To achieve gender equality, Canada’s decision makers must prioritize investments in care
September 22, 2022
Canada’s unions are marking Gender Equality Week by calling on the federal government to reduce and redistribute women’s unpaid care work and help fix Canada’s broken care systems. “Investments in care are essential if we’re going to reduce and redistribute women’s unpaid work and pave the way for women to take on paid work, or to access education or training,”…
Parliament must act urgently to make sure workers aren’t left behind
September 21, 2022
Bruske: MPs must extend temporary help to unemployed workers and act swiftly to permanently fix Canada’s broken EI system. OTTAWA – Canada’s unions are urging members of Parliament to stand up for workers and their families by acting urgently to extend temporary Employment Insurance rules until a permanent fix can be implemented. “Unless MPs and the government take action this…
Equal pay for work of equal value: it’s long past the time for employers and governments to get it right on pay equity
September 18, 2022
Canada’s unions are calling on governments around the world, at all levels, to take urgent action on pay equity. This includes addressing pay disparities in jobs dominated by women, like the care sector, and lessening the burden of unpaid care that is disproportionately shouldered by women around the world. “The global care economy is in crisis. Here in Canada, underfunding,…
Bea Bruske: Canada’s unions express solidarity and demand action on reproductive rights
June 24, 2022
OTTAWA–– Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released the following statement: “Today, the Supreme Court of the United States delivered a devastating decision to overturn the landmark precedent set 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade. The decision to rule against the constitutional right to access safe and legal abortion care jeopardizes the reproductive rights of millions of…
Canada’s unions are marking International Domestic Workers’ Day by calling on the federal government to recognize the critical role of domestic workers in Canada and protect their rights. Canada’s unions have long called for the federal government to ratify and implement ILO Convention 189 Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers (C-189) and ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment (C-190).…
IWD 2022: Gender equality depends on a healthy care economy
March 7, 2022
Canada’s unions are marking International Women’s Day 2022 by highlighting the critical importance of care work, and calling for greater support for care workers and investments in Canada’s care systems. “We all need care at some point in our lives. It is vital, skilled and life-sustaining work that supports our families, economy, and communities,” said Bea Bruske, President of the…
Human Rights Day: Canada must ratify C-189 to protect vulnerable domestic workers
December 10, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking International Human Rights Day by renewing their call on the federal government to ratify ILO Convention 189 (C-189). This important convention recognizes and protects the rights of domestic workers. “This year marks ten years since the adoption of C-189, an historic convention which confirms the labour rights of domestic workers. And yet, a decade on, domestic…
Canada’s unions call on federal government to ratify and implement C-190
November 24, 2021
Canada’s unions are marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by urging the federal government to live up to its commitments and finally ratify and implement International Labour Organization Convention no. 190 (C-190) on Violence and Harassment. November 25 marks the beginning of the internationally commemorated 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Gender-based violence and…
New cabinet must get to work on building an inclusive and equitable recovery
October 26, 2021
OTTAWA—Bea Bruske released the following statement about the new federal cabinet: “With women so disproportionately impacted by the economic crisis that accompanied the pandemic, it is not enough that Mr. Trudeau appoints a cabinet based on gender parity. The new cabinet must take concrete action to address the significant setbacks to women’s labour force participation over the last 18 months.…
Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, released the following statement on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in favour of pay equity rights for registered nurses: “Canada’s unions welcome the decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to uphold the pay equity rights of registered nurses working in for-profit nursing homes. This victory came on the heels of…