April 19, 2024

 

TORONTO–Unifor expects to achieve the wage increases and benefit improvements awarded to Ontario OCHU-CUPE and SEIU Healthcare members by Arbitrator William Kaplan in a recent decision.

Unifor congratulates OCHU-CUPE and SEIU Healthcare on this award as all three unions hold firm to their Solidarity Pact to bargain collaboratively and plans to achieve a similar outcome for Unifor health care workers in Ontario.

“Unifor health care members expect the same increases that have been awarded to other unionized workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Every person in this province wants, and needs access to quality, public health care. We can’t do that without supporting the workers across the system with respectable pay and working conditions.”

Unifor’s Northern Group, encompassing 15 acute care units from Locals 229 and 1359 in Northern Ontario, opened negotiations on February 13, 2024 and will be in mediation on May 4. The bargaining committee is bolstered by news of the 6% wage gains and other improvements awarded to OCHU-CUPE and SEIU.

“These three influential health care unions are championing a 10-point Solidarity Pact, not as a symbol, but as a powerful framework to save our public health care, starting with improvements to worker pay,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi. “Canadians can no longer take public health care for granted, or as a given. Publicly funded health care is under daily direct attack and we will not allow it to be turned into yet another of life’s core necessities to be milked for profit.”

Learn more about Unifor’s mission to restore public health care in Ontario so it’s great for everyone at savehealthcare.ca.

April 19, 2024

 

BRAMPTON—Fifty workers remain on strike this week at the flagship headquarters of MDA Space while the company refuses to continue negotiations and resolve the labour dispute.

“It is a staggering contrast that management at MDA Space, on the one hand, have the crucial role of advancing Canadian space technology and, on the other hand, are unwilling or incapable of bargaining a collective agreement covering a group of 50 dedicated, highly skilled workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Advanced aerospace manufacturing is no place for staging theatrics and playing games, particularly when MDA Space receives a generous amount of public dollars.”

MDA Space, the future home of the Canadarm3 and a key player in NASA’s lunar Gateway space station project, has been awarded substantial contracts. These include a $269 million contract for the next phase of the Gateway project, a $250 million contract for supporting robotics operations on the International Space Station, and approximately $25 million from the Ontario government to fund its new global space headquarters.

Unifor represents 50 workers at MDA Space in Brampton, Ontario who perform a wide range of production, office, and clerical duties for the company. In the days leading up to a strike deadline set for the morning of April 8, the company communicated that it would not participate in further negotiations with Unifor. At issue in the negotiations were a combination of economic issues including insufficient wage increases, pension contributions, and protection against rising living costs.

“Rather than taking their ball and going home, the Company needs to return to the table and make every effort to reach an agreement that works for both parties, not just MDA,” added Payne. “If we can make the Canadarm3, surely we can reach a collective agreement.”

Despite the union’s attempts to continue negotiations with MDA Space, the company has failed to agree to further bargaining dates.

 

 

April 18, 2024

 

As the Canadian Air Navigation Specialists Association (CANSA) at Unifor Local 1016 continued to negotiate with NAV Canada on the Maintenance of Activities in the event of a legal strike and/or lock-out to protect the Canadian travelling public, the company has advised the local it plans to use scab labour.

“We have been fighting tooth-and-nail for the federal government to pass anti-scab legislation now,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“Let Unifor’s actions at CN Autoport be a warning to other companies that our union won’t tolerate scab labour. We will defend our members’ right to strike and to free and fair collective bargaining. My message to NAVCan: Unifor is ready. All of us.”

Bill C-58, otherwise known as the federal anti-scab legislation, will help protect the right to fair collective bargaining and to strike, when necessary, a right that workers have fought for and won repeatedly. It passed second reading in the House of Commons with all-party support on Feb. 27, 2024.

On the same day NAV Canada told Unifor it plans to use replacement workers, the company publicly announced it signed a new deal with CAE Inc. to contract out the work of operational training simulation specialist members of Unifor Local 1016. CAE would now provide the generic training for flight service specialists (Unifor Local 2245) and air traffic controllers (Unifor Local 5454) instead of our Unifor training specialists.

Both sides came to an impasse in conciliation on April 12, 2024.

James Walker, President of CANSA and Unifor Local 1016, said NAV Canada made it clear to the bargaining committee that the company would not agree to the established Unifor pattern because the company feared the other four unions in bargaining would use it in arbitration against them. To add further insult, NAV Canada is seeking significant concessions from CANSA.

“This has been a very frustrating round of negotiations,” said Walker.

“We have seen delay after delay to settle with the other unions first in hopes of diluting the pattern. Now, they are resorting to bullying tactics in order to spread fear amongst our members, who voted 95% in favour of strike action. This will not be tolerated.”

In February, CANSA and NAV Canada jointly advised the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) of their efforts to negotiate a Maintenance of Activities agreement. If the parties were unable to reach a settlement, the CIRB would be required to intervene.

Unifor has advised the CIRB that given the bully tactics employed by NAV Canada the union does not see how the parties can come to terms. Unifor has asked the labour board to exercise their power under Section 87.4(6) of the Canada Labour Code.

The local represents members in Air Traffic Control Training, Operational Support, Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), Flight Data Analytics and Aeronautical Information Management at NAV Canada locations from coast-to-coast.

The CANSA bargaining team will update members with any new developments.

April 24, 2024

Press freedom isn’t free.

Particularly when it comes to journalists and media workers who are risking their lives to cover and deliver quality, fact-based journalism.

On May 3, we mark the 31st anniversary of World Press Freedom Day and celebrate the victories and highlight the worldwide challenges of maintaining a free press. Freedom of the press is an essential cornerstone to a democratic society, and like anything worth having we need to continually fight for it.

Journalists should work free from fear of murder and death.

But the reality is that in 2023, 120 journalists and media workers were killed in one of the deadliest years on record with 68% of those journalists and media workers losing their lives in the Gaza conflict, according to the federation.

Unifor has been working with our international partners, including the IFJ, to demand that journalists are protected in war zones, and end impunity for crimes against journalists.

Journalists should work free from harassment.

But sadly, harassment in the field and online is at epidemic levels, as social media breeds a toxic culture for journalists and media workers.

That’s why Unifor has created a website to support journalists and media workers to help journalists at a time when they need it most called Help is Here.

Unifor represents more than 10,000 media workers, including 5,000 members in the broadcast and film industries.

Our union was proactive in getting the discussion rolling on what we can do to ensure journalists and media workers are free from harassment online and in the field, including holding employers, the government responsible for safe working conditions and social media platforms accountable for what’s posted on their platforms.

A free media is vital to society but the financial models that supported journalism are crumbling and we have more Canadian cities and towns without a local newspaper or TV station, creating massive news deserts.

Unifor has actively fought for financial supports for local news, including the Online News Act, the Modernization of the Broadcasting Act, the Local Journalism Initiative and journalism tax credits. And this is just the beginning, as there are many more supports needed to ensure we have a viable free press in Canada.

Freedom of the press comes at a cost.

Without it, we cannot tell our stories or hold the powerful to account. In this post-truth new era, we are fighting to maintain trusted, verified, and legitimate local news that is essential to building strong communities and a healthy democracy.