CLC President Bea Bruske: Vote to make sure working moms aren’t left behind

CLC President Bea Bruske: Vote to make sure working moms aren’t left behind

Bruske joins group of prominent women demanding all parties make affordable, accessible child care for all a priority  OTTAWA—On today’s National Day of Action for early learning and child care, Canadian Labour Congress president, Bea Bruske, joined fifty prominent women and co-signed a letter demanding all candidates and parties commit to accessible and affordable child care for all. “I am proud…

All parties in this pandemic election should agree on one big issue – national pharmacare

By Beatrice Bruske, Doug Roth and Linda Silas On August 11th, the federal and Prince Edward Island governments signed an agreement to improve the list of drugs available on PEI public plans and “accelerate work to implement pharmacare.” Islanders will surely benefit. But we need to make sure the final outcome is indeed a universal pharmacare program. This would mean…

Canada’s unions encouraged by continued job market recovery but urge parties to stay focused on the long road ahead

Canada’s unions are calling on elected leaders to stay focused on running the economy hot, allowing a high-pressure economy to fuel demand for labour and boost wages. While Statistics Canada’s latest job numbers for July demonstrate another strong month for job gains, achieving pre-pandemic measures of employment and unemployment would only return Canada to the highly unequal, and for many,…

Governments must honour Emancipation Day by addressing systemic racism

Canada’s unions are calling on governments at every level to mark Canada’s first national recognition of Emancipation Day by addressing systemic racism in employment experienced by Black workers. Emancipation Day has been observed in Ontario since 2008, but this year it will be commemorated across Canada for the first time. Over a year into the pandemic and one year after…

CLC Canadian Council Statement on an Alberta Pension Plan

The Alberta Government of Jason Kenney has indicated its intention to explore withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Canada’s unions oppose this step and call on the Government of Alberta to abandon this ill-considered decision. Pension plans are complex, long-term arrangements. Funding, design and investment decisions made today will affect generations far into the future. Choices made about pensions…

CLC Canadian Council Statement on the Government of Ontario’s Decision to Invoke the Notwithstanding Clause

The Canadian Labour Congress and its affiliates join the Ontario Federation of Labour in roundly and unanimously condemning the Ford government’s decision to nullify an Ontario court judgment which found key parts of Bill 254 unconstitutional. Doug Ford’s self-serving and dangerous step not only tramples the Charter rights of Ontarians; it will embolden right-wing governments across Canada to similarly silence…

Canada’s unions condemn hate-motivated terrorist attack against Canadian Muslim family; express concern over rising incidents of hate

Canada’s unions unequivocally condemn the recent escalation of hate crimes and violence against members of numerous racialized and religious minority communities across the country. The most recent and tragic hate-motivated attack occurred on Sunday in London, Ontario. A Muslim family out for an evening walk were plowed down by a lone driver which resulted in the murder of four family…

National AccessAbility Week: Canada’s unions call for elimination of barriers to employment, launch new handbook

Canada’s unions are marking National AccessAbility Week by calling on the federal government to remove barriers to employment and increase economic security for people with disabilities. Observed from May 30 to June 5, National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to celebrate and advance accessibility and inclusion in our workplaces and communities. “Everyone benefits when workplaces are accessible,” said Larry Rousseau,…

Canadian unions condemn violence in Colombia

Canadian unions stand in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of Colombian workers and citizens peacefully demonstrating since the April 28 launch of a General Strike against tax reform. The reform would have disproportionately impact the poorest people by eliminating subsidies on some public services, taxing pensions, and freezing public sector wages. The Colombian government has responded with excessive force in…

Back-to-work legislation undermines workers’ rights

The Canadian Labour Congress is condemning the Government of Canada’s decision to introduce back-to-work legislation against workers at the Port of Montreal. There is a cruel irony that this legislation is being introduced on the National Day of Mourning for workers who have been injured or lost their lives on the job. The work of unions to strengthen protections of…