Stephen McNeil and the Nova Scotia Liberals are at it again, passing the latest Bill in what has been a year-long legislative campaign against the rights of workers in the province. On the heels of Bill 1, which removed the effective right to strike in the homecare sector, and bill 37, which sought to remove […]
Last month, President General Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala moved to ban all negotiation of collective agreements in the public sector throughout the country. In addition, the government refuses to respect the public sector agreements that are already in place. These actions directly violate a road map agreement on workers’ rights recently agreed to by […]
Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Mr. Prime Minister, The Confederation of Canadian Unions urges all Canadian governments, both federal and Provincial, to respect the January 2015 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada which states that the right to strike is constitutionally protected under the Canadian Charter of […]
Minister of Labour House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Dear Minister Leitch, In light of the recent January 2015 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, stating that the right to strike is protected by the Canadian Constitution, the CCU urges the Canadian government to take a strong stance at the International Labour Organization […]
Over the last few decades, times have been tough for Canadian workers. We have consistently heard of the dire economic woes we are facing from business groups and governments. We have constantly heard of debt crisis and deficit crunches from our governments who as it seems are always broke and initiating cuts to services. As […]
The Confederation of Canadian Unions has released a position paper with recommendations for improved rights for migrant workers in Canada. Migrant workers are the most vulnerable group of workers in our economy and are, as a matter of government policy, denied rights and benefits that all other workers take for granted. Migrant workers often rely […]
In June 2013, Conservative Senators revolted against Stephen Harper’s anti-union and anti-worker agenda by effectively gutting Bill C-377. Now the Conservatives are bringing back the bill and attempting to limit debate in the Senate and fast track it through the House of Commons. What I had to say about Bill C-377 two years ago is […]
Read President John Hanrahan’s report to the CCU Executive Board Meeting in June 2014. “I would like to thank all of you for taking the time from what I know are your very busy schedules to attend this executive board meeting. Also, thank you for your activism and your tireless defense of the rights of […]
By CCU President John Hanrahan On September 25, Canada and the European Union are expected to announce the completed text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), paving the way for the ratification process of the new free trade deal between Canada and the 28 member states of the EU. CETA is a product […]
By CCU President John Hanrahan In suspending the temporary foreign worker program in the fast food sector, the federal Conservatives have finally admitted what the labour movement, Canadians, and migrant workers have known for years. The temporary foreign worker program is broken. What the government still stubbornly refuses to admit is that the basic ideology […]
The Confederation of Canadian Unions calls on the Government of Nova Scotia to repeal Bill 37. It is our organization’s view that this draconian legislation – which effectively removes the right to strike from 35,000 workers in the province – is in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill undermines the […]
Ontario Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak promises that if he’s elected, he will create jobs and increase economic growth. The problem is that the Opposition Leader’s ideas aren’t new or revolutionary. They are simply a ramped-up, streamlined extension of the tired, old conservative economic ideology that has caused Ontario’s economic problems in the first place […]
The recently elected Nova Scotia Liberals have recalled the Legislature in order to pass a law preventing a strike by Northwood homecare workers, represented by the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union (NSGEU). The government refused the union’s proposal of binding arbitration and forced a strike situation with the specific intent of enacting this […]
By John Hanrahan The federal Conservatives under Prime Minister Stephen Harper are determined to support corporations in creating a low wage economy and reducing the standard of living of the middle class. Take Bill-525, for example. The Conservatives’ contempt for middle class Canadians has never been more evident than it is with piece of legislation. […]
By John Hanrahan Ontarians have differing views on Wal-Mart’s business practices and its corporate agenda. And although some may find the store a nice place to visit, very few would choose to work there. The vast majority of Wal-Mart employees in Canada earn between 10 to 12 dollars an hour. Not much of a salary […]
By John Hanrahan Canadian finance ministers met on December 15 and 16, 2013 at Meech Lake near Ottawa to discuss the possible enhancement of the Canada Pension plan (CPP). Most CPP enhancement proposals call for doubling the annual benefit of $12,150. Yet instead of stepping up to the plate and securing a future of retirement […]