President of Local 999. “We are ready to negotiate a resolution but it must ensure our wages are protected.”
It’s finally happening. Premier Scott Moe is raising Saskatchewan’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. This is good news. It’s good news for workers in low-wage jobs. It’s good news for their children and their families.
It’s good news for local businesses whose customers will now have more money to spend on life’s basic necessities and the little extras that make life enjoyable.
62,000 workers in Saskatchewan currently earn less than $15 an hour for their labour. That’s roughly the population of Prince Albert and Moose Jaw combined.
Unifor thanks all paramedics for their exceptional courage and compassion on the occasion of Paramedic Services Week, which runs from May 22 to May 28, 2022.
CALGARY–GardaWorld workers at the Calgary airport voted overwhelmingly to join Canada’s largest private sector union late Thursday night.
“We’re thrilled to welcome GardaWorld workers to the Unifor family,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Unifor is committed to improving working conditions and providing skilled representation during bargaining.”
There were 704 GardaWorld security agents who chose Unifor over CLAC in a representation vote held on May 16 to 19, 2022.
MONTREAL – The tentative agreement reached last weekend was ratified by 89.5% of Unifor union members working in Resolute Forest Products' paper mills.
“The result clearly shows the agreement meets the expectations of our members, which were significant in this round of negotiations,” said Renaud Gagné, Unifor Quebec Director. “And most importantly, the many gains made will help attract and maintain the workforce the industry needs.”
This new contract will now serve as a model for the entire sector. Highlights include:
EDMONTON—After Jason Kenney’s snap resignation, working people in Alberta are eager to move on to elect a new premier who will stand up for their rights and create a more equal province, says Unifor.
This weekend is one of the most significant in the Ontario Election.
With just under two weeks left until Election Day, Unifor Regional Director Naureen Rizvi encourages all members to get out this weekend to vote and volunteer to defend workers’ rights and make their voices heard.
In celebration of Personal Support Worker Day on May 19, 2022 Unifor salutes the contributions of the thousands of Unifor members who work as Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in Ontario, and Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) in Nova Scotia.
WHISTLER—Unifor is encouraged that the employer has agreed to meet again with a mediator to negotiate an end to the 15-week-old job action at PW Transit in Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton.
“Mediation in the context of free collective bargaining is how this dispute is going to be solved,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “We’re eager to get back to the bargaining table and find a resolution as soon as possible.”
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