Canada’s unions call for recognition of the importance of domestic workers
June 16, 2020
Canada’s unions are marking International Domestic Workers Day by calling on the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to ratify ILO Convention 189 and ensure labour legislation recognizes and protects domestic workers. “It is important that we recognize the significant economic contribution of domestic work – work performed in or for a household or households – as…
There is no economic recovery without adequate child care
June 3, 2020
By Hassan Yussuff and Goldy Hyder as published in The Star. The economic fallout of COVID-19 is stark – and women are feeling the brunt of it. Over 1.5 million women lost jobs over March and April, according to Statistics Canada. That’s a 17% drop in employment levels since February. Even with workplaces and services beginning to reopen, families will…
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 further efforts are required to support unemployed workers and to preserve existing jobs as the number of Canadians who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic continues to rise. According to Statistics Canada, employment fell by one million in March and the ranks of the unemployed grew by 413,000. Canada’s unemployment rate rose by 2.2 percentage…
Canada’s unions support nurses, midwives and all health care workers
April 7, 2020
For World Health Day 2020, the World Health Organization is celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Right now, nurses and midwives are working shoulder to shoulder with all health care workers at ground zero of the largest pandemic in modern history. Health care workers are working overtime, playing a critical role for their patients across the country…
Equal Pay Day: Recognizing the Value of Women’s Work
April 2, 2020
April 4, 2020 marks the day women’s median earnings in Canada finally catch up to men’s median earnings from last year. This year, Equal Pay Day takes place with the backdrop of an unprecedented test for workers, their families and the economy: the COVID-19 pandemic. “It takes 16 months for women’s median earnings to catch up to what men make…
Home is not safe for everyone: Domestic violence during a pandemic
March 26, 2020
Canada’s unions are calling for increased vigilance and awareness to the growing risk of domestic violence amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The recommendation that people stay in their homes, along with added financial pressure and stress, can elevate the risk of violence and further entrenches isolation, which increases opportunities for abusers to exert power and control. Women’s shelters and transition houses…
Canada’s unions are calling for urgent fiscal measures to respond to COVID-19
March 16, 2020
Canada’s unions are calling on all levels of government to provide adequate supports for workers and their families as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reverberate in communities and throughout the economy. “We continue to share our recommendations with the federal government as this situation progresses. While there has been an important move in easing measures around Employment Insurance (EI)…
#DoneWaiting: Make Canada a Leader in Global in Gender Equality
March 7, 2020
This International Women’s Day, Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to meet its international obligations and show real progress towards women’s equality and economic justice. “We know some steps the federal government can take right now to be a global leader in gender equality—if they are bold enough,” said Marie Clarke Walker, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress.…
Hundreds of activists bring union priorities to the Hill
February 25, 2020
OTTAWA – Hundreds of union activists are meeting with Members of Parliament and Senators today to discuss issues they want to see addressed in this Parliament’s first budget — with national pharmacare as their top priority. “We know that universal, public pharmacare will be less expensive and keep more people healthy and out of the hospital,” said Hassan Yussuff, President…