National Day of Mourning: the human cost of COVID-19
April 28, 2021
By Hassan Yussuff as published in The Hamilton Spectator Every year, workers and their families come together on April 28, the National Day of Mourning, to mourn those lost to workplace illness and injuries. This year, Canada’s unions are shining a light on the human cost of the COVID-19 pandemic. The enduring call to “Mourn the Dead; Fight for the…
We need smart public policy to address vaccine hesitancy
April 20, 2021
When the first COVID-19 vaccines were injected into the arms of Canadians last December, there was a widespread sense of optimism as people could see the beginning of the end of this pandemic. Now, with more contagious and deadly variants surging in most regions of the country, this third wave threatens to be the most-deadly phase of the pandemic that…
Canada’s unions mark Injured Workers Day by calling on governments to improve working conditions and supports
June 1, 2020
On this Injured Workers Day, in the midst of COVID-19, Canada’s unions are calling on all levels of government to do more to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths, and to strengthen the workers’ compensation system. The current pandemic presents a monumental challenge in the fight to prevent workplace injury, illness and death. As Canadian jurisdictions begin to open up…
Health and Safety Conditions for Re-Opening Sectors of the Economy
May 8, 2020
As Canadian jurisdictions begin to open sectors of their economy it is important that working people have the protections they need to be able to do their jobs safely and get home to their loved ones at the end of every day without being injured, made ill or killed as a result of their work. This is a monumental challenge…
Canada’s unions mark National Day of Mourning in solidarity with frontline workers
April 28, 2020
Canada’s unions are asking Canadians to observe this year’s National Day of Mourning in remembrance of workers who have lost their lives as a result of incidents in the workplace. This year, that includes a number of frontline workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19. “As communities mourn workers we’ve lost this year, including many in recent weeks,…
Protect the women who make our clothes: Canada’s unions and civil society organizations call for action
April 24, 2020
Seven years after the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse, Bangladesh garment sector workers now confront even more risk and vulnerability in the fight against COVID-19. 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…
Canada’s unions support nurses, midwives and all health care workers
April 7, 2020
For World Health Day 2020, the World Health Organization is celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Right now, nurses and midwives are working shoulder to shoulder with all health care workers at ground zero of the largest pandemic in modern history. Health care workers are working overtime, playing a critical role for their patients across the country…
April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day to commemorate those who have died or been injured as a result of their job. This year, Canada’s unions are calling on employers and governments to do more to protect workers. “One workplace death is already too many. Workers deserve to arrive home safely at the end of their workday.…
Six years after Rana Plaza, workers’ rights still not respected in Bangladesh
April 24, 2019
April 24 marks the 6th anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that killed 1,134 garment workers in Bangladesh. Canada’s unions remain concerned about working conditions in factories where Canadian retailers source their products. “Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment exporter. Roughly 4 million people work in the country’s four thousand plus factories. Nearly 80 percent of these workers…
Canada’s unions mourn the death of three rail workers in BC
February 5, 2019
Canada’s unions are mourning the loss of three railroad workers after a train derailment in British Columbia on Monday. The Canadian Pacific (CP) train derailed east of Field, BC, near the Alberta-British Columbia boundary. “On behalf of the over 3 million CLC members, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families, friends and co-workers who are mourning the loss,”…