Showing all stories, ordered by date
Hector McLellan's April Report to the Retiree's Chapter
Local 27 Retiree Executives Hector McLellan and Peter Kearney joined with Unifor retirees from GM, Ford, Chrysler, and CAMI at a meeting to formulate strategies to make clear to our working members and our National Union that losses from our contract negotiations since 2007 are having a serious effect on the standard of living of retirees now and which will continue into the future.
Passing of Archie Bailie
We are saddened to report the passing of Archie Bailie, Archie will be missed by his many friends at Local 27. Archie served several terms as plant chairman at th General Motors Locomotive Plant
NDP demands Wynne government stop proposed price hike for seniors’ prescriptions
NDP Demands Wynne Government Stop Proposed Price Hike for Seniors’ Prescriptions
London – After meeting with seniors and the Chair of CARP’s London chapter today, Teresa Armstrong, MPP for London-Fanshawe and the NDP’s seniors’ affairs critic, demanded the Wynne government stop its proposed increase to the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, included in the recently released 2016 provincial budget.
UPDATE!
Good new from The Ontario NDP party, all our letter writing and petitions have paid off!
Yesterday, the Premier admitted that she had made a mistake when she increased prescription drug costs for seniors. After considerable public outcry, the Ontario Liberals have changed their tune on this issue.
This is a victory for seniors across Ontario, and it was made possible by the thousands of voices who joined in our call to reverse this harmful decision.
We won. Thank you for joining us in speaking out on this issue. Together we have rallied to the aid of seniors, and shown that New Democrats will always fight for the fairness and accessibility of our health care system.
Sincerely, - Andrea Andrea Horwath Ontario’s NDP
Senior's Poverty Rates on the Rise in Canada
Many Canadians are under the impression that seniors’ poverty is something we no longer have to worry about. This simply is not true.
Seniors’ poverty is now on the rise again, according to census 2013 information cited by the Broadbent institute. Rates are especially high among single senior women who live alone, aboriginal seniors, immigrant seniors, seniors with disabilities, and gay and lesbian seniors. According to a report by the National Seniors Strategy for Canada, published in January, there are over 600,000 seniors living in “low income” according to the after-tax low income measure.
March is Fraud Prevention Month
During March, The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) wants you to know more about the different scams fraudsters use to steal money or identities. Each day, social media posts will be issued with information about a different scam. Share our tweets and Facebook posts with your friends and family, and talk about these scams. The more you know about a specific scam, the less likely you are to be a victim.
The Pulse - Feb 26, 2016 - Volume 8, No 1
In this issue:
Stronger Public Health Care Now campaign
Putting the Heart back in health care
Closing the gender wage gap
“Promising Practices” book launch
Tell Ontario MPPs: Stop the cuts! Implement a moratorium on RN cuts immediately!
Please take time to sign this petition!
According to the Canadian Health Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Ontario has 714 registered nurses per 100,000 residents. The national average is 836. Our province has the second to lowest ratio of RNs to population in all of Canada. The Ontario Nurses' Association tells us for every extra patient added to the average workload of a registered nurse, the risk of patient complications and even death increases by seven percent.
Kill a Worker, Go to Jail
OFL: Historic Jail Sentence Sends Strong Message to Ontario Employers
(TORONTO, ON) The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Chris Buckley called today’s jail sentence for Metron Construction Project Manager Vadim Kazenelson a historic decision that will send a strong message to every employer in the province. Ontario Court Judge, the Honourable Ian MacDonnell, sentenced Kazenelson to three and a half years in jail for each of four counts of criminal negligence causing death and one count causing bodily harm, following the tragic collapse of a swing stage at a Toronto high-rise on December 24, 2009. The sentences will be served concurrently.
Kevin O'Leary Says 3.5 billion People Living in Poverty is 'Fantastic News'
And we thought Harper was a bad prime minister, this piece of work wants to be the next leader of the Conservative party!
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary responded to a report that the 85 richest people in the world currently have as much wealth as the bottom half of the world's population, calling it "fantastic news."
"Elect me as Prime Minister for 15 minutes," Mr. O'Leary said on a show. "I will make unions illegal. Anybody who remains a union member will be thrown in jail."
"Unions are sheer evil. Unions themselves are born out of evil. They must be destroyed with evil", and "no one could contain unions in hell. They were so evil they came out of hell and they came upon earth."
Continue to the full article to view the video from 2014
“Screw you and your f**king union”!
Yep, that's what Ryan Albright, President of the Covered Bridge Potato Chip Company, told the 32 workers who are now striking for a first contract in the middle of a New Brunswick winter.
The issues? Seniority. Albright refuses to recognize seniority for any purpose.
And on wages Albright told the workers directly that even though most make only the minimum wage even after years of service that “never, ever, ever, in a union environment” would they get an increase.
Province-Wide Rallies Challenge Austerity Cuts and Privatization
Hospitals are facing a crisis, hydro is being privatized, student debt is mounting and inequality is rising.
The situation facing so many Ontario families and their communities seems bleak, but public pressure can turn things around.
Join a province-wide rally against austerity, in favour of a stronger Ontario, in one of six cities, starting in mid-January.
Labour Law Reform Campaign
Ontario’s labour laws are set for review this year and there is a lot on the line.
It has been 20 years since labour laws were re-opened in Ontario and that was under a Mike Harris government, when many of the gains made during the province’s first-ever NDP government were rolled back.
However, there is new hope. The Wynne government has bent to pressure from the labour movement, sustained media attention to the growing trend towards precarious work and the ensuing public outcry.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on such matters as mass marketing fraud (i.e.: telemarketing), advance fee fraud (i.e.: West African letters), Internet fraud and identification theft complaints.
I have put together a number of their alerts, tutorials and warnings into one comprehensive document. The document, RCMP Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.pdf, has a good deal of links to other security related articles and videos.
Whistleblower Report Exposes WSIB Interference in Medical Care
“This report confirms what injured worker advocates have been hearing for years – that the WSIB system is more interested in clearing its case load than supporting workers who have been seriously injured on the job,” said OFL Secretary-Treasurer Nancy Hutchison. “These doctors are blowing the whistle on the WSIB’s punitive practice of ‘deeming’ injured workers eligible to resume work when their treating physicians and medical professionals have clearly stated the opposite. The report we are releasing today tells the story of these doctors and their patients. We hope it will force a formal investigation into the WSIB’s treatment of medical advice and lead to systemic change.”
Unifor celebrates defeat of Harper Conservatives
TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor is celebrating the defeat of the Harper Conservatives and calling on the Liberals and NDP to cooperate to rebuild Canada.
"Tonight's election results offer Canadians an opportunity to rebuild our country," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "Canadians have sent a clear message that the Harper Conservative agenda is not one that represents our interests and needs."