On Sept. 3, 2025, Unifor’s Atlantic Communications Locals began bargaining with Bell in Charlottetown, PEI. 

Key issues in this round of bargaining include protecting jobs, fair wages, and pension improvements. 

“After years of cuts from Bell, our members are fighting for wages that keep up with the cost of living, job security, and building protections for the future,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. 

Unifor’s Atlantic Communications Locals (ACL) represent 1,400 workers across four locals (401, 410, 506, and 2289) in Atlantic Canada. 

“Workers at Bell Aliant are part of the future of the company – not just a cost to be cut,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray. “Our members deserve a future where wages reflect their worth. Where benefits support their families, and where no one is left behind.” 

At a Webinar meeting on Sept. 10, the ACL bargaining team presented an overview of the bargaining process, including member participation and access to regular updates. 

The current collective agreement with Bell will expire on Dec. 31, 2025.  

Bargaining will continue Sept. 30, 2025. A follow-up Webinar for members will be held on Oct. 15. 

TORONTO– Federal government measures announced today to support workers and sectors hit hardest by U.S. tariffs and trade disruptions include positive steps, but stronger action is still needed to protect workers and build resilient industries says Unifor.

“Taken together, these measures show progress, but this is the time for bold action to make transformative change in our economy,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Workers in auto, aluminum, steel, forestry, energy, and beyond need permanent protections, ambitious industrial strategies, and a sustained Buy Canadian approach that puts our jobs and communities first.”

Unifor says the federal government’s adjustments to Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, including the removal of the 20% sales requirement for 2026, are necessary given unprecedented challenges facing the domestic industry. This move provides temporary relief to an industry reeling from Trump’s tariffs, but Unifor warns the change is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

“We cannot surrender the future of EV production to overseas automakers,” said Payne. “Canada needs consumer incentives, investments in domestic EV supply chains, and for automakers to start building affordable EVs here in Canada. A mandate alone won’t secure a Canadian EV industry—we need a full industrial strategy that ensures we both make and sell EVs in this country.”

Other measures announced today also reflect long-standing Unifor proposals, outlined in Unifor’s vision document Charting a New Path for Canada’s Economy.

The federal government’s commitment to a comprehensive Canadian content policy is a move in the right direction, but specific details are still lacking. Unifor expects a truly ambitious ‘Buy Canadian’ program that extends beyond steel and lumber to include all goods and services procured, where possible, applied consistently across all federal agencies and Crown corporations. This includes vehicles, rolling stock, buses, trucks and ships and must ensure that national infrastructure includes telecommunications and public services.

Employment Insurance improvements such as extending benefits for some long-tenured workers and waiving separation payments and waiting periods are constructive changes, but they must be made permanent. Unifor is also concerned the definition of “long-tenured” may exclude workers, including thousands of autoworkers, affected by extended periods of retooling and downtime in recent years.

The government’s commitment to invest $382 million investment over five years to create so-called “Workforce Alliances” aligns with Unifor’s call to establish sector-wide councils, involving unions among other stakeholders focusing on industry development initiatives. Unifor encourages government to broaden its focus beyond narrow labour market projects toward wide-scale industrial development and investment planning.

The newly announced $5 billion Strategic Response Fund will support trade-exposed industries to adapt and diversify. While welcome, Unifor is pressing for clarity on Ottawa’s earlier $2 billion auto sector support fund commitment.

The $450 million skills package to retrain 50,000 workers includes financial support during training and funds for job retention—both long-standing Unifor proposals. This is an important action to help workers upgrade skills while staying connected to the job market.

Finally, new biofuel incentives worth $370 million over two years are a win for Canadian producers, helping a sector long undermined by heavily subsidized U.S. imports. This support can support jobs in a growing energy industry.

Crown Royal has been proudly crafted in Canada for generations, but Diageo’s plan to shut down its Amherstburg, Ontario plant threatens more than 200 good Canadian jobs and the integrity of this iconic whisky. The company insists production will remain Canadian yet refuses to explain how that’s possible after closing the very facility that blends and bottles Crown Royal today.

Frontline workers with decades of experience know the truth: moving production south of the border amid Trump-era tariffs risks both the quality of Crown Royal and the future of Canadian jobs.

This decision wasn’t made in Amherstburg, or even in Canada—it was made in a boardroom in London, England. Diageo’s plans for U.S. bottling is impractical, unsafe, and a betrayal of the Crown Royal legacy. Once production begins to shift, there is no guarantee the company will stop, especially with new facilities in anti-union states like Alabama ready to take over. Amherstburg workers, their families, and the entire community will pay the price while corporate profits flow overseas.

Unifor is calling on all Canadians to stand with Crown Royal workers. This plant is the backbone of Amherstburg, and its closure would devastate families and the local economy. Add your name to call on Diageo executives and board members to reverse this decision, defend Canadian jobs, and keep Crown Royal truly Canadian.

Tell Diageo executives and board members to reverse their decision, defend Canadian jobs, and keep Crown Royal truly Canadian.

WINDSOR, ONT.— First Student Canada has served Unifor with formal notice that they will lock out members next Monday, Sept. 15 at 12:01 a.m.

“We will not be intimidated by this company’s bullying tactics,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“Our members will not accept an offer that underpays and undermines them.”

In its letter, the company also made it clear that benefits for the drivers will be suspended at the same time. The outstanding issue is drivers’ wages.

Unifor members from Local 195 voted 98% in favour of a strike mandate on Aug. 20. The local represents 140 First Student Bus drivers in Windsor.

First Student Bus – which transports about 7,000 students to school each day – walked away from negotiations last month.

The union and employer met on Aug. 7 and 8, 2025, and on the last day of bargaining, First Student told the bargaining committee that if it didn’t accept its offer, it could go on strike. From that point, the company has repeatedly told Unifor members that it planned to lock them out on Sept. 15 unless both sides could reach a deal by that date.

“Our members care about the Windsor communities and don’t want to impact parents, teachers and students,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi.

“Unifor continues to be ready and available to reach a fair collective agreement, but let’s be clear – it was First Student who made threats of a lockout and not us.

They seem to think it’s perfectly reasonable to put schools and communities in a hostage position.”

The bus drivers in this unit drive for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, Greater Essex County District School Board, and Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence.

Unifor represents 20,000 members across the road transportation sector, with over 2,000 school bus drivers.

Premier Doug Ford slammed international liquor giant Diageo for cutting Unifor jobs and shifting production of Crown Royal out of Ontario – calling the company “dumb as a bag of hammers” as he poured out a bottle of the Canadian whisky.

At the September 2 media conference, the Premier went on to warn Diageo that the company is jeopardizing $740 million worth of business with the LCBO, its largest North American customer, all to save the $17 million it costs to pay Ontario workers.

“This is how you fight a trade war. This is how we stand up for good manufacturing jobs. We have leverage – and we use it. It’s time all politicians in Canada use domestic leverage to stand up for jobs. The message here is quite simple: You want to sell here? Then you better manufacture here,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

The call comes as Unifor Local 200 members at Diageo’s Amherstburg, Ont. plant prepare to fight to save more than 200 jobs following the company’s August 28 announcement that it will close the Crown Royal bottling facility in February 2026.

Diageo did not consult the union or its members before making the decision public—a move Unifor says shows a complete lack of respect for the workforce and community.

“This plant isn’t just a workplace — it’s the backbone of Amherstburg. Shutting it down would devastate families and the entire community. Diageo’s decision rips the heart out of Amherstburg. Our members built their success, and we won’t let them walk away without a fight,” said Unifor Local 200 President John D’Agnolo.

Premier Ford has also pledged to have the backs of Unifor members at Crown Royal, promising to stand with them as they fight to defend their jobs and their community.

Between the economic and social fallout, Unifor says Diageo’s decision is unacceptable.

“This company has picked a fight with the wrong union, in the wrong country, at the wrong time. Unifor is calling on all levels of government and consumers to hold Diageo—and any other company that plans to ship jobs out of Canada—accountable.” added Payne.