Bea Bruske: Put working families at the heart of Canada’s recovery
September 6, 2021
OTTAWA – Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress released the following statement on Labour Day: “Over the past eighteen months, workers and their families have faced unprecedented challenges from a pandemic and fiscal crisis. “Parents faced the pressure of working from home while dealing with their kids’ schooling. Workers faced the anxiety of being thrown out of work…
Canada’s unions release ad reminding working Canadians Erin O’Toole is dangerous
August 31, 2021
OTTAWA − Canada’s unions are pushing back against Erin O’Toole’s claims around supporting working Canadians with a video containing hard-hitting truths about O’Toole’s real record of letting down workers. “We have seen his rhetoric around supporting working people. But when you look at his record, you start seeing the real O’Toole,’ said Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress.…
The COVID-19 crisis is not over. COVID-19 is not the seasonal flu. It is much more deadly and has inflicted far greater damage on our health system, our economy, our livelihoods and the individual health of Canadians. Canada’s unions strongly support vaccination against COVID-19 for every Canadian that can be vaccinated. Science has demonstrated that vaccinations – alongside other measures…
Friends and Allies, A few short weeks ago, I was truly honoured to be elected to serve the working people of Canada as president of the Canadian Labour Congress. My fellow officers and I do not take this responsibility lightly – and it is not a job anyone can do alone. We are counting on you for your support ……
Canada’s unions call for strengthened rights and protections for domestic workers
June 16, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking International Domestic Workers Day by calling on the federal government to increase access to services and protections for domestic workers and to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit domestic workers hard – as of June 2020, the ILO estimated that approximately 72.3% of global domestic…
National AccessAbility Week: Canada’s unions call for elimination of barriers to employment, launch new handbook
May 28, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking National AccessAbility Week by calling on the federal government to remove barriers to employment and increase economic security for people with disabilities. Observed from May 30 to June 5, National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to celebrate and advance accessibility and inclusion in our workplaces and communities. “Everyone benefits when workplaces are accessible,” said Larry Rousseau,…
Canada’s unions condemn anti-Asian racism and urge solidarity with Asian communities
April 30, 2021
This Asian Heritage Month, Canada’s unions are standing in solidarity with Asian workers and communities by calling for an end to anti-Asian racism. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified historical xenophobic, anti-Asian sentiment and rhetoric, which has resulted in increased violence against members of Asian communities. Live data from Fight COVID Racism shows that from March 10, 2020 to mid-April 2021, there…
Remembering the victims of the Rana Plaza disaster
April 23, 2021
April 24th marks the grim anniversary of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters that killed at least 1,132 garment workers and injured more than 2,500 when the Rana Plaza building collapsed 8 years ago in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In the years since, global initiatives, primarily the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, have achieved remarkable improvements to health and…
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…
The Canadian Labour Congress and provincial and territorial federations of labour find Uber’s self serving proposal for Flexible Work+ dangerous, undermining and offensive to the rights and dignity of workers. The plan, rolled out over the past few weeks, signals the companies’ intention to pressure governments to invent a niche category for app-based employment. Like Proposition 22 in California, Uber…