March 20, 2020

TORONTO—The Ontario government passed Bill 186 yesterday and introduced measures aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus, but failed to provide any paid sick leave for those in quarantine or isolation.

“This legislation falls far short of where we needed it to be in order to have a comprehensive response to this pandemic,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “If we are going to get through this crisis, then the plan has to start with giving everyone directed to self-isolate or quarantine paid sick days.”

Other jurisdictions, including Quebec and Prince Edward Island, currently have a minimum number of paid sick days employers are required to provide for workers. Prior to 2019, Ontario had requirements for two paid sick days which was repealed by the Ford government’s Bill 47. One provision of Bill 47, allowing employers to require sick notes was repealed by the newly introduced legislation.

The measures contained in Bill 47, including the repeal of paid sick days, were widely opposed by Unifor and a broad coalition of labour organizations, community, anti-poverty, and migrant workers’ advocacy groups due to the threats posed to public health.

“Ontarians should not be put in the position of choosing whether to protect their health and that of their friends, family, and co-workers or picking up their next paycheque, and that’s what this legislation appears to do,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor’s Ontario Regional Director. “The government’s COVID-19 plan shouldn’t be aimed at protecting the pocketbooks of employers but should help protect our health.”

Unifor has urged the Ford government, and all Premiers across the country, to immediately enact 14 policy measures as part of their respective COVID-19 response plans, including instituting a minimum of 14 paid sick days for those in quarantine or directed to self-isolate by medical authorities. The measures also include creating direct, emergency income assistance measures to all workers and families – including those ineligible for Employment Insurance benefits. The contents of the letter and list of recommendations can be viewed here.

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.

The lack of paid sick days for all workers in Ontario persists as a stain on our society, and is leaving too many at risk from COVID-19 and other contagious illnesses.

Workplaces are by far, the largest contributor to the spread of COVID-19. By mid-December, nearly 8,000 workers in Ontario had contracted COVID-19 on the job. A month later, that number is likely to be far higher.

At this point, 10 months into the pandemic, the speedy implementation of employer-paid sick days should not be a matter of public debate.

It should be implemented, province-wide, immediately.  Momentum is on our side. We are the majority, but we need to take collective action in order to win.

Since Doug Ford and his conservative Ministers are unwilling to do what it takes, we need to increase the pressure on them.

The City of Toronto is on its way toward adding a strong voice to pressure the province to implement paid sick days. We think that all municipalities should join the fight.

The fact is, each of our local communities, towns and cities have citizens to protect from COVID-19, and Premier Ford isn’t doing it for them.

So, whether you have paid sick days or you have none, this issue affects you.

Add your voice today and call your city councilor.

Make the call

Click here now…Make The Call

January 18, 2021

INGERSOLL—Members of Unifor Local 88 who work at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario have voted by 91% to ratify a new agreement with General Motors that brings $1 billion in investments to begin large scale production of electric commercial delivery vans.

“This is the result of collaboration with the Ontario and federal governments, and General Motors. I want to thank them and the Local 88 Master Bargaining Committee for working so hard to secure jobs for our members and create new ones for this community,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

General Motors will spend $1 billion to transform the CAMI assembly plant into Canada’s first mass-market producer of electric commercial vans to support its new business line BrightDrop.

Unifor Local 88 represents 1900 workers at the CAMI Assembly plant, where work will begin immediately to prepare for EV600 production starting in November as the Chevrolet Equinox program is phased out in 2023.

This agreement brings the total investment negotiated by Unifor to nearly $6 billion after agreements were ratified with General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in 2020 that also included support from the federal and Ontario governments.

“To achieve this level of commitment for auto manufacturing shows what can happen when we have a collective vision to secure this sector and create good jobs for Canadians,” said Dias.

“While the process was complicated by COVID-19, we refused to let a pandemic impede our progress to find ‘made in Canada’ solutions.”

This three-year agreement follows a historic pattern setting deal first reached with Ford that includes a five per cent increase to hourly rates, a $7,250 productivity and quality bonus, a total of $4,000 in inflation protection bonuses, improved benefits, shift premiums, and restoration of the 20 per cent wage differential for skilled trades.

The deal also makes major improvements to the New Hire Program and includes an agreement to create an anti-racism action plan, establish a new Racial Justice Advocate in the workplace.

“The stakes going into these negotiations were high with the Equinox program ending, and there wasn’t a time during these difficult negotiations that we were not thinking about our members and their families, and we are grateful to all the members for their solidarity as we worked to ensure our plant is viable,” said Mike Van Boekel, Chair of the Master Bargaining Committee.

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.