Publications

Fraser Institute pension study hypocritical – Georgetti says Fraser fronts for big business, conservative politicians

OTTAWA ― The Canadian Labour Congress says that a study released by the Fraser Institute, which attacks the pensions paid to men and women who provide public services to Canadians, is hypocritical. “The Fraser Institute claims to be independent and non-partisan,” says CLC President Ken Georgetti. “But the Institute is well known for taking millions of dollars in contributions from…

CLC criticizes freeze on EI premiums – Georgetti says it’s being done on backs of the unemployed

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says that the federal government’s three-year freeze on Employment Insurance (EI) premiums is being done on the backs of unemployed Canadians. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty claims that freezing EI premiums will help businesses in Canada to create more jobs. “This is a shell game,” says Ken Georgetti. “This government has given…

Youth unemployment, quality of jobs a big concern: Georgetti comments on August job numbers

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says that youth unemployment and the quality of jobs across the economy remain big concerns in Canada. Ken Georgetti was commenting on the release by Statistics Canada of its Labour Force Survey for August 2013. There were 1,362,000 unemployed Canadians in August and the overall unemployment rate was 7.1%. In the…

Union wages benefit all communities: CLC president says much to celebrate on Labour Day

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says workers in Canada have much to celebrate on Labour Day because union wages benefit the entire community. “We believe in the old saying that what we desire for ourselves we wish for all,” says Ken Georgetti. “Many of the benefits first won by unions are enjoyed by all workers today,…

Canada needs a jobs and training strategy: Georgetti comments on disappointing July job numbers

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says that the job numbers for July are a big disappointment and he is calling on the federal government and employers to invest in both job creation and training.   “Our economy lost 39,400 jobs in July and the unemployment rate is up. This is a wakeup call and we want…

Tinkering won’t fix TFWP’s flaws: Georgetti on changes to foreign worker program

OTTAWA ― The Conservative government’s announced reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) amount to tinkering and fail to address fundamental flaws with the program, says Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress. “The government is trying to patch gaping holes in the integrity of the TFWP with half-hearted reforms,” says Georgetti, “but this falls far short of…

The time for pension leadership is now: Georgetti calls on Premiers to move forward with an expanded Canada Pension Plan

OTTAWA ― The Canadian Labour Congress is pleased Ontario has pledged to continue to press for an expanded Canada Pension Plan at this week’s Council of the Federation meetings.  Ken Georgetti, the President of the Canadian Labour Congress says he was pleased to learn that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is keeping CPP expansion on the agenda for the premiers to…

Georgetti says unemployment remains too high: Comments on Statistics Canada job numbers for June

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says that the rate of unemployment in Canada remains unacceptably high and that the economy is not producing enough jobs, particularly for younger workers. Ken Georgetti was commenting on the release by Statistics Canada of its Labour Force Survey for June 2013. There were 1,355,100 unemployed Canadians in June, and the…

Fraser Institute fails to make case for RRSPs: Flawed study attempts to attack expanded CPP

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says that the Fraser Institute has unwittingly made the case for expanding the Canada Pension Plan and making it the preferred retirement savings option. “Experts agree and all of the evidence shows that the CPP is by far the best way to guarantee financial security for people in retirement.” says CLC…

Georgetti comments on Statistics Canada job numbers: Says government fails to consult labour on job plans

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress says that the federal government consistently fails to consult workers and their representatives when creating policies about jobs and training. Georgetti was commenting on the release by Statistics Canada of its Labour Force Survey for May 2013. There were 1,347,600 unemployed Canadians in May, and the overall unemployment rate was 7.1%.…