Canada’s unions stand with India’s farmers and farm workers
December 22, 2020
Canada’s unions stand in solidarity with farmers and agricultural workers in India as they continue to protest recent reforms to agricultural laws that deregulate the industry and leave farmers and farm workers vulnerable to exploitation by international corporations. “Deregulating local produce markets will have a devastating impact on farmers, farm workers and food security in India,” said Canadian Labour Congress…
Canada’s unions call for pathway to permanent residency for all migrant workers
December 18, 2020
Canada’s unions are marking International Migrants Day by calling on the federal government to offer a pathway to permanent residency to all migrant workers who wish to apply. The federal government recently announced that it will be accepting applications for permanent residence from refugee claimants working in the healthcare sector. This important announcement recognizes the crucial contributions refugee workers have…
Canada’s unions welcome new bill to adopt Indigenous rights framework
December 16, 2020
Canada’s unions welcome the federal government’s recent announcement and subsequent tabling of a bill to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), a commitment which was to be fulfilled before the end of the year. The new bill, Bill C-15, comes four years after former NDP MP Romeo Saganash introduced Bill C-262, a similar private…
Human Rights Day: equitable COVID-19 recovery requires investment in care
December 10, 2020
Canada’s unions are marking International Human Rights Day by calling for long-term investments in the care sector. “Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights” is the United Nations theme for this year’s International Human Rights Day, which is observed December 10. “It is critical that Canada’s COVID-19 recovery efforts tackle the human rights failures that have been exposed by…
Darryl Flasch – Winner of the 2020 Carol McGregor CLC Disability Rights Award
December 3, 2020
Every year on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Canadian Labour Congress will recognize a union member for their disability rights activism. This award is named in honour of Carol McGregor, an outstanding disability rights activist, member of BCGEU/NUPGE and the CLC Disability Rights Working Group―and who was much loved by all those who worked with…
Workers with disabilities must help shape Canada’s Disability Inclusion Strategy
December 3, 2020
Canada’s unions are marking December 3 – the International Day for Persons with Disabilities –by calling on the federal government to include persons with disabilities in Canada’s economic recovery strategy. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s unions have collaborated with disability rights coalitions like the Include Me Campaign, to highlight the unique challenges and barriers faced by persons…
Canada’s unions are marking this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance by calling on the federal government to implement a ban on conversion therapy. Conversion therapy aims to change an individual’s sexual orientation or to change an individual’s gender identity. This harmful practice negatively impacts LGBTQ2SI people and reinforces myths and stereotypes. “Conversion therapy is a cruel and dangerous practice that…
Canada’s unions mark World Day for Decent Work with a call for a robust economic recovery plan
October 7, 2020
COVID-19 has exposed flaws in social protections in Canada and around the world. The effects of this pandemic on health, employment, income, gender and racial equity are all the more catastrophic because of pre-existing gaps in our social safety net. Before the pandemic, ever-increasing globalization meant many workers were employed in precarious, low-wage work with few, if any, benefits. Now…
Canada’s unions call for mental health supports for all
October 1, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of people across Canada. It is important to recognize the negative impact, and reflect on the stigma still associated with mental illness in our workplaces and communities. Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), this week from October 4 to 10, is part of a national public education campaign in…
On Orange Shirt Day, Canada’s unions recommit to supporting Indigenous communities
September 29, 2020
September 30 is recognized across Canada as Orange Shirt Day to commemorate the children who were removed from their families and sent to residential schools where many became victims of physical, sexual, mental and emotional abuse and torture. Orange Shirt Day serves as an important reminder of the legacy of residential schools, the generational trauma and systemic barriers still faced…