HALIFAX– Unifor is mourning the tragic loss of a MWF Local 1 member at the Irving Halifax Shipyard. The worker died today following a workplace incident that is currently under investigation.

Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies and solidarity are with our member’s family and loved ones including their Unifor family and co-workers.

Unifor is working to ensure there is full-time, onsite grief counselling services available to all shipyard workers as they process this great loss.

Unifor is also working alongside the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, police, and the employer. The union has trained investigators and health and safety experts who ensure proper steps are taken following a workplace injury or death.

Unifor represents more than 1,150 workers at the Halifax Shipyard.

Unifor National President Lana Payne spoke at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on Feb. 15, 2024 about job cuts in the media sector, shrinking newsrooms and harassment of journalists and media workers in Canada.

Here is the transcript of her remarks:

Good afternoon, Madame Chair, and members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

It really is a pleasure to join you today and I would like to thank my fellow witnesses for their excellent opening remarks.

Our union represents more than 10,000 media workers across the country, in broadcast television, radio, newspapers, digital, and film production.

I can tell you they are dedicated and passionate about their work, tough and principled, they care about the important role they play in our democracy, in telling stories, in holding the powerful to account, in making sure we have the information, as Canadians, we need every day to make the decisions to make in our lives. They understand their responsibility.

But our members face a number of very tough realities at the moment.

You’ve heard it here. A media sector in crisis. Widespread job loss. The destruction of local news in so many places across Canada. Harassment and violence on the job.

And a concerted effort by some in the political class to erode trust in journalism itself. Their integrity called into question as they are accused of all kinds of things including the latest, being “a tax-funded mouthpiece for the PMO.”

I’d like to provide some context on the state of local news in Canada at the moment.

In just the last 14 months, the media sector has undergone a brutal list of cuts and closures.

Postmedia, 11% of its editorial staff.

BCE: 1,300 jobs and including closing radio stations last year.

Nordstar Capital. Eliminated two-thirds of Metroland’s work force, converting more than 70 weekly papers to digital-only.

And just this month, Corus/Global cut more jobs.

And last week, BCE announced the lay off 4,800 employees in both telco and media including 800 Unifor members.

On the media side, the cuts included all but one noon-hour newscast in Toronto and weekend newscasts in most major markets across the country. (As if the news stops at Friday at 5 p.m.)

BCE also killed W5 – the longest-running investigative news program in Canada. Apparently, we are told, it will be replaced with re-runs of the American comedy, The Big Bang Theory.

I don’t have time to list all the cuts because we’d be here all week.

It’s almost impossible to measure the impact this is having on local communities, where so-called “news deserts” are leaving Canadians – especially those living in small towns and rural areas – without access to meaningful, relevant local news.

Canadian telecommunications and media companies have a responsibility that is bigger than shareholders. They have a responsibility to Canadians and to Canada. And to journalism.

Fact-based journalism matters and the truth, as you’ve heard, has never been more important.

Fake news has infested the fabric of our society, sowing distrust in media, in government, in institutions.

And in the middle of that chaos, we need the media to tell our stories, to uncover truths, to hold the powerful to account.

We understand that no single piece of legislation, fund or subsidy will be enough to solve this crisis.

But, there are things we can do. We can renew and expand the Local Journalism Initiative, a program that supports the creation of original civic journalism in underrepresented communities across Canada. It is slated to expire in April.

There is also the Canadian Journalism Tax Credit, which was recently extended and expanded in the Fall Economic Statement. An important move that Unifor called for and supported. Governments, both federal and provincial, can earmark bigger portions of their advertising budgets for local news. Local TV, radio, and newspaper and as you’ve just heard, Canadian digital media.

Now, a few words on the other crisis. Increased harassment and violence.

Employers, workers and their unions, including Unifor, journalism schools, governments, and even members of the public, all have a role to play, as do political leaders, Madame Chair.

In closing, I stress that the layoffs, downsizing, and closures that I have highlighted today cannot continue if we actually want to have local news in this country.

And to conclude, journalists deserve to work harassment-free no matter where that work is. Online, covering a protest in downtown Ottawa, or even in the foyer of the House of Commons.

Thank you very much.

Every year, Human Trafficking Awareness Day serves as a solemn reminder of the ongoing battle against one of the most egregious violations of human rights—modern-day slavery.

Together, we must eradicate human trafficking in all its forms.

Human trafficking presents in many forms in our communities and workplaces, including sexual exploitation, labour trafficking and domestic servitude, which all remain as pressing concerns here in Canada. As a labour union committed to the rights and freedoms of all working people, Unifor underscores its commitment to protect workers and families from the devastating, isolating, and exploitative impacts of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a gendered crime, with women and girls accounting for 94% of victims, according to Stats Canada, based on police-reported human trafficking in Canada between 2012 and 2022.

Human trafficking thrives in secrecy and often goes unnoticed, but its impact is devastating. Workers are coerced, deceived, and exploited, forced into gruelling conditions with little to no pay. This exploitation occurs in various sectors, from agriculture to domestic work, robbing individuals of their freedom and dignity.

Typically, individuals who fall victim to human trafficking are kept in isolation and hidden from public view. Many of them face obstacles or are hesitant to seek help from authorities due to reasons such as a lack of trust in law enforcement, feelings of shame, fear of reprisals, language barriers, or a limited understanding of their human rights. Often, victims of human trafficking are vulnerable youth and people who experience social or economic barriers.

As a union, we work to empower workers and communities to recognize the signs of trafficking and prioritize prevention, protection, and prosecution to dismantle trafficking networks and support survivors. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, we can shine a light on human trafficking and build more just and compassionate communities and workplaces where no individual is ever trafficked again.”

Human trafficking knows no borders, and combating it requires collective effort. Here are three things Unifor activists can do to stop human trafficking and support survivors:

• Educate yourself and raise awareness: Learn about the signs of human trafficking and how it manifests in different forms. Understanding can help you recognize and respond to human trafficking.
• Support survivors: Show compassion and support for survivors of human trafficking. Offer assistance in accessing essential services such as shelter, medical care, legal aid, and counseling while honoring their autonomy and privacy.
• Get help: If you think you might be a victim of human trafficking or think someone else may be, contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010 or hotline@ccteht.ca. The hotline is available 24/7/365 with support available in more than 200 languages. The hotline can connect callers to local service providers and/or emergency services in communities across the country.

Unifor is proud to support national and international efforts to support victims of human trafficking through our Social Justice Fund. Together, through this important fund, we’ve supported organizations such as Covenant House Toronto, Canada’s largest agency dedicated to serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk and Horizons of Friendship, which supports survivors of trafficking and violence in Guatemala.