Canada’s unions mourn with Indigenous communities, call for action
June 2, 2021
Canada’s unions stand with Indigenous communities across Canada as they mourn the lives of 215 children whose remains were discovered at a burial site at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. “Our hearts are with residential school survivors, their families and all the children who never returned to the homes from which they were taken,” said Hassan Yussuff,…
Justice for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples is long overdue
June 2, 2021
The discovery of 215 children in an unmarked burial site in Kamloops has reminded us all about the horrors of the residential school system. All across Canada, First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) peoples continue to experience the devastating impacts and traumatic legacy of colonialism, violence and systemic racism. It’s time for everyone in Canada to take an active role…
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…
Canada’s unions call for immediate federal action to uphold treaty rights of Mi’kmaq Fishers
October 19, 2020
Canada’s unions are condemning the illegal efforts of non-Indigenous fishers to sabotage the inherent rights of the Mi’kmaq people to hunt, fish and gather off the coast of Nova Scotia, and are calling on the federal government to take immediate action to end the racist violence and uphold their treaty rights. “We are appalled and outraged by the relentless attempts…
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…
Canada’s Unions Echo Call for Justice for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples
June 21, 2020
Canada’s unions are expressing solidarity and support for Indigenous peoples and communities calling for specific reforms recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “We as a movement are raising our voices to express alarm and outrage over recent incidents of police brutality, including the deaths of Chantal Moore and Rodney Levi,” said Larry Rousseau, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour…
Anti-Black racism runs deep but so does our commitment towards combatting it
June 8, 2020
Amid the horrific scenes coming out of the United States of continued police brutality against protesters in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Canada’s unions are expressing solidarity with Black communities everywhere, including in our own backyard. The fight against anti-Black racism and police brutality is based in the long, despicable history of slavery, oppression and colonization of…
Canada’s unions call for targeted support for persons with disabilities
June 1, 2020
The Canadian Labour Congress is calling on the federal government to increase financial supports and targeted employment strategies for persons with disabilities as a key aspect of Canada’s economic recovery plan. Persons with disabilities – especially those living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities – face high unemployment rates and high levels of poverty and need additional support during…
Canada’s unions renew call for National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Girls
April 29, 2020
As the country mourns the loss of twenty-two lives in last week’s horrific mass shooting in Nova Scotia, Canada’s unions are once again calling for a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Girls. Although there is still much we do not know about this tragedy, now the deadliest massacre in Canadian history, it has come to light that…
Canada’s unions call on party leaders to commit to Calls for Justice
October 4, 2019
Every year on October 4, Sisters in Spirit Vigils occur across Canada to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people. This October 4, Canada’s unions are echoing calls from Indigenous families, communities and organizations for the implementation of all 231 Calls for Justice from the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and…