Happy Labour Day: Workers’ Power Is the Answer to the New Gilded Age

Happy Labour Day: Workers’ Power Is the Answer to the New Gilded Age

By Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress  Happy Labour Day. Today, we celebrate the power of workers — past, present, and future. It was workers who won weekends, universal health care, pensions, unemployment insurance, parental leave, pay equity, and health and safety laws. And it will be workers who win the next generation of rights, protections, and fairness. …

CUPE flight attendants prove bargaining, not Carney’s Section 107, delivers deals

OTTAWA – Air Canada flight attendants, members of CUPE, have delivered a decisive blow to employers who think they can sidestep fair bargaining by hiding behind Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. Prime Minister Carney’s government chose to impose Section 107 just hours after the strike began—an unprecedented and heavy-handed move to tilt the scales in the employer’s favour.…

Statement from Bea Bruske: Trump’s 35% Tariffs Demand a Bold Response

We are once again facing a direct economic assault on Canada and Canadian workers. Donald Trump’s announcement of 35% tariffs on our goods coming into force on August 1st is a calculated attack—an attempt to bully our country, break our backbone, and force us to kneel to his agenda. It comes two days after he imposed a 50% tariff on…

Canada’s unions applaud recognition of Palestinian statehood and urge further action to end the crisis in Gaza

Open Letter from Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, to Prime Minister Mark Carney Dear Prime Minister:  On behalf of Canada’s unions, I am writing about the unspeakable situation in Gaza and what can only be described as genocide. The October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas was an atrocity. The collective punishment being inflicted on millions of Palestinians in…

Gaza: ITUC condemns Israeli interception of Handala solidarity boat and arrest of trade unionists

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) expresses deep concern and condemnation over the recent interception and detention of the civilian vessel Handala by the Israeli military in international waters. The Handala, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was carrying vital humanitarian aid to Gaza, along with 21 peaceful activists committed to human rights and international solidarity. Among those unlawfully detained are…

Council of the Federation must focus on the impact of the trade war on workers

Bea Bruske, the President of the Canadian Labour Congress, issued the following statement today: Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s premiers are meeting to discuss the impact of Trump’s trade war on Canada. Workers should be front and centre for Canada’s leaders. This trade war has already taken a major toll on Canada’s workers. We are losing jobs or…

CLC President Bea Bruske in Washington for labour meetings amidst trade war 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As U.S. President Donald Trump reignites global instability with a reckless 35% tariff threat, international labour leaders are uniting to defend workers and democracy. Tomorrow, Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, is joining Liz Shuler, President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), and Yasmin Fahimi, President of the German…

Canada’s unions warn against austerity

Statement by Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress Prime Minister Carney’s instruction to cabinet to identify deep operational savings is a dangerous step in the wrong direction, one that puts critical public services and the workers who deliver them on the chopping block. We’ve already seen nearly 10,000 federal jobs lost in the past year, with thousands of…

Postal workers deserve a fair deal, not government interference

Statement from Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress Canada’s unions are deeply disappointed — and profoundly concerned — by Minister Hajdu’s decision to impose a vote on Canada Post’s final offers. Let’s be clear: the strongest, most lasting agreements are reached at the bargaining table, not forced through governmental interference. This decision is more than just a misstep;…

Joint statement from French, British, and Canadian unions

In advance of the UN conference France is co-chairing, we unions representing millions of workers across France, the United Kingdom, and Canada urge our governments to formally recognise the State of Palestine now and to stand firm in their opposition to the atrocities committed in Gaza and the West Bank. We welcome the recent joint statement by our heads of…