International Migrants Day: Canada must do more to help undocumented people secure their rights
December 18, 2022
Canada’s unions are urging the federal government to be ambitious in developing an inclusive and comprehensive regularization program for undocumented people that includes protections to ensure their safety. An estimated 500,000 undocumented people in Canada live under constant fear and threat of abuse and exploitation due to their immigration status. They frequently face racism, discrimination and wage theft, work in…
Canada’s unions calling for greater protections and supports for migrant workers
December 17, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking International Migrants Day by calling for improved conditions for migrant workers in this country, particularly in the face of the ongoing climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent state of emergency in British Columbia (BC) is the latest example of the clear and increasingly disastrous impacts of our global climate crisis. Communities across the province…
Federal government must take immediate action to protect migrant workers from COVID-19
December 10, 2021
The Auditor General released a scathing report yesterday on the alarming lack of protective measures for migrant agricultural workers in Canada. The findings of the report verified the concerns that Canada’s unions have raised repeatedly since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the more than 79,000 workers migrant workers who have…
New! Permanent Residence for “Out-of-Status” Construction Workers in the GTA, 2023
July 30, 2021
Permanent Residence for “Out-of-Status” Construction Workers in the GTA, 2023 The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process at least another 500 applications for permanent residence for out-of-status construction workers in the GTA in 2023. Under the new Subsequent Temporary Public Policy to Continue to Facilitate Access to Permanent Resident Status for…
Canada’s unions condemn anti-Asian racism and urge solidarity with Asian communities
April 30, 2021
This Asian Heritage Month, Canada’s unions are standing in solidarity with Asian workers and communities by calling for an end to anti-Asian racism. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified historical xenophobic, anti-Asian sentiment and rhetoric, which has resulted in increased violence against members of Asian communities. Live data from Fight COVID Racism shows that from March 10, 2020 to mid-April 2021, there…
Canada’s unions welcome increased federal immigration targets
October 30, 2020
Ottawa – Canada’s unions are applauding the federal government’s announcement today that it plans to welcome more than 1.2 million immigrants to Canada over the next three years. The proposed plan will bring skilled workers, family members and refugees to Canada between 2021 and 2023. “For many years, Canada’s unions have called on the government to increase immigration targets. We…
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 applaud pilot project offering greater protection to migrant workers
July 12, 2019
Canada’s unions welcome a new three-year agri-food pilot program which will provide an additional 2,750 permanent residency opportunities for temporary foreign workers engaged in the sector, particularly in the meat industry. The proposed program, announced today by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, is open to full-time non-seasonal agricultural migrant workers and will help give them a pathway to permanent residency. “The…
October 7, 2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of the World Day for Decent Work, a day when unions around the world unite in action for decent work. What is “decent work”? Access for all workers to quality jobs, dignity, equality, and safe working conditions. Putting workers at the centre of development and giving them a voice in what they do.…