Canada’s unions mark Black History Month by calling for racial justice in pandemic response and recovery
February 1, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking Black History Month by calling for an end to systemic anti-Black racism. This includes urging the federal government to disaster-proof Canada’s social safety net to ensure a COVID-19 response and recovery that is rooted in racial justice. “This is a time of reckoning,” said Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). “The double crisis of…
Canada’s unions welcome National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia
January 29, 2021
Canada’s unions are welcoming the federal government’s announcement that it will designate January 29 a National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia. The country’s labour movement supported community calls to commemorate this painful anniversary since the attack on the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre devastated the community in 2017. Six men were killed in…
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…
Canada’s unions stand united against all forms of racism and against police violence
October 8, 2020
As communities across Canada, and around the world, grapple with COVID-19, racialized communities have not only been disproportionately impacted by the health fall-out, but are also dealing with the violent legacy of colonialism, police brutality, and systemic racism. Canada’s unions are committed to standing in solidarity with racialized and Indigenous communities in upholding principles of equity, justice, and human rights.…
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 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 say marginalized workers must not be forgotten during pandemic
March 20, 2020
Canada’s unions are marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by calling on the federal government to protect the rights of marginalized workers and refugees as part of its COVID-19 response. Migrant workers, undocumented people, people living on low-incomes, international students, racialized workers and refugees are particularly vulnerable to the health fallout of the current pandemic, as…
Canada’s unions call for fairness to mark Black History Month
February 1, 2020
To mark Black History Month this year, Canada’s unions call on the government to take meaningful actions to address the disparities in employment for Black workers. Statistics show workers of colour are more likely to be employed in precarious, low-wage jobs with no benefits. These workers also have higher unemployment rates. In fact, the unemployment rate of Black women is…
Canada’s Unions remember third anniversary of Quebec mosque attack
January 29, 2020
Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress issued the following statement: “Canada’s unions stand with the Muslim community today as we mark three years since the deadly attack on a Quebec City mosque. Our hearts are with the community of Quebec City’s Islamic Cultural Centre, and across Canada and to the friends and families of the six men killed…