Publications

Canada’s unions call for fast-tracking of Canada Disability Benefit

Canada’s unions are marking the International Day for Persons with Disabilities by renewing the call for a fast-tracked Canada Disability Benefit. People with disabilities continue to face significantly higher costs of living than people without disabilities and struggle to cover the cost of basic necessities including specialised equipment, prescriptions not covered by health insurance plans and accessible housing retrofits. These extra…

Sylvain Le May – Winner of the 2022 Carol McGregor CLC Disability Rights Award

December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities—which aims to promote awareness and mobilize support for disability rights issues. On this day, the CLC recognizes a union member for their disability rights activism. This year, on the eleventh anniversary of the award, the Canadian Labour Congress is pleased to announce CUPE Local 1294 activist Sylvain Le May as…

It’s time to end gender-based violence at work

A call centre worker receives a torrent of verbal abuse while helping a customer. A nurse returns from work with bruises and torn scrubs after being attacked by an agitated patient. A barista is stalked by a regular customer. These stories are a daily reality for many workers across Canada–and unfortunately, current worker protections fall short. For the past three…

Canada’s unions applaud the introduction of federal paid sick leave

Bruske: Thousands of workers in federally-regulated workplaces will benefit; now we need paid sick leave for all workers. OTTAWA — Canada’s unions are pleased to see new legislation making ten days of paid sick leave available for all workers in federally-regulated private-sector workplaces come into effect today. Access to paid sick leave is a critical tool to keep our communities…

On November 25th – Canada’s unions are raising awareness on Gender-Based Violence at Work

Every day in Canada women, two-spirit, trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming workers face life-threatening violence and harassment at work. Today, November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the first day of 16 globally recognized days of activism to end gender-based violence. This year the Canadian Labour Congress is continuing its work to address…

Unions welcome new protections for workers’ pensions

Bruske: Senate must now act quickly to pass Bill C-228 and safeguard the hard-earned pensions of millions of workers and pensioners. OTTAWA — Canada’s unions are happy to see Bill C-228 passed in the House of Commons today. This bill aimed to ensure that in the event of an employer becoming insolvent, the employer will have to prioritize paying pensions…

Canada’s unions on COP27: Some wins, but we have our work cut out for us

The COP27 negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, delivered some important wins but highlighted that, more than ever, the world needs a Just Transition. Canada’s unions are pleased that the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan emphasizes the need for a Just Transition to centre social dialogue and include social protection. This is a significant step forward that recognizes the importance of engaging…

Bank of Canada’s continuous rate hike is not slowing down inflation

Bruske: It’s time to address the true causes of current inflation, protect Canadians against its effects, and safeguard jobs and incomes. OTTAWA –– Canada’s inflation rate held at 6.9 per cent in October, despite the Bank of Canada’s aggressive interest rate increases, while workers across Canada continue to see their cost of living rise.  “To have the Bank of Canada…

Trans workers disproportionately impacted by harassment, violence at work

Canada’s unions are calling attention to the alarming results from the recent national survey on harassment and violence in Canadian workplaces, which revealed that non-binary and trans workers were disproportionately impacted by these experiences in the workplace. Canada’s unions are marking Trans Week of Awareness with a renewed commitment to supporting trans people in the workplace by calling for a…

Statement from Larry Rousseau: Meaningful investments and a seat at the table for workers essential for decarbonization

Larry Rousseau, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released this statement ahead of COP27: “Canada’s unions are gearing up to be a strong voice for working people and their families at the global climate summit, COP27, from November 6th – November 19th, 2022. “Governments are making efforts to decarbonize their economies as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on communities…