Canada’s unions: Urgent action required to rein in corporate greed

Canada’s unions: Urgent action required to rein in corporate greed

Bruske: Wealthy grocery CEOs must be held to account for Canadians’ skyrocketing grocery bills OTTAWA –– Yesterday, Loblaw CEO Galen Weston Jr., Empire CEO Michael Medline and Metro CEO Eric La Flèche testified before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food about sky-high food prices. Canada’s unions are now urging the federal government to crack down on corporate greed and…

CLC President Bea Bruske responds to labour force data

Bruske: Canada’s unions pleased to see buoyancy in job market, but wages continue to lag behind inflation OTTAWA––Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, made the following statement in response to the labour force data released by Statistics Canada today.  “Today’s labour force numbers indicate that the job growth we saw plateau in 2022 has once again picked up.…

Federal-provincial health care deal: Canada’s unions cautiously optimistic

Bruske: Health care deal is a step in the right direction — Now governments must deliver OTTAWA — Canada’s unions welcome the federal government’s pledge to increase health funding to provinces and territories. New money being added will help address some of the challenges but with no strings attached, this deal will only scratch the surface of the problems our…

Workers mobilize to Parliament Hill urging action on polycrisis

Bruske : Hundreds of workers will meet with MPs to call for urgent action on the biggest challenges facing Canadian workers and their families OTTAWA–– Hundreds of workers and labour leaders from across Canada are mobilizing to Parliament Hill today to sound the alarm about the mounting issues facing workers. “Workers are being hit over and over again. Rising costs…

Statement by Bea Bruske: We need to strengthen and expand our public health care system

Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released the following statement after meeting with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos to discuss the upcoming meeting with Canada’s premiers.  OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are grateful to have had the opportunity to attend a productive and constructive meeting with Minister Duclos.  We had the chance to reiterate that any new funding added to…

Bank of Canada’s eighth consecutive rate hike means workers will take another hit

Bruske: With inflation moderating, Bank of Canada has no excuse to further burden Canadians OTTAWA––Canada’s unions are disappointed by the central bank’s decision to continue with its monetary tightening. The most recent consumer price index numbers in Canada and abroad showed that inflation is moderating – yet the Bank is stubbornly raising interest rates for the eighth time.   “We…

Canada’s unions congratulate Magali Picard on historic FTQ presidential win

MONTRÉAL – Canada’s unions would like to congratulate Magali Picard on being the first woman and Indigenous person to be elected President of the Fédération des travailleurs et des travailleuses du Québec (FTQ). “On behalf of the CLC and its 3.3 million members, we congratulate Magali on her historic win. We have a long-standing relationship with the FTQ and we’re…

Canada’s unions are lifting everyone up

Bruske: As Parliament adjourns, we celebrate progress made and gear up to fight even harder for workers in 2023  OTTAWA — The current parliamentary session has drawn to a close, and Canada’s unions are taking the opportunity to celebrate the progress made this year for workers.   In 2022, many workers and their families buckled under sky-high inflation, eye-popping grocery bills…

The Bank’s forgotten mandate: Support maximum sustainable employment

BRUSKE: More balanced economic policies needed to avoid devastating job losses OTTAWA –– A year after the Bank of Canada received a new mandate, Canada’s unions are asking what happened to the new directions that added employment considerations when the Bank is setting Canada’s monetary policy. “A year ago, amidst great fanfare, the Bank received direction that Canada’s monetary policy…

Missed opportunity to push pause on rate hikes and put people first

BRUSKE: We should do everything we can to avoid job losses and a painful recession OTTAWA––Canada’s unions reacted with disappointment to the Bank of Canada’s decision today to rush ahead with the seventh interest rate hike this year. “Economists have urged the Bank of Canada to let the impact of previous rate hikes take hold before taking further action that…