On March 21, Unifor acknowledges the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It’s not a celebration, though.
On that day in 1960, police officers in the township of Sharpeville, South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69. The anniversary of the massacre is remembered annually with a recommitment for society to end racism in all its forms.
BELLEVILLE—After concessions were tabled during contract negotiations, Unifor Local 1839 members have voted 100% in favour of taking strike action if bargaining doesn’t produce a tentative agreement by April 1, 2022.
“Seeking concessions from front-line workers is shameful,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “Transit workers have earned a fair contract and we will accept nothing less.”
NAPANEE – Unifor recently wrote to Minister Fullerton to alert the province of a Napanee employer’s failure to negotiate with striking women’s shelter workers.
“This employer, the Lennox and Addington Interval House, seems to be delaying negotiations on purpose, instead of responding to earnest and reasonable proposals from these dedicated workers,” said Katha Fortier, Unifor Assistant to the National President.
TORONTO–On January 26, 2022 Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne received a written complaint that, now former, Unifor National President Jerry Dias engaged in an alleged breach of the Unifor Constitution.
Following review of the complaint, Payne promptly initiated an independent external investigation. On January 29, 2022, Dias was notified of the investigation, which is ongoing.
On February 6, 2022, Dias went on medical leave and subsequently notified the National Executive Board of his immediate retirement on March 11, citing health issues.
The Honourable Minister Merrilee Fullerton, MPP, MD
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services @email
Dear Minister,
Re: Lennox Addington Interval House
I write to you on behalf of the twenty (20) women who work at the Lennox Addington Interval House in Napanee, Ontario, who have been on strike since October 29, 2021.
TORONTO — Jerry Dias has announced his retirement from his role as Unifor National President.
Dias has been on medical leave from his position since February 6, 2022. On March 11, he notified Unifor’s National Executive Board of his immediate retirement, stating that he continues to deal with ongoing health issues.
We hear the term COVID-heroes used a lot. Meet three true COVID heroes: Emily Coulter, Jennifer Cloutier and Theresa Quinto share the harsh realities of working in long-term care during a pandemic, in a panel hosted by Unifor’s Katha Fortier at todays virtual ORC.
Members of Unifor Local 2216 ratified a new 4-year collective agreement on Saturday, March 5, 2022.
Local President Lee Gee and Unit Chairperson Clinton Pothier said they are happy with the work of the bargaining committee to reach a new agreement that sees wage increases of 3.5% in the first year (retroactive to March 1, 2021) and 3% each year until February 28, 2025.
March 11 marks the beginning of the third year since the World Health Organization formally declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
Workers in all sectors and types of workplaces have been affected by this public health crisis. They have been put at risk of transmission, and many workers have fallen ill or died as a result of this disease.
COVID-19 has caused nearly six million deaths worldwide and more than 37,000 in Canada alone. Over the past two years, front line workers have carried the heaviest burden while having to fight for basic protections.
Whistler resident Isla shares her petition on the picket line. Since January 29, the petition to support Local 114 members on strike has been signed by 1,900+ supporters in the region.
In an Online Event on March 8, 2022, women members of Unifor from across Canada gathered virtually to celebrate the union’s work toward equality over the past year.
“Today we celebrate the activists, the agitators, the negotiators, the believers, the challengers, the leaders – because together, we are unstoppable,” said Lana Payne, National Secretary-Treasurer in her welcoming address to the nearly 200 participants.
This morning, the federal transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that the government is seeking private proposals to cover service for the VIA rail high-frequency corridor. The union believes this is the first of many steps to privatize VIA Rail.
Our members are not fooled by today's government announcement.
Unifor Local 555/BDCEIU members at Black Diamond Cheese in Belleville, Ontario, have ratified a new collective agreement.
“Our members are proud to be a part of this Belleville institution that has produced well-known name brand products for nearly a century,” said Lee Lessard, Unifor Local 555/BDCEIU President. “We set out to get a collective agreement that protects everything we have built and moves our members forward in key areas, and that’s what we’ve done.”
VANCOUVER—Wage increases are a key component of the new contract ratified late on March 7, 2022 by transit operators and maintenance staff working at Coast Mountain Bus Company/Translink.
“Transit workers have been serving communities on the front lines of a pandemic for two years,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “We will revisit this collective agreement next year with an eye to securing additional gains going forward.”
International Women’s Day 2022 is an opportunity for working-class women to celebrate and reflect on our accomplishments as well as gather strength for the fights that lay ahead.
For more than 100 years, women in the labour movement across the globe have marked March 8 by celebrating collective achievements and recommitting to the fight for gender equality.
On behalf of 220,000 union members in the health care system, and more than 18,000 nursing students, we are once again cautioning you against further demoralizing the workforce by providing one-time payments to some, but not all, health care workers. While retaining nurses is vitally important, there are shortages in many health care occupations and professions, and it is appropriate to extend any retention bonus to all health care workers.
Unions representing 220,000 workers demand the repeal of Bill 124 and a real plan to fix the worsening health human resource crisis in Ontario
TORONTO, ON – Today, SEIU Healthcare, OCHU/CUPE, Unifor, and Ontario Nurses’ Association, unions representing 220,000 healthcare workers across Ontario, including 85,000 nurses, issued an open letter to Premier Ford to fix the worsening health human resource crisis in Ontario and move past the band aid pay-as-you-vote gimmicks.
WHITBY– Unifor school bus drivers have voted overwhelmingly in support of a new collective agreement with First Student, with 91% in favour.
“Several of the drivers’ concerns were addressed in this new collective agreement, including wages, paid sick days and improvements to personal leave,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi. “School bus drivers bear tremendous responsibility and Unifor will continue to work to raise standards in this industry to reflect that.”
