Canada must address systemic racism and discrimination in the workforce
March 21, 2024
As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, Canada’s unions call on the federal government to take immediate, concrete action to address racism within our workforce. This starts with updating the Employment Equity Act by implementing the Employment Equity Task Force’s recommended reforms. The Employment Equity Act represents a critical tool in our…
Canada can deliver gender justice for women by improving care
March 8, 2024
Canada’s unions are marking International Women’s Day by calling on the federal government to better support women navigating the ongoing affordability crisis and to remedy its gendered and intersectional impacts. The disproportionately high number of women living in poverty and their lack of access to care services are deeply interconnected. Developing a national, comprehensive strategy for Canada’s care economy would…
Statement on the release of the Employment Equity Task Force Report
December 11, 2023
Canada’s unions welcome the release of the report of the Government of Canada’s Employment Equity Act Review Task Force. As advocates for fairness and equity in employment for all workers, regardless of background or identity, we look forward to delving into the details of the report, understanding the recommendations of the Task Force, and engaging in constructive dialogue with the government…
International Equal Pay Day: Canada’s Unions Call for an Integrated, Long-term Care Workforce strategy
September 18, 2023
Whether it’s health care, child care, long-term care, or community and social services, care sectors across Canada are experiencing severe staffing shortages and wage discrimination. At the root of this crisis is the stark reality that care work is unrecognized and undervalued. On International Equal Pay Day, Canada’s unions are calling for increased wages for care workers and a Care…
Canada’s unions are celebrating the passage of Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Benefit Act, after it received royal assent on June 22. “We have stood in solidarity with disability activists and organizations who have lobbied for this benefit for years. Today is a historic moment to celebrate these efforts and reaffirm labour’s support to lift the floor on disability poverty…
Never again: Canada’s unions mark 10 years since the Rana Plaza factory collapse
April 24, 2023
On April 24, workers in Bangladesh and across the globe will gather to mark the anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse and mourn the loss of the more than 1,100 workers who were killed. Over 2,500 workers and their families continue to live with the aftermath of serious injuries sustained in one of the world’s worst industrial disasters.…
Equal pay for work of equal value: it’s long past the time for employers and governments to get it right on pay equity
September 18, 2022
Canada’s unions are calling on governments around the world, at all levels, to take urgent action on pay equity. This includes addressing pay disparities in jobs dominated by women, like the care sector, and lessening the burden of unpaid care that is disproportionately shouldered by women around the world. “The global care economy is in crisis. Here in Canada, underfunding,…
Asian Heritage Month: Canada must do more to eliminate anti-Asian racism
April 30, 2022
As Canada prepares to mark Asian Heritage Month in May, anti-Asian racism and xenophobia have continued to rise consistently across the country over the past two years. A national report released by the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter and Project 1907 shows that anti-Asian racism and xenophobia have continued to rise consistently across Canada two years into the pandemic.…
Government must put the brakes on Bay St. and prevent windfall pandemic payouts
November 3, 2021
OTTAWA – An upcoming announcement from Canada’s banking regulator has the financial sector salivating at the prospect of gargantuan payouts. Analysts predict that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) will announce this week that they will relax a ban on dividends and share buybacks. “The banks now want to reward themselves and investors with windfall gains that…
Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released the following statement on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in favour of pay equity rights for registered nurses: “Canada’s unions welcome the decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to uphold the pay equity rights of registered nurses working in for-profit nursing homes. This victory came on the heels of…