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Great Canadian Gaming bets on Oshawa workers

October 1, 2019 – 12:00 AM

TORONTO–Unifor members at Local 1090 have secured an agreement with the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCG) that will assist General Motors (GM) and auto parts supplier workers in Oshawa to transition to good jobs at three unionized workplaces within the region. The agreement comes in the absence of a government strategy for automotive and parts supplier manufacturing workers that prevents employers from moving jobs outside of Canada.

“Great Canadian Gaming has come through for our members at a critical moment,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “This deal brings us one step closer to preserving the quality of life of hard-working people affected by the GM assembly line closure in Oshawa.”

The agreement comes as Unifor continues to make gains on all fronts with GM and auto parts supplier employers in Oshawa to secure better transition conditions for workers facing job losses. Negotiations to date include securing enhanced severance for parts supplier workers, funding for an action centre that provides workers with resources to secure new employment, and financial support for job retraining. The provisions of the agreement between Unifor Local 1090 and GCG includes preferential consideration of employment for Unifor members at Casino Woodbine, Casino Ajax/Pickering, and Great Blue Heron Casino.

“We’ve laid the groundwork for highly-skilled workers in Oshawa to continue to live in their community and transition to good casino jobs,” said Corey Dalton, Unifor Local 1090 President. “With so much at stake for workers and their families we applaud employers like Great Canadian Gaming who will rise to the occasion.”

As manufacturing jobs move south and overseas, Unifor continues to press political leaders at all levels of government for a much-needed joint strategy to protect workers in the automotive and parts supplier industries.

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.

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Unifor joins global strike to demand climate justice

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September 27, 2019 – 1:45 PM

Unifor members joined thousands of climate activists across Canada to demand immediate climate action in a historic global strike. Strikes were held across Canada to demand urgent action be taken to address the climate crisis.

Climate change disproportionately impacts workers and youth, whose futures are uncertain without strong government commitments to a just transition to a low carbon economy.

“Unifor is at the forefront of a worker-centered just transition. We have the tools at hand to address the climate crisis while creating good new jobs that prioritize workers,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

Unifor stands in solidarity with students worldwide, inspired to take action by sixteen-year old Greta Thunberg, who has been the face of the youth movement in recent months. Thunberg made an impassioned speech to the UN in New York on Monday.

“We are on the brink of planetary disaster – we call on all levels of government to act immediately,” said Naureen Rizvi, Ontario Regional Director at the rally in Toronto. “We have to tame corporate greed and work together to put workers at the centre of economic transition.”

Unifor sees the transition to a low carbon economy as an opportunity for broad green job creation and vows to fight for displaced workers to ensure that no worker gets left behind.

Strike organizers have issued a series of demands, calling for Indigenous rights and sovereignty; collective effort to maintain and protect land, water, and life; government commitment to reduce emissions; universal public service and infrastructure, and more. See their demands here.

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1996-O Equity Committee

Local 1996-O is committed to reducing inequities within our workforce due to Disabilities both Mental and Physical, Racial or Ethnic differences, Indigenous Status, Gender differences, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Age or New Hire Status.

Equity Committee

We are pleased to welcome these members to the Equity Committee,

 

In Solidarity,

Lee, Sanjay, Brian, Chris

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Unifor auto members impacted by UAW strike

The impact of the United Auto Workers strike is being felt in General Motors operations and its related supply chain on both sides of the border.

Following the expiration of their collective agreement, 49,000 UAW members began strike action early on September 16 bringing production at 55 factories and parts centers in the U.S. to a halt.

Within the week vehicle production at Oshawa assembly stopped and the ripple effect then spread to St. Catharine’s engine production and many independent part suppliers, leaving approximately 2,600 GM and 1,800 independent parts supplier members on temporary layoff in Canada.

“Unifor supports the UAW in its negotiations to get a fair contract settlement for its GM members, so that auto workers on both sides of the border can return to work,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.

On September 17, Unifor Local 444 sent a delegation of members to Detroit to stand in solidarity with striking UAW workers.

“The fight by the UAW GM members is a fight for all manufacturing workers including Canadian workers,” said David Cassidy, President Unifor Local 444.

“When a company like GM has made billions in profits in the last two years and the CEO takes home more than $20 million in yearly compensation, it’s unjust, unethical and outright disrespectful to all of those UAW members who are fighting for a fair share in those profits.”

Major bargaining issues for the UAW include the closure of GM plants in the U.S., the use of temporary workers and a path to make them full time, as well as a faster track for getting newly hired workers to the top wage.

Unifor shares concern over the stability of good paying auto jobs and the treatment of workers, issues that will be raised when negotiations between GM and Unifor on behalf of Canadian autoworkers commence next year. Collective agreements between Unifor and General Motors will expire in September 2020 and September 2021.