Helping families facing affordability squeeze must be MPs’ job one
April 25, 2022
Bruske: As Parliament returns, Canada’s unions urge MPs to back workers and reject the push for a low-wage austerity agenda OTTAWA –– The highest inflation in over three decades plus the largest interest rate rise in over twenty years adds up to families falling further behind. Figures released last week revealed that inflation now stands at 6.7 percent, and rising,…
Government must not break their promise and leave Canadians paying sky-high drug costs
April 14, 2022
Canada’s unions are troubled about the government’s decision late today, to reverse course on changes to patented drug regulations, potentially forcing Canadian families to pay billions more for needed medicines. “We are calling on the government: don’t break your promise to Canadians. We can’t count on big pharmaceutical corporations to stand up for Canadians, that’s the job of our governments,”…
By Bea Bruske I think almost everyone can agree 2021 was a rough year. The pandemic we hoped was ending now rolls on with new variants and new disruptions. But in 2021 we also saw some hopeful signs of what’s possible when people work together in common cause. Workers with newfound confidence demanding better. People seeking out jobs that offered…
Canada’s unions: Use fiscal update to reverse seniors’ clawbacks and emergency help for workers
December 9, 2021
Bruske: Parliament must act swiftly to help low-income seniors, the 1.2 million unemployed and the 630K working Canadians who want full-time work but can’t find it With low-income seniors and unemployed workers being left behind, Canada’s unions are demanding the upcoming Economic and Fiscal Update be more than an accounting exercise but instead include a course correction on key issues. “The most vital thing about a country’s…
Canada’s unions demand government take concrete steps to implement pharmacare in upcoming fiscal update
December 8, 2021
Bruske: January 1, 2022 was supposed to be a universal pharmacare milestone – instead we are poised to mark another year of missed opportunities OTTAWA – Canada’s unions, civil society groups, business and academics wrote to the prime minister today urging the government to use the upcoming Economic and Fiscal Update to take the next step forwards on implementing universal…
President Bea Bruske available to speak about Canada’s unions’ priorities for new Parliament
November 19, 2021
With Parliament set to return – amidst rising inflation, stretching family budgets and an uneven economic recovery – Canada’s unions are focused on making sure MPs are ready to get to work on policies that put workers and their families at the heart of Canada’s recovery plans. Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, is available to speak to…
Conservatives pushing the same playbook on inflation instead of helping families
November 17, 2021
OTTAWA – With family budgets stretched thin, now is not the time to raise interest rates or cut vital government investments in things like affordable housing, child care and bringing down the cost of medicine, according to Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Conservatives keep pushing the same playbook, time and time again. You can’t solve today’s crisis…
Government must combat surging cost-of-living with action to raise minimum wage and bring down costs of housing, child care, and medicines
November 16, 2021
OTTAWA – With working people seeing their wages fall behind inflation, and everyday essentially getting more and more expensive, Canadians are looking for urgent action to help. Canada’s unions are looking to parliament’s return next week for measures to make life more affordable, including investments to make housing more affordable, immediate implementation of pharmacare to lower the price of medicines, and agreements…
Status quo parliament must not return to the status quo
September 21, 2021
Parliament must get to work on key issues facing workers OTTAWA – Canada’s unions congratulate Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party on their re-election and offer to work with the government and Parliamentarians from all parties on building a pandemic recovery that addresses the critical challenges facing workers and their families. “Canadians have spoken, and their message is clear: it’s…
Pandemic recovery must be built on investments that improve the lives of all Canadians Canada may very well be headed for another minority government and Canada’s unions want the new federal government elected on Monday to hit the ground running and deliver on promises made over the course of election campaign. Elected officials from all stripes must commit to working…