OTTAWA – The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) welcomes today’s federal government announcement that it will extend the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), introduce much needed reforms to Employment Insurance (EI) to provide better protections for the country’s unemployed workers including the introduction of a minimum floor on benefits, and provide 10 paid sick days. Millions of people have been relying…
Canada is in the midst of an economic crisis that has disproportionately affected low-paid, vulnerable workers in precarious employment, especially women, young workers, newcomers, workers of colour and workers with disabilities. Federal fiscal policy measures must prioritize helping Canadians return to decent jobs. This means expanding access to training and apprenticeship opportunities. Canada’s unions believe the federal government should use…
‘Safe Restart’ agreement helps pave the path forward
July 17, 2020
OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are welcoming the inclusion of job-protected sick leave in the ‘Safe Restart’ agreement reached between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. “We were very glad to see sick leave specifically mentioned in this agreement,” said Canadian Labour Congress President, Hassan Yussuff. “Canada’s unions have been fighting for paid sick leave for all workers. This ensures that…
Canada’s unions urge government to stay on fiscal track
July 8, 2020
OTTAWA – The fiscal update released today shows that there is still room for economic expansion by the federal government. Canada’s approach so far has been measured and proportionate, with spending in line with other G7 countries. “A single deficit number does not tell the full story. If we look at the total debt to GDP ratio, Canada is still…
Government must continue to invest in workers and families
July 8, 2020
In anticipation of today’s fiscal update, Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to hold steady on investing in the nation’s workers. The federal government moved quickly to respond to the economic fallout precipitated by COVID-19. Since March, the government has spent heavily on a variety of programs that ensure workers and businesses received support throughout this crisis. “The…
Canada’s unions welcome quick passage of wage subsidy bill
April 11, 2020
OTTAWA – Canada’s unions welcome today’s quick passage of the federal government’s bill to legislate wage subsidies. With unanimous consent of all parties, Bill C-14: A second Act respecting certain measures in response to COVID-19 passed during a special sitting at the House of Commons. The bill will now pass the Senate and receive Royal Assent by the end of…
Canada’s unions say further efforts are required to support unemployed workers and to preserve existing jobs as the number of Canadians who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic continues to rise. According to Statistics Canada, employment fell by one million in March and the ranks of the unemployed grew by 413,000. Canada’s unemployment rate rose by 2.2 percentage…
COVID-19 has exposed wide gaps in Canada’s social-safety net
April 9, 2020
By Hassan Yussuff, as published in The Globe and Mail Across the country, Canadians are stepping up even as the world feels as though it’s turning upside-down. We can see, perhaps now more than ever, how critical it is for governments to support and strengthen our society as a whole. That includes ensuring that all workers and the most vulnerable…
Canada’s unions are calling on Canada’s banks and credit card companies to step up and take action to support families through the COVID-19 crisis by reducing sky-high credit card interest rates. “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,…
Canada’s unions deliver clear priorities for federal airline relief package
March 28, 2020
OTTAWA – Today, Canada’s airline unions met with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Transportation to share the concerns of aviation industry workers and to provide solutions to ensure the sector’s viability. Chief among their priorities is to ensure that any federal financial aid package responds to the needs of workers still on the job as well as the…