Publications

Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program is falling short. Over the past year, the shortcomings of the program have become all the more clear. EI needs to be reformed to match the current reality of the world of work. Read our recommendations for EI reform here.

OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to create more than one million jobs in the upcoming budget, pointing to today’s job numbers as further evidence of the need for expanded investments. Statistics Canada released its latest Labour Force Survey today. It shows that more than 1.5 million unemployed and under-employed workers continue to struggle to find work,…

Canada’s unions are marking Equal Pay Day by calling for immediate action on pay equity. Equal Pay Day signals the day when average wages in female dominated job categories finally catch up to the wages in male dominated job categories from the previous calendar year. This year, that date arrives on April 7. “Even in 2021, women still make on…

Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to mark the International Trans Day of Visibility by ratifying ILO Convention C-190 to help end transphobic discrimination, violence and harassment in the workplace. The International Trans Day of Visibility is celebrated around the world on March 31st as an opportunity to highlight the contributions of trans and non-binary community members. “It’s challenging to…

As people in Canada continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19, workers and their families need strong measures to help ensure a healthy economic recovery when the pandemic is over. In Budget 2021, the federal government will unveil its roadmap towards economic recovery. The CLC recently presented its recommendations for Budget 2021 in a pre-budget submission to the government.…

Canada’s unions welcome today’s Supreme Court ruling confirming the constitutionality of the federal carbon pricing backstop. The constitutionality of the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) had been challenged by the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) was an intervener in these appeals. “Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada is an important win…

The Canadian Labour Congress and provincial and territorial federations of labour find Uber’s self serving proposal for Flexible Work+ dangerous, undermining and offensive to the rights and dignity of workers. The plan, rolled out over the past few weeks, signals the companies’ intention to pressure governments to invent a niche category for app-based employment. Like Proposition 22 in California, Uber…

Canada’s unions are marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by urging the federal government to ensure its efforts to modernize the Employment Equity Act address the significant inequities experienced by racialized workers as a result of systemic racism and discrimination. “Strengthening the Employment Equity Act is an important step towards addressing disparities in employment, and the…

After initial delays, Bill C-24, which extends EI benefits by an additional 24 weeks, passed in Parliament today with all-party support. Canada’s unions are now calling on the Senate to quickly adopt it, as hundreds of thousands of workers in Canada are still struggling to find jobs, even though job numbers are improving overall. “The job recovery may look good…

Canada’s unions are calling on the federal Conservatives to stop unnecessary procedural delays and political posturing and join with the government and opposition parties to extend EI benefits. Members of Parliament are currently debating Bill C-24, which would extend EI benefits, currently set to begin expiring at the end of March, by another 24 weeks, or into the fall. “Politicians…

Canada’s unions are marking International Women’s Day by calling on the federal government to focus on women’s economic justice in their pandemic recovery plans, which must include a national, universal childcare program. “It’s no secret that the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have hurt women the most, especially those who also face other forms of discrimination and marginalization,” said…