Bargaining

Some 70 workers at GDI Services – which provides cleaning services for Durham College’s Whitby and Oshawa campuses in Ontario – went on strike on Wed., Aug. 24, 2022.

“During the pandemic, these workers were asked to put their health and lives on the line to keep educational facilities clean,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “They deserve a respectful living wage and economic dignity.”

VERNON/SALMON ARM, BC—Unifor Local 114 members at First Canada in Vernon and the Shuswap Communities, in B.C. have voted overwhelmingly to strike if a fair collective agreement cannot be negotiated in the coming weeks.

“As we saw in the Sea to Sky region, transit workers are determined to achieve collective agreements that reflect their contribution to local economies,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director.

OSHAWA—Wage gains and new positions are highlights of a new collective agreement ratified Sunday by Unifor Local 222 members working at Durham Regional Transit (DRT).

“The committee achieved improvements to transit workers’ work-life balance,” said Len Poirier, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “This contract looks to the future of public transportation in Durham from the perspective of job security and improving the experience for community members.”

WINNIPEG—The bargaining committee for Unifor members at Manitoba Hydro have signed a tentative agreement.

“Unifor members on the front-lines of gas services have earned a fair contract,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Public services workers were essential to the economy during COVID-19 and their contracts must reflect that.”

Details of the tentative agreement will be released following the membership ratification votes to be held during the coming week.

Members of Unifor Local 681 have been on rotating strikes since June 17, 2022.

TORONTO—The strike at two Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC) casinos in Ontario could soon be over after tentative agreements were signed today.

“My sincere congratulations to the Local 1090 members who took on a powerful employer to fight for what was fair,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. 

Unifor members at Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Ajax have been on strike since July 29, 2022. Details of the tentative agreement will be released following the membership ratification votes to be held on August 5.

LETHBRIDGE—Wage increases and a signing bonus are highlights of a new collective agreement ratified August 2, 2022 by Unifor members working at Arconic.

“This was a difficult round of bargaining and the committee should be proud of what they accomplished in this collective agreement,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. 

A Unifor member of Local 1090 on a legal picket line at Casino Woodbine was struck deliberately by a car late on the evening of July 31, 2022.

Members of Unifor Local 1090 have been on strike at Great Canadian Gaming Corporation’s Pickering Casino Resort and Ajax Casino since Saturday, July 23, 2022 fighting for wage increases and to reduce the employer’s reliance on a precarious part-time workforce. 

In Canada, workers locked out or on strike may picket other sites owned by the employer, which is why a legal picket line was in place at Casino Woodbine.

TORONTO – Unifor’s Bell Clerical and Associated Employees Bargaining Committee reached a tentative agreement with Bell Canada.

“I want to offer my congratulations to the entire bargaining team for remaining focused on members’ interests and securing this deal under difficult circumstances,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer.

“Telecommunications members united behind shared priorities, and many of those important issues are reflected in this tentative agreement.”

Dear Bell Clerical members,

Yesterday the bargaining committee received a request to meet with the company. On this video call, the company delivered their final offer. Their indication was that this would be the last offer we would receive before the strike deadline imposed by the union of August 18th. Whether we took this to the deadline or not this would be the last offer they would deliver to us.

The company then presented an offer to us which addressed some of the concerns of the members but fell short in others.

CALGARY – Newly unionized WestJet workers in Calgary and Vancouver have ratified a first contract that gives members at least a 13% wage increase, their first increase in five years.