From May 28 to June 3, 2023, people across Canada celebrate National AccessAbility Week. This is a time dedicated to recognizing the valuable contributions and leadership of persons with disabilities, while highlighting the important work being done in concert with allies, organizations, and communities to remove barriers and create a more accessible and inclusive society.

The theme for this year’s National AccessAbility Week is “Disability Inclusion: From Possibilities to Practice.” It reminds us of the collective responsibility we share in turning aspirations into action, ensuring that every individual, regardless of their abilities, can participate fully and equally in all aspects of life.

As a union, we prioritize creating an environment where every member feels respected and valued. We firmly uphold the belief that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, should have equal opportunities to contribute and participate in the decision-making processes of our union. By championing accessibility, inclusion, and belonging, we strive to foster a union that embraces the diverse strengths and contributions of its members, ensuring a workplace environment where everyone can thrive with dignity.

Within our workplaces and within our Union, members can begin by taking steps towards inclusion:

1. Encourage the use of the Inclusive Practices Tool Kit in your local union and workplace.
2. Challenge your perceptions about disability and consider how your workplace can be made more inclusive.
3. At your next General Membership Meeting play Unifor’s Workers with Disabilities video.
4. This week, use Unifor’s social media shareable to highlight the abilities of people with disabilities.

National AccessAbility Week serves as a timely reminder that creating a truly inclusive society requires collective effort and continuous commitment.

Let us work together to remove barriers, challenge misconceptions, and build a future where everyone, regardless of ability, can thrive and succeed.

“We have taken the next big step in securing the plant’s footprint and thousands of good paying union jobs in Ontario with GM’s investment and product commitment to the next generation of trucks,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “These workers build some of the highest quality trucks in the world and it is thanks to their hard work that this investment is possible. It makes sense to invest in our highly skilled Oshawa members, half of whom are women, to drive both the local and national economies forward.”

The announcement was welcomed by the more than 3,000 Unifor members employed at Oshawa Assembly, which currently produces the Chevrolet Silverado.

“It is important there is stability for our Local 222 members going forward,” said Jason Gale, Unifor GM Master Bargaining Chair. “Unifor fought long and hard to secure these jobs for Oshawa, as we’ve seen the plant return from the closure of vehicle assembly to a three-shift assembly operation today.”

The Oshawa Assembly plant is GM’s only truck plant capable of producing the heavy-duty Silverado HD and light-duty Silverado 1500 on the same production line.

“Our members stand ready to build the next generation of trucks and the generation beyond that,” said Payne. “The success of the Oshawa-made Silverado trucks is helping fund GM’s EV investments. As the transition continues our members expect to share in the EV future.”

The investment at GM Oshawa Assembly is the latest in a round of financial commitments in Canadian vehicle assembly and parts production plants by the Detroit Three (D3) automakers. Unifor is poised to build on that momentum as the union heads into collective bargaining with the D3 starting in August.

Unifor previously unveiled its set of 29 recommendations for governments and automakers in its auto policy document, Navigating the Road Ahead: Rebuilding Canada’s powerhouse auto sector.

FFAW-Unifor has launched a campaign for federal support for those impacted by the post-pandemic collapse in the NL snow crab fishery. The detailed proposal includes income support requests for fish harvesters, fishery workers, and enterprise owners, to address significant income shortages this year and provide the help needed to make it to next season.

The fishery is a reliable, sustainable, and important source of economic development for coastal communities with over 7,500 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians relying on the crab solely or mostly for their livelihood. The current crisis can be attributed to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, pandemic stimulus spending in the United States, the Russian/Ukraine challenge and Russia’s takeover of Japanese seafood markets, all contributing to the market collapse and subsequent 70% drop in market prices from last year.  The anomalous downturn in the snow crab fishery requires federal intervention to protect those who are currently in crisis.

Both federal and provincial governments declared fish harvesters and plant workers essential workers during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – critical to both the economy and food supply of the country. Now, these Canadians need help in the form of economic relief from the federal government. Our Union has developed an informed funding proposal that would provide critical support for valuable enterprise owners, crew members, and other fishery workers impacted by global factors that influenced the collapse in the snow crab market this year.

FFAW-Unifor is proposing an emergency economic support grant as well as temporary emergency changes to employment insurance qualifications for seasonal labour claims to ensure members will be protected given the dramatic decline in income this year. FFAW is presenting this proposal to government immediately and EVERY VOICE is needed to increase pressure for action!

The proposal requests:

(1) FISHERIES WORKERS – This proposal applies to all non-harvesting jobs relying on the snow crab fishery. For example, processing plant workers, duckside monitors, offloaders, delivery drivers, etc., whose employer can attest to the fact that they rely ont eh snow crab fishery for 60% of their income. Ensuring access to employment insurance benefits this year will be of the utmost importance.

• Lower minimum insurable hours to qualify for regular E.I. benefits based on the unemployment divisor of 14 (In most cases it is a minimum of 420 to 700 insurable hours to qualify).
• AND offer a Fishery Worker Economic Hardship Grant – $4000 per affected seasonal worker to supplement lost income. Non-taxable, & no effect on current EI claims.

 (2) FISH HARVERSTERS – This proposal applies to all commercial fish harvesters whose income is primarily dependent on snow crab.

• Fish Harvester Economic Hardship Grant – $10,000 per affected fish harvester to supplement lost income and the drastic reduction in employment insurance benefits. Non-taxable, & no effect on current EI claims.
•  AND New Entrants Economic Hardship Benefit – up to $15,000 to enterprise-owners who invested in the snow crab fishery within the last 10 years to offset increased operating expenses due to pandemic-related causes and subsequent reduction in forecasted earnings. Non-taxable, & no effect on current EI claims.
•  AND defer CEBA interest accumulation and payments for an additional calendar year.

Add your voice and sign the FFAW’s petition here.