UNIFOR local 1996-O recognizes our incredible Sisters and Brothers who keep the network up and running!
In Solidarity,
Lee, Sanjay, Brian, Chris
Happy Easter
Happy Easter to all those who celebrate, wishing your families a safe holiday
In Solidarity,
1996-O Executive, 1996-O Equity Committee
Unifor celebrates World Health Day and Year of the Nurse
Unifor celebrates health care workers on April 7, 2020 for World Health Day, recognizing the special sacrifices these workers are making right now as they fight on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Workers in health care professions face incredible challenges with bravery and determination on a daily basis, and never in our lifetimes has that bravery been more evident,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Thank you, on World Health Day, and every day to Unifor nurses and health care workers, and all health workers across the country.”
World Health Day is led by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an annual day of recognition to those working in health care. This year, it is also part of a larger campaign to recognize nurses and midwives: The Year of the Nurse. Unifor represents more than 25,000 workers in health care, many of whom are Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs).
“As a nurse, it has meant the world to me to work with my union to help provincial and federal governments better understand the needs of today’s care teams, and in particular, the struggles we face in regions where public health funding is inadequate or faces cutbacks,” said Katha Fortier, Assistant to the National President. “Nurses are the heart, soul, muscle and grit in our health care system and we owe them a deep gratitude for their tireless work, especially right now.”
Now, more than ever, Canadians depend on the care nurses provide and recognize the risks they face on a daily basis.
“As Canada grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is particularly important to protect and value nurses who will be on the front lines to combat the spread of this virus and treat those who fall ill,” said Fortier.
Show your gratitude by sharing World Health Day graphics.
More information about the Year of the Nurse and World Health Day can be found on the WHO website.
Ford workers in Windsor make face shields to fight COVID-19
Workers at Ford Canada in Windsor are making a difference in the fight to flatten the COVID-19 curve by manufacturing face shields for health care workers and first responders.
More than a dozen workers are part of the effort and can produce up to 200 face shields per day. All workers are manufacturing the shields safely under strict social distancing requirements mandated by medical authorities.
“This is a proud moment for our union and our members in the auto sector who are coming together for their community and their country at this critical moment,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Our members in Windsor are among the most giving and caring people in the country who time and time again act selflessly and generously to help out in any way they can.”
Nearly 4,000 face shields have already been produced and delivered to health care facilities across Windsor-Essex county, including 300 to Aspen Lake long-term care, 2,000 to Windsor Regional Hospital, 400 to Hotel Dieu long-term care, 800 to Leamington Hospital, 120 to the Windsor Downtown Mission, and 100 to Sunrise Senior Living.
“It’s a proud moment to be the President of this local and knowing what these workers are doing to support our frontline workers who are risking their lives everyday,” said John D’Agnolo, President of Local 200.
Workers at Ford of Canada and management have already donated medical supplies including Nitrile gloves to Brampton Civic Hospital and N95 masks to Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in Oakville.
Letter to Prime Minister – Don’t reward unethical employers using scabs
April 2, 2020
The Right Honourable Prime Minister Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Prime Minister,
Re: Don’t reward unethical employers using scabs
I am writing to you today about the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).
First, I want to thank you for heeding the advice of organizations, including mine, which argued that the 10 per cent subsidy offered by the Temporary Wage Subsidy program was totally insufficient and its eligibility criteria far too narrow. By introducing a 75 per cent wage subsidy under the CEWS, the government will provide a far more meaningful incentive for employers to keep workers on their payroll. Other crisis measures, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, are also welcomed by workers who desperately need income support during these unprecedented times. Unifor looks forward to working with you to better tailor these programs for the needs of working people in the coming weeks and months.
As you begin to finalize the eligibility criteria for CEWS, it is important that you prohibit employers currently involved in labour disputes choosing to deploy replacement workers (aka scabs) from accessing the subsidy.
Under no circumstances can these employers be rewarded by the federal government for union-busting tactics. Should federal funds be allocated to companies benefitting from scab labour, it will only serve to prolong labour disputes, doing greater harm to local workers, their families, and their community.
Scab labour is illegal in two provinces, Québec and British Columbia, and ought to be outlawed in the federal sector, as we have discussed in the past.
Take the case of the Co-op Refinery in Regina. More than 700 Unifor members have been locked out by the employer since December 5, 2019. Co-op was quick to fly in scabs using helicopters and has chosen to house them in cheap, temporary facilities. Co-op has resisted bargaining a settlement for more than 118 days and has recently snubbed recommendations from an independent mediator appointed by Premier Scott Moe.
The obstacles facing these locked out refinery workers are many. The last thing these oil and gas workers and their families want is a generous federal subsidy directed to an inflexible and greedy employer bent on breaking their spirits.
The dreadful conditions of the crowded worksite housing is also something Unifor has raised with municipal and provincial authorities. Whatever one’s view of replacement workers, nobody deserves to be the subject of Co-op’s bizarre housing experiment during a public health crisis. Those workers should be immediately sent home to their families before an outbreak happens.
I appreciate that initiating programs such as the CEWS under an impossibly short time frame is a very challenging undertaking for policy-makers and civil servants. That said, we are proposing implementing simple criteria to prevent Canada’s most unethical employers from benefitting from emergency relief. Let’s work together to put working people first.
Sincerely,
Jerry Dias, National President
cc. The Honourable Bill Morneau, P.C., M.P., The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, P.C., M.P., The Honourable Scott Moe, M.L.A.
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