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Unifor welcomes federal support for a national food program

Source: Unifor National

Unifor applauds the federal government’s announcement that the upcoming budget will include a $1 billion investment to help provide healthy meals for children and assist families during the affordability crisis.

“With high grocery costs and a surge in food bank usage across the country – with one-third of them being children – we need a structured national school nutrition program now,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“We encourage all premiers to join with the federal government to support and build a national universal school nutrition program. This is no time for jurisdictional squabbles, this is a time to support families and feed kids.”

“So many working-class families will benefit from this. It’s good for kids, good for parents and good for our entire society,” Payne added.

The $1 billion investment, announced April 1, will be spread out over five years. The federal government said it would give access to healthier meals to roughly 400,000 children who aren’t being served by existing school-based programs, and who tend to come from Black, Indigenous and people of colour families and lower-income families.

The federal government’s plan is to work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous groups to expand their existing programs.

The funding makes good on the Liberals’ 2021 election platform, where the Trudeau government promised to invest $1 billion in a national school meal program over five years.

As it stands, Canada is the only country in the G7 that doesn’t have a national school nutrition program, says the Breakfast Club of Canada.

“We know that good nutrition affects children’s overall health, well-being, and learning. We cannot grow leaders of tomorrow on empty stomachs.”

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Steward Nominations 1996-O

The 7 day Steward Nomination period is now open as of April 09 2024, nominations must be received by Fax (416-538-1997) no later than April 16 2024 at 10:00am EST.

Please follow the instructions on the nomination form itself to correctly indicate your division and location as well as information and times etc….see sample nomination attached below (if temporary loaned out of your division you must apply within the locality and division loaned from)

 

Sample Nomination Form (This is a sample only)

Sample – Nomination Form Stewards 2024

 

Download 2024 Steward Nomination Form here

Nomination-Form-Stewards-2024

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Unifor holds massive rally against Bell in Ottawa

Unifor members marching down a main street waving flags and a large "Shame on Bell" banner at the front.

Shame On Bell

Unifor leadership and Bell telecommunications and media members are in Ottawa to call out Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. for slashing more than 6,000 jobs in the past eight months while increasing payouts to shareholders. Today, Bell executives were supposed to answer for their actions before the House of Commons Heritage Committee but the company has delayed the hearing for the second time.

Unifor’s ‘Shame on Bell’ media conference from Parliament Hill:

 

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Shame on Bell – Add your Voice, Contact the Bell Board…follow the link

Shame On Bell - Unifor

Click the link below to add your voice

https://www.shameonbell.ca/

Shame on Bell.

Established 144 years ago, Bell has evolved into Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE Inc.), commanding the helm as Canada’s leading communications conglomerate. Now the company has been tarnished by the irresponsible and callous decisions by the Bell Board of Directors.

BCE’s systematic reduction of telecommunication jobs, outsourcing practices, offshoring endeavors, and the relentless downsizing of TV and radio newsrooms across the nation have cast a shadow over its legacy. Meanwhile, payouts to shareholders and executive board members have soared, exacerbating the growing chasm between corporate wealth and worker stability.

In a stunning blow to its workforce, February 2024 saw Bell axing an additional 4,800 jobs – a staggering 9% of its employees. More than 800 Unifor members, comprising 700 in telecommunications and more than 100 in media, found themselves abruptly terminated, casualties of a corporate ethos that prioritizes shareholder dividends over employee livelihoods.

Bell is a communications company with no moral fibre. While BCE points fingers at governmental policies, it cannot escape accountability for its actions.

Bell, Canadians demand that you:

  • Cease contracting and offshoring work, prioritize local employment and support Canadian workers.Bell must halt the practice of outsourcing jobs to foreign countries and prioritize employing Canadians. Offshoring work not only diminishes local job opportunities but also undermines the quality of service provided to Canadian customers. By investing in local jobs, Bell can contribute to the growth and prosperity of communities across the nation.
  • Stop slashing newsrooms and invest in local journalism to ensure accessible and diverse coverage for communities.The continuous reduction of TV and radio newsrooms across Canada limits the diversity and depth of news coverage available to citizens. Bell must cease the downsizing of newsrooms and instead commit to bolstering local journalism. Investing in newsrooms ensures that communities receive comprehensive and unbiased reporting, vital for informed civic engagement and democracy.
  • Reduce dividend payouts to prioritize reinvestment in employee well-being, job security, and infrastructure development.Excessive dividend payouts to shareholders and executive board members come at the expense of workers’ well-being and job security. Bell should reconsider its dividend policies and allocate a larger portion of profits towards employee benefits, training programs, and infrastructure improvements. Prioritizing reinvestment in its workforce and infrastructure ensures the long-term sustainability and success of the company.

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Bell terminates workers on virtual group meetings

A man and a woman stand with Shame on Bell signs with a crowd behind them

March 20, 2024

 

TORONTO – Hundreds of Unifor Bell telecommunications members are being terminated on virtual group meetings today, just a day after Unifor rallied in Ottawa to call out Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE) for cutting thousands of jobs across the country while continuing to rake in profits and increase payouts to shareholders.

“These members have been living in dread of a meeting invite to find out they’ve lost their job since Bell announced the termination of thousands of jobs almost six weeks ago,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The truth is Bell picked a number of heads to roll so it could increase its dividend payout without an actual plan on which jobs and which workers would be eliminated so the terminations are cruelly dragged out.”

Unifor represents more than 19,000 telecommunications workers at BCE and its subsidiaries.

Today notification began to more than 400 telco members in the Bell Clerical Bargaining Unit to inform them that they are being declared ‘surplus’ with some possibly eligible for a retirement incentive.

In one short 10-minute virtual meeting held this morning, a Bell Human Resources and Labour Relations manager, read a notice, without allowing members or the union the opportunity to unmute to ask questions.

After the union expressed outrage, Bell has modified its approach for upcoming meetings.  Union representatives will be identified and people on the group calls will have the ability to unmute to ask questions.

“Our members, who have devoted years of service to this telecoms and media giant, are being repaid with pink slips,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier. “If that’s not beyond shameful, I don’t know what is.”

The union launched its “Shame on Bell” campaign in response to last month’s announcement that BCE is callously eliminating 4,800 jobs, including 800 Unifor members in telco and media.

The mass termination of more than 6,000 workers in the last eight months occurred while BCE continues to rake in profits, reporting a whopping $2.3 billion profit at the end of last year.

Find more info on Bell job cuts, profits and dividend payouts here.

“Our dedicated, loyal, workers, who are predominately women, will have to explain to their families tonight that they are being let go from Bell for no good reason other than making sure that their shareholders and Board of Directors come first when getting paid,” said Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer Len Poirier. “It’s absolutely disgusting.”

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.