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Letter to Premier Doug Ford re Pay Equity

April 7, 2021

Via email: @email

The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
Room 281
Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

Dear Premier Ford,

Re:  Pay Equity – Equal Pay Day 2021

Saskatchewan budget disappoints on all fronts

REGINA—If Saskatchewan’s families were looking for leadership in the latest provincial budget, they will be sorely disappointed, says Unifor.

“The Scott Moe government seems content to coast along while families are struggling,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

Unifor has been calling for the provincial government to help the province’s most vulnerable with a boost to the minimum wage and employer-paid sick leave but those calls were unanswered in today’s budget.

Paid vaccination leave is what B.C. workers need

VANCOUVER—The B.C. government needs to stand up to a handful of business lobbyists and implement paid vaccination leave and paid sick leave, said Unifor.

“As it stands, workers are paying to take time off work to be vaccinated,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Workers don’t need the bare minimum to defeat COVID-19, they need every possible opportunity to be vaccinated without financial penalty.”

Unifor supports Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern agreement for single-network rail

TORONTO- Unifor supports the proposed combination of Canadian Pacific (CP) with Kansas City Southern (KCS).

“This new North American single-line will drive growth not only in Canada, but across the continent,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “This powerful combination will be good for Unifor members in rail, and allows CP and KCS to fully utilize the USMCA to serve customers in all three countries.”

Unifor represents 1,400 workers at CP in Canada, and 9,200 rail workers across the country.

According to CP and KCS, the combination:

Unifor calls for paid time off for all workers to get vaccinated

April 1, 2021

TORONTO—Unifor is calling on all provinces to mandate paid time off to allow workers to get vaccinated when it is their turn to do so.

“While some good employers out there are already doing this, most are not and won’t unless government forces them to just do the right thing,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

Let workers stay home with pay when they’re sick

The refrain “if you’re sick, stay home” is not just smart workplace policy, it’s also smart public health policy.

Of course, COVID-19 has elevated the importance of this approach to new levels. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces is a matter of life and death.

This month the premier acknowledged the link between provincial workplace policies and public health by legislating paid time off for workers to get the vaccine.

It’s time to take the next step and legislate employer-paid sick leave for all Saskatchewan’s workers.

Unifor Local 16-O makes major gains in new agreement at Goderich salt mine

GODERICH—Members of Unifor Local 16-O working at Compass Minerals have ratified a new collective agreement that secures many of the outstanding issues from the 2018 strike.

“Skilled bargaining combined with collective strike action in 2018 made this contract possible,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

Racial Justice Liaisons begin training

Driven by personal experiences with racism and those of their friends and co-workers and their commitment to make Unifor a union for everyone.

Information Bulletin #13

Sisters and Brothers,

Bargaining broke down on Tuesday, March 30th between your bargaining committee and Bell. 

Despite the assistance of a federal conciliation officer, the company would not move on the priorities of members. Your union remains committed to reaching a fair collective agreement.

It is clear that progress will not be made until pressure on the employer increases. 

Your union will now focus on the immediate need to resolve the essential services issue in front of the Canadian Industrial Relations Board. 

Unifor Statement on Trans Day of Visibility

March 31, 2021

Unifor recognizes and invites all members to celebrate the International Transgender Day of Visibility tomorrow, March 31. This annual day celebrates the value and resilience of transgender people both within the union and around the world.

Trans people are those who identify with a gender other than the one assigned at birth, and exist within all countries, communities and religious groups around the world. This identity is separate from an individual’s sexual orientation.

Follow up to pre-budget presentation to Minister Fortier

The Honourable Mona Fortier
Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Financ

 

Thank you for the recent opportunity to discuss the urgent need for an intersectional feminist recovery program. The budget is a key element in making this a reality.

Re-election of Newfoundland Liberal’s provides opportunity to reset priorities

ST. JOHN’S —The election of Premier Andrew Furey with a majority government provides the opportunity for the Liberal government to reset its priorities to improve the lives of workers and their families.

“We’ve lost precious time during a period of crisis in election campaign mode, now it’s time for Premier Furey to roll up his sleeves and work to deliver policies that will make a difference,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Linda MacNeil.

Information Bulletin #12

Sisters and Brothers,

Your Bargaining Committee began conciliation with the company this week via Zoom. We reiterated that our priorities must be addressed if we are to reach an agreement and avoid a work stoppage. Conciliation will continue next week and we will put out the next bulletin, when there has been a tangible change in the bargaining process for us to report.  

Thank you for your patience and support!

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee

Unifor urges conservative premiers to do better on climate planning

TORONTO—After the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal carbon tax is constitutional, Unifor is calling on the conservative provincial governments that have resisted climate action to get to work.

“You can criticize the federal carbon tax all you want, but complaining is not a plan,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Climate change is real and urgent action is the only moral course of action. If you’re a premier who doesn’t think the federal plan suits your jurisdiction, then you must act immediately to raise the bar.”

SEIU Healthcare, CUPE and Unifor to protest healthcare failures in Ontario budget at Finance Minister’s constituency office

PICKERING- SEIU Healthcare, CUPE and Unifor will protest healthcare failures in the Ontario budget, including the lack of sufficient measures to reverse the staff exodus from low-paying precarious jobs, the omission of paid sick days, and refusal to make the temporary wage increase permanent for all healthcare workers, at Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s constituency office. This action will observe COVID-19 safety protocols. What: Ontario budget healthcare funding protest When: Thursday, March 25, 2021 11 a.m.