National AccessAbility Week celebrates the valuable contributions of people with disabilities in Canada and highlights the actions needed to create an accessible Canada.

In 2020, the government announced its intention to implement the first of its kind, federal-level guaranteed monthly income supplement aimed at working-age people living with disabilities. But as rent and groceries continue to rise, the government recently announced that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) will only be $200.00 per month (or just $6.66 per day). 

“After years of anticipation, we were profoundly disappointed at the announcement of the benefit. Along with our allies in the disability rights community, we were disheartened to learn that the amount would work out to a mere $6.66 per day, and that eligibility would be based on the inaccessible Disability Tax Credit,” said Lily Chang, Secretary-Treasurer of the CLC. “Accessibility isn’t possible without income security.”

The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) program currently excludes many individuals who face significant barriers to qualifying, meaning many people with disabilities who are currently in poverty would not get the benefit. 

22% of people in Canada identify as having a disability. Yet, they make up 41% of the population living in poverty. There are many contributors to high rates of poverty among people with disabilities, including inaccessible workplaces, high medical costs and meagre provincial supports. 

The purpose of the CDB is to “reduce poverty and to support the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities”. The Canada Disability Benefit Act acknowledges the additional costs associated with living with a disability, the challenges that people with disabilities face in employment, intersecting systems of oppression faced by people with disabilities and Canada’s international human rights obligations. The amount and eligibility fail to reflect the goals and realities underlying this legislation.

“We echo the demands of our disability justice allies: the government must invest more in the CDB by the Fall 2024 Economic Statement, broaden eligibility through the regulations, and fully review and reform the DTC program. The provincial and territorial governments must commit to not clawing back the CDB. As modest as it is, it will be worse if it’s deducted from any provincial benefits people receive,” said Chang. “People with disabilities cannot wait any longer; they need economic security now.” 

You can learn more about National AccessAbility Week here.

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“When we look at the price increases since April 2021, it becomes clear that the Bank’s interest rate hikes have not made life more affordable for workers and their families,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. 

Over the last three years:

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen by 14%.
• Grocery prices have surged by 21%.
• Pasta prices have climbed by 54%.
• Bread and flour prices have climbed by 23%.
• Vegetable prices have increased by 22%.

These numbers show how inflation keeps making things more expensive, stressing the importance of carefully thinking about the limits of monetary policy and the need for the federal government to do more.

The annual inflation rate dropped to 2.7% in April 2024. Inflation is just 1.1% when we exclude shelter, which is made more expensive by high interest rates. The Bank is actually making the problem worse… 

“Governor Macklem knows that interest rates were never the right policy for inflation caused by supply disruptions and corporate price gouging, and he needs to lower interest rates,” emphasized Bruske. “Unemployment is rising, which will make it even harder for families already grappling with exorbitant costs for rent, mortgages, and essential groceries.”

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The unemployment rate jumped to 6.1% in March, a cumulative increase of a full percentage point over the past year. Meanwhile, GDP numbers released this week came in well under expectations.

“High interest rates just slam the brakes on the economy. Starting to cut rates in June isn’t like suddenly hitting the gas. It just means easing off the brakes just a little bit to provide some relief to families struggling to pay their rent or mortgages,” declared Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “How many more workers have to lose their jobs or default on their mortgages before the Bank of Canada does the right thing and cuts interest rates?”

Bruske added that some are getting hit harder by this economic slowdown. According to Statistics Canada, racialized Canadians are seeing higher job losses. The unemployment rate for Black Canadians rose 3.9 points over the past year to 10.8%. Meanwhile younger 15- to 24-year-old workers saw the steepest losses with 28,000 net jobs lost just in March while the youth unemployment rate rose to 12.6%.

“The longer the Bank of Canada delays cutting interest rates, those with the least will suffer the most,” warned Bruske. “The Bank of Canada must not sacrifice those who have the least power on the altar of high interest rates. It’s past time the Bank of Canada cuts interest rates and starts loosening the reins so Canada’s job market and economy can start to grow again.”

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We hear a familiar call coming from wealthy interests – joining forces once again with Conservatives – banging the drum for more corporate tax giveaways and deeper cuts to government spending in the upcoming Budget. Bay Street analysts and bank lobbyists loudly lament Canada’s “tumbling productivity”, sneeringly spreading blame on both workers and the government.

As Budget 2024 approaches, we must confront these anti-worker narratives head on. Because we’ve seen this movie before and, spoiler alert, it really doesn’t end well for workers and families.

Business lobbyists argue wages should be dependent on productivity when it suits them but ignore how for more than 30 years, pay for the bottom 80% has lagged far behind productivity growth. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of how imbalanced our things have become.

A February 2024 report from Jim Stanford and the Centre for Future Work showed that “corporate profits remained historically high in 2023, despite the stalling of economic growth, rising unemployment, and stagnating consumer demand.”  Even the Bank of Canada’s January 2024 Monetary Policy Report acknowledged that “higher wage costs could be absorbed by businesses’ profit margins.”

So, let’s not get taken in by corporate gaslighting that takes aim at workers’ wages and public investments. Government should steadfastly reject a corporate narrative that rests its case on mistreating workers. Instead, government can use the upcoming budget to push companies to invest in their workforce. Things like new incentives to improve training and upskilling, and measures that will create good, sustainable union jobs in low-carbon industries.

With a looming recession, rising layoffs and so many struggling to get by, it would be devastating to families if we cut help now. The reality is slashing our social safety net will only weaken our economy.

National child care has meant more families can find affordable spaces and more women with young children could join the workforce. Creating affordable non-profit housing means more families have an affordable place to call home. According to a 2023 Deloitte report, increasing community housing to the OECD average by 2030 “would boost economic productivity by a staggering 5.7% to 9.3%.” Universal pharmacare will improve health outcomes and provide tangible, financial relief to families, while strengthening EI will mean more workers getting help when they need it most.

Can we afford these investments? Absolutely. Canada is a significant economic power. We’re in the top ten economies in the world with one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7. We can also make profitable corporations pay their fair share and use that revenue to help people.

We know what a Pierre Poilievre budget looks like. Poilievre and the Conservatives slashed programs and services and radically cut corporate taxes last time in power. This boosted companies’ bottom line but didn’t spur businesses to invest in their workforce. Instead, we saw CEOs acting like real-life Scrooge McDuckshoarding ever-growing piles of cash. Just like today, companies cry poor while handing out record bonuses to top executives.

Chrystia Freeland must reject the false narratives flooding in from business lobbyists and fight back against a vision of a Canada where corporations take care of themselves while our government stops caring for people. On April 16, let’s see a budget that puts workers and families, not corporate interests, first.

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Too many workers are currently underpaid, leaving them struggling to make ends meet. This especially impacts sectors that are predominantly staffed by women and racialized workers, like the care sector.

These workers’ contributions have an immense impact on our society and our economy and, like all workers, should be rewarded appropriately.

“We have heard countless stories about the low wages and disrespect care workers face”, says Siobhán Vipond, Vice-President of the CLC. “These worrying stories are being echoed from workers in other sectors too, as the affordability crisis deepens. We must confront this crisis now by making sure all workers earn a livable wage.”

Despite six provinces raising their minimum wage just last week, not one province or territory has a minimum wage that matches the income necessary to make ends meet. At a time when inflation is at an all-time high and soaring corporate profits are driving up the cost of unavoidable necessities like food and shelter, workers need decent jobs that pay a livable wage.

Canada’s unions celebrate the workers on the front lines of this fight. When faced with wages that don’t keep up with inflation and employers who are unwilling to do something about it, workers are using their collective power to demand better from their employers. This year saw significant wins from PSAC workers in the federal government and United Steelworkers at National Steel Car in Hamilton.

“Workers are saying enough is enough and using their power to strike for better wages. Union wins will mean better conditions for all workers, just like the statutory holiday many workers are enjoying this weekend,” says Bea Bruske, President of the CLC. “The wins gained in unionized workplaces often set trends that become the standard across the working world.”

“We need governments that will stand with working people, not the wealthy CEOs who suppress wages and make record profits off the efforts of their employees. It’s these corporate profiteers, not workers, who are the source of the current crisis. They must be made to pay their fair share.” Read the ITUC’s statement on the 2023 World Day for Decent Work.

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“We have stood in solidarity with disability activists and organizations who have lobbied for this benefit for years. Today is a historic moment to celebrate these efforts and reaffirm labour’s support to lift the floor on disability poverty from coast to coast.” said Bea Bruske, President of the CLC. “This win belongs to all the disability rights and justice activists who fought so hard to get us here.”  

Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Benefit Act, was first promised in the September 2020 throne speech and proposed a new benefit program specifically targeting persons with disabilities in Canada. This benefit is to be distributed in addition to existing programs at the provincial and federal level that offer financial supports for persons with disabilities in Canada. 

Once implemented, the new benefit would be the first federal-level guaranteed monthly income supplement aimed at people living with disabilities of its kind in Canada. 

According to Statistics Canada, people with disabilities make up 41% of the low-income population in Canada, compared with 18% of the non-low-income population. Working aged people with severe disabilities face the highest rates of poverty in Canada. And while inflation has skyrocketed across the country, provincial disability benefits are not index-linked. This means people with disabilities who are already struggling to make ends meet and who face existing barriers to accessing the unique and often expensive supports they need, have been hit the hardest by Canada’s ongoing affordability crisis. 

“We look forward to continued solidarity and collaboration with the activists and organizations who have led these efforts to pass C-22, and to work with the government to ensure that the implementation of the new Canada Disability Benefit is well-resourced in the next budget,” said Lily Chang, Secretary-Treasurer of the CLC. 

For further updates on the implementation of the benefit, follow the continued advocacy efforts of organizations led by people with disabilities, like Disability Without Poverty and Inclusion Canada.  

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Compounding this immense tragedy, is the fact that workers had refused to enter the factory because cracks in the walls had been spotted the day before, but were ordered back to work to avoid costly production delays.

“Rana Plaza exposed the dire conditions for workers in these factories that produce the world’s garments: poor wages, unsafe working conditions, precarious work, and intimidation and harassment in the workplace. Garment workers not only in Bangladesh, but around the world, are still working in absolutely appalling conditions and receiving unfair wages for their labour. It is way past time for things to change,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress.

Canada’s unions, representing 3 million workers, have supported Bangladesh workers in their struggle for decent working conditions and the right to form independent unions to represent workers. We are part of allied networks pushing the government to enact robust legislation to mandate human rights obligations in the supply chains of Canadian companies.

On this grim anniversary, Canada’s unions stand in solidarity with workers in the garment sector in Bangladesh who are demanding respect for their human rights, including freedom of association, healthy and safe working conditions, and a living wage.  

In order to effectively prevent the next Rana Plaza, we call on the Canadian Government to:

• Introduce mandatory human rights due diligence legislation that requires Canadian companies, and companies that import goods into Canada, to respect human rights throughout their supply chains;
• Promote and protect the right to organize and bargain collectively as key enabling rights, without which decent work cannot take place; and
• Make trade preferences dependent on the respect for workers’ right to organize.

We call on Canadian clothing brands to:

• Sign the International Accord, the continuation of the Bangladesh Accord on Building and Fire Safety, which brought massive success in health and safety inspections and repairs to thousands of factories. When the Accord expires, it should be renewed as a legally binding, enforceable agreement, expanded to more countries for the long-term;
• End the race to the bottom borne by workers, by providing living wages and living wage compensation for workers suffering injury or death in the workplace across their supply chains; and
• Take responsibility for financing a permanent Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) in Bangladesh to compensate workers injured at work. 

Click here to add your voice to the struggle by leaving a message commemorating victims of the Rana Plaza disaster on a virtual memorial, and by calling on major international brands to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, ensure workplace safety and recognize the rights of workers to organize, refuse unsafe work and raise health and safety concerns.

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OTTAWA––Canada’s unions are calling on Canada’s governments to take immediate action to increase supports for low-income people as evidence mounts of a growing number of families unable to afford skyrocketing housing, energy and food costs.

“So many are struggling from rising gas and energy prices, high food costs and soaring rents. We are on the cusp of a homelessness crisis,” warned Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Low-income Canadians are poised on the edge of an economic precipice. Governments of all levels must act without delay to help.”

In a new report released this week, researchers from the University of Calgary demonstrated how low-income families and individuals are subject to economic risk from rising costs but also political risk from government inaction, as many benefit programs are not indexed to inflation.

“Fall and winter will put even more pressure on struggling families, as energy needs rise and less locally grown food is available which will raise grocery costs. Governments must increase supports and index assistance programs to inflation,” said Bruske. “Doing nothing while costs for essentials skyrocket means thousands more families will be facing extreme economic hardship. There is no time to waste.”

Statistics Canada’s latest CPI report showed food inflation slowing, but still up 8.8% over the past year, far outpacing wage growth or social assistance program support. Additionally, while higher interest rates have slowed the housing market, demand for rental accommodation has increased, leading to rental costs soaring almost 14% since the start of the year.

“A critical lesson learned from the past two years of the pandemic was how supporting low-income people through an economic crisis not only helps them, it strengthens our whole economy,” concluded Bruske. “It is critical that governments not lose sight now of their responsibility to help the people who need it most.”

-30-

For more information please contact:
CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
613-526-7426

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“It is past time that the Canada Disability Benefit be re-introduced in Parliament and fast-tracked into legislation,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “With COVID-19 still disrupting our lives and the cost of living sharply increasing, this legislation is critical to improving economic security and quality of life for persons with disabilities.”

First promised in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, Bill C-35, aimed to establish the Canada Disability Benefit. It was tabled in June 2021, but died on the Order Paper when the 2021 federal election was called.

Earlier this month, the federal NDP introduced a motion calling on the federal government to re-offer its proposed disability benefit. The motion passed unanimously in the House of Commons, putting pressure on the Liberal government to reintroduce Bill C-35.

While consultations are underway regarding the specifics of the benefit’s design, disability groups have been advocating for a fast-tracking of the legislation and drafting of the benefit to help address the critical and immediate needs of the disability community.

“The theme for this year’s NAAW is ‘Inclusive from the start’. Yet so many people with disabilities face tremendous barriers to inclusion – barriers to employment, to affordable, accessible and supportive housing, to access the care they need to live dignified lives. Many fall through the cracks of existing income support systems and as a result experience significant poverty and marginalization” said Lily Chang, CLC Secretary‑Treasurer. “A well-designed Canada Disability Benefit would help lift people out of poverty. Without it, meaningful inclusion is not possible.”

NAAW runs from May 29 to June 4. The week is an important opportunity to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities, highlight the critical work being undertaken to eliminate barriers and strengthen calls for improved accessibility and greater disability inclusion.

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Email your MP to urge them to support and help fast-track the Canada Disability Benefit using Disability Without Poverty’s “Write Your MP” tool.

Check out Doing Things Differently: A Disability Rights At Work Handbook. The CLC resource includes a comprehensive guide on the duty to accommodate, a checklist for organizing accessible events and many more practical resources for supporting disability rights in our workplaces, in our unions and in our communities.

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Before the pandemic, ever-increasing globalization meant many workers were employed in precarious, low-wage work with few, if any, benefits. Now millions of people across Canada and around the world have seen their jobs disappear. We need a worldwide recovery focused on secure employment and social protection.

This context serves as the backdrop for the annual commemoration of the World Day for Decent Work today, October 7.

“It’s clear that we need a recovery that is focused on shared prosperity and sustainability,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Better jobs are at the core of a robust recovery and that is true both nationally and internationally.”

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is calling for a new social contract to ensure a strong global economic recovery. Canada’s unions have similarly launched Forward Together: A Canadian Plan, a campaign calling for a similar focus on better jobs and reducing inequality.

“With millions of jobs lost across Canada, and hundreds of millions globally, we have to turn our focus to job creation. That includes focusing on secure employment, living wages, the universal right to collective bargaining and occupational health and safety,” said Yussuff. “The current economic model has failed working people. It’s time for us to rise to the challenge we’ve been presented with and to move forward, together.”

The CLC is marking the World Day for Decent Work with a webinar that aims to explore the issues at stake. It will be held on Wednesday, October 7 at 2 PM EDT. To register, click here.

Read ITUC’s statement on A New Social Contract for Recovery and Resilience here.

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What is not on the table will also be a source of anxiety and trepidation as growing numbers of individuals and families struggle with food insecurity.

“We’re seeing troubling reports that more and more people in Canada are food insecure,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Thanksgiving is an opportunity to help alleviate this stress in a small but significant way. It is more important than ever that those of us who are able to support our local food banks give more to help make things easier on individuals and on families.”

According to the non-profit Community Food Centres Canada, food insecurity is negatively impacting the mental and physical health of millions of Canadians. A report by Statistics Canada this past May found that one in seven survey respondents experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. This is significantly higher than the previous year, when over 4.5 million people were found to have limited access to adequate nutrition. Research shows that children, Indigenous people, people of colour, single parents, newcomers and people in Northern communities are all disproportionately impacted.

“We are getting through this pandemic by working together, and that means we need to support each other in these tough times,” said Yussuff. “Many non-profit agencies and charities are seeing donations dwindle and a decrease in volunteers due to COVID-19. This is happening at the same time that demand for help is going up. Let’s do our part to make sure no one in our communities ever has to go hungry.”

Various labour councils across Canada will also be donating to local food banks.

Canada’s unions have launched an ambitious recovery plan that focuses on job creation, healthcare and social programs that aim to reduce inequality and help lift people out of poverty. Learn about the campaign here.

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“It is important that we recognize the significant economic contribution of domestic work  – work performed in or for a household or households – as valuable work, and acknowledge the effect that the current pandemic has had on these vulnerable workers,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Many have lost work because employers are following public health guidelines on physical distancing or because their employers have lost income and can no longer afford these services.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant loss or reduction of income for many domestic workers, leaving them unable to support themselves and their families.

According to UN Women, 83 per cent of domestic workers worldwide are women, and a majority of those are racialized women. Wages are low and working conditions can be challenging – even abusive. The pandemic’s impacts are not gender neutral. There are increased demands on workloads with children at home from school, child care centres closed and more demands on household responsibilities in general.

Internationally, many domestic workers are migrants or part of the informal economy. In Canada, the pandemic has exacerbated the precarity of their situation, making them ineligible for government income supports. Moreover, migrant care workers should be granted fair and accessible pathways to citizenship in Canada.

“The pandemic has laid bare just how essential the labour of domestic workers is – cleaning, cooking, caring for children, the elderly and people with disabilities. All of this work is necessary to sustain our economy,” said Yussuff. “It is time we cared for those who care for us.”

Read more about Domestic Workers and COVID-19: https://idwfed.org/en/covid-19

Resources for Domestic Workers on COVID-19: https://idwfed.org/en/covid-19/the-idwf/educational-awareness/stay-safe-what-do-you-need-to-know-about-covid-19

Recommendations for employers, governments, and others: https://idwfed.org/en/covid-19/advocacy-to-the-target-groups

Read more on the campaign to Ratify C189: https://idwfed.org/en/campaigns/ratify-c189

Caregivers Action Centre: http://www.caregiversactioncentre.org/

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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 the COVID-19 crisis and after.

“The current health crisis has intensified the discrimination and stigma workers with disabilities were already facing,” said Larry Rousseau, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Hard-won workplace accommodations are at risk when the office becomes virtual, and workers with disabilities are at a greater risk of being laid off or having their jobs furloughed.”

The Canadian Labour Congress is marking National AccessAbility Week to shine a light on the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, and those whose experiences are amplified by multiple marginalized identities, including being a woman, Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQI, et al.

Canada’s unions have joined with disability rights organizations in the Include Me coalition, calling for a number of priorities to protect the health and safety and provide care and support to persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government has yet to announce specific targeted income supports for persons with disabilities to navigate their unique financial impact of this crisis.

Unemployment rates are between 35 per cent for people with ‘mild’ disabilities and 74 per cent for people with ‘severe’ disabilities. High levels of poverty and unemployment means more reliance on affordable housing, income and health care supports – programs whose funding and availability vary greatly across the country.

“We are working together to ensure that Canada’s response to this crisis leaves no one behind,” said Rousseau. “We need to see targeted income supports for persons with disabilities to address the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, and, in the longer-term, recovery planning must make accessibility and inclusion a core priority.”

For more information on on-going advocacy efforts from disability related organizations in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, check out the Include Me coalition’s COVID-19 resource centre.

National AccessAbility Week was first introduced in 2019 after the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act, learn more about the history of the week here.

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Canada’s unions and civil society organizations are calling for immediate relief for workers and protection of rights in global supply chains.

The coalition says that concerns for workers cannot stop at Canada’s borders and the millions of women and men who make clothes in other countries cannot be abandoned. In particular, efforts to address and rectify dangerous working conditions following the Rana Plaza disaster must not be undone now in the midst of this global crisis.

On April 24, 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500.

The tragedy put a spotlight on substandard working conditions and low wages in the industry. In response to public outrage at the disaster, more than 200 global brands and retailers signed a legally binding agreement with Bangladesh and Global unions that achieved important improvements in workplace safety.

The current pandemic has created new threats to the lives and livelihoods of garment workers.

Brands and companies have cancelled orders down their supply chains leaving factories unable to pay workers’ wages, even for work already completed. This is leaving millions of people without income and job security. Women are particularly hard hit by this crisis.

Eighty per cent of Bangladesh’s four million garment workers are women. These workers have received poverty wages for years, barely making ends meet and have no financial savings to draw on. Without work, without income, with little access to health care and without any social safety net, they can easily slip into abject poverty and struggle to feed themselves and their families.

In response to the crisis, the Bangladesh government instituted a nationwide public holiday for an extended period. Millions of workers have returned to their villages with empty pockets, unable to collect unpaid wages or severance pay from closed factories. Government relief packages are being channeled through factories, but are proving difficult for workers to access. Some factories have remained open where workers continue to work in cramped conditions, without personal protections.

Canadian unions and civil society organizations stand in solidarity with Bangladesh garment sector workers and with garment sector workers in all countries, and urgently recommend the following:

Payment of orders and wages & worker health and safety
Canadian brands and retailers must honour their obligations to suppliers and workers by paying for orders that are completed or in production. They should ensure the payment of wages or severance to all workers who were employed at the onset of the crisis and ensure that workers who work during the pandemic can follow World Health Organization protection guidelines and reserve the right to refuse unsafe work.

Emergency relief for workers
Governments, including Canada, should support global emergency relief programs for garment sector workers set up with contributions from international financial institutions, donor governments as well as brands and retailers. These programs must maintain workers’ employment and wages.

Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence
The Government of Canada should legislate companies to respect human rights in their operations and supply chains. Such legislation should require companies to conduct due diligence on their human rights and environmental risks, take appropriate steps to prevent and mitigate such risks, and hold companies accountable in the courts if they abuse human rights.

Rebuilding a just economy after the pandemic
The industry as a whole must change the current pricing and business model moving forward. Canadian brands must commit to establish more sustainable and resilient supply chains that respect workers’ rights and ensure suppliers pay workers living wages and social benefits.

Endorsed by:

Amnesty International Canada (English-speaking branch)
Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale
Canadian Council for International Co-operation
Canadian Jesuits International
Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)
Fairtrade Canada
Inter Pares
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
Maquila Solidarity Network
MiningWatch Canada
Nobel Women’s Initiative
Ontario Catholic No Sweat Network
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
Oxfam Canada
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Social Justice Connection
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
The United Church of Canada
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
United Steelworkers
Workers United Canada Council
World March of Women Coordinating Committee

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To mark the 27^th anniversary of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), Canada’s unions are expressing support for the My Canada Includes Me campaign, which aims to support employment for Canadians with disabilities.

“The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) supports the call from My Canada Includes Me for an inclusive, employment-first strategy aimed at reducing barriers for persons with disabilities in the labour market,” said CLC Executive Vice-President Larry Rousseau.

Persons with disabilities continue to face high unemployment rates and high levels of poverty. This in turn leads to greater use and demands on social assistance programs like affordable housing, income and health care supports – programs whose funding varies greatly across the country.

“Removing barriers to employment can be empowering to building quality of life. Canada’s unions are ready to help the government lead the way in ensuring accessibilty of good jobs and advancement in the workplace for all Canadians,” added Rousseau. “Workers with disabilities deserve no less.”

Learn more about the history of IDPD here.

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“Gender Equality Week was created to celebrate recent gains while reflecting on the work that needs to be done to improve gender equality and women’s rights across Canada,” said Marie Clarke Walker, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “With a federal election underway, we are asking political leaders to take this opportunity to prove their commitment to women’s rights and gender equality.”

Gender Equality Week runs from September 22 to 28, 2019 and was first introduced by the federal government in 2018 through Bill C-309, the Gender Equality Act. This year’s theme is #EveryoneBenefits and is inspired by the vision of a gender equal society and the benefits of advancing gender equality to women, men and people of all gender identities.

“On election day, voters will have the chance to reject the politics of division by voting for a party that stands firmly for gender equality and women’s rights,” said Clarke Walker. “We hope to make that choice much easier by asking candidates to distinguish themselves through concrete platform commitments.” 

The CLC’s plan for “A Fair Canada for Everyone” asks political parties to commit to taking action on five key priorities for working people and their families – actions that can make a real difference for women and help promote gender equality.

Women deserve good jobs, liveable wages and fair working conditions.

Unions are calling for action on pay and employment equity, access to universal, affordable child care and a federal task force on care work and care jobs.

Women deserve opportunities to learn and advance their careers. They deserve adequate support to balance work, family and personal time.

Women should not face barriers in accessing medication.

Many women do not have workplace benefits and face difficult choices when they or a loved one requires medication they cannot afford. Everyone in Canada deserves a universal, single-payer, public prescription drug plan that would guarantee pharmacare for all.

Women deserve retirement security.

Thanks to the persistent gender pay gap, senior women are among Canada’s poorest populations. After a lifetime of hard work (whether paid or unpaid), no one should have to struggle to make ends meet. Action on retirement security means improved Old Age Security benefits and a reformed Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Women must be at the centre of climate action.

The climate crisis will have a disproportionate impact on women and marginalized populations. Smart investments in a clean future will put people at the centre of climate action. Investments in renewable energy, clean technology and green manufacturing can provide a source of good, green jobs for women. Climate action can also include investments in social infrastructure to help create and support good jobs and resilient communities.

Women deserve a government focused on equity and inclusion.

Canadians need a government committed to challenging hate and intolerance in all its forms. They need a government ready to improve our immigration and refugee policies, track and report on hate groups, and commit to strengthening Canada’s action plan against racism.

They also need an action plan to implement the recommendations of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“The CLC’s election campaign outlines a plan that would promote gender equality and make a real difference in the lives of women and their families,” said Clarke Walker. “Everyone benefits if we unite together to challenge racism, welcome refugees and support real reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. This election we are demanding fairness.”

This Gender Equality Week, unions are calling on voters to attend local election town halls and debates to ask candidates what their party is prepared to do to promote gender equality and a fairer Canada for everyone.

CLC Secretary-Treasurer Marie Clarke Walker will be hosting a Facebook Live event on Wednesday, September 25 at noon EST featuring a conversation about what is at stake for gender equality in the federal election.

Voters can sign up for real-time election updates from the CLC as the campaign progresses.

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This Black History Month, Canada’s unions say there can be no environmental justice without racial justice: addressing anti-Black racism is an integral part of the conversation on environmental activism.

Alongside Canada’s Indigenous communities, Black and people of African descent are disproportionately burdened with environmental hazards. This environmental racism includes exposure to toxic waste facilities, garbage dumps, and other sources of environmental pollution that negatively impact quality of life and health outcomes.

Africville, a small, yet vibrant, Black community in Halifax, NS, is an important example of how anti-Black racism was perpetuated by environmental policies. Despite paying municipal taxes, the community was deprived of basic services such as access to clean water, sewage, and waste management. Africville’s proximity to the development of an infectious disease hospital, a prison and a garbage dump, over time, added to deplorable living conditions imposed by the City.

The residents, after 120 years of resilience, were subject to a forced and dispersed relocation. Often overnight, over the span of a number of years, residents had their personal items transported in garbage trucks and their homes demolished.

This forced relocation, after years of marginalization by the City of Halifax, impacted the community by displacing residents both from their homes and their place of work, therefore exacerbating their economic insecurity.

Today, compounded by the barriers to sustainable employment, pay inequities, and barriers to opportunities for advancement in the workplace, Black workers and their families are still exposed to harmful and often life-threatening conditions in their home communities.

Hogan’s Alley in British Columbia, Leamington in Ontario, and Shelburne in Nova Scotia, are only a few examples of Black communities faced with the serious challenge of environmental racism.

“In the case of environmental racism in Black communities, environmental justice is linked to economic justice and that is at the root of why this is a trade union issue,” said CLC Executive Vice-President, Larry Rousseau.

A UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent recommended that the “Government of Canada should encourage federal, provincial and municipal governments to seriously consider the concerns of African Nova Scotians and help to develop legislation on environmental issues affecting them.”

Ingrid R.G. Waldron, author of There’s Something In The Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous & Black Communities, has said that although environmental racism has a disproportionate impact on Black and Indigenous communities, pollution travels to adjacent communities, meaning this injustice affects everyone and will require collective action.

“Ingrid Waldron’s research shows the true reach of this issue — it expands far beyond Nova Scotia. We can’t ignore or deny the history of mistreatment of Black communities across Canada. Canada’s unions can play a key role in connecting the dots between environmental justice and anti-Black racism,” said Rousseau.

Last February, the Federal Government acknowledged the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). While this recognition is important, more action is required. Canada’s unions and our allies are ready to take on the issue of environmental racism in Canada.

To learn more about anti-Black racism in Canada and how workers are challenging it, sign up here.

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• prioritizing the elimination of child labour and forced labour in Canada’s international assistance;
• improving access to quality education for children and adults;
• supporting law enforcement and judicial systems;
• including discussion of child labour and forced labour in all free trade negotiations;
• building capacity of Canadian businesses to monitor their supply chains;
• advancing initiatives to motivate business to eliminate child and forced labour in their supply chains; and
• examining Canada’s import regime and procurement policies as levers to eliminate the use of child labour.

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War brings out the worst in people and part of the propaganda of government in war time is to play on fear; fear of the “other”, fear of the “unknown”. During the First World War it was radical groups and publications, many whose membership came from Eastern Europe, that were targeted.

Within weeks of the start of the war in August 1914, Canada’s parliament passed the War Measures Act. In 1916, the press censorship was introduced by an Order-In-Council. In total of the 253 publications banned during the war, 164 were in a language other than French or English. But it was the 1917 Russian Revolution, and its withdrawal from the war, that caused the Canadian government to crack down harder on any social dissent.

By Order-in-Council PC2384, the federal government outlawed political and labour groups, focusing on German, Russian, Ukrainian and Polish speakers. It banned freedom of association, assembly, and speech for many Canadians.

One of the labour groups banned was the radical Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or as they were known “Wobblies”.  This industrial union organization had been founded in 1905 in Chicago and quickly spread across North America. By 1906, the first Canadian chapters had been formed in B.C.

The IWW espoused the idea that workers should all be in one union as opposed to the tradition of Trades. It organized all workers including women and workers of colour. It organized unskilled laborers, the poor, and recent immigrants, all who were often on the margins of society. The IWW believed in “revolutionary syndicalism” where, once organized, workers would initiate a general strike and replace capitalism with a society run by workers. The Wobblies also opposed the First World War and the price paid by working people and, as a result, became an enemy of Prime Minister Robert Borden and the Canadian government.

On September 24, 1918, Borden’s government made membership in the Industrial Workers of the World and thirteen other (primarily ethnic radical political organizations) illegal. The maximum sentence for membership in the IWW, or affiliation with the banned organizations, was five years to be served in one of 24 internment camps.

The ideas of the Wobblies were harder to stop, however. When western Canadian workers formed an organization called the One Big Union (OBU) in 1919, its ideas were closely aligned with those of the IWW. Today every time “Solidarity Forever” is sung on a picket line or at a union convention the IWW spirit lives on because that was their song!

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The “On To Ottawa Trek” was a worker protest against unfair treatment and government austerity that captured public support, contributed to the defeat of the Conservative federal government of R.B. Bennett later that year, and paved the way to the establishment of a national unemployment insurance plan.

In the 1930s, “The Great Depression” had crippled the Canadian economy and resulted in massive unemployment. In response, the Federal Government created “relief camps” where thousands of men lived and worked at a rate of twenty cents per day.

By 1935, people had had enough. In April that year, following a two-month protest in Vancouver over the dismal and unfair working conditions in the camps, more than a thousand unemployed workers boarded – or rather jumped on top of – railway box cars in what became to be known as the “On‑to‑Ottawa Trek.” Their goal: to meet as a group with the Conservative government of the day and demand better conditions and a fairer way to address unemployment.

The Prime Minister eventually agreed to meet, but only with a handful of representatives, not all of the workers. While those representatives travelled to Ottawa, the hundreds of other trekkers “waited” in Regina (they were actually being held in place by the RCMP).

The meeting went badly, with the Prime Minister accusing the trekkers of being radicals leading an insurrection. When the workers’ representatives returned to Regina with news of their meeting, nearly 2000 people joined 300 trekkers as a show of protest and solidarity for workers’ rights.

The police charged the crowd, setting off hours of hand-to-hand fighting throughout the city’s centre. People fought back with sticks and stones while police used tear gas and fired bullets above and into groups of people.

Damage to property was considerable and personal injuries were many; one trekker and a plain clothed policeman died while hundreds of injured local residents and trekkers were taken to hospitals or private homes. The police proceeded to arrest those in hospital, along with over 100 others.

The police claimed 39 injuries in addition to the dead police officer, but denied that any protesters had been killed in the melee. Hospital records were subsequently altered to conceal the actual cause of death.

Later that year, in reaction to public support for a better deal for the unemployed, the federal government passed the Employment and Social Insurance Act and the country’s first national unemployment plan.

Eventually, the government was defeated, and its hastily-crafted law struck down in the courts. But, the bold attempt at reform paved the way for the establishment of a national unemployment insurance program under the new government, led by W.L.M King, in 1940.

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In 1994, Françoise David took the helm of the Québec Women’s Federation (FFQ) with a mission to advance the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

To put pressure on the newly elected government of Jacques Parizeau, David organized a mass march, branded “Bread and Roses”. Bread symbolizing work and better economic conditions and roses symbolizing a better quality of life – the theme was a deliberate tribute to the 1912 textile workers’ strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts that was lead by women and inspired generations of union and social justice organizers.

David’s plan was to use the march to build public support for a list of demands that included increasing the minimum wage, pay equity laws, freezing tuition fees, greater social supports and improved collection of support payments.

Starting May 26, 1995, women from across Québec spent ten days marching to the provincial capital. They marched through 57 villages and followed three routes from Montréal, Longueil and Rivière-du-Loup. More than 800 women joined the march for more than one day, including 525 women who marched the 250 km from Montréal to Québec City. They converged at a rally on June 4 outside the province’s National Assembly.

The government agreed to most of the marchers’ demands, in one form or another, and put Québec well ahead of other provinces on many issues from pay equity, to child care.

The theme song of the march, Du pain et des roses, composed by Hélène Pedneault and Marie-Claire Séguin remains an anthem of the labour movements of Quebec and Canada.

The solidarity of the march inspired the 2000 “World March of Women” that continues to this day as an international project aimed at improving the lives of women around the world. Its focus on ending poverty and violence against women built solidarity and laid the foundation for work that many of Canada’s unions continue today.

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On April 24, 2013, over one thousand garment workers were killed or injured when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed. Investigations showed that working conditions in the building did not meet safety standards. The tragedy highlighted the human rights abuses and substandard conditions that continue to plague the textile industry.

“Canadian companies have a responsibility to ensure that the products they produce are made ethically,” said Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “Canadians do not want to compromise the safety and dignity of workers in exchange for a cheap t-shirt. That’s not who we are.”

Basic human rights

Canadian unions are advocating that workers in Bangladesh, and anywhere along a supply chain, are:

• Treated fairly and with respect at work;
• Paid a living wage;
• Able to exercise their rights to form unions and bargain collectively;
• Working in safe factories.

Soon after the tragedy, dozens of companies operating in Bangladesh signed a five-year legally binding agreement called the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. The agreement has been renewed for three more years and aims to ensure that factories are inspected regularly and that minimum safety standards are maintained. It also protects the rights of workers to organize.

Corporate accountability

The CLC calls on the Canadian corporations operating in Bangladesh to sign the Accord. There are over 140 signatories from around the world, including Canadian owned Loblaws. The full list can be found here.

More recently, Canada’s federal government announced it will appoint an ombudsperson to ensure Canadian corporations respect their human rights obligations abroad.

“Canada can and must be a champion of all workers. That requires making sure that our corporations are held to account for any human rights abuses,” said Yussuff.

Taking action

Several CLC affiliates will be holding events this Monday, April 23 to encourage Canadian companies including Walmart and the Canadian Tire owned stores of Mark’s, Sports Experts, and Sport Chek to commit to transparency about their supply chains.

Canadians who want to participate should visit the United Steelworkers (USW) campaign page here and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) here.

Supporting workers

Since 2016, the CLC and several affiliates have been supporting the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity in its effort to strengthen labour rights in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector. The project is supported by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), UFCW, Ontario Secondary School Teacher Federation (OSSTF) and USW. It runs until 2019.

The CLC is also a member of the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, along with over 30 other unions and human rights, environmental, faith-based and solidarity groups. Union members of the coalition include CUPE, Unifor, USW, PSAC and the British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF).

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