Statement from Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, on Trump’s tariff threat
November 26, 2024
“Donald Trump’s threat of a 25% tariff on Canadian products is a direct attack on workers. This poses a serious and immediate risk to Canadian jobs, livelihoods, and entire communities. This attack on our industries jeopardizes good, unionized jobs across vital sectors like manufacturing, mining, energy, and agriculture—jobs that are the backbone of our economy. The damage from such tariffs…
Statement on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks
October 7, 2024
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) condemns those attacks and mourns the horrible loss of life on that day and over the past year in Gaza and now in Lebanon. We are gravely concerned by the continued escalation of hostilities and the expansion of this horrific war in the…
Protecting Canadian workers: CLC welcomes tariffs on Chinese imports
October 1, 2024
Statement from Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress Canada’s unions are pleased with the government’s announcement to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, including a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and a 25% tariff on aluminum and steel, matching recent U.S. actions. Coming into force on October 22, this marks one of the most significant shifts in our supply…
Global union leaders affirm support for Palestinian trade unions and the Palestinian people
June 11, 2024
This week the leaders of seven Global Union Federations (GUFs) and the International Trade Union Confederation travelled to Ramallah to convey their solidarity to unions in the West Bank and Gaza. These organizations represent almost every sector of the global economy and have members in more than 150 countries representing over 200 million workers. Working with Palestinian affiliates and others,…
11 years after the Rana Plaza factory collapse, Canada’s unions honour victims and continue demands to improve conditions for workers
April 23, 2024
April 24, 2024, marks 11 years since the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This terrible and avoidable tragedy killed more than 1,134 workers and injured more than 2,600, unveiling the horrific conditions of work for millions of workers in an unregulated industry, not only in Bangladesh but in dozens of other countries as well. This…
Canada’s unions support Argentinian national strike
January 24, 2024
The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), which represents 3 million workers across Canada, together with the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), the regional body of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), express our deep concern for the situation in Argentina. Since its inauguration on December 10, the government of President Javier Milei has promoted several measures that generate profound…
CLC condemns harassment of Hong Kong trade union activists and leaders
July 14, 2023
The Canadian Labour Congress, representing 3 million Canadian workers, condemns the Hong Kong administration for placing a bounty on the heads of trade unionists, human rights defenders, and pro-democracy activists. Last May, at the 30th Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress, Hong Kong labour leader and activist Christopher Mung (Mung Siu-Tat) spoke to Canadian workers about the complete deterioration…
Statement from Canadian and Québec labour unions in solidarity with the family and colleagues of Shahidul Islam
June 30, 2023
The Canadian and Québec Labour movement, joining workers around the globe, condemn the brutal murder of Shahidul Islam, a 45-year-old father of two and President of the Gazipur unit of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF). The attack took place on June 25, 2023, in the context of his work as a union leader seeking to address a…
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.…
Statement from Bea Bruske: To uphold refugee rights, Canada must suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement
April 4, 2023
OTTAWA––Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released the following statement today: “On Refugee Rights Day, we recognize and celebrate the 1985 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that refugee claimants are entitled to fundamental justice. Today, Canada’s unions urge the federal government to uphold the principles of fundamental justice and fulfill its moral duty and international obligation to protect…