Publications

Human Rights Day: Canada’s unions stand up for human rights

Canada’s unions have a long-standing legacy of advancing human rights. This year on December 10, the CLC will honour the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by standing up for human rights through legislative and social change. On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the declaration, outlining the basic and fundamental rights and freedoms…

Employment top of mind on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Canada’s unions are marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with calls for concrete action to promote economic security, employment and inclusion for persons with disabilities in Canada. The federal government announced this week that it was beginning consultations around signing the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Optional…

World AIDS Day: My health, my right

This year’s World AIDS Day campaign focuses on the right to good health, and exploring the challenges people around the world face in exercising that right. Over the past 15 years, progress against AIDS has inspired a global commitment to end the epidemic by 2030. The CLC established an HIV/AIDS Fund in 2002. Over the last three years, the fund…

Canada’s unions welcome apology to LGBTQ2SI community

Canada’s unions are welcoming today’s apology for the so-called National Security purge that saw the decades-long government-sanctioned and systematic persecution of LGBTQ2SI workers. “This is a good day for Canada’s LGBTQ2SI workers, and for all those who tirelessly pushed for justice,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff. “In particular we should acknowledge the relentless advocacy of many unions who fought for…

#16Days: Take Action to End Gender-Based Violence

November 25 is the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, and the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The campaign is an opportunity to reflect on the impact of gender-based violence on our lives, work and communities, and to take action to eliminate it. In Canada, unions and many other organizations hold events and actions on…

No one should have to choose between keeping their family home and paying for life-saving drugs

As part of its national campaign for universal pharmacare, the Canadian Labour Congress has launched a powerful new video telling the story of Judy Pope, a Cambridge, Ontario woman forced to make an impossible choice: pay for medication that would prolong her life, or keep her family’s finances and home intact. A cancer-fighting medication had kept Judy Pope alive for…

Unions applaud Canada’s commitment to a just transition for coal workers

Canada’s unions are applauding the federal government for showing international leadership on climate change by announcing plans to tie Canada’s phase-out of coal-fired electricity with a just transition for affected workers and communities. “Canada has seized an opportunity to set an international example by proving that ambitious economic restructuring policy to save our planet can be drafted with people at…

Unions celebrate Ontario government’s support for paid domestic leave

The Canadian Labour Congress is celebrating news that Ontario labour legislation is being amended to provide victims of domestic and sexual violence five paid days off work. “Unions have been advocating for this for years because we know that designated, paid domestic violence leave means it is easier for survivors to keep their jobs and escape violent and abusive relationships.…

Canada’s unions welcome legislation on workplace harassment and violence

Canada’s unions say they welcome legislation being proposed to address harassment and violence in federally-regulated workplaces, and look forward to working with the government to address outstanding issues and ensure effective implementation. The proposed legislation was announced today by Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and would amend both the Canada Labour Code and the Parliamentary Employment and…

Canadian Labour Congress denounces Quebec’s Bill 62 as discriminatory

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) says the Quebec government’s new legislation on religious neutrality is clearly discriminatory and puts workers in an untenable situation. The legislation imposes dubious restrictions on religious accommodation and includes controversial rules which prevent anyone who covers their face from giving or receiving public services. Women who wear face veils as part of religious practice have…