With more than 9,300 jobs on the line, it is unacceptable that HBC is choosing to funnel up to $3 million in bonuses to executives and managers while denying severance to the very workers who built the company.

Canada’s unions stand in full solidarity with HBC workers and demand that the company reverse course immediately. This is not restructuring, it’s a betrayal. No executive should be pocketing bonuses while workers are left without a safety net.

HBC must honour its responsibilities to its workers, including wages, benefits, and severance. These are not optional.

This situation is yet another example of why Canada’s unions have long advocated for changes to federal laws like the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act. For decades, we have fought to protect workers and ensure that they are not left at the back of the line when companies go bankrupt, forcing them to wait behind lenders, suppliers, and tax collectors for the wages, severance, and pensions they are entitled to. In 2023, following years of advocacy, the federal government successfully passed the Pension Protection Act, a crucial step forward. However, these vital protections will not come into effect until April 27, 2027.

We also call on the federal government to ensure that no worker falls through the cracks and that programs like the Wage Earner Protection Program are accessible without delay, and that no Employment Insurance benefits are clawed back in this process.

Make no mistake: thousands of workers at Hudson’s Bay are facing economic uncertainty thanks to corporate greed and government weakness. Every leader in this election must be asked what they will do to strengthen protections for workers and their livelihoods. Workers deserve respect, security, and the dignity of knowing they won’t be abandoned in a difficult economy.

Canada’s unions are watching closely. Hudson’s Bay must act with integrity. It’s time to put people before profit.

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To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

The post CLC statement: Hudson’s Bay hands $3M to executives and no severance to workers appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

The appalling working and living standards faced by Bangladeshi garment workers compelled the United Steelworkers union (USW) and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) to file a joint complaint to the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) against retailer Mark’s and its parent company Canadian Tire. 

The joint USW-CLC complaint was one of the first of its kind filed with the CORE, created by the federal government to investigate complaints of human rights abuses involving Canadian companies working in other countries in the garment, mining and oil sectors.

The joint USW-CLC complaint alleged that Mark’s acted in contravention of international human rights principles by paying workers in its supplier factories less than a living wage. Our complaint was rooted in our mutual, longstanding commitment to improving living and working conditions for Bangladeshi garment workers.

For over a decade, the USW and CLC have worked with Canadian trade unions and civil society allies to bring forward the voices and concerns of exploited workers to Canadian authorities, companies and consumers. In this context, there were high hopes that the Office of the CORE would investigate the allegations of human rights abuses in Mark’s Bangladesh supply chain.

The CORE initially agreed that it would investigate the claims made in our complaint in March of 2024. However, a drastic shift occurred a few months later, following the end of the mandate of the first appointed Ombudsperson, Sheri Meyerhoffer. On Dec. 23, 2024, the CORE published its final report, closing our complaint without investigating the issues we raised, and without recommending any follow-up actions to be taken by Mark’s.

In our view, the CORE’s report reflects an approach that undermines this would-be watchdog’s mandate to such a degree, it is difficult to conceive of any human rights abuse it would deem to have jurisdiction to investigate. As a result, the USW and the CLC are currently seeking a judicial review of the decision. 

The CORE final report, including our full comments on those conclusions, can be found here. 

It is worth highlighting that the Office of the CORE was created as a result of more than a decade of civil society advocacy for greater corporate accountability to address mounting evidence of human rights and environmental abuses caused by Canadian companies in their operations abroad.

However, the government failed to empower the Office with the independence and essential powers needed to effectively investigate allegations of abuse by Canadian corporations and to demand accountability. Therefore, even had the CORE proceeded with an investigation into the complaint against Mark’s, next steps would have been unclear given its lack of power to compel documents and testimony from witnesses. 

The drawn-out, resource-heavy process that characterized our complaint further strengthens the position of many Canadian civil society groups that the Office of the CORE desperately needs genuine independence and legal powers to fulfill its mission. Ongoing failure to act in this regard will further expose the limited intentions of the government to ensure real corporate accountability for Canadian companies operating abroad.

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We hear a familiar call coming from wealthy interests – joining forces once again with Conservatives – banging the drum for more corporate tax giveaways and deeper cuts to government spending in the upcoming Budget. Bay Street analysts and bank lobbyists loudly lament Canada’s “tumbling productivity”, sneeringly spreading blame on both workers and the government.

As Budget 2024 approaches, we must confront these anti-worker narratives head on. Because we’ve seen this movie before and, spoiler alert, it really doesn’t end well for workers and families.

Business lobbyists argue wages should be dependent on productivity when it suits them but ignore how for more than 30 years, pay for the bottom 80% has lagged far behind productivity growth. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how imbalanced our things have become.

A February 2024 report from Jim Stanford and the Centre for Future Work showed that “corporate profits remained historically high in 2023, despite the stalling of economic growth, rising unemployment, and stagnating consumer demand.”  Even the Bank of Canada’s January 2024 Monetary Policy Report acknowledged that “higher wage costs could be absorbed by businesses’ profit margins.”

So, let’s not get taken in by corporate gaslighting that takes aim at workers’ wages and public investments. Government should steadfastly reject a corporate narrative that rests its case on mistreating workers. Instead, government can use the upcoming budget to push companies to invest in their workforce. Things like new incentives to improve training and upskilling, and measures that will create good, sustainable union jobs in low-carbon industries.

With a looming recession, rising layoffs and so many struggling to get by, it would be devastating to families if we cut help now. The reality is slashing our social safety net will only weaken our economy.

National child care has meant more families can find affordable spaces and more women with young children could join the workforce. Creating affordable non-profit housing means more families have an affordable place to call home. According to a 2023 Deloitte report, increasing community housing to the OECD average by 2030 “would boost economic productivity by a staggering 5.7% to 9.3%.” Universal pharmacare will improve health outcomes and provide tangible, financial relief to families, while strengthening EI will mean more workers getting help when they need it most.

Can we afford these investments? Absolutely. Canada is a significant economic power. We’re in the top ten economies in the world with one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7. We can also make profitable corporations pay their fair share and use that revenue to help people.

We know what a Pierre Poilievre budget looks like. Poilievre and the Conservatives slashed programs and services and radically cut corporate taxes last time in power. This boosted companies’ bottom line but didn’t spur businesses to invest in their workforce. Instead, we saw CEOs acting like real-life Scrooge McDuckshoarding ever-growing piles of cash. Just like today, companies cry poor while handing out record bonuses to top executives.

Chrystia Freeland must reject the false narratives flooding in from business lobbyists and fight back against a vision of a Canada where corporations take care of themselves while our government stops caring for people. On April 16, let’s see a budget that puts workers and families, not corporate interests, first.

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Too many workers are currently underpaid, leaving them struggling to make ends meet. This especially impacts sectors that are predominantly staffed by women and racialized workers, like the care sector.

These workers’ contributions have an immense impact on our society and our economy and, like all workers, should be rewarded appropriately.

“We have heard countless stories about the low wages and disrespect care workers face”, says Siobhán Vipond, Vice-President of the CLC. “These worrying stories are being echoed from workers in other sectors too, as the affordability crisis deepens. We must confront this crisis now by making sure all workers earn a livable wage.”

Despite six provinces raising their minimum wage just last week, not one province or territory has a minimum wage that matches the income necessary to make ends meet. At a time when inflation is at an all-time high and soaring corporate profits are driving up the cost of unavoidable necessities like food and shelter, workers need decent jobs that pay a livable wage.

Canada’s unions celebrate the workers on the front lines of this fight. When faced with wages that don’t keep up with inflation and employers who are unwilling to do something about it, workers are using their collective power to demand better from their employers. This year saw significant wins from PSAC workers in the federal government and United Steelworkers at National Steel Car in Hamilton.

“Workers are saying enough is enough and using their power to strike for better wages. Union wins will mean better conditions for all workers, just like the statutory holiday many workers are enjoying this weekend,” says Bea Bruske, President of the CLC. “The wins gained in unionized workplaces often set trends that become the standard across the working world.”

“We need governments that will stand with working people, not the wealthy CEOs who suppress wages and make record profits off the efforts of their employees. It’s these corporate profiteers, not workers, who are the source of the current crisis. They must be made to pay their fair share.” Read the ITUC’s statement on the 2023 World Day for Decent Work.

The post World Day for Decent Work: Workers’ contributions should be rewarded appropriately appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

In June of this year, the Court of King’s Bench found Jason King of New Brunswick-based Springhill Construction guilty of criminal negligence – “wonton and reckless disregard” – that killed 18-year-old Michael Henderson. 

While in a four-foot-wide utility hole, a plug holding back water slid out – and the young worker was pinned to a wall as water rushed above his head, drowning him. 

“It is unconscionable how the supervisor failed in his duties,” says Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “This young man had his whole life in front of him – his death was completely preventable and the lives of his family and those he loved will never be the same.” 

Bruske emphasizes that the fight for accountability isn’t over: “Springhill Construction must be held responsible for hiring such a supervisor in the first place. Nothing less than a strong prosecution and criminal negligence charge will suffice.” 

Canada’s unions reiterate the need for strong health and safety systems in every workplace. “Health and safety is job number one,” concludes Bruske. “Laws to protect workers must be enforced – to the fullest extent.” 

The post Canada’s unions: Negligent employers on notice with 3-year prison sentence appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Compounding this immense tragedy, is the fact that workers had refused to enter the factory because cracks in the walls had been spotted the day before, but were ordered back to work to avoid costly production delays.

“Rana Plaza exposed the dire conditions for workers in these factories that produce the world’s garments: poor wages, unsafe working conditions, precarious work, and intimidation and harassment in the workplace. Garment workers not only in Bangladesh, but around the world, are still working in absolutely appalling conditions and receiving unfair wages for their labour. It is way past time for things to change,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Canada’s unions, representing 3 million workers, have supported Bangladesh workers in their struggle for decent working conditions and the right to form independent unions to represent workers. We are part of allied networks pushing the government to enact robust legislation to mandate human rights obligations in the supply chains of Canadian companies.

On this grim anniversary, Canada’s unions stand in solidarity with workers in the garment sector in Bangladesh who are demanding respect for their human rights, including freedom of association, healthy and safe working conditions, and a living wage.  

In order to effectively prevent the next Rana Plaza, we call on the Canadian Government to:

• Introduce mandatory human rights due diligence legislation that requires Canadian companies, and companies that import goods into Canada, to respect human rights throughout their supply chains;
• Promote and protect the right to organize and bargain collectively as key enabling rights, without which decent work cannot take place; and
• Make trade preferences dependent on the respect for workers’ right to organize.

We call on Canadian clothing brands to:

• Sign the International Accord, the continuation of the Bangladesh Accord on Building and Fire Safety, which brought massive success in health and safety inspections and repairs to thousands of factories. When the Accord expires, it should be renewed as a legally binding, enforceable agreement, expanded to more countries for the long-term;
• End the race to the bottom borne by workers, by providing living wages and living wage compensation for workers suffering injury or death in the workplace across their supply chains; and
• Take responsibility for financing a permanent Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) in Bangladesh to compensate workers injured at work. 

Click here to add your voice to the struggle by leaving a message commemorating victims of the Rana Plaza disaster on a virtual memorial, and by calling on major international brands to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, ensure workplace safety and recognize the rights of workers to organize, refuse unsafe work and raise health and safety concerns.

The post Never again: Canada’s unions mark 10 years since the Rana Plaza factory collapse appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

OTTAWA–Canada’s unions are marking Labour Day by celebrating the hard-fought gains of the labour movement and bringing workers, their families and allies together in solidarity, united in their commitment to the important work ahead.

“The collective power of workers and our long fight for fairness has delivered the forty-hour work week, pensions, weekends and so much more. Unions have paved a path to the middle class for millions of Canadians,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Today, more and more people are standing up, joining unions and demanding better. Coming together to fight for good jobs with fair wages, better benefits and improved working conditions.”

With workers struggling to afford necessities, as inflation skyrockets and wages lag well behind, Canada is seeing growing momentum behind workers fighting back against those trying to make workers pay for today’s affordability crisis.

“We keep hearing Bay St. CEOs calling for austerity and warning about rising wages. But this corporate scaremongering ignores the fact that while corporations are doing better than ever, wages aren’t keeping up and family budgets are breaking under the weight of runaway costs for housing, food, transportation and so many other daily essentials,” explained Bruske. “What we have seen is growing ‘greedflation’ from profitable companies, using the crisis to jack up prices, rake in record profits and drive-up inflation.”

Bruske added that Canada’s unions will also continue to fight for government action to fix our public health crisis and address health worker shortages; help families struggling to survive the affordability crisis; and tackle climate change in a way that creates good jobs and leaves no worker behind.

“Canada’s unions stand united in the face of greedy corporations and demand governments make mega-profitable companies pay their fair share and play their part in making sure our economy can bounce back and people can prosper. We cannot solve today’s economic crisis by leaving workers and families behind,” concluded Bruske. “Today we march together in communities across Canada, in solidarity, because we believe in a country where workers have the opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive.”

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To arrange an interview, please contact:
Chantal St-Denis, CLC Media Relations
cstdenis@clcctc.ca
613-355-1962

The post Unions pave path to the middle class for millions of Canadians appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Canada’s unions are urging Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland to announce new measures today to make sure millions of vulnerable workers and their families aren’t left behind by the worsening inflation crisis.

“One of the most important lessons we should have taken from the pandemic was how cushioning the blow of an economic crisis on the most vulnerable helps build a stronger economy. Positive government action positioned Canada for a stronger recovery,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “It is critical that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has a plan to reduce the impact of sky-high prices and rising interest rates on workers and their families – especially on the most vulnerable lower income families.”

Bruske pointed to a recent Statistics Canada report revealing that one in five expect to use a food bank in the next six months while over 40 percent of Canadian families say they are struggling because of runaway food prices.

“It’s the responsibility of governments to intervene and make sure families are not being left to bear this burden alone. Beyond measures already announced in Budget 2022, additional direct and targeted help to families through an immediate increase in the GST credit would help vulnerable families who need it the most,” emphasized Bruske. “The best way for Canadians to achieve fair wages, benefits and a pension is making it easier to join a union. Signing a union card is a worker’s pathway to dignity and well-being.”

Bruske added that while the Deputy Prime Minister is talking to Bay Street CEOs today, she should also announce new action to make sure pandemic profiteers finally pay their fair share, so the government can invest these revenues in new measures to help low-income Canadians through these tough times.

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To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

The post Canada’s unions: Urgent action needed to help families through the inflation crisis appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Pensions are a deferred pay cheque. Workers have put in their hours, their hard work, and have earned those pensions. That investment deserves to be protected,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “At a time when so many families are finding their budgets tight and anxiety around finances rising, it is important for workers to know their pension is protected.”   

The Canadian Labour Congress has been advocating for changes to the Bankruptcy Act and the Pensions Benefit Act for decades. Canada’s unions have worked alongside many New Democrat MPs over the years; including Daniel Blaikie (C-225), Scott Duvall (C-259) and Pat Martin (C-281), to previously bring forth elements of today’s Pension Protection Act (C-228). With today’s cross-partisan collaboration, MPs can now make protection for Canadian pensioners the law.

“For decades we have seen companies pay out creditors, even pay out bonuses to executives after declaring bankruptcy, while workers wait at the back of the line,” added Bruske. “The current law says if a company goes bankrupt, their taxes, lenders and suppliers are all paid before employees get their pensions, severance, or even are paid their wages for work they’ve already completed. This is unfair.”

Opposition MPs have now agreed on amendments so the Pension Protection Act, in addition to covering pensions in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings, will also protect termination and severance pay of workers. The bill, with support of these three parties, will now move on to the Finance Committee for review and amendment before returning to the House for final approval. It now has sufficient support to become law.

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To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

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OTTAWA –– Replacing frontline workers with exploited offshore workers, as the restaurant chain Freshii is now doing, moves us towards a low-wage economy that weakens our communities and exploits workers, according to Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress.

“This is about replacing Canadian workers with low-wage offshore ones and using technology to skirt around our country’s labour laws and workplace standards. If this isn’t illegal, it should be,” said Bruske. “The workers serving Canadian customers aren’t paying taxes in Canada and aren’t protected by Canadian labour standards. Companies that profit off of Canadian consumers shouldn’t use low-wage offshore workers to serve customers here in Canada. It’s bad for workers and bad for our economy.”

Bruske said this isn’t about an inability to attract workers, which can be done through competitive wages, real benefits and proper working conditions, but instead another sign of corporate greed and exploiting a low-wage offshore workforce.

“Gig workers in Canada already don’t have proper workplace protections. But with the use of offshore workers, the exploitation of employees and move to a low-wage economy is being super-sized,” said Bruske. “Companies must wake up to the long-term benefits to both the communities they operate in and their business when they invest in the people who work for them.”

Bruske added that there are things consumers can do to voice their objections to this new concerning trend towards offshoring and automation.

“Is an employee 3000 kms away going to know if the avocado is fresh today or whether field greens or kale would make a better salad bowl?” asked Bruske. “Customers should understand they can vote with their wallets on the kind of communities they want to live in.

Choose companies that treat employees properly, with a fresh attitude towards workplaces, not greedy corporations with their stale approach of exploiting workers.”

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To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

The post Building a low-wage economy with stomach-churning greed appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“Every year on this sad anniversary, we reaffirm our pledge to work every day so that no workers die at their jobs,” says Bea Bruske, CLC President. “Canadian companies must take responsibility to ensure workers making their goods are doing so in safe conditions, everywhere in the world.”

Canada’s unions have been supporting workers in the Global South and demanding that government and companies introduce policy and practices that respect rights, improve working conditions and pay a living wage.

We work closely with the Bangladesh Center for Workers’ Solidarity, which trains Bangladesh’s garment sector workers on their rights at work and supports unions in promoting and defending the respect of freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Again, today we call on Canadian brands sourcing clothing in Bangladesh to sign the binding International Accord on Fire and Building Safety, which makes retailers liable to legal action if their factories fail to meet labour safety standards. The extension of the Accord to other countries will help ensure a disaster like Rana Plaza never happens again.

Canada’s labour movement continues to lobby for strong Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence legislation in Canada to require companies to review all their business activities to identify actual and potential risks to people and the environment, take steps to mitigate those risks and ensure remedy for those harmed.

Last month, Canada’s unions declared support for two bills recently tabled in the House of Commons that will ensure Canadian companies respect human rights and the environment throughout their supply chains and ensure independent investigation when cases of rights violations are brought forward. Global campaigns are calling on companies to keep workers safe. You can help by sending a message to global brands to sign the International Accord to ensure factories in Bangladesh meet safety standards and keep workers safe. Visit the Clean Clothes Campaign’s Rana Plaza Never Again remembrance page to send your message.

The post Making Global Supply Chains Safe for Workers: Nine Years after the Rana Plaza Collapse appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“The banks now want to reward themselves and investors with windfall gains that come as a result of government support during the pandemic. Excessive payouts to investors, while support for people is being cut off by the government, is just not right,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Rather than allowing this pandemic to further entrench existing inequalities and allow the gap between the rich and poor to widen, the federal government should instruct OSFI to maintain restrictions on shareholder payouts, and immediately impose a windfall gains tax on banks and insurance companies to prevent surplus capital from being distributed as jackpot winnings to shareholders and company executives.”

When COVID-19 struck, the federal government’s first order of business was to pump money and credit into the financial sector and ease reporting requirements to reduce “the operational burden” on financial institutions. In the early days of the pandemic, the federal government and the Bank of Canada provided three-quarters of a trillion dollars in liquidity and financial support. In return, the financial regulator instructed banks and insurers to suspend share buybacks and not to increase dividend payments.

“The banks now want to reward themselves and investors with huge increases in dividends and share buybacks. The government must make sure that the big businesses that made record profits in the pandemic now pay their fair share,” said Bruske. “The government should go further, frankly, and introduce a wealth tax to begin taxing the concentrated riches of Canada’s wealthiest families to make sure everyone is contributing fairly to a more equitable society.”

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To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

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Many of Canada’s largest companies have continued paying out dividends to their shareholders, despite receiving government aid and five of Canada’s six largest banks cut their workforces by 4.4% in the past year, while simultaneously increasing their customer fees.

“It’s clear that the pandemic has had winners and losers. While large corporations and banks, and their CEOs and shareholders, profiteer off the pandemic, they freely layoff workers and keep wages low,” said Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske.

“In this election, parties must propose a recovery plan that doesn’t leave working families behind, with meaningful new investments to disaster-proof our social safety net.”

Rather than allowing this pandemic to further entrench existing inequalities and allow the gap between the rich and poor to widen, Bruske said Canada should make sure wealthy individuals and the big businesses that made record profits in the pandemic now pay their fair share. That money should be used to help Canada recover and keep us safe.

Canadians for Tax Fairness calculates that the federal government could generate over $90 billion annually and reduce inequalities by:

• Closing tax loopholes: $26 billion;
• Taxing the rich fairly: $24 billion;
• Making corporations pay their fair share: $25 billion
• Tackling tax havens: $14 billion; and
• Making polluters pay: $3 billion.

“Greater tax fairness could generate billions that could be re-invested into the social safety net and programs that so many Canadians need and depend on – like universal child care, long-term care, pharmacare, and job-training programs that will help workers transition to low-carbon and green jobs,” concluded Bruske.

To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-355-1962

The post Record bank profits reveals pandemic’s economic winners and losers appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“We urge all parties to adopt this legislation,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “Workers and pensioners should not be written off as expendable in insolvency proceedings as they were in the Laurentian University disaster. Canada’s unions have long called for changes to bankruptcy laws so that workers and pensioners are first in line, not last, when it comes to paying creditors and we are pleased to see these proposed changes in Bill C-253.”

After a lifetime of hard work, nobody should have to struggle to make ends meet in retirement. Bill C-253 addresses many concerns advocates have had with the Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act (CCAA) and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA). It amends the CCAA and BIA to ensure that workers’ wages, pensions and benefit programs are funded ahead of shareholder bonuses and payouts.

“In heartbreaking cases like Sears, we’ve seen how these insolvency filings play out, and workers and retirees are left holding the bag,” said Yussuff. “This bill will right those wrongs for future filings, and ensure that workers are treated with dignity and respect.”

Canada’s unions continue to encourage the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to create Canada-wide mandatory pension insurance. This would take worker protections a step further by guaranteeing monthly pensions whenever an employer with an underfunded pension plan files for bankruptcy.

To learn more about what we’re doing to strengthen pensions and Canada’s social safety net, visit canadianplan.ca.

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Before the pandemic, ever-increasing globalization meant many workers were employed in precarious, low-wage work with few, if any, benefits. Now millions of people across Canada and around the world have seen their jobs disappear. We need a worldwide recovery focused on secure employment and social protection.

This context serves as the backdrop for the annual commemoration of the World Day for Decent Work today, October 7.

“It’s clear that we need a recovery that is focused on shared prosperity and sustainability,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Better jobs are at the core of a robust recovery and that is true both nationally and internationally.”

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is calling for a new social contract to ensure a strong global economic recovery. Canada’s unions have similarly launched Forward Together: A Canadian Plan, a campaign calling for a similar focus on better jobs and reducing inequality.

“With millions of jobs lost across Canada, and hundreds of millions globally, we have to turn our focus to job creation. That includes focusing on secure employment, living wages, the universal right to collective bargaining and occupational health and safety,” said Yussuff. “The current economic model has failed working people. It’s time for us to rise to the challenge we’ve been presented with and to move forward, together.”

The CLC is marking the World Day for Decent Work with a webinar that aims to explore the issues at stake. It will be held on Wednesday, October 7 at 2 PM EDT. To register, click here.

Read ITUC’s statement on A New Social Contract for Recovery and Resilience here.

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“This decision underscores the message that a worker is a worker,” said Canadian Labour Congress President, Hassan Yussuff. “This ruling sends a clear message to employers that they can’t skirt around workers’ rights by using legalese to pretend they are ‘independent operators’ instead of employees.”

The Supreme Court ruling reaffirms a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal that Uber drivers may be subject to the Ontario Employment Standards Act. With this ruling, a class-action suit against Uber can proceed.

“There is an imbalance of power in organizations like Uber, with precarious workers fighting for better job conditions against a behemoth enterprise hiding behind complex international legal loopholes,” said Yussuff. “Given this ruling, provincial governments have a responsibility to examine the misclassification of employees and protect all gig economy workers.”

Canada’s unions have been raising the alarm about the rise of the gig economy and precarious work for years and will continue to fight for workers in these jobs.

To arrange an interview, please contact:

CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

The post Supreme Court ruling on Uber underscores workers’ rights appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of the public sector has never been more evident,” said Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) President Hassan Yussuff. “Public sector workers have kept our communities running day-to-day, ensuring that Canadians can rely on the services they need. It is critical that governments safeguard these services against bids towards privatization.”

The CLC Task Force on New Forms of Privatization report, For the Public Good: The growing threat of privatization and workers’ proposals to protect our future, calls on governments to:

• Strengthen and expand public services and infrastructure for all;
• Expand public revenue;
• Expand and enhance public services;
• End the financialization of and the facilitation of privatization globally; and
• Expand public control over infrastructure development.

“As important as public services have been during this pandemic, they will be even more important as we re-open and re-build our economy,” said Yussuff.

The report’s recommendations on strengthening and expanding public services and infrastructure are especially relevant in the post-COVID-19 era. The report contains immediate actions to address threats and provides a long-term vision to build a sustainable and equitable public sector.

Read the Summary Statement here.

Read the Full Report here.

For more information:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

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We are in the midst of a global pandemic. The federal government is introducing new programs almost daily to support millions of Canadians who have been affected by this crisis. Public service employees are doing amazing work getting that support to the people who need it.

Meanwhile, the calls for austerity are already coming fast and furious, heralded by right-wing conservatives, including former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Even as we see our health care workers struggle with staffing and supplies as the result of decades of cuts in health care spending across the country.

The opinion pages are full of columnists explaining why program spending needs to be cut immediately – without any idea when a recovery will begin. Even arguing that the public service employees who have been doing unprecedented work processing millions of claims at unbelievable speeds should be punished for having job security.

Public service employees play a fundamental role in our democracy, informing our elected representatives and allowing them to make decisions based on evidence – which is a good thing, despite what some say. Our public service is full of subject-matter experts who our political representatives rely on to help them craft the best policies and programs. We should be glad when our leaders take their advice, rather than ignore it – as we’re seeing to the south.

Judging the amount of government spending that goes to public service salaries without referring at all to the work those employees actually do day to day to keep the country running is ludicrous. You cannot reference a productivity agenda without acknowledging the producers of the work.

Equally ludicrous is the leader of the opposition repeating the false message that applications to the CERB benefit are rampant with fraud daily. A vocal minority is concerned that a $2,000 per month benefit will create a population that doesn’t want to work, but waste no time and effort examining the conditions we are asking them to work in.

Being on government benefits should never mean being treated like a criminal – but perhaps especially now as we face global uncertainly and a new future ahead. The real criminals are the ones who are hoarding wealth on the backs of workers.  

We are about to crown the world’s first trillionaire. One man could single-handedly solve world hunger. The same man who gave workers a $2 per hour pay raise in these unprecedented times and is now clawing it back even as his own warehouses continue to see outbreaks and workers demand safer conditions. In Canada, we see employers like Loblaws boosting employee wages by 15 per cent – $2 an hour for those working minimum wage. Meanwhile, the company estimates that the pandemic has resulted in a $751 million increase in quarterly profits.

The wages and benefits of public sector employees do not represent a problem, they represent an example of what is possible. Every working Canadian deserves the security of a good job with a living wage, benefits and paid sick leave. Access to paid sick leave would give workers leeway so they wouldn’t have to choose between their job and their health, meaning fewer workers would feel forced to work while sick – key in slowing the spread of illnesses like COVID-19.

Getting to the recovery has been a group effort. Canadians, as a population, moved swiftly to protect each other.

We are a society that lifts everyone up, and now is not the time to start punching down.

When we plan out the recovery, we cannot return to the careless individualism that has led to the growing inequality we’re seeing globally. Collective action is what flattened the curve, and collective action is where progress lies.

The most important thing that we have seen over the past nine weeks is this: Canada has the capacity to move quickly to protect the most vulnerable. The money is there when we need it and when there is political will.

It’s time to leave the right-wing, me-first thinking in the past where it belongs. We can’t afford to work against each other anymore.

Hassan Yussuff is the president of the Canadian Labour Congress. Follow him on Twitter @Hassan_Yussuff

The post A call for collective action appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“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 Hassan Yussuff. “The current pandemic has shown that these workers are the backbone of our society. Yet, society has failed to value them adequately, which is reflected through inadequate wages, the lack of supports and the precarious nature of temporary, part-time employment. That must end now.”

Since the start of the public health crisis, Canada’s unions have brought attention to the issues workers have been facing, including a lack of paid sick leave, the low wages of many frontline workers, and the lack of proper protective equipment and inadequate safety measures across the country.

The campaign is titled; “Heroes Deserve Better” and it will put a spotlight on the struggles frontline workers are facing, while at the same time giving Canadians a way to show gratitude for the critical services these workers provide.

“Heroes deserve paid sick leave and heroes deserve a living wage. They deserve jobs with benefits and proper health and safety measures,” said Yussuff. “Canada’s unions will ensure that they are not forgotten in the recovery.”

The online campaign launches today, May Day. Frontline workers are invited to share their experiences and to express what they hope happens as the crisis goes on, and once it is over.

Canadians across the country are also invited to share stories of a frontline worker they know and would want to see profiled in this special series. Share a story here.

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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 millions of women and men who make clothes in other countries cannot be abandoned. In particular, efforts to address and rectify dangerous working conditions following the Rana Plaza disaster must not be undone now in the midst of this global crisis.

On April 24, 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500.

The tragedy put a spotlight on substandard working conditions and low wages in the industry. In response to public outrage at the disaster, more than 200 global brands and retailers signed a legally binding agreement with Bangladesh and Global unions that achieved important improvements in workplace safety.

The current pandemic has created new threats to the lives and livelihoods of garment workers.

Brands and companies have cancelled orders down their supply chains leaving factories unable to pay workers’ wages, even for work already completed. This is leaving millions of people without income and job security. Women are particularly hard hit by this crisis.

Eighty per cent of Bangladesh’s four million garment workers are women. These workers have received poverty wages for years, barely making ends meet and have no financial savings to draw on. Without work, without income, with little access to health care and without any social safety net, they can easily slip into abject poverty and struggle to feed themselves and their families.

In response to the crisis, the Bangladesh government instituted a nationwide public holiday for an extended period. Millions of workers have returned to their villages with empty pockets, unable to collect unpaid wages or severance pay from closed factories. Government relief packages are being channeled through factories, but are proving difficult for workers to access. Some factories have remained open where workers continue to work in cramped conditions, without personal protections.

Canadian unions and civil society organizations stand in solidarity with Bangladesh garment sector workers and with garment sector workers in all countries, and urgently recommend the following:

Payment of orders and wages & worker health and safety
Canadian brands and retailers must honour their obligations to suppliers and workers by paying for orders that are completed or in production. They should ensure the payment of wages or severance to all workers who were employed at the onset of the crisis and ensure that workers who work during the pandemic can follow World Health Organization protection guidelines and reserve the right to refuse unsafe work.

Emergency relief for workers
Governments, including Canada, should support global emergency relief programs for garment sector workers set up with contributions from international financial institutions, donor governments as well as brands and retailers. These programs must maintain workers’ employment and wages.

Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence
The Government of Canada should legislate companies to respect human rights in their operations and supply chains. Such legislation should require companies to conduct due diligence on their human rights and environmental risks, take appropriate steps to prevent and mitigate such risks, and hold companies accountable in the courts if they abuse human rights.

Rebuilding a just economy after the pandemic
The industry as a whole must change the current pricing and business model moving forward. Canadian brands must commit to establish more sustainable and resilient supply chains that respect workers’ rights and ensure suppliers pay workers living wages and social benefits.

Endorsed by:

Amnesty International Canada (English-speaking branch)
Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale
Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Canadian Jesuits International
Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)
Fairtrade Canada
Inter Pares
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
Maquila Solidarity Network
MiningWatch Canada
Nobel Women’s Initiative
Ontario Catholic No Sweat Network
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
Oxfam Canada
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Social Justice Connection
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
The United Church of Canada
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
United Steelworkers
Workers United Canada Council
World March of Women Coordinating Committee

The post Protect the women who make our clothes: Canada’s unions and civil society organizations call for action appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“This pandemic has led to major disruption in the lives of many Canadians and is taking a financial toll. Many people have no choice but to turn to their credit cards to pay for basic needs,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “The banks have made some moves to help, but it’s simply not enough.

“With the Bank of Canada’s lending rate at a historic low, financial institutions have an opportunity to pass along those savings to help all of us weather this storm. It’s not enough to provide a break for only a segment of borrowers, forcing desperate people to jump through hoops; this policy must apply right across the board for all customers.”

Yussuff sent a letter to the CEOs of Canada’s largest banks and credit card companies late last week urging the reduction. That action is being followed by a broad campaign to encourage Canadians to add their voice to the campaign and to reach out to the banks as well.

So far, over 5,000 people have joined the campaign, sending letters and tweets to raise the issue and over 2,500 have signed on to a petition.

The CLC is calling on all financial institutions to reduce interest rates on all purchases made on credit cards after March 15, and all balances carried forward from prior to that date, for the duration of the COVID-19 health crisis.

“This is a defining moment in our country’s history, and CEOs need to show solidarity and step up to support the common good,” said Yussuff. “Canadians are watching closely and are expecting every institution to do its part to help.”

A copy of the original letter is available here.

To arrange an interview, please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

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“The Bank of Canada has reduced its lending rate to historically low levels and that means it’s cheaper for financial institutions to borrow money,” said Canadian Labour Congress President, Hassan Yussuff. “Passing those saving on to help struggling families weather this storm is the right thing to do.”

The CLC is calling on all financial institutions to reducing interest rates on all purchases made after March 15th, and all balances carried forward from prior to that date, for the duration of the COVID-19 health crisis.

“This is a defining moment in our country’s history, and I am urging CEOs to step up and take action to support the common good,” said Yussuff.

The CLC is collecting signatures to put more pressure on the banks and credit card companies to respond to this call, you can sign on here.

A letter has also been sent from CLC to the CEOs of financial institutions asking them to take steps to reduce the debt families are facing.

The post Credit card relief now appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

“We continue to share our recommendations with the federal government as this situation progresses. While there has been an important move in easing measures around Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, the government will need to go much further to protect the most vulnerable,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

After decades of cuts, Canada’s unemployment safety net is wholly inadequate and paid sick leave policies across the country are insufficient.

In 2018, only 33 per cent of unemployed women and 38 per cent of unemployed men received EI benefits. Seasonal workers, those with precarious employment and the self-employed are most vulnerable and will require urgent support.

“While we acknowledge the important measures all levels of governments are taking to ease the burden on the business community to help save jobs in the private sector, more must be done to assist front-line workers in health care fields who are vital in the fight against COVID-19,” said Yussuff.

Further, CLC urges the federal government to:

• Reduce the entry requirement for EI regular and sickness benefits;
• Immediately increase the current benefit rate from 55 per cent to 60 per cent;
• Establish an emergency benefit with a low minimum contribution requirement to support otherwise ineligible workers;
• Implement regulations to waive the requirement that claimants obtain a doctor’s note if they require quarantine;
• Make additional government funds available to provide special income relief for health sector workers who may be subject to quarantine or who become sick;
• Instruct utilities, banks, landlords, credit card companies and financial institutions to extend and relax mortgage, rent and bill payment requirements, loan servicing obligations, and other responsibilities facing consumers and households;
• Work with First Ministers to declare that no one be fired for self-quarantining or recovering from infection, and that if a worker loses their job for these reasons, they will be reinstated;
• Double the GST/HST credit to provide income support to low-income Canadians; and
• Increase the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) paid to low- and modest-income families.

“Single and vulnerable parents living paycheck to paycheck are going to struggle to pay rent and utilities if they have to scale back hours and turn down shifts to deal with the child care crisis. We know that these measures will disproportionately affect women.

“All across Canada, working people have been listening to public health authorities and doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19—it is now time for Canada to support them.”

Read more: Supporting workers in a time of crisis — Key steps for governments and employers.

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“The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the CLC are uniting our response efforts to ensure all appropriate measures are put in place to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 for Canada’s employers and employees.

“Canada’s economy, and the workers who support it, are set to face an unprecedented test. These challenges must be met with teamwork and coordination among Canadian workers and their families, businesses and governments. We were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing business and labour with Prime Minister Trudeau and look forward to hearing about the government’s response.

“The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the CLC will be united in our efforts to ensure that every sector of the economy receives all necessary stabilizing support. Furthermore, we will develop complimentary policy options to help governments implement timely and meaningful programs to support Canadians through this period.

“At every turn, we will be looking to work collaboratively and assist all levels of government to ensure response programs reach those who need support in a timely and effective manner.”

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

About the Canadian Labour Congress

The CLC is the largest labour organization in Canada, bringing together dozens of national and international unions, provincial and territorial federations of labour and community-based labour councils to represent more than 3 million workers across the country.

For more information, please contact:

Phil Taylor
ptavlor@chamber.ca

CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

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One thousand members of USW have been locked out of their workplace at an aluminum smelter in Bécancour, Quebec for the past 17 months.

Over the spring of 2019, Quebec’s Premier François Legault made numerous public statements favouring ABI, the employer, and undermining the union representing ABI workers.

The USW lodged a formal complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work by setting international labour standards. Canada has been a signatory to ILO Convention 87 – Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise – for over 45 years and, in 2017, Canada ratified ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.

In a letter to the ILO sent on June 19, 2019, CLC’s President Hassan Yussuff writes that, “The CLC supports the USW position that the Government of Quebec, through the public statements made by its leader and official representative, Premier François Legault, interfered in negotiations in the 17-month lockout at the aluminum smelter in Bécancour, co-owned by multi-national aluminum giants Alcoa and Rio Tinto.”

Click here to read the CLC’s full letter.

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In January 2018, the federal government publicly committed to creating an independent ombudsperson’s office with the power to order those under investigation to produce documents and testimony under oath.

“Today’s announcement naming an ombudsperson is a welcome step, however this post must hold investigatory powers in order to help ensure that Canadian corporations are compelled to respect their human rights obligations abroad,” said CLC President Hassan Yussuff.

An ombudsperson is needed to investigate complaints of human rights violations and to redress harms when there is verifiable evidence these are linked to Canadian corporate abuse overseas. Canada needs an ombudsperson to help prevent Canadian complicity in corporate abuse and ensure Canadian mining and garment supply chains respect human rights.

“The commissioned legal review to determine the options to provide the advisor with investigatory powers must not be delayed,” said Yussuff. “Without investigatory capacity it is a powerless advisory post. We expect the required powers be assigned before the end of this electoral mandate,” he added.

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• prioritizing the elimination of child labour and forced labour in Canada’s international assistance;
• improving access to quality education for children and adults;
• supporting law enforcement and judicial systems;
• including discussion of child labour and forced labour in all free trade negotiations;
• building capacity of Canadian businesses to monitor their supply chains;
• advancing initiatives to motivate business to eliminate child and forced labour in their supply chains; and
• examining Canada’s import regime and procurement policies as levers to eliminate the use of child labour.

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A century later, Canada’s unions continue Goodwin’s work with calls for greater accountability from mining companies – socially, economically and environmentally – both in Canada and around the world. 

As Vice-President of the BC Federation of Labour, Ginger Goodwin led several strikes and was an outspoken opponent to the First World War, all of which brought him to the attention of government and military authorities.

Like many coal miners, Goodwin suffered lung problems and was initially classified as “unfit” for fighting overseas. However, following a strike he led for the 8-hour day at a smelter in Trail BC, his conscription status was changed to ‘fit for service in an overseas fighting unit’.

With the help of townspeople, he traveled to Vancouver Island and went into hiding in the bush near Cumberland, where other war resisters received support from local community members. In a series of still-contested events, Goodwin was tracked down on July 27, 1918 and shot by a private constable employed by the Dominion Police (forerunner of the RCMP), just 4 days after an amnesty had been declared for draft evaders.

Goodwin’s body was taken through the streets in a procession that was a mile long before being interred at the Cumberland Municipal Cemetery. Less than a week later, on August 2, the Vancouver General Strike – the first general strike in Canadian history – took place, organized as a one-day political protest against Goodwin’s murder. Before his murder, Goodwin had called for a general strike in the event that any worker was drafted into military service against their will.

The strike was met with violence. Three hundred men ransacked the offices of the Vancouver Trades and Labour Council, many of them returned soldiers who had been mobilized and supplied with vehicles to storm the Labour Temple, located at 411 Dunsmuir Street.

In 2001 the newly-elected BC Liberal government removed the name Ginger Goodwin Way from the road that passes by the grave yard that holds his remains. The signs and the name were restored in June 2018 by BC’s NDP government. While the Ginger Goodwin Way signs on the inland Island Highway come and go, Goodwin is commemorated by Ginger Goodwin Creek (1982) and Mount Ginger Goodwin (1989), the unnamed mountain that he was shot and killed on. Each year the citizens of Cumberland hold a graveside memorial to pay tribute to him and what he fought for.

June 27, 2018 was official designated “Ginger Goodwin Day” by the BC provincial government to mark the centenial of his murder.

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Early in the morning beneath the small town of Plymouth, Nova Scotia, a methane gas leak into the Westray mine shaft from the Foord coal seam mixed with coal dust and caused in an explosion. The sky lit up with a blue flash and homes more than a kilometer away shook with the force of blast. Within seconds 26 miners working underground on that shift were killed.

In little over an hour a team of men was down the mine on foot to attempt a rescue. They were soon joined by rescue teams from mines in Cape Breton, Pugwash and Bathurst as is the tradition of miners rushing in to help their fellow miners. But there were no survivors of this explosion.

When the explosion happened, the Westray mine was the only working underground coal mine in Pictou County, Nova Scotia’s coalfield. The coal seam there had been mined for 200 years with a long history of explosions. The nearby Allan mine, which closed in 1951, experienced eight methane explosions in its 40-years of operations.

The Westray death toll was Canada’s worst mining disaster since the 1958 “bump” in the Springhill coal mine that claimed the lives of 75 miners. Coal mining has always been dangerous work. Between 1838 and 1950, 246 Pictou County miners were killed in similar methane and coal-dust explosions. Many of them were mining the Foord seam that the Westray mine was working. Between 1866 and 1972, another 330 miners were killed in other mine related accidents. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics a worker in the coal mining industry is six times more likely to die of a job-related issue than in any other private industry on earth.

Despite these dangers, it turns out the Westray mine was an accident waiting to happen. Before the mine opened, concerns had been raised about its safety. During its construction, in July 1991, a letter was sent to the provincial Labour Minister from MLA Bernie Boudreau warning that the new coal mine “is potentially one of the most dangerous in the world.” The promise of new jobs, rich profits and political reward left those warnings and others unheeded.

Following the disaster, a provincial inquiry lead by Justice Peter Richard found “The Westray story is a complex mosaic of actions, omissions, mistakes, incompetence, apathy, cynicism, stupidity and neglect.”  (The Westray Story: A Predictable Path to Disaster.) Yet, all attempts to prosecute the company and its officials for actions that lead to the deaths of 26 men failed.

Canada’s unions responded with a campaign to change the Criminal Code so corporate managers and directors who fail to take steps to protect the lives of their employees could be held criminally liable in the event of workplace deaths. Private members’ bills were introduced in Parliament only to fail until, on the fifth attempt, in 2003, the federal government enacted what would come to be known as the “Westray Bill” that provided a new framework for corporate liability in Canada.

The Westray mine site was razed in 1998 and the mine shaft sealed entombing the bodies of 11 miners. A memorial was built in a park in nearby New Glasgow approximately at the location above ground where the remaining miners were trapped. The memorial’s central monument, engraved with the names and ages of the twenty-six men who lost their lives in the disaster, states, “Their light shall always shine.”  The memorial lands were protected by the Nova Scotia government and further mineral exploration is prohibited within the park.

The post Mourn the dead: fight for the living. appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

On April 24, 2013, over one thousand garment workers were killed or injured when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed. Investigations showed that working conditions in the building did not meet safety standards. The tragedy highlighted the human rights abuses and substandard conditions that continue to plague the textile industry.

“Canadian companies have a responsibility to ensure that the products they produce are made ethically,” said Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “Canadians do not want to compromise the safety and dignity of workers in exchange for a cheap t-shirt. That’s not who we are.”

Basic human rights

Canadian unions are advocating that workers in Bangladesh, and anywhere along a supply chain, are:

• Treated fairly and with respect at work;
• Paid a living wage;
• Able to exercise their rights to form unions and bargain collectively;
• Working in safe factories.

Soon after the tragedy, dozens of companies operating in Bangladesh signed a five-year legally binding agreement called the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. The agreement has been renewed for three more years and aims to ensure that factories are inspected regularly and that minimum safety standards are maintained. It also protects the rights of workers to organize.

Corporate accountability

The CLC calls on the Canadian corporations operating in Bangladesh to sign the Accord. There are over 140 signatories from around the world, including Canadian owned Loblaws. The full list can be found here.

More recently, Canada’s federal government announced it will appoint an ombudsperson to ensure Canadian corporations respect their human rights obligations abroad.

“Canada can and must be a champion of all workers. That requires making sure that our corporations are held to account for any human rights abuses,” said Yussuff.

Taking action

Several CLC affiliates will be holding events this Monday, April 23 to encourage Canadian companies including Walmart and the Canadian Tire owned stores of Mark’s, Sports Experts, and Sport Chek to commit to transparency about their supply chains.

Canadians who want to participate should visit the United Steelworkers (USW) campaign page here and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) here.

Supporting workers

Since 2016, the CLC and several affiliates have been supporting the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity in its effort to strengthen labour rights in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector. The project is supported by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), UFCW, Ontario Secondary School Teacher Federation (OSSTF) and USW. It runs until 2019.

The CLC is also a member of the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, along with over 30 other unions and human rights, environmental, faith-based and solidarity groups. Union members of the coalition include CUPE, Unifor, USW, PSAC and the British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF).

The post Remembering Rana Plaza: Canadian corporations must do more appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

• Independent, impartial and arms-length from government;
• Mandated and adequately resourced to investigate incidents. That means being able to compel documents and testimony;
• Able to make public findings and recommendations that tie subsidies, loans, loan insurance and other trade support from government to respect for human rights;
• Able to monitor and follow up on recommendations;
• Transparent. To be effective, the ombudsperson’s findings, recommendations, approved settlement agreements and policy proposals must be publicly available.

Yussuff added that the creation of a strong and independent human rights ombudsperson is also important given calls by the G7 and G20 on all member countries to create and strengthen mechanisms to fulfill their commitments under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The move will also help Canada fulfill its obligations under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other international norms, he said.

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“Union leaders and activists in Colombia have experienced significant danger in trying to exercise their basic rights. It is important to see this report finally acknowledge that prevailing context of anti-union hostility, intimidation and threats,” said Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff.

The report found significant evidence of failure on the part of the Government of Colombia to comply with its obligations under the CCOALC and confirmed long-standing complaints of violence and intimidation used to restrict workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The CLC applauds the report’s recommendations to better fight abuses by calling for timely and efficient investigative practices and trials for perpetrators of violence against union leaders and activists. Significantly, the report calls for a critical and independent examination of the role of the Colombian riot police, the ESMAD, whose actions have been internationally criticized for the excessive use of force.

Other key recommendations in the report include measures to promote freedom of association and free collective bargaining; improved labour legislation; and stronger compliance with and enforcement of labour law, including empowering labour inspectors to eliminate misuse of labour intermediation.

Now that this report has confirmed the issues raised by Colombian and Canadian unions, the CLC is urging Labour Minister Patty Hajdu to act quickly and seek consultations with her Colombian counterpart.

“Colombian and Canadian unions are ready to be involved in the implementation of the report recommendations,” Yussuff said. “We look forward to working with both governments to address these issues and build stable and just labour relations in Colombia.”

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Representatives from the CLC, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), United Steelworkers (USW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Unifor, will be meeting with garment sector workers, representatives of Bangladeshi trade unions, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Bangladeshi government and the Canadian High Commission, as well as family members of victims of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse.

In April 2013, the eight-story Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed, killing over 1,100 workers and injuring more than 2,000.

After the collapse, apparel brands, retailers and trade unions from around the world signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

It aims to uphold safe working conditions, and empowering workers – through training and complaint mechanisms – to refuse unsafe work without fear of reprisal.

The CLC, along with the other unions, will see firsthand how the Bangladeshi garment sector has improved workplace health and safety, what work remains to be done, and how Canada can help.

The post Unions promote corporate accountability and workers’ rights in Bangladesh appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

With this amount of power and capacity internationally, it’s important that policies and standards are in place to ensure these companies engage in responsible business practices.  This includes worker safety and security, environmental responsibility, accountability for revenues generated from activities, and ensuring positive outcomes for the local communities in which they operate.

Far too often this is not the case. These Canadian owned companies operating overseas have been accused of and associated with human rights abuses, injured or killed workers, environmental destruction, and corruption that prevents tax revenues from being invested back into communities and public services.

The Canadian Labour Congress, in collaboration with the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, is part of an initiative called Open for Justice.  We are calling on the government of Canada for:

• An extractive-sector Ombudsman with the power to independently investigate complaints and make recommendations to corporations and the Government of Canada.
• Legislated access to Canadian courts for people who have been seriously harmed by the international operations of Canadian companies.

Individuals and communities who have suffered harm at the hands of these companies and their practices have nowhere to seek justice: not in one’s own country, not in international arenas, and not in Canada. This is why we must make Canada Open For Justice.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Read more about the Open for Justice Campaign
• Read more about Establishing a Human Rights Ombudsman for Canada’s International Extractive Sector
• Visit the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability’s website.

The post Profits & People: Canadian extractive sector companies need to be held accountable appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

The CLC is against investor-state arbitration that drains countries of their natural resources and gives power to corporations. We call on the Canadian government to reject the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) process, and the trade and investment model on which it is based.

Canadian unions support Salvaide’s Stop the Suits Tour, a campaign to raise awareness of the ISDS currently affecting the people of El Salvador.

OceanaGold, a Canadian-Australia mining company operating in El Salvador is suing the El Salvadoran government for US$301 million because they were denied a permit to operate a gold mine, despite not having met regulatory requirements. A ruling is expected any day now.

This permit was denied because El Salvador is suffering from a severe water crisis, and mining directly contributes to the destruction of their eco-system.

El Salvador is one of the most deforested countries in Latin America and are experiencing the harshest effects of climate change.

Why we oppose this:

1. This case undermines national sovereignty and directly contradicts El Salvador’s ban on mining in their country.
2. ISDS’s are undemocratic; proceedings take place behind closed doors and out of reach of concerned citizens.
3. Foreign investor protections in multilateral and bilateral treaties have allowed corporations to challenge environmental regulation, public health measures, labour protections, and even decisions of national courts.
4. Investor-state arbitration means that corporations can sue countries for heinous amounts of money, which in El Salvador’s case amounts to about 5% their GDP.
5. Cases such as these set a precedent and normalize the perception that corporate interests come before the public good.

El Salvador is not the only country battling ISDS. Calgary-based Lone Pine Resources is suing Canada for $250 million in response to Quebec’s decision to put a ban on shale gas mining, known as fracking. This measure, broadly supported in Quebec, is based on concern for people’s health and the environment.

ISDS’s have increased dramatically. Canada is the target country for over 70% of these suits and has already paid tens of millions to foreign corporations. Canada may have to pay up to $2 billion more in settlements brought under NAFTA.

The post 5 reasons to oppose OceanaGold’s lawsuit against El Salvador appeared first on Canadian Labour Congress.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said: “Chancellor Merkel, as Summit host, has shown clear leadership on a number of crucial issues, notably the promise for G7 action on global supply chains which today are a source of exploitation and impoverishment instead of a means of delivering decent, secure and safe jobs.

Strengthening the existing international mechanisms on corporate behaviour needs to be backed up by the rule of law. This, along with other key commitments on climate action and financing as well as on taxation and on increasing women’s participation, must be taken up by the G20 when it holds its Summit in November.”

An ITUC opinion poll on trust in companies and supply chains, released on the eve of the Summit, found that:

• 55 % of respondents in France, Germany, the UK and the US believe most global companies can’t be trusted to look after their workers and tougher laws are needed;
• 80 % of respondents in Indonesia, the Philippines and Turkey believe that most employers prioritise profits over safety of their workers;
• More than three quarters (78 %) of people in Indonesia, the Philippines and Turkey believe that business should pay all their workers a decent minimum wage – no matter where they are.

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The Open Letter also requests that the Canadian government offer to match all corporate and other contributions to the Trust Fund, and to encourage the Bangladeshi government and industry association to increase their contributions and ensure their public accountability.

More than 16 months after the disaster, the Rana Plaza Donors Trust is about to distribute a first installment of compensation to some of the victims and survivors. Yet, only half the $40 million needed has been donated to the Fund to date.

“It is critical that sufficient funds are raised to compensate the workers and families whose lives have been forever damaged,” says Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Canada must step forward, starting with a call from the federal government to Canadian retailers sourcing from Bangladesh to contribute, and contribute generously to the Trust Fund.”

“If we fail to fill this funding gap today, many of the survivors that can no longer work and families of those killed at Rana Plaza could face a future of abject poverty, and the surviving children could be denied an education and forced to work under hazardous conditions,” says Lynda Yanz, Executive Director of the Maquila Solidarity Network.

To date only one Canadian company – Loblaw (Joe Fresh) – of the more than 130 that have apparel products made in Bangladesh has contributed to the Trust Fund, which is managed by the International Labour Organization (ILO).  In contrast, a number of US and European companies (and/or their foundations) that had no relationship to factories in the Rana Plaza building have contributed to the Trust Fund.

In June, seven European governments – the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark — released a joint public statement calling on retailers and brands in their respective countries to donate generously to the Trust Fund, and urging the Bangladesh government and industry association to increase their contributions and ensure their public accountability.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 111 district labour councils

Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca
Follow us on Twitter @CanadianLabour

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April 23, 2014

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister:

Re: The 2013 Bangladesh Factory Collapse and the Accountability of Companies in Canada

April 24 will mark the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, where over 1,100 workers killed and thousands more were injured. We urge the Canadian government to ensure that companies in Canada sign onto the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, and request that Canada uses its authority, purchasing power, regulatory powers, diplomatic efforts and trading relationships as a means of preventing future tragedies like Rana Plaza.

Despite the important $8 million commitment made by the Canadian government toward the National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire and Building Safety to build the technical expertise and equipment for a preliminary assessment of 2,000 factories, there continue to be grave risks to worker health and safety in Bangladesh. Addressing the risks will require the effort of governments, working with the private sector, international organizations and trade unions.

Following the Rana Plaza tragedy more than 150 global apparel companies and trade unions are now implementing the Accord. We regard this as an important step toward improving worker safety in Bangladesh. Despite other voluntary private-sector initiatives, no other program comes close to addressing the urgent need for health and safety reform in the Bangladesh garment industry. Unfortunately, only one Canadian company has demonstrated a genuine commitment to improving working conditions in Bangladesh by signing onto the Accord.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) will be writing to over 130 companies in Canada asking that they sign onto the Accord. We urge you as Prime Minister to persuade Canadian companies to better ensure worker safety in their overseas supply chains.

Specifically, we ask the Government of Canada to:

• publicly endorse the Accord and urge Canadian companies to sign it without delay;
• adopt responsible purchasing policies for government procurement that require companies to ensure International Labour Organization (ILO) Core Conventions are respected by their suppliers and, if sourcing goods in Bangladesh, to be a signatory to the Accord; and
• adopt regulations requiring apparel brands and retailers to disclose the names and locations of factories used to manufacture their goods to ensure transparency and prevent poor labour practices from being hidden from consumers.

The Canadian government must play a key role in setting trade and investment rules that set a floor for corporate behaviour. Trade measures can help to bolster national inspection regimes, which are a necessary part of sustainable change in Bangladesh. The U.S. withdrawal of trade preferences for Bangladesh, for example, resulted in the anticipated hiring of 200 additional labour inspectors by the government of Bangladesh. Unless corporate accountability measures in our country are strengthened, we will continue to be complicit in tragedies such as those in Bangladesh and elsewhere.

We further ask your government to:

• replace the office of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor, which has proven ineffective thus far, with an independent ombudsperson with investigative powers that reach beyond the mining sector to include the garment industry;
• provide legal standing for foreign nationals harmed by the operations of Canadian companies to seek redress in Canada’s courts; and
• require countries to respect ILO core labour standards in order to access Canada’s General Preferential Tariff, by providing for regular reviews of country performance and including granting third parties the right to make submissions.

Finally, Canada must practice at home what it preaches abroad. Canada and Bangladesh have both ratified most of the ILO’s core labour conventions but complaints to the ILO about violations have risen steeply and mature industrial relations continue to face attacks in both countries. For example, while both Bangladesh and Canada have ratified ILO Convention 144 on Tripartite Consultations for labour standards, dialogue involving government, employer and union groups remains weak in both countries. As this Convention provides a basis for meaningful dialogue between social partners — which is indispensable in ensuring sustainable improvements in working conditions in either country — we ask that it be vigorously promoted by the government of Canada both at home and abroad.

We urge you, Prime Minister, to use Canada’s authority, purchasing power, regulatory powers, diplomatic efforts and trading relationships as a means of preventing future tragedies like Rana Plaza, starting first and foremost by publicly endorsing the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Yours Sincerely,

Kenneth V. Georgetti
President

The organizations listed below have endorsed the content of the this letter:

Amnesty International
British Columbia Federation of Labour
British Columbia Government and Service Employees Union
British Columbia Teachers’ Federation
Canadian Association of University Teachers
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Confédération des syndicats nationaux
Escuela Nacional Sindical
Fédération des travailleuses et travailleurs du Québec (Quebec Federation of Labour)
Fort McMurray District Labour Council
Global Foundation for Sustainable Development and Social Harmony
Guelph District Labour Council
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Lindsay District Labour Council
Manitoba Federation of Labour
Maquila Solidarity Network
National Union of Public and General Employees
Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Council
Northern Territories Federation of Labour
Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association
Ontario Federation of LabourOntario Nurse Association
Ontario Public Services Employees Union
Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario
Oxfam Canada
Professionals, Finance & Service Section General Workers Of Malta
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Public Response
Thompson Labour Committee
Toronto & York District Labour Council
Unifor
United Food and Commercial Workers of Canada
United Steelworkers
Vancouver District Labour Council
Wood Buffalo District Labour Council

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More than 305 workers lost their lives in the factory collapse and 2,445 more have been injured or permanently disabled. These workers made clothing for a Bangladeshi company whose clients include Joe Fresh, a subsidiary of the Canadian-owned Loblaws.

Georgetti says that safety audit measures were obviously lacking or not enforced by the Bangladeshi company involved in the latest tragedy. “Unfortunately, Canada is visibly absent from international discussions to reform current social auditing systems, and to impose accountable reporting standards on companies such as Loblaws, which buy products from other countries.”

Georgetti says that the Canadian government has remained silent about previous labour violations in Bangladesh, and is thus complicit in the recent tragic event. Rather, Canada has chosen to promote a five-fold increase of merchandise imports from Bangladesh since 2005, now valued at more $1.6 billion per year.

“There was no trade union in any of the four companies involved in the Bangladeshi factory,” Georgetti says, “so workers had no means available to protect their own safety. They felt powerless to refuse company orders to re-enter the site after an initial evacuation, despite obvious signs of danger.”

Bangladesh has ratified most International Labour Organization (ILO) core labour Conventions, but this year’s ILO report is a damning indictment of how poor enforcement of labour laws can give rise to accidents, such as the one near Dhaka.

Georgetti says, “The CLC’s experience with workplace accidents in Canada leads us to believe that such events can be prevented only when joint workplace, union-employer committees have the power to lend oversight on production and where laws are adequately enforced. It is unconscionable to deprive workers of such basic protections.  

“We send our condolences to the victims, families and communities involved,” Georgetti says. “We also call on the Canadian government to work with the international community and social partners in developing a strong and enforceable system of workplace health and safety, which which would have prevented this from happening. Failing compliance on these matters, Canada should refuse trade with Bangladesh, a country that openly flaunts the enforcement of labour standards in a way that allows such events to occur.” 

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils. Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca  Follow us on Twitter @CanadianLabour

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