Remembrance Day commemorates the sacrifices of people in all armed conflicts.

Why Remember?

Canadians departing for active service in Europe during the Second World War, 1940.
(Library and Archives Canada C-38723)

We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.¹

A Canadian soldier kneels at grave of fallen comrade in the United Nations Cemetery, Korea, April 1951. (Library and Archives Canada PA 128813)

These wars touched the lives of Canadians of all ages, all races, all social classes. Fathers, sons, daughters, sweethearts: they were killed in action, they were wounded, and thousands who returned were forced to live the rest of their lives with the physical and mental scars of war. The people who stayed in Canada also served—in factories, in voluntary service organizations, wherever they were needed.

Yet for many of us, war is a phenomenon seen through the lens of a television camera or a journalist’s account of fighting in distant parts of the world. Our closest physical and emotional experience may be the discovery of wartime memorabilia in a family attic. But even items such as photographs, uniform badges, medals, and diaries can seem vague and unconnected to the life of their owner. For those of us born during peacetime, all wars seem far removed from our daily lives.

Funeral service for Canadians at Bramshott during the First World War.
(Library and Archives Canada PA 4850)

We often take for granted our Canadian values and institutions, our freedom to participate in cultural and political events, and our right to live under a government of our choice. The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed that “Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom.”²

By remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom these men and women fought to preserve. They believed that their actions in the present would make a significant difference for the future, but it is up to us to ensure that their dream of peace is realized. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought hard to achieve.

During times of war, individual acts of heroism occur frequently; only a few are ever recorded and receive official recognition. By remembering all who have served, we recognize their willingly-endured hardships and fears, taken upon themselves so that we could live in peace.

Unifor and Loblaw Companies Limited have agreed to resume negotiations today in an attempt to settle the ten week strike by 1,400 Dominion grocery store workers in Newfoundland.

“We’re pleased to get back to the bargaining table. Unifor has always maintained that the only way this strike would end would be through serious negotiations between Loblaw Co. and the union,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.

The two parties will meet October 29, 2020 at 10 a.m. NDT in St. John’s. Unifor will not conduct secondary pickets while talks are ongoing.

In recent weeks, the striking workers escalated pressure on the company with secondary pickets, beginning with a round the clock picket at the Loblaw distribution centre on October 20, 2020.

Following an injunction application by the company, the secondary picket location relocated to the Weston’s bakery facility in Mount Pearl on October 26, 2020. The bakery is owned by George Weston Ltd., which also operates Dominion’s parent company, Loblaw Companies Limited.

Following two days of peaceful picketing, the workers were threatened with arrest as the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) descended on the peaceful picket line with tactical and riot units Tuesday night.

“It’s outrageous that the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is intimidating peaceful picketers with police doing the bidding of Loblaw Companies Limited,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The only place this will be resolved is at the bargaining table.”

The RNC threatened to charge workers under the Highway Traffic Act and the Criminal Code of Canada unless the workers allowed loaded delivery trucks to cross the picket line.

“The police have no business intervening here. This is a matter between the workers and Loblaw Companies Limited,” said Unifor 597 President Carolyn Wrice.

In an early Wednesday morning Facebook live broadcast, Unifor Assistant to the National President Chris MacDonald told the workers that it was only a matter of moments before police would move in and arrest anyone in the way of the trucks.

“I’m not going to ask our members to get arrested here tonight because they’ve fought so bravely for the last number of days and unfortunately the police are moving in on us. On a peaceful demonstration, a peaceful picket line,” said MacDonald. “It’s a shame that this is what it has come to. It’s frankly astonishing.”

With the looming threat of mass arrests, the workers banded together in a show of defiance, and marched to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary station to express outrage at the interference with their right to picket.

“This will not be settled by the RNC. This will not be settled in any other way other than getting back to the bargaining table and getting a fair deal for our members,” said MacDonald. “I want to thank members for supporting us across the country in the courageous battle to get fair pay forever.”

October 27, 2020

TORONTO, ON – CUPE Ontario, SEIU Healthcare and Unifor held a joint press conference on Tuesday morning, calling on the Ontario government to legislate a minimum care standard of four hours of hands-on care in long-term care homes by immediately passing Bill 13, the Time to Care Act.
Based on the latest pre-pandemic calculations by the Ontario Health Coalition, Ontario’s long-term care homes average about 2.7 hours of daily care. The calculation is based on worked hours of care, as opposed to paid hours.

“We need to give seniors in Ontario a guaranteed care standard to help enhance the quality of working and living conditions in long term care. The lack of a staffing standard means that the care levels are left up to the individual facilities to establish, and we know that virtually across the province, staffing levels are dangerously low. It’s high time the government takes action by passing Bill 13,” said Candace Rennick, Secretary-Treasurer of CUPE Ontario.
The legislation, an NDP private member’s bill introduced by Teresa Armstrong, will be debated during second reading on Wednesday evening. The unions echoed the recommendations of the government’s own staffing advisory panel report released in July, and last week’s interim report by the Long-Term Care Commission. Both reports called for the implementation of a four-hour minimum care standard, with the latter stressing its immediacy.

“Families, experts, and frontline workers all agree that current staffing levels are too low to deliver quality care for our most vulnerable in long-term care. Inaction means denying seniors dignity and it means unsafe workplaces for health care workers. It doesn’t have to be this way,” said Sharleen Stewart, president of SEIU Healthcare. “Bill 13 would afford frontline staff the time necessary to do the job well and do it safely. My message to the Ontario government and all members of the Legislative Assembly: pass this bill and give workers the time to care.”

“For years, health care workers, residents, their families and even opposition conservative MPPs in 2017 called for a legislated minimum standard of care in long-term care,” said Katha Fortier, Assistant to Unifor National President. “Bill 13 will finally implement long overdue improvements in these facilities and we expect the government to set partisanship aside to show those who live and work in long-term care the respect they deserve.”

Unions leaders were joined at the media conference by Dr. Pat Armstrong, the distinguished professor of sociology at York University, who has been researching long-term care for over two decades. Dr. Armstrong and 24 other academics recently released an open letter to the Ontario legislature, calling for action on Bill 13.

“COVID-19 has created a consensus on what research has been saying for decades; namely, without sufficient staff neither residents nor staff are safe, let alone thriving,” said Dr. Armstrong. “Recent research shows that staffing levels are strongly associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care, emphasizing the importance of moving quickly to achieve these minimums.”

Ontario’s long-term care sector has not had a minimum care standard since the Ontario Progressive Conservative government eliminated it in 1996. Since then, healthcare unions and multiple advocacy groups have consistently called for a restoration of the staffing requirement. The Ontario Long-Term Care Association, which mainly represents for-profit providers, has consistently opposed a care standard.

October 26, 2020

TORONTO – Aviation workers will hold a rally and distribute leaflets in two provinces on Friday, to urge the federal government to create a national aviation recovery strategy.

Media are invited to attend the events that will feature Unifor leadership and front line workers.The rally will also be livestreamed on Unifor’s Facebook page

“Over the past seven months we have seen a transformation in the aviation sector like no other,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The facts are now clear. If we want to save our aviation industry from total collapse, we need the federal government to implement an aviation strategy that focuses on workers and building the sector as a whole.”

Who: Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, Front line aviation workers
When: Friday, October 30, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Where: Toronto – Pearson International Airport Terminal 1. This is an outdoor event. All participants are required to wear a mask and socially distance from one another.

Parking: Please enter the T1 parking facility on Level 4 and obtain a parking voucher from the parking kiosk. Complimentary parking will be valid only between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Vehicles must park on Level 4 at the South end of the facility and the voucher will be required upon exit.

Due to enhanced COVID-19 measures put in place at Toronto Pearson Airport, participants must enter the Terminal facility via the South Bridge and proceed as directed.

Montreal – Minister of Transport Marc Garneau Constituency office
4060 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Westmount QC