Canada’s unions welcome new declaration to address gender-based violence
February 3, 2021
Canada’s unions welcome the joint declaration made by Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women for a Canada free of gender-based violence. The declaration reinforces the right to live free from violence and the need for concrete efforts to address and prevent all forms of gender-based violence. It also sets out a common vision, principles, goals…
Canada’s unions call for long-term solutions to end gender-based violence
December 4, 2020
Canada’s unions are marking the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women by calling on the federal government to commit to long-term solutions to help survivors and to put an end to gender-based violence. December 6 marks the 31st anniversary of the shooting at Montréal’s École Polytechnique where fourteen women were killed in what was then Canada’s…
Canada’s Unions Echo Call for Justice for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
June 21, 2020
Canada’s unions are expressing solidarity and support for Indigenous peoples and communities calling for specific reforms recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “We as a movement are raising our voices to express alarm and outrage over recent incidents of police brutality, including the deaths of Chantal Moore and Rodney Levi,” said Larry Rousseau, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour…
Canada’s unions renew call for National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Girls
April 29, 2020
As the country mourns the loss of twenty-two lives in last week’s horrific mass shooting in Nova Scotia, Canada’s unions are once again calling for a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Girls. Although there is still much we do not know about this tragedy, now the deadliest massacre in Canadian history, it has come to light that…
Equal Pay Day: Recognizing the Value of Women’s Work
April 2, 2020
April 4, 2020 marks the day women’s median earnings in Canada finally catch up to men’s median earnings from last year. This year, Equal Pay Day takes place with the backdrop of an unprecedented test for workers, their families and the economy: the COVID-19 pandemic. “It takes 16 months for women’s median earnings to catch up to what men make…
Home is not safe for everyone: Domestic violence during a pandemic
March 26, 2020
Canada’s unions are calling for increased vigilance and awareness to the growing risk of domestic violence amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The recommendation that people stay in their homes, along with added financial pressure and stress, can elevate the risk of violence and further entrenches isolation, which increases opportunities for abusers to exert power and control. Women’s shelters and transition houses…
#DoneWaiting: Make Canada a Leader in Global in Gender Equality
March 7, 2020
This International Women’s Day, Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to meet its international obligations and show real progress towards women’s equality and economic justice. “We know some steps the federal government can take right now to be a global leader in gender equality—if they are bold enough,” said Marie Clarke Walker, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress.…
Canada’s unions mark 30th anniversary of Polytechnique Massacre
December 6, 2019
It has been thirty years since fourteen lives were lost in an act of misogynistic violence at Montréal’s École Polytechnique. Every year since, communities across the country have mourned those, and innumerable others, lost to gender-based violence with a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. While recent federal initiatives have progressed the drive to end institutionalized…
Canada’s unions call on newly elected government to ratify global convention on violence and harassment
November 25, 2019
November 25th marks the first of 16 global days of action to eliminate gender-based violence. Canada’s unions are marking these days by calling on the newly elected government to ratify international labour Convention C-190, the first-ever global treaty on violence and harassment in the world of work. Convention C-190 was adopted at the Centenary Conference of the International Labour Organization…
Unions mark Gender Equality Week with election demands
September 22, 2019
Canada’s unions are marking Gender Equality Week 2019 by calling on federal political parties to commit to creating a fair Canada for everyone. “Gender Equality Week was created to celebrate recent gains while reflecting on the work that needs to be done to improve gender equality and women’s rights across Canada,” said Marie Clarke Walker, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour…