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Hundreds rally against Doug Ford’s health care cuts

November 14, 2019 – 1:00 PM

 

On Saturday November 9, hundreds of Unifor members and retiree’s joined with coalition partners at the latest Ontario Health Coalition rally to protect public health care from Doug Ford’s reckless cuts to hospitals, long-term care, and ambulance services.

“Doug Ford says he’s for the people but he’s proved that he’s only for the rich people,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “They offer tax breaks to the wealthiest in our society, to rich corporations, and slap all sorts of cuts on us to pay for their gifts to the rich. This is an attack on our children and grandchildren.”

Dias spoke at the mass public rally to denounce the cuts by the Ford Conservatives. Dias took the opportunity to remind supporters that residents in nursing homes receive just six minutes of care each morning, and that we must keep fighting to make sure conditions are improved so we have better care and safer work.

“Doug Ford’s government has been a complete disaster for Ontario’s public services. All told, he has cut billions of dollars from sorely needed funding for vital social programs that help Ontario’s most vulnerable, the sick, children with autism, and our seniors,” said Katha Fortier, Assistant to National President Jerry Dias. “Ford’s cuts amount to a cut of more than $1,100 per person in Ontario on everything from hospitals and schools to vital social and public services including water and food safety, and even vaccinations.”

The government plans to cut funding for and eliminate 25 out of 35 local public health units ,49 out of 59 local paramedic & ambulance services, and eliminate 12 of 22 local dispatch units. They have also imposed real-dollar cuts to local hospitals, and impose real-dollar cuts to long-term care homes, including cancelling two special funds that contribute to resident’s well-being.

While the province is experiencing a severe shortage of personal support workers, Ford has also implemented public sector wage restraint legislation that will disproportionately affect women who work in health care and social services, earning very modest wages.

Unifor is monitoring leaked information that suggests home care services will be privatized in local communities and more major cuts are coming to care provision staff in the provincial agencies including the LHINs.

“What type of government would attack children with autism, cut $17 million from women’s programs, and then cut funding and give less care to the sick, to our seniors, and to the most vulnerable in our society?” asked Dias. “Doug Ford’s conservative government is attacking health care workers and patients alike and it’s up to us to put a stop to his conservative agenda.”

The November 9 day of action came as part of four regional actions across Ontario supported by labour unions and social partners working with the Ontario Health Coalition to fightback against the Ontario government’s health care cuts.

Unifor has launched the Stop Ford Cuts campaign in September to fightback against the government’s conservative agenda. The campaign calls for an end to the government’s slashing of public services and municipal spending, and instead invest in public services that lift up all workers and ensure a brighter future for all.

You can take action now and tell Premier Ford to stop his reckless cuts by visiting stopfordcuts.ca.

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Ontario Northland transfer good sign for travellers in Northern Ontario

November 12, 2019 – 12:00 AM

TORONTO– Steps toward a transfer of ministerial oversight of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission to the Ministry of Transportation is a positive change for residents in Northern Ontario, but the key component of Northlander rail line service remains missing.

“All residents of Ontario deserve access to a safe and reliable transportation network, that must include the North,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Unifor members in the transportation sector have called not only for this transfer, but also for the return of the Northlander rail service.”

Following the cancellation of the Northlander rail service between Toronto and Cochrane six years ago, Unifor members have advocated for its return, to keep Ontario Northland in public hands, and for today’s transfer in order to increase collaboration with Metrolinx (Go Transit) and to connect more communities.

The union collected thousands of names and signatures from people demanding these changes, and a return of affordable passenger rail service to their communities.

Today’s announcement, to explore transferring the Crown corporation, comes just one day after Ontario Northland reported the cancellation of bus service linking Manitoulin Island and Sudbury, remained silent on the return of the Northlander rail service.

“A timely transfer of Ontario Northland will be step one for Doug Ford, but he’s still short of fulfilling his campaign promise to Northerners. The Premier ran on a pledge to bring back the Northlander train and increase service, and we’re still waiting to see it coming down the tracks,” continued Dias

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Unifor members proudly help restart the Nordic Kraft pulp mill in Lebel-sur-Quévillon

November 14, 2019 – 11:15 AM

Our members are proud to participate in the reopening of the Nordic Kraft pulp mill in Lebel-sur-Quévillon, officially announced on November 8.

“What is happening in Quévillon is no small feat,” explained Unifor Quebec Director Renaud Gagné. “Imagine restarting a mill that’s been shuttered since 2005. Even though it wasn’t dismantled for its metal, it’s easy to understand that time and the elements have affected the facility,” he added.

“I’d like to highlight the fact that we devoted a great deal of time and energy over the past few years to various projects aimed at getting this mill back up and running. Today, we are extremely proud and pleased that this project is finally moving forward,” said brother Gagné.

In April, the members ratified a new collective agreement with wage conditions comparable to those negotiated in other pulp mills such as the Saint-Félicien facility owned by Resolute Forest Products.

“We weren’t able to talk publicly about the reopening before the official announcement because there were still some loose ends to tie up,” said the Quebec Director.

Unifor has long advocated for the need to develop new niche markets for the use of forestry products – a renewable resource – in order to ensure the future not only of jobs in the industry, but also of entire regional communities that depend on it for their livelihood. In that sense, the Nordic Kraft projects corresponds exactly to what the union has been demanding for so long.

The mill is scheduled to start producing pulp in 2020. Ultimately, it is expected to provide jobs for hundreds of Unifor members. Local 1212 currently represents about 100 members who are working on recommissioning the mill’s production equipment.

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Telecom companies moving to block spoofed calls

Canada’s telecom companies are rolling out new call-blocking technologies they say could reduce the number of phone calls Canadians get from scam artists.

The move comes in response to a directive from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which gave them until December 19 to take action to reduce the number of nuisance calls getting through to Canadians.

Bell Canada and Rogers have been working on the problem and say they expect to meet the deadline set by the CRTC.

“We’re testing the new universal network-level call blocking technology on our network and will be ready for full implementation by the CRTC’s deadline,” said Nathan Gibson, spokesman for Bell Canada. “We’ve also applied to the CRTC to conduct a 90-day trial of new call blocking technologies we’re developing to further protect customers from fraudulent and scam calls.”…….

Read the Article here…..

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Unifor to sponsor Special Olympics 2020 Canada Winter Games

November 5, 2019 – 12:00 PM

Unifor, Canada’s largest union in the private sector, will be platinum sponsors of the Special Olympic 2020 Canada Winter Games, in support of the incredible contribution the athletes bring to their communities and their sports.

“Unifor is honoured to support the Special Olympic 2020 Canada Winter Games,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Our union believes in championing inclusivity, removing barriers to participation, and in the transformative power of sport to bring people together. Our sponsorship will help celebrate the achievements of Special Olympians and the work being done by Special Olympics Canada.”

The National Games are held every two years, alternating between Summer and Winter. This year, the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games will be held in Thunder Bay from February 25 to 29, 2020. The games will welcome more than 1,200 athletes, coaches and mission staff from across Canada.

“It is exciting to be involved with the Special Olympic Canada Winter Games,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “Unifor supports the values that guide Special Olympics Canada and that bring each athlete to these games and to the world stage: empowerment, excellence, respect, diversity and inclusion.”

Unifor is encouraging locals and members to support the Draft an Athlete program. The program allows supporters of the movement to fund a Special Olympics athlete’s journey to a regional, provincial, national or world competition.

The cost of sending athletes to competitions is high. Through the Draft an Athlete program, more athletes are able to attend a competition through direct support.

Athletes qualify for National Games based on their results from Provincial Games. These National Games are the qualifying event for athletes to become members of Team Canada attending the Special Olympics World Winter Games.

The Games will include competition in eight official Special Olympics sports: alpine skiing, five-pin bowling, cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, speed skating and snowshoeing.