Government and Democracy

Health care workers share pandemic struggles in video appeal to demand Ford repeal Bill 124

Health care workers represented by Unifor have launched a video appeal to Premier Doug Ford that shares the struggles they have faced during the pandemic, while being subjected to Ontario’s Bill 124.

“Despite all of the sacrifices that all workers in hospitals, non-profit long-term care homes, and ORNGE Air Ambulance paramedics have made throughout the pandemic, the Ontario government has refused to repeal Bill 124,” said Katha Fortier, Unifor’s lead health care negotiator. “This legislation is an insult to health care workers and has created a greater disparity in the system.”

Unifor condemns Premier Ford’s misuse of injured workers’ WSIB funds

TORONTO –Premier Ford’s plan to use injured worker’s WSIB funds to cut cheques for business owners in the province is a misappropriation of funds.

“It’s disgraceful to give payouts to employers when so many injured workers and occupational disease victims and families are still denied claims or have seen benefits slashed,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “This payout is a misuse of money that workers desperately need, and looks like an attempt to gain support just a few months before the provincial election.”

Unifor condemns 'Freedom Convoy' actions

Like so many of you, the National Union and its officers are monitoring the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ demonstrations taking place at Parliament Hill, at various border crossings and other locations throughout the country. The actions that convoy protestors have taken in recent weeks are troubling and, in some cases, reprehensible. 

Unifor joins multi-party call to address Ontario hospital crisis

Unifor leaders joined health care union leaders and opposition party leaders in Ontario to demand urgent action on the crisis in hospitals in a virtual news conference on January 10. 

The emergency summit was convened by Ontario Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca, and included Unifor Assistant to the President Katha Fortier and Health Care Director Andy Savela.

Grocery execs paid millions while denying pandemic pay to workers

TORONTO – Top executives at Canada’s grocery giants have been paid millions in bonuses while continuing to deny pandemic pay to frontline essential grocery workers. 

“These same executives took away $2 an hour pandemic pay from their workers after only a few weeks of the first wave back in June 2020,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The CEO’s and top execs continue to reap the rewards of COVID-19 boosted sales while their workers face the risks to keep food on the table for Canadians.”

Unifor’s holiday message hand-delivered to MPs in iPolitics magazine

All Unifor wants this season is for the federal government to cooperate and get the important things done. Why not start with the commitments you have in common?   

That’s Unifor’s message to Prime Minister Trudeau, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and all MPs and Senators, hand-delivered as a feature in this quarter’s iPolitics print magazine. 

Workers in Canada need a reliable, stable government to deliver on the shared goals that were set out in the 2021 federal election.

Unifor kicks off federal lobby week to build better EI

OTTAWA – Unifor is kicking off a weeklong federal lobby to communicate urgent repairs needed to fix Canada’s broken Employment Insurance (EI) system.

“There is no time to waste when it comes to fixing EI. Workers across the country are running out of benefits and running into barriers with a program that seems more determined to punish them instead of help them,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.