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Unifor welcomes Canada’s intervention on eve of line 5 closure

May 11, 2021

CALGARY— Unifor is relieved the federal Minister of Natural Resources is intervening on the eve of tomorrow’s deadline for Enbridge to shut down a key artery in the energy infrastructure between Canada and the U.S., providing vital energy needs for four provinces and four states.

“The Governor of Michigan is recklessly messing with a critical piece of infrastructure that puts thousands of jobs at risk,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “We are in full support of the Canadian government filing a brief to try to continue mediation between Enbridge and the State of Michigan.”

Today Canada filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan to support continued mediation between Enbridge and the State of Michigan.

Last fall Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave Enbridge a May 12, 2021 deadline to shut down a section pipeline that has been moving crude safely for 67 years.

“Line 5 is a critical energy and economic link between Canada and the United States, and coveys Canada’s belief that the U.S. federal court is the proper jurisdiction to hear the case between Michigan and Enbridge,” said the federal government’s news release.

“Energy security, economic prosperity, and supporting energy workers are top priorities for the Government of Canada,” said the Honourable Seamus O’Regan.

“Closing Line 5 would be disastrous for our energy security across the region, resulting in a supply drop of 45% to the refineries serviced by the line, including refineries in Sarnia, Nanticoke, and Montreal and putting at least 4,900 jobs in Ontario are ‘at risk’.  The repercussions would be felt as far away as Alberta and Saskatchewan, said Dias.

Dias points out that Enbridge’s Great Lakes Tunnel Project, approved in 2018, will reroute Line 5 underneath the lakebed of Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, virtually eliminating the threat of a pipeline incident.

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New funding secures jobs at Alstom Thunder Bay

May 12, 2021

THUNDER BAY—After months of lobbying, Unifor members are relieved with today’s funding announcement by federal and provincial ministers, the Mayors of Toronto and Thunder Bay, and transit officials to purchase sixty additional streetcars and refurbish bi-level coaches that will secure jobs for Unifor Local 1075 members at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay.

“Today’s announcement is about securing jobs for the present but more importantly for the future,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, speaking at the virtual news conference, streamed live on Unifor’s Facebook page. “Sixty additional zero-emission streetcars is a real game changer for the facility in Thunder Bay. Today’s announcement is about vision, it’s about saying how we can do things when we put our collective minds together.”

Since 2018, Unifor has repeatedly raised concerns with public officials that hundreds of direct and many more indirect jobs were at risk at the Thunder Bay plant. As the plant moved from Bombardier to new overseas ownership by French rail manufacturer Alstom, the union ramped up its campaign to secure orders for transit vehicles beginning in 2020.

Today’s announcement provides much needed short-term sustainability for the plant. Funding commitments include a combined total of $568 million in federal, provincial and municipal funds to purchase 60 streetcars from Alstom Thunder Bay as well as expand storage facilities for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). In addition, discussions will continue with Metrolinx to refurbish additional GO bi-level coaches.

“These jobs are vital to our economy and our members have always delivered high-quality rail vehicles,” said Dominic Pasqualino, Unifor Local 1075 President. “Now our goal is to secure the plant’s long-term stability and increase capacity.”

Unifor will continue work with the company and public officials to help obtain additional work for the plant.

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Unifor thanks nurses for always answering the call

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Unifor recognises the dedication and achievements of nurses who contribute to excellence in health care and raise awareness of the issues and challenges of health care workers.

People in Canada and around the world celebrate Nursing Week each year during the week of Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May 12. The Canadian theme of Nursing Week 2021 is, “We answer the call.”

“Even when facing unimaginable circumstances and unreasonable working conditions, Unifor nurses truly answered the call of the past year,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “These COVID heroes have been subjected to restrictive emergency orders and legislation. Today, they continue to work erratic and unreasonable schedules, taking no vacation and often needing to self-isolate from their families to protect them.”

Unifor was the first union to publicly demand Pandemic Pay for health care workers in April of 2020. The unions’ position continues to be that any worker subject to provincial Emergency Orders should receive pandemic pay.

“As the rate of hospitalization continues to threaten to topple Ontario’s healthcare system, and push out scheduled surgeries, we expect that nurses could possibly will continue to be redeployed across hospitals in the GTA, long-term care homes or retirement homes, possibly without the notice or training and orientation that the jobs demand,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “Premier Doug Ford likes to call our nurses heroes but refuses to treat them as such. Nurses alongside a slew of health care workers deserve pandemic pay and respect from their government. That includes ensuring they be prioritized for their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.”

The pandemic brought to light systemic staffing and capacity shortages in Canada’s healthcare and long-term care systems to the forefront with tragic consequences. This past year, Unifor pressured federal and provincial governments to improve healthcare workers’ lives. The union lobbied for governments to introduce paid sick days, access to personal protective equipment and in provinces with pandemic pay, for it to be available and permanent for all health care workers.

“Nurses, along with all health care workers, are on the frontlines, battling this deadly and evolving virus each day,” said Linda MacNeil, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. “Their work invaluable in providing care for Canadians at a time when we have needed it more than ever. We are collectively grateful for their dedicated service.”

The union will continue to be on the front lines fighting for the rights of all health care workers including demanding increased funding for public health care and a long-term care system that is not driven by profits.

This nursing week, the union encourages members and locals to share this statement and the Nursing Week image online on local websites and social media.

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Unifor takes to the skies with a bold message for Premier Ford

An airplane flys, pulling a banner that reads, "Paid Sick Days Now."

May 1, 2021 – 12:00 AM

TORONTO – As the province continues to deny workers permanent paid sick leave, Unifor takes to the skies above the Greater Toronto Area with a bold message to Premier Doug Ford.

“We are running out of ways to get the message across to the Premier that workers need permanent, adequate sick leave, enshrined in employment standards legislation. So today, we brought the message right to his house, and to millions across the region, with a method that’s hard to ignore,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “When we say that Ontario’s workers need paid sick days, we mean employer-paid sick leave that they can rely on, without question, during this pandemic and forever.”

 

The message of support for paid sick days is flying on Saturday May 1 from Oshawa, over Toronto, and to Brampton, with a special tour in Etobicoke North.

Unifor first wrote to Premier Ford in March 2020 outlining the need for paid sick days to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stills and raw footage of the airplane banner will be available upon request to media.

“For the past year, Unifor and our members have written letters, called, met with MPPS and tried everything in our power to make the case for permanent paid sick leave for all workers in the province. As new variants rip through workplaces and communities, Doug Ford’s government stalled and then delivered a new benefit that is not adequate, and brings new gaps that may leave some workers even worse off,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director.

Three days of sick leave is not sufficient for COVID illness or recovery, and does not meet the needs of workers who could face a repeated need to seek COVID testing or self-isolate.

Unifor advocates for universal paid sick days to be enshrined in labour law in Ontario that includes:

  • 7 permanent paid sick days;
  • 14 additional paid sick days during a declared public health emergency;
  • Universality (i.e. it applies to all workers, regardless of status);
  • A prohibition on sick notes;
  • Flexible (i.e. not just for short-term illness; more akin to “personal emergency” days);
  • Employer-paid;
  • No administrative burden.

In the past year, members in Ontario engaged Ministers and MPPS in a targeted lobbying campaign on this and other issues in advance of the 2021 provincial budget. In the coming week, the union will continue to escalate this call for true paid sick days with its member-driven digital campaign and a series of “phone zap” calling actions.

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LOCAL 1996-O CHIEF STEWARD STRUCTURED CABLE ELECTION 2021 (May 7 2021- May 31 2021)

Sisters and Brothers,

Nominations have closed for the 2021 1996-O Chief Steward Elections.

There will be an Election for Chief Steward in Structured Cable 1996-O,

The dates of the election are the following:

  • Mail out of ballots will commence from May 7th 2021.
  • Return ballot envelopes must be deposited by way of Canada Post no later than May 19th 2021 2400hrs.
    (Note any return ballot envelopes postmarked after May 20th 2021 will not be accepted or counted.)
    Spoiled ballots are those that do not clearly indicate the person voted for/and or otherwise marked in any way, including if the return envelope has been written/marked on, or tampered with. (There is a detailed explanation insert with the mailed out ballot.)
  • Seniority list from April of 2021 will be used as a voters list
  • Member Address List: The Current home address list of 1996-O Structured Cable members attained from BTS/Unifor1996-O in May 2021
  • May 11th 2021 @ 1000hrs is the deadline to inform the committee of an address discrepancy on file with the employer/Union. The committee must be informed via email Elections1996@gmail.com for the correction, there will be no exceptions.
  • Please note eligibility to vote is for Structured cable members of 1996-O
  • The Election will take place on May 31st 2021.

1996-O, Structured Cable Chief Steward 2021 Election candidates as follows:

  • Lloyd Bishop
  • Colum Lynn

 

In Solidarity,

Local 1996-O