Persons Day

 

October 18, 2018

 

On October 18, Unifor members join Canadians in celebrating Persons Day. On this day in 1929, women won the right to be appointed to the Senate of Canada, finally being considered “persons” under the law. Since that time women have continued to work tirelessly to break down barriers to women’s full participation in public and political life. Using the lens of intersectionality, we can see that barriers can be compounded for women of colour, indigenous women, immigrant women, trans women and women with disabilities.

 

Persons Day is a reminder that equality cannot be reached simply through persistence. There must be a legal and systemic framework that supports gender equity – programs and policies such as universal child care, employment equity, reproductive rights and effective measures to combat sexual harassment.

 

Recent events illustrate the continued presence of sexual harassment and sexual assault in women’s lives. Unifor is committed to addressing these issues in the workplace with strong anti-harassment language, respectful workplace training and joint investigation processes. We encourage all locals to ensure these measures are in all collective agreements.

 

It is only through eliminating sexual harassment and sexual assault that women will be able to truly take their place as persons with full rights in society.

 

 

In solidarity

Lisa Kelly  

Director, Women’s Department

@UniforWomen |@SyndicatUnifor
facebook.com/UniforWomen | facebook.com/SyndicatUnifor

 

Members,

Last week, I asked if you were willing to act to defend the $15 minimum wage and workers’ rights.

Since then, I’ve heard from members across the province. From workplace actions, to petition collections, you’re ready to make some noise on Monday, October 15.

On Monday, Unifor members are participating in a province-wide day of action. Together, we’ll show that workers from all sectors, in communities right across the province, are united in our defense of a strengthened Employment Standards Act and the $15 minimum wage.

If you’re not sure about how to take action, here’s one idea that is easy to implement.

Wear red to work! Take photos of yourself and your fellow Unifor members with the posters that I’ve attached to this email. Post those pictures online with the hashtag #15andFairness and #Unifor.

It’s important that every single MPP understands that workers will not allow our rights to be rolled back.

To participate in events that are already organized across the province, check out the list compiled by the Worker’s Action Centre: https://www.15andfairness.org/events

 

Dear Unifor members,

Unifor-MWF Local 1 members at the Halifax Shipyard need your help!

Indications are the federal government may transfer repair work on Halifax-class navy ships from the Halifax Shipyard to the Davie Shipyard in Quebec. This work has been done by our Local 1 members in Halifax since the 1990’s and supports nearly 300 jobs. This work is critical to the Nova Scotian economy and the east coast shipbuilding industry.

This transfer of work will also impact the growing young workforce at the shipyard.

Logistically and economically, it makes perfect sense to keep the work in Halifax. With a skilled workforce familiar with the Halifax-Class ships, supplier relationships firmly established in the region, an ice-free harbour, the Royal Canadian Navy’s Atlantic Fleet based right next door, and decades of experience, our members at the Irving Shipyard are best positioned to continue this work.

This is why we must act now. We are asking that you send a message to all Nova Scotia Members of Parliament, to the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Public Services and Procurement that they must uphold the intent of the National Shipbuilding Strategy to support our domestic shipbuilding industry and avoid boom-bust cycles and precarious work.

Visit shipsstayhere.ca to sign our petition. Ask your friends and family to sign, too.

Unifor has proven that when our sisters and brothers are in need, we show up. Support Unifor-MWF Local 1 and help us keep the Halifax-class work in Halifax.

 

In solidarity,

Lana Payne

Atlantic Regional Director

Economist Mike Moffatt from Western University has tallied up what Doug Ford has proposed to cut. The total is a whopping $22 billion that Doug Ford in cuts from provincial revenues over three years. At the same time, Mr. Ford promised to end hallway medicine. These two sets of promises are contradictory.

Mr. Ford has no mandate whatsoever to cut and privatize health care. But given the pro-private anti-public health care people he is surrounded with, there is widespread concern that they will try to foment a fiscal crisis and use it to justify pushing through cuts and privatization that would devastate our public health care.

We all know that we cannot take any more cuts. What we urgently need in our province is to reinvest, to rebuild our health care — not cuts and privatization. The best way to protect public health care is to push for what we know we need and to ensure that this government is afraid to cut and privatize health care. We need to set the agenda and make them respond to us.

We know that the people of Ontario are with us. No one wants more cuts. The overwhelming majority of Ontarians oppose health care privatization. We need to mobilize, to make visible the public demand to improve our public health care. We need to inspire people to stand up and make cuts and privatization impossible. We can do this. We have done it before. But we need your help.

Please join this rally – a show of strength is vitally important now.