labour

A man wearing a blue suit is standing and speaking in a room with wooden paneling. There is one man sitting next to him and the top of the heads of four people in the front of the photo.

Anti-scab legislation garners praise, but some Unions cautiously optimistic

June 7, 2024 by Dan Mesec

Last week the House of Commons voted unanimously to pass Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, to include anti-scab legislation. Despite the long contentious history of such legislation, it passed, to much surprise.

The anti-scab legislation, which includes federally regulated companies, focuses on the use of temporary workers during a strike. The bill heads to the Senate which will be debated over the next two weeks.

Martin McIlwrath president of local 2301 in Kitimat, B.C. said the legislation is welcome news, long over due, but that unions will have to remain vigilant for companies that still try to find loopholes.

“The legislation that was passed is great news, the labour movement for decades have been waiting for this to happen,” said Martin McIlwrath from Kitimat.

Fortin requests provincial health commission meet in Outaouais, address staffing crisis

May 15, 2024 by Caleb Nickerson

Pontiac MNA André Fortin is calling on the provincial health and social services commission to meet in the Outaouais so they can get a close up look at the staffing crisis in local health facilities.

Several high-ranking doctors within the regional health authority CISSSO have recently issued public appeals for aid, anticipating there will be dangerous breaks in service over the summer holidays if the staffing situation isn’t immediately addressed. They note that one of the main challenges for retaining staff in the region is the pay disparity between Quebec and Ontario.

Fortin said that he hoped bringing decision makers to the region would spur more urgent action on the file.

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“Pivot Net Zero” to continue energy transition and electrification of Kitchener’s fleet

April 29, 2024 by Dan Kellar

Kitchener’s Corporate Climate Action Plan, has been guiding the city’s to transition away from carbon intensive energy sources, with version 2.0 prominently featuring “Pivot Net Zero”. The electrification of cars, light utility vehicles, and hand tools is already well underway, and staff continue to explore new avenues of reducing carbon emissions with larger trucks and equipment.

The city has reported has already seen a benefit in staff experience due to electrification, citing a reduction in exposure to fumes, noise, and the weight of equipment. Economic savings have also been noticed through maintenance costs and energy efficiency.

This show features interviews with Kitchener’s director of Fleet, Matthew Lynch, and the city’s corporate sustainability officer, Anna Marie Cipriani, who speak about the city’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for both their fleet and buildings. Kitchener city council will vote on April 29th endorse the updated Corporate Climate Action Plan.

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Mt A food workers to consider new contract offer Monday

April 19, 2024 by Erica Butler

Mount Allison’s food workers have a big decision to make on Monday, as the members of CUPE Local 1440 consider an offer from the school’s new dining services contractor, Chartwells Canada.

Local 1440 president Jason Tower says his members “know we have to give up some stuff,” in the establishment of a new contract.

Mount Allison did not require bidders for the dining services contract to recognize the existing collective agreement with Local 1440’s 45 members.

A man in a white shirt and blue tie sits at a desk with framed certificates behind him.

Nova Scotia reaches ‘agreement in principle’ with teachers in contract talks

April 18, 2024 by Rick Conrad

Nova Scotia will likely avoid a teachers’ strike as government and union negotiators reached an “agreement in principle” late Wednesday night.

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union entered conciliation talks with government negotiators on Monday and Tuesday with a 98 per cent strike mandate. More than 10,000 teachers and educational specialists voted last Thursday to go on strike if an agreement couldn’t be reached.

Teachers are concerned about rising levels of violence in schools, teacher recruitment and retention, and compensation for substitute and permanent teachers.

Premier Tim Houston joined the talks himself on Monday night. Houston told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Thursday that he believes the agreement addresses many of the union’s concerns.

Ryan Lutes, president of the teachers union, said in an interview Thursday that the premier’s presence at the bargaining table seemed to move things along.

Workers in blue scrubs stand over an operating table with fluorescent lights above.

MUHC nursing union head ‘can’t recommend’ agreement with the province to members

April 12, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

After striking for eight days late last fall, Quebec’s nursing union, the Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), finally reached an agreement in principle with the province on March 19.

Now, from April 10-12, the over 80,000 FIQ members have the chance to vote on the agreement.

At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the proposal has been met with opposition from the union local. CKUT speaks with Jennie Rhee, president of the SPSICR, the Union of Nursing and Cardio-Respiratory Professionals of the MUHC, to understand why.

A bird's eye view of a large cafeteria, with people milling about.

Mass firing of Mt A dining services workers echoes situation at UNB last year

March 14, 2024 by Erica Butler

The termination of food service workers at Mount Allison University reported in CHMA’s March 1 story has some parallels to the situation at another New Brunswick university.

CHMA talks with Adrienne Paradis, a national servicing representative for CUPE, who shares the story of what happened last year when UNB, like Mount Allison, changed its food service provider without guaranteeing the collective agreement that was in place with its workers. Paradis says the onus is on universities to “do the right thing” and include requirements to respect union contracts when it issues Requests for Proposals.

Mount Allison University refused to comment when asked whether or not it could have prevented the mass firing of dining services workers by its outgoing contractor, Aramark Canada Ltd. The university says the procurement process for dining services is still ongoing.

A group of black-clad people carrying turquoise coloured signs stand next to a person wearing an oversized mask. The mask is a caricature of a woman with long reddish brown hair. Her mouth is wide open as if she was laughing.

‘I voted no,’ to public sector deal: CEGEP support worker

March 1, 2024 by Kaity Brady

Leaders of the Front Commun, a coalition of labour unions, expressed gratitude to their members and the public last Friday for adopting an agreement with the Quebec government, with 74.8 per cent voting in favour.

The five-year contract includes a 17.4 per cent salary increase and an inflation clause. Despite voting “no,” Dawson College employee Cameron Campbell acknowledged the deal is a decent starting place.

“The general consensus was that there was no more [money] to get,” he said.

But Campbell and others have expressed frustration with with Premier Legault’s recent comments about Quebec’s deficit.

“I’ve set aside my political views about him and I come down to competency — and I just don’t think he’s very good,” Campbell said. “It’s willful right? It’s for political purposes,” he added.

Mt A dining services workers are in limbo, as Aramark gives termination notices

March 1, 2024 by Erica Butler

Jason Tower loves his job helping feed and take care of Mount Allison students. Tower has been the president of CUPE Local 1440 for 17 years, representing the 45 people who work in dining services at Mount Allison University.

But Tower and his members are in for a period of uncertainty now, after having received termination notices from Aramark Canada Ltd., the company that the university has contracted to deliver its food and dining services to students.

“I spent most of my weekend trying to comfort members who are stressed because they don’t know if they’re going to have a job in May,” says Tower. “They’re stressed out. Nobody can afford to be off work with no income for a whole summer.”

CHMA spoke with Tower to find out more.

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McGill’s ‘floor fellows’ in shock after university axes live-in residence jobs

February 21, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

On Thursday, McGill’s floor fellows received a shock — the university was cutting their position at the end of term. Floor fellows are McGill’s version of residence advisors. They live in residence halls, offering workshops and one-on-one support to the thousands of students who choose to live in dorms.

McGill says it chose not to hire floor fellows back following an internal review. Instead, they’ll be increasing the number of Residence Life Facilitator positions, which do not require students to live on campus.

Joining CKUT to discuss the layoffs is Graeme Scott, Vice President of Floor Fellows at the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE).

Four people sat at a table for a press conference. One man and three women sit infront of signs for the FRONT COMMUN labour movement which are various blues and greens. They are all dressed in blazers somewhat formally.

Tentative deal reached for 420,000 public sector workers in Quebec

January 10, 2024 by Kaity Brady

Quebec’s Common Front union leaders are presenting a tentative deal to 420,000 public sector workers following 11 days of strikes last year.

The proposed agreement includes a 17.5 percent raise and provisions on inflation, vacation, parental leave, and other benefits.

Magali Picard, President of the FTQ, emphasized the crucial role of public support: “It’s major, major, what they achieved with this negotiation,” she said.

Union delegates will review the deal and vote on the agreement in the coming weeks.

President of the CSQ, Eric Gingras highlighted ongoing issues in public sector work: “There’s salaries, working conditions, and systems… we’re gonna have to talk about that in the near future.”

Common Front shares details of ‘historic’ deal with the province

January 9, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

The Common Front revealed more details about their agreement in principle with the Quebec government at a Jan. 7 press conference. The Common Front is a coalition of public and parapublic sector unions representing 420,000 workers in the province.

Union leaders confirmed reports that they’d obtained 17.4% salary gains over five years. The agreement also includes inflationary protections, bonuses for specialized workers, and a pay bump for psychologists, as well as advances in vacation time, pensions, and insurance contributions.

Workers will vote on the proposal at general assemblies from Jan. 15 to Feb. 19.