Join us to honour the COVID Heroes lost to this pandemic.
First we mourn, then we fight.
Unifor’s call to action has three pillars to protect workers:
· Paid sick days
· Right to know and refuse
· PPE for all
Register now here as space is limited.
January 21, 2021, 6 PM to 7 PM ET live via Zoom with special guest speakers and ways to have your voice heard. This event will be streamed live on Unifor’s Facebook page.
WINDSOR – Unifor, its Local 2458, and the wider Windsor community began the New Year in mourning of health care worker and fellow union member Sheila Yakovishin, 60.
“On behalf of our union, I express the deepest condolences to Sheila’s family and all those who knew and loved her. Unifor mourns with you, as we decry her preventable death,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
Yakovishin passed away on December 31, 2020 with COVID-19. The LTC home that Yakovishin worked at for more than 30 years, Berkshire Care Centre, is in severe outbreak with 82 residents and 38 staff having tested positive for COVID-19.
“As the New Year begins, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage unchecked in Ontario’s for-profit long-term care homes. It must be stopped, we must protect health care workers from this disease,” continued Dias. “Ontario should have learned its lesson during the first wave, but LTC workers and residents are still left at risk across the province.”
Many for-profit LTC homes in the Windsor Region are experiencing severe COVID-19 outbreaks, with some having more than 100 residents and staff infected.
“These rising statistics of infections among workers in Windsor’s for-profit LTC centres are more than numbers. They are people like Sheila, with full lives to live, people who deserve like we all do, to come home safe from work,” said Tullio DiPonti, President of Unifor Local 2458.
Unifor has long campaigned for an end to profit-driven LTC in Ontario and across the country, and is a partner in the Care not Profits provincial campaign, found at carenotprofits.ca.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
WINDSOR— Staffing levels at The Village of St. Clair are below crisis levels and action is demanded from the provincial government, says Unifor.
“This is a matter of life or death,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “The current owners of The Village of St. Clair are no longer capable of providing the necessary care. The Government of Ontario must step in.”
Unifor has written to Premier Ford to ask that his government to take over control of the long-term care home’s operation.
To-date, the home has 97 active COVID-19 cases among residents and 50 among staff. Nine residents have died. The employer’s attempt to use agency workers as replacements is not working, says Unifor. There have been reports of one PSW assigned to care for more than thirty residents.
“The government has resources at its disposal for emergencies like this, including the armed forces or the Red Cross. Something must be done immediately before a terrible situation gets even worse,” said Dias.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
Greetings,
This year has been an incredibly tough year for our National Recreation Council. With the restrictions in place due to the ongoing pandemic, many of the activities we would normally organize have been placed on the backburner.
The link for the event is www.unifor.org/nhlpool. Registration is free to all members!
The deadline to register is January 13, 2021.
There is no entry fee for the hockey pool but in the spirit of giving back to your community please donate to your local food bank.
We have some great weekly and monthly prizes along with grand prizes for the winners at the end of the season!
Good luck to all participants!
In solidarity,
| Bill Apsey Chair of the National Recreational Council |
John Aman Director, National Recreation Committee |
TORONTO – Unifor renews demands on the federal government to provide financial support for the airline industry as the industry prepares for all international travelers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival.
“Yesterday’s announcement is important to protect the public safety of all Canadians, but at the same time, the federal government’s continued refusal to provide adequate financial support for the 300,000 airline workers puts the very future of Canada’s airline industry in jeopardy,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced a new protocol to require travelers arriving in Canada to provide a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, conducted within 72 hours before boarding a plane. The government expects the new rule to be in place within a week.
“Countries around the world have provided support to its airline industries because they recognize that maintaining a strong aviation sector is the key to a post-COVID-19 economic recovery. In addition to airline pilots, gate agents, ground crew and other staff, airport limo drivers, mechanics, air traffic controllers, and workers that maintain the airports all need their government to have a plan to allow them to maintain their skills and be ready to work once the restrictions are lifted,” said Dias.
The union continues to lobby the federal government to develop a national aviation plan to provide financial support for workers and address the systemic issues contributing to the problem of too much precarious work in the aviation industry.