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Unifor celebrates Asian and South Asian Heritage Month 2019

Jerry Dias

B.C.’s gold rush fueled the first big wave of Chinese immigrants more than one hundred and fifty years ago and others from across the Asian continent followed. Since then, Asian Canadians have played a significant role in shaping our country by enriching its diversity, economy and culture.

During May, Unifor celebrates their contributions, as we feature members from these communities and highlight their activism.

Asian and South Asian Heritage Month aims to combat racism and discrimination. Unfortunately, the Canadian government’s treatment of early immigrants is a shameful part of our history.

Responding to anti-immigration sentiment in 1885, the federal parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act, otherwise known as a head tax. All Chinese entering Canada had to pay a $50 fee. By 1903, the fee rose to $500.

On the eve of the Second World War, in May 1914, the Komagatu Maru sailed into Vancouver, with passengers from India. It was denied docking under the continuous journey regulation of Canada’s Immigration Act, a law used to deter immigrants from Asia. After two months living onboard in squalid conditions, most of the passengers were forced to return to India, where 19 died in a clash with police.

Shortly after Japan’s entry into the Second World War, Canadians of Japanese origin were forcibly removed from their homes on the west coast. They were placed in camps, despite very little evidence to show that they were a security threat.

Today, Canadians with Asian ancestry comprise the largest and fastest growing visible minority group in Canada, with 17.7% of the population. Many have overcome great adversity to live here and generations of hard work have transformed communities and helped make Canada prosperous.

As the union for everyone, Unifor is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and to breaking down barriers and stereotypes.  To combat racism, Unifor recently held nation-wide roundtables where participants learned strategies to fight discrimination in workplaces and communities.

In solidarity,

Jerry Dias
National President

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Real talk: Slashing jobs and building resistance

Bell’s business plan is to cut good jobs to increase profit.

Bell-Membership-Graph-EN

Over the past 10 years, Bell has slashed the number of unionized employees in nearly every unit. This is not a well kept secret, with Bell employees witnessing the job erosion through various tactics. Erosion continues despite all bargaining committees trying to address this at the bargaining table.

Where did the jobs go? Bell has automated some, and sent others overseas or to domestic contractors. But that’s a Real Talk for a different day.

The only job growth in the last 10 years has been in the Bell Technical Solutions (BTS) group. A company that was founded to contract out technical work for lower pay.

Unifor has fought to defend members in BTS and raise standards for them. Now, even this prosperous unit has been passed over for the next major project Bell is in the process of launching.

Read more here

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GM Canada and Unifor reach agreement to save hundreds of jobs with a C$170 million investment in Oshawa

GM Diaz

OSHAWA, Ont. (May 8, 2019) – General Motors Canada and Unifor today announced that they have reached a “Transformation Agreement” that will transition the GM Oshawa Assembly operations to parts manufacturing and advanced vehicle testing. The Agreement includes the following:

  • The Company plans to invest in excess of C$170 million to support a transition of operations at the Plant from vehicle assembly to one focused on stamping, related sub-assembly, and other miscellaneous activities for GM and other auto industry customers.
  • GM will convert part of the Oshawa Plant property into a test track for autonomous and advanced technology vehicles – further expanding the capability of GM’s Canadian Technical Centre (CTC) in Ontario. (link to Test Track Backgrounder)
  • The new business will retain 300 Oshawa jobs with the potential to grow and generate significant additional jobs in the coming years, as the business attracts new customers.
  • GM Canada will offer special relocations to Oshawa employees for jobs at some of its other Ontario operations.
  • GM will offer enhanced retirement packages to retirement-eligible Oshawa Assembly employees including vouchers toward the purchase of new GM vehicles, a benefit that will support both retiring employees and GM dealerships in Durham Region and surrounding areas.
  • A transition plan for other GM Oshawa Assembly employees. A “Jobs Action Centre” will be opened in June 2019, in Oshawa to enable employees to plan now for future career opportunities outside GM following the end of Oshawa vehicle production in December 2019. Supported by GM, Unifor and the Ontario government, the Jobs Action Centre will help match employee skills with new employers’ requirements.
  • GM will offer retraining financial support for all qualified Oshawa Assembly hourly employees seeking new employment. (link to Workforce Transition Backgrounder)

To further underscore its partnership and commitment to Oshawa’s sustainable future, GM also intends to donate the three-acre Fenelon Park and the 87-acre McLaughlin Bay wildlife preserve to the City of Oshawa for the permanent benefit of all its citizens.  (link to McLaughlin Bay Backgrounder)

GM Canada president and managing director Travis Hester said, “This transformation plan is very significant as it positions Oshawa for a sustainable future. This agreement maximizes the support for our people and their families, and further secures Oshawa as a key in developing vehicles of the future at our new test track.”

“By maintaining a footprint in Oshawa, and keeping the plant intact, we save hundreds of jobs and this gives us the ability to build and create new jobs in the future. We are in a much better position than we were five months ago when the plant was closing,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

About General Motors in Canada

General Motors of Canada markets Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles through Canada’s impressive dealer network, as well as OnStar and MAVEN services. Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, GM Canada employs more than 7,700 people across the country and is a recognized leader in advanced manufacturing, green operations, active safety, and autonomous and connected vehicle technology research and development. For more information about General Motors Canada, please visit www.gm.ca, or follow @GMcanada on Twitter.

Unifor

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

CONTACTS:

General Motors of Canada

Jennifer Wright Director, Communications, Mobile (905) 744-6044

jennifer.wright@gm.com

Unifor

Natalie Clancy, Unifor Director of Communications, Mobile (416) 707-5794

Natalie.Clancy@unifor.org

                         

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Ontario’s next 5-year occupational health and safety strategy – Complete the short Survey

Members,

 

Ontario is developing a new 5-year occupational health and safety strategy. To help develop this strategy, MOL is seeking your feedback online via a public survey.

 

The survey can be completed here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-ontarios-next-occupational-health-and-safety-strategy

 

Survey closing date: May 15, 2019

 

In solidarity,

 

National Health and Safety Department

 

 

In solidarity / En toute solidarité,

 

Laura Hargrove