Bea Bruske: Bank of Canada should pause rate hikes now to avert a manufactured recession
December 6, 2022
By Bea Bruske, as published in the Financial Times. Bank risks substantially weakening our economy, potentially throwing hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of work Facing a one-two punch of sky-high prices on daily essentials combined with rising credit card, mortgage and other bills, the last thing Canadians need right now is a recession, which could mean massive job losses…
Unions pave path to the middle class for millions of Canadians
September 5, 2022
Bruske: Growing momentum for workers to demand better OTTAWA–Canada’s unions are marking Labour Day by celebrating the hard-fought gains of the labour movement and bringing workers, their families and allies together in solidarity, united in their commitment to the important work ahead. “The collective power of workers and our long fight for fairness has delivered the forty-hour work week, pensions,…
Labour Day: Worker power is key to a stronger middle class
August 31, 2022
(TORONTO) Canada’s unions are encouraging workers to reclaim their power and stand up to employers and governments, as the country struggles to recover from the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic and its devastating effects aren’t behind us yet, but workers in Canada have an opportunity to help shape the future we want,” said Bea Bruske, President…
Canada’s unions celebrate B.C. card check law to empower workers
June 2, 2022
Bruske: It’s about fairness. Premier Horgan’s government enacts critical law to support working people VICTORIA, B.C. – Canada’s unions celebrate an important milestone today as a new law in British Columbia, to return automatic certification to the province, received royal assent. Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, was in the B.C. legislature to witness the legislation becoming law.…
Bruske to German Chancellor and the G7: Turn from ambition to action on climate and just transition
May 11, 2022
Bruske: We must not trade good jobs for low-quality, precarious work as we accelerate progress on tackling the climate crisis BERLIN – Today in Germany, Bea Bruske delivered a strong message from international labour leaders to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the G7. “When it comes to building a plan to decarbonize every sector of our economies, it is…
Building a low-wage economy with stomach-churning greed
April 26, 2022
Bruske: Minimum wage employees being replaced by offshore workers making $3.75 an hour will hurt workers everywhere OTTAWA –– Replacing frontline workers with exploited offshore workers, as the restaurant chain Freshii is now doing, moves us towards a low-wage economy that weakens our communities and exploits workers, according to Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “This is about replacing…
BC government move to card check certification a win for workers
April 6, 2022
Canada’s unions welcome today’s move by the BC government to return to automatic certification in the province. “The switch from automatic certification to mandatory voting has coincided with the decline in unionization rates. This is no accident,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “We need to see more government action to empower workers. Having a union and…
Rank and file union members engage MPs with powerful stories about the need to end seniors’ clawbacks
December 3, 2021
Bruske: Hundreds of union members participated in CLC’s Action Week, telling MPs about low-income seniors being left behind and care workers in desperate need of a break Hundreds of workers have been engaging MPs about the need for swift action to help struggling seniors and better support care workers as Parliament works to end the pandemic and start Canada along…
As clock ticks down, Canada’s unions demand government chooses help for people
October 13, 2021
OTTAWA—Canada’s unions are urging the federal government to extend emergency benefits to help workers and their families still struggling through the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada’s recent Labour Force Survey showed that nearly one and a half million people are still looking for work and total hours worked still lag well below pre-pandemic levels. “Behind the headlines, the…
Canada’s unions calling for worker-centred pandemic recovery
October 6, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking the World Day for Decent Work on October 7, by calling on the federal government to focus on workers in their pandemic recovery plans and replace lost jobs with better ones “The pandemic has highlighted the existing inequity and precarity in Canada’s job market and shone a light on the pervasiveness of work defined by low…