It is of the utmost importance that the lessons we have learned throughout this pandemic help us shape a brighter future for people living in Canada. This crisis has shone a light on some of the vast inequalities in this country. As we move towards recovery, it’s clear we have to strengthen the social safety and disaster-proof our nation. COVID-19…

COVID-19 has exposed flaws in social protections in Canada and around the world. The effects of this pandemic on health, employment, income, gender and racial equity are all the more catastrophic because of pre-existing gaps in our social safety net. Before the pandemic, ever-increasing globalization meant many workers were employed in precarious, low-wage work with few, if any, benefits. Now…

Like so many other occasions, Thanksgiving won’t be the same this year due to COVID-19. Rates of COVID-19 are rising again, and many people in Canada will mark the holiday with fewer people around the table. What is not on the table will also be a source of anxiety and trepidation as growing numbers of individuals and families struggle with…

Every October 4, Sisters in Spirit events honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit persons (MMIWG2S) and their families. Canada’s unions join communities across the country to mourn and to call for action. “This ongoing crisis, and the long history of colonialist attitudes that devalues the being and culture of Indigenous peoples, is our biggest shame,”…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of people across Canada. It is important to recognize the negative impact, and reflect on the stigma still associated with mental illness in our workplaces and communities. Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), this week from October 4 to 10, is part of a national public education campaign in…

September 30 is recognized across Canada as Orange Shirt Day to commemorate the children who were removed from their families and sent to residential schools where many became victims of physical, sexual, mental and emotional abuse and torture. Orange Shirt Day serves as an important reminder of the legacy of residential schools, the generational trauma and systemic barriers still faced…

By Hassan Yussuff, as published in The Hill Times As we transition from reacting to COVID-19 to living with the virus, Canada’s unions are providing a clear blueprint for a robust recovery that leaves no one behind and addresses the inequities laid bare by the pandemic. Workers and their families have been hit hard by this crisis. Practically overnight, millions…

By Hassan Yussuff, as published in The Province COVID-19 has forced rethinks on many aspects of our lives that we previously took for granted. That includes thinking about how our communities function, and specifically about who ensures that they continue to, even in times of upheaval. This has brought more visibility to the workers who many of us don’t often…

OTTAWA – Canada’s unions welcome the policy direction the government has laid out in today’s Speech from the Throne, with a focus on investing in job creation and social programs that will support those most impacted by the pandemic. “The government is making it clear that it is listening to the concerns of workers and their families by recognizing that…

Canada’s unions are marking Gender Equality Week by calling on the federal government to ensure a recovery plan that is rooted in equity and leaves no one behind. This year’s week-long commemoration is happening against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Speech from the Throne. “This pandemic has laid bare the gender inequities in our society,” said Marie…