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Asian Heritage Month 2024

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April 22, 2024

 

Unifor celebrates Asian Heritage Month, that occurs annually each May. Together we honour and commemorate the culture and history of Asian communities in Canada.

Unifor recognizes the importance of creating and holding space for Asian voices, acknowledging the challenges they face, and working together to dismantle systemic barriers to create a more inclusive society. We are committed to advocating for equitable representation, fair treatment, and meaningful opportunities for Asian workers in all sectors of the economy that we’re building together.

As a union, we are guided by the principles of solidarity and justice, recognizing that our struggles are interconnected, and that true progress can only be achieved through collective action.

In the spirit of solidarity, Unifor stands shoulder to shoulder with Asian communities in Canada and around the world in the fight against racism, inequality, and injustice.

This month is also a reminder for all of us to come together to combat anti-Asian racism and discrimination in all its forms. Asian Canadians have reported continued mistreatment and harassment mainly due to political tensions and COVID-19, a 2023 poll by Angus Reid Institute and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation shows.

Together, we can create a more just, inclusive, and equitable society where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.

We strongly believe it is the role of our union to create safer workplaces and dedicated spaces to celebrate the invaluable contributions and accomplishments of Asian people and our diverse membership, by bargaining collective agreements that make our workplaces better places for everyone.

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Unifor to stage protest against Wescast Industries’ overseas owners for withholding $10 million from workers

 

WINGHAM—Unifor members will stage a protest at the Wescast plant in Wingham, Ontario tomorrow at 11 a.m. against the company’s China-based owners for withholding an estimated $10 million from workers.

“Our protest is about sending a message to Wescast’s overseas owners that ignoring your legal, financial and moral obligations to workers is not how you do business in Ontario,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi. “This foundry has been around for more than century and is a pillar of the community of Wingham. Workers deserve to be treated better than having to fight for what’s owed to them.”

On April 17, 2024 Unifor sent a letter to the Ontario Director of Employment Standards seeking intervention in the matter. A copy of the letter was sent to Ontario Minister of Labour David Piccini.

What: Unifor protest against Wescast plant owners withholding approximately $10 million in termination and severance payments to workers.

Who: Unifor Local 4207 members and Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi.

When: Thursday, April 25, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time

Where: Protest location is at the Wescast plant at 100 Water Street, Wingham, Ontario.

Approximately 200 Unifor Local 4207 members worked at the foundry when the company ceased operations in July 2023. The foundry had been in operation since 1902. Before ceasing operation, the plant supplied cast components for the auto industry. Wescast was acquired by Bohong Industries Group in 2013. The company has refused to pay millions of dollars in termination and severance payments owed to workers.

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Unifor eyes SEIU-CUPE award for Ontario health care members

A large group of people standing outside in the cold holding union flags

April 19, 2024

 

TORONTO–Unifor expects to achieve the wage increases and benefit improvements awarded to Ontario OCHU-CUPE and SEIU Healthcare members by Arbitrator William Kaplan in a recent decision.

Unifor congratulates OCHU-CUPE and SEIU Healthcare on this award as all three unions hold firm to their Solidarity Pact to bargain collaboratively and plans to achieve a similar outcome for Unifor health care workers in Ontario.

“Unifor health care members expect the same increases that have been awarded to other unionized workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Every person in this province wants, and needs access to quality, public health care. We can’t do that without supporting the workers across the system with respectable pay and working conditions.”

Unifor’s Northern Group, encompassing 15 acute care units from Locals 229 and 1359 in Northern Ontario, opened negotiations on February 13, 2024 and will be in mediation on May 4. The bargaining committee is bolstered by news of the 6% wage gains and other improvements awarded to OCHU-CUPE and SEIU.

“These three influential health care unions are championing a 10-point Solidarity Pact, not as a symbol, but as a powerful framework to save our public health care, starting with improvements to worker pay,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi. “Canadians can no longer take public health care for granted, or as a given. Publicly funded health care is under daily direct attack and we will not allow it to be turned into yet another of life’s core necessities to be milked for profit.”

Learn more about Unifor’s mission to restore public health care in Ontario so it’s great for everyone at savehealthcare.ca.

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MDA Space strike continues as management refuses to negotiate with workers

Workers with raised fists stand in front of the MDA Space headquarters in Brampton, Ontario

April 19, 2024

 

BRAMPTON—Fifty workers remain on strike this week at the flagship headquarters of MDA Space while the company refuses to continue negotiations and resolve the labour dispute.

“It is a staggering contrast that management at MDA Space, on the one hand, have the crucial role of advancing Canadian space technology and, on the other hand, are unwilling or incapable of bargaining a collective agreement covering a group of 50 dedicated, highly skilled workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Advanced aerospace manufacturing is no place for staging theatrics and playing games, particularly when MDA Space receives a generous amount of public dollars.”

MDA Space, the future home of the Canadarm3 and a key player in NASA’s lunar Gateway space station project, has been awarded substantial contracts. These include a $269 million contract for the next phase of the Gateway project, a $250 million contract for supporting robotics operations on the International Space Station, and approximately $25 million from the Ontario government to fund its new global space headquarters.

Unifor represents 50 workers at MDA Space in Brampton, Ontario who perform a wide range of production, office, and clerical duties for the company. In the days leading up to a strike deadline set for the morning of April 8, the company communicated that it would not participate in further negotiations with Unifor. At issue in the negotiations were a combination of economic issues including insufficient wage increases, pension contributions, and protection against rising living costs.

“Rather than taking their ball and going home, the Company needs to return to the table and make every effort to reach an agreement that works for both parties, not just MDA,” added Payne. “If we can make the Canadarm3, surely we can reach a collective agreement.”

Despite the union’s attempts to continue negotiations with MDA Space, the company has failed to agree to further bargaining dates.

MDA Space workers on strike

 

 

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NAV Canada threatens workers with use of scabs

April 18, 2024

 

As the Canadian Air Navigation Specialists Association (CANSA) at Unifor Local 1016 continued to negotiate with NAV Canada on the Maintenance of Activities in the event of a legal strike and/or lock-out to protect the Canadian travelling public, the company has advised the local it plans to use scab labour.

“We have been fighting tooth-and-nail for the federal government to pass anti-scab legislation now,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“Let Unifor’s actions at CN Autoport be a warning to other companies that our union won’t tolerate scab labour. We will defend our members’ right to strike and to free and fair collective bargaining. My message to NAVCan: Unifor is ready. All of us.”

Bill C-58, otherwise known as the federal anti-scab legislation, will help protect the right to fair collective bargaining and to strike, when necessary, a right that workers have fought for and won repeatedly. It passed second reading in the House of Commons with all-party support on Feb. 27, 2024.

On the same day NAV Canada told Unifor it plans to use replacement workers, the company publicly announced it signed a new deal with CAE Inc. to contract out the work of operational training simulation specialist members of Unifor Local 1016. CAE would now provide the generic training for flight service specialists (Unifor Local 2245) and air traffic controllers (Unifor Local 5454) instead of our Unifor training specialists.

Both sides came to an impasse in conciliation on April 12, 2024.

James Walker, President of CANSA and Unifor Local 1016, said NAV Canada made it clear to the bargaining committee that the company would not agree to the established Unifor pattern because the company feared the other four unions in bargaining would use it in arbitration against them. To add further insult, NAV Canada is seeking significant concessions from CANSA.

“This has been a very frustrating round of negotiations,” said Walker.

“We have seen delay after delay to settle with the other unions first in hopes of diluting the pattern. Now, they are resorting to bullying tactics in order to spread fear amongst our members, who voted 95% in favour of strike action. This will not be tolerated.”

In February, CANSA and NAV Canada jointly advised the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) of their efforts to negotiate a Maintenance of Activities agreement. If the parties were unable to reach a settlement, the CIRB would be required to intervene.

Unifor has advised the CIRB that given the bully tactics employed by NAV Canada the union does not see how the parties can come to terms. Unifor has asked the labour board to exercise their power under Section 87.4(6) of the Canada Labour Code.

The local represents members in Air Traffic Control Training, Operational Support, Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), Flight Data Analytics and Aeronautical Information Management at NAV Canada locations from coast-to-coast.

The CANSA bargaining team will update members with any new developments.