The rapid rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) is often marketed as a new and inevitable revolution. But beyond slick marketing campaigns, this digital shift is the latest chapter in a centuries-old story about how work changes, and why collective power is essential to ensuring workers have a real seat at the table to protect their jobs, skills and work environment.

On Jan. 22 and 23, Unifor representatives joined academics and policymakers at the International Conference: Artificial Intelligence at Work, which examined how AI is being introduced into workplaces and what safeguards are needed to protect workers.

The conference aimed to move beyond simplistic “good versus evil” debates about AI, focusing instead on governance, regulation and the real-world impacts of these technologies on workers.

A central theme was the narrow way management often defines the work of employees. Janine Berg of the International Labour Organization noted that most jobs are made up of a bundle of tasks that require independent judgment, experience and human interaction, elements that are routinely overlooked in automation strategies that are simply looking to replace workers with machines.

Algorithmic management, software used to assign work, evaluate performance or issue discipline, is expanding across sectors where Unifor members work, including manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications and media. Tools that track vehicle data, keystrokes or productivity metrics can intrude deeply into workers’ privacy, often without clear limits on data storage, access or deletion.

Speaking on regulation and technology, Valerio De Stefano of Osgoode Hall Law School warned that algorithmic management leaves essential parts of work invisible while expanding unnecessary surveillance.

Speakers said applying off-the-shelf AI systems to complex jobs often fails because these tools do not capture human discretion or tacit knowledge. The process of automation drives the standardization of work through technology by deskilling jobs and makes control easier.

The conference placed today’s AI boom in an historical context, noting that technological change has long been used to shift power away from workers. In his talk on regulation and technology at work, Simon Deakin from Cambridge University traced this dynamic to the 19th-century Jacquard loom, which captured the historical knowledge of skilled workers and transferred it into the machine.

Today’s push toward AI is heavily fuelled by venture capital. Panelists said rapid workplace adoption is often driven by investor pressure rather than proven improvements to job quality or services.

Participants said constant monitoring is associated with higher stress, burnout and reduced worker autonomy.

Partial automation can also make jobs harder. When automated systems handle routine tasks, human workers are left with the most complex or emotionally demanding interactions, further eroding job quality.

Six Silberman of the University of Oxford discussed a policy blueprint co-authored with Jeremias Adams-Prassl that proposes a regulatory or negotiated floor of protections for workers facing algorithmic management.

The blueprint calls for limits on data collection, transparency around how worker data is used, bans on fully automated terminations and guaranteed human review of major decisions. It also stresses the need for union consultation and protection from retaliation.

While speakers said stronger regulation and legislation are needed, they emphasized collective bargaining as an immediate and effective tool.

“We’re going to have to rely on what we can do at the collective bargaining table,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Collective bargaining gives workers a real voice right now and allows us to set guardrails as technology evolves.”

As AI and automation accelerate, the conference underscored what is at stake for workers across Canada. For Unifor, the goal remains protecting good jobs, workplace dignity and workers’ right to shape how technology is used at work.

This Black History Month, Unifor proudly honours the theme Black Resistance: Honouring contributions, advancing justice. Black history is not only about the past, but also about the courage, leadership, and resilience that continue to shape our workplaces, our communities, and our movement today.

Black resistance has always been an incredible force for progress. From the fight against enslavement and segregation, to the struggle for human rights, safer workplaces, good jobs and fair wages. Black people have consistently stood at the front lines of change. These struggles laid the groundwork for many of the rights all working people rely on and enjoy today.

Across Canada, honouring contributions means recognizing how Black workers have built industries, strengthened unions, and enriched every sector of our economy. Their labour, creativity, and leadership have helped define this country and this union and will continue to help all of us persevere through the great challenges facing working people today.

Yet Black workers continue to face systemic racism, economic inequality, and barriers to opportunity. Discrimination in hiring and promotion, wage gaps, racial profiling, and inequitable access to housing and healthcare remain realities of many working people in Canada today. These injustices are not accidental. They are the result of systems that must be challenged and changed.

Advancing justice is not optional. It is core to who we are as a union and something we prioritize in every part of our work. We will continue to confront racism in our workplaces and in society. We will organize, bargain, educate, and mobilize to ensure Black workers are protected, respected, and empowered. We will amplify Black voices in our union and stand in solidarity with Black communities in the fight for equity and dignity.

Black History Month is a time to reflect, but it is also a call to action. Honouring contributions means more than remembering, it means building a future where all workers can thrive without barriers, where resistance leads to real change, and where justice is not promised, but delivered.

Together, we will continue this important work to foster solidarity among all working people by confronting racism wherever it exists, uplifting Black voices, and building workplaces and a society, rooted in justice for all.

TORONTO—Unifor opened collective bargaining today with Air Canada on behalf of customer service agents, who work at airports, call centres, and provide services such as customer relations and customer journey management, across the country.

“Air Canada’s customer service agents are the backbone of the passenger experience,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

“They manage delays, disruptions, and customer care under immense pressure, yet too often without the staffing and protections that reflect the value of their work. This bargaining round is about respect, safety, and fairness for the workers who keep Canada flying.”

Nearly 6,000 Unifor Local 2002 members work at Air Canada locations nationwide.

These members perform essential customer service and operational support, assisting passengers at airports, from contact centres, and through Aeroplan, with ticketing, reservations, travel changes, supporting reward travel, and helping customers navigate online transactions.

During flight delays and cancellations, they play a central role in recovery efforts by managing rebooking, connections, accommodations, compensation, and customer correspondence—often serving as the first point of contact when plans go wrong and helping restore trust after service failures.

“Our members are the people travellers rely on when flights are cancelled, connections are missed, or plans fall apart,” said Tammy Moore, President of Unifor Local 2002.

“They deserve improved wages, predictable schedules, and working conditions that allow them to do their jobs properly. Air Canada must recognize that strong customer service starts with respecting the workers who deliver it.”

Unifor has long called for systemic improvements in Canada’s aviation sector through its Air Transportation Workers’ Charter of Rights, which urges governments, airlines, and airport authorities to address chronic understaffing, contracting out, unsafe workloads, and inadequate training across the industry.

The current collective agreement with Air Canada will expire on Feb. 28, 2026.

THUNDER BAY-Unifor is urging Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper to take every measure to mitigate job loss following the company’s announcement that it will cease newsprint operations by the end of the first quarter, potentially impacting more than a hundred jobs.

“This is a blow to the dedicated workers and to community supported by these jobs,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Not only will this affect the workers at the pulp and paper mill but local businesses and partners in the area that rely on the operations and the incomes from those good-union jobs.”

The Unifor Local 257 and Local 39 members were notified of the closure on January 22.

Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper maintain the decision is due to a declining newsprint market and increased input costs.

Unifor will work with the company to explore retraining opportunities for members and to end the use of contract workers by assigning that work to bargaining-unit members who may otherwise lose their jobs.  The union also encourages the company to explore alternative product to support continued operations and job security.

“Workers at the Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper mill have Unifor’s support during this difficult time,” said Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi.

This production shift and potential job loss mark another hit to the Canada’s forestry sector, long targeted by the U.S. trade measures, and undermined by a lack of investment and ageing infrastructure.

For more information visit Unifor’s ‘Fight for Forestry Jobs’ campaign page.