Government and Democracy

Unifor Local 707-A member Tanika Chaisson has a passion for social and economic justice.

“There’s so much important work the government has to do to improve public services for the people of Alberta,” said Chaisson. “The Danielle Smith government simply isn’t doing it. In fact, it’s doing the opposite: it is starving health care and attacking our basic rights at work. We need to change the government.”

Ottawa – Bill C-228, a private members’ bill that gives pension plan members super-priority during plan windups and bankruptcy proceedings received royal assent.

“This change has been many years in the making. I’m glad to see lawmakers in both chambers say ‘enough is enough’ and put workers first by adopting this legislation,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Pensions are deferred wages and they cannot be allowed to be stripped away and put to the back of the line if the company closes up shop.”

During this crucial period, we stand alongside PSAC’s 155 000 sisters and brothers of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) in their conflict with the Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency. We wish to express our unwavering solidarity on behalf of 315,000 Unifor members and our support for all PSAC members who are confronted with the necessity to strike in order to obtain the respect they deserve. We understand the challenges you are facing and we stand by you in this fight.

Published in The Hill Times April 19, 2023

There’s no denying that air transport workers and travellers have been through the wringer the last three years.

During the busy travel seasons of 2022, think summer vacation and December holidays, the industry was in shambles with long line-ups, canceled flights, stranded passengers, lost luggage, and excessive security wait times.

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Close to a thousand people gathered today in St. John’s in front of the Confederation Building, calling for action to save the province’s snow crab fishery. The Union that represents over 14,000 people in the province, including all 10,000 professional fish harvesters and some 3,000 processing workers, says that it’s the government’s responsibility to protect the people who rely on the fishery, and ensure processing companies operate in a manner that benefits the people of our province. 

OAKVILLE—Unifor welcomed today’s announcement by the Ford Motor Company that the company is investing $1.8 billion to retool the Oakville Assembly Complex beginning mid-2024 to build next-generation passenger electric vehicles in 2025.

TORONTO- Unifor commends the 2023 federal budget’s focus on new industrial manufacturing investments but condemns inaction to fix an Employment Insurance system that fails workers.  

“Significant new incentives to attract critical manufacturing and build the necessary value chains here in Canada is very welcome news. But these incentives must include strong labour conditions. Unifor will continue to push for good union jobs and fair wages,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. 

TORONTO –Unifor is demanding an update on the Competition Bureau’s civil investigation into whether Google has engaged in certain practices that harm competition in the online display advertising industry in Canada.

“Every day that Google is allowed to monopolize ad revenue, more harm is inflicted on the Canadian news industry, which has a negative impact on democracy as a whole,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

TORONTO- Infrastructure, industry and health care investments are welcome in the Ontario budget, but government needs to take the next step and translate spending into good jobs and a stronger public health care system, including workforce development strategies.

"The Ontario government has put much needed money on the table - now they have to finish the job by ensuring that the work is done here in Ontario by Ontario workers. If we are going to build the transit of the future, let’s build it in Ontario,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.