Canada’s unions welcome extension of income supports

Canada’s unions welcome extension of income supports

OTTAWA – Canada’s unions welcome the expansion of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which will come as a relief to the millions of Canadians who can’t yet return to work. “This is very good news for the millions of Canadians who still don’t have a job they can go back to and were growing concerned about paying their bills,”…

Canada’s unions welcome support for large industries

OTTAWA – Canada’s unions applaud today’s Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) announcement, which recognizes the importance of worker interests and collective agreements. “We’re glad to see the government announce support for hard-hit sectors, and companies that employ millions of Canadians,” said Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) President Hassan Yussuff. “Most importantly, the government has included explicit directives to respect collective…

Canada’s unions call for overhaul of long-term care system

OTTAWA – The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is calling for major changes to Canada’s long-term care sector, including regulating long-term care under the Canada Health Act. “This pandemic has laid bare the consequences of decades of funding cuts and privatization in the long-term care sector,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff. “The tragedy we’re seeing is a direct result of the…

Mental Health Resource Centre

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all of us in myriad ways. Many workers are feeling the negative impacts on their mental health and well-being. We need to advocate for better mental health resources and supports for workers. This can help prevent mental illnesses from occurring in the first place. That’s why the Canadian Labour Congress offers a Mental Health At…

Health and Safety Conditions for Re-Opening Sectors of the Economy

As Canadian jurisdictions begin to open sectors of their economy it is important that working people have the protections they need to be able to do their jobs safely and get home to their loved ones at the end of every day without being injured, made ill or killed as a result of their work. This is a monumental challenge…

Canada’s unions call for urgent focus on human rights during pandemic

Canada’s unions are calling on all levels of government to ensure human rights are integrated into the COVID-19 response. The impacts of the coronavirus are being felt differently across communities, hitting certain groups particularly hard. For instance, people working in precarious jobs are often racialized and many are women. As essential workers, they are at greater risk of contracting the…

Canada’s unions mark May Day by launching campaign to advocate for frontline heroes

Canada’s unions are marking International Workers’ Day this year by launching a new campaign to bring attention to the vital contributions of essential workers and to advocate for better treatment. “There are 4.9 million workers across the country who have been deemed essential, and many of them have been struggling to make a decent living for years,” said CLC President…

Canada’s unions renew call for National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Girls

As the country mourns the loss of twenty-two lives in last week’s horrific mass shooting in Nova Scotia, Canada’s unions are once again calling for a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Girls. Although there is still much we do not know about this tragedy, now the deadliest massacre in Canadian history, it has come to light that…

Protect the women who make our clothes: Canada’s unions and civil society organizations call for action

Seven years after the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse, Bangladesh garment sector workers now confront even more risk and vulnerability in the fight against COVID-19. Canada’s unions and civil society organizations are calling for immediate relief for workers and protection of rights in global supply chains. The coalition says that concerns for workers cannot stop at Canada’s borders and the…

Earth Day 2020

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Like most things, Earth Day will look very different this year, as events move online as people around the world avoid gathering in groups in an effort to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this unprecedented health and economic crisis brought on by the pandemic, nature has the power…