Canada’s unions mark May Day by calling on governments to prioritize workers and their families
May 1, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking May Day by urging the federal government to act quickly to implement its most recent budget promises, which include significant investments in child care, job creation and skills training. May Day is an annual celebration held every May 1st during which workers from around the world celebrate the achievements made by trade unions. This year, the…
Canada’s unions release detailed analysis of Budget 2021
April 30, 2021
On April 19, 2021 the federal government announced its first budget in two years. More than 12 months into a global pandemic and the accompanying economic shock, and in the midst of a devastating third wave of infections in Canada, this budget comes at a crucial time. The pandemic has forced Canadians to confront stark realities and profound shortcomings in our…
Budget 2021: Canada’s unions welcome ‘crucial’ funding for child care, skills training and $15 federal minimum wage
April 19, 2021
Canada’s unions are applauding significant investments in child care, training and skills development and a $15 federal minimum wage, in addition to a further expansion of emergency benefits announced in today’s federal budget. “This budget will bring some relief to the country’s workers and their families. Women workers have long borne the brunt of the absence of high-quality, universal child…
Top five labour demands ahead of upcoming federal budget
April 16, 2021
OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to focus on the country’s social safety net in its budget to be released Monday, prioritizing five key demands. “The devastating effects of the pandemic were made worse by years of austerity by successive governments,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “As a result of cuts, the…
Latest job numbers encouraging but a lot rides on federal job investments
April 9, 2021
OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to create more than one million jobs in the upcoming budget, pointing to today’s job numbers as further evidence of the need for expanded investments. Statistics Canada released its latest Labour Force Survey today. It shows that more than 1.5 million unemployed and under-employed workers continue to struggle to find work,…
Budget 2021: Canada’s unions call for strong measures to help pandemic recovery
March 30, 2021
As people in Canada continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19, workers and their families need strong measures to help ensure a healthy economic recovery when the pandemic is over. In Budget 2021, the federal government will unveil its roadmap towards economic recovery. The CLC recently presented its recommendations for Budget 2021 in a pre-budget submission to the government.…
Canada’s unions welcome extension of EI and recovery benefits
February 19, 2021
Canada’s unions welcome the extension to income supports announced by the federal government today as a necessary step towards providing further financial security to those who need it. The government announced 12-week extensions for both the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), as well as an additional 24 weeks of eligibility for Employment Insurance. “This will…
Too many people are struggling to pay for their medications
February 19, 2021
By Hassan Yussuff, Doug Roth, Linda Silas, as published in Toronto Star A silent health crisis is looming as more people struggle to pay for their prescription drugs. Even before the pandemic, the statistics were staggering. About 7.5 million citizens—one in five Canadians—either did not have prescription drug insurance or had inadequate insurance to cover their medication needs. One…
Latest job numbers point to need for urgent extension of EI benefits and job retraining
February 5, 2021
OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are urgently calling on the federal government to extend EI and recovery benefits along with increasing support for skills retraining as workers continue to struggle with rising unemployment. Following higher than expected job losses at the end of 2020, workers faced another large drop in employment, with 213,000 jobs lost last month. “We’ve lost the small…
Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program is falling short. Over the past year, the shortcomings of the program have become all the more clear. EI needs to be reformed to match the current reality of the world of work. Read our recommendations for EI reform here.