Latest news with #ProtectCanadianJobs
Cision Canada
31-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Unifor members at Dajcor Aluminum on strike as company signals intent to remove equipment and use scab labour
CHATHAM, ON, July 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Unifor Local 127 members at Dajcor Aluminum began strike action after the union learned the company was planning to remove equipment and bring scab labour into the facility. "Any attempt to remove equipment from a Unifor facility or bring in scabs will always be met with the swiftest possible response from our union," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "This is a clear case of escalation that calls for action. Our members have every right to defend their jobs, their plant, and their community from these deceitful tactics." On Tuesday, workers voted to reject a tentative agreement. Unifor extended the strike deadline and requested Dajcor return to the table with an improved wage package. Instead, the company escalated tensions by preparing to move equipment and bring in scabs. "This strike is necessary to protect the integrity of our work and the future of this facility," said Unifor Local 127 President Jeff McFadden. "Our members work hard and take great pride in producing high‑quality parts. The company's plan to remove equipment and bring in scabs is a slap in the face to the very workers who help generate its profits." Through the union's Protect Canadian Jobs campaign, Unifor is responding to a surge of threats to domestic manufacturing, including efforts to move work out of the country. In today's charged climate, where companies may remove equipment, bring in scabs, or shift production abroad, the union remains on high alert to safeguard Canadian workers, their communities, and the industries they sustain. Dajcor Aluminum has previously benefited from public investments, including a $2.48 million repayable contribution from FedDev Ontario and over $1 million from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund to expand production capacity and create jobs in Chatham. At the same time, the company recently invested $19.6 million to open a sister facility in Chavies, Kentucky. "Dajcor has received a great deal of support from the community of Chatham that has stood by this plant for years, from the provincial and federal governments that have invested in it, and from the loyal workforce who built its success," added Payne. "You can't accept public subsidies, rely on a skilled workforce for years, and then treat them like they're disposable." Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
Cision Canada
29-04-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Unifor drives home need to protect jobs and Canada following Liberal minority win
TORONTO, April 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Unifor congratulates Liberal leader Mark Carney on his election and urges him to swiftly take action to build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy for working people in light of the trade war with the U.S. "Throughout the campaign, the effects of this U.S.-provoked trade war deepened, with hundreds of thousands of Canadians concerned for their jobs. Now, the real work begins." said Unifor National President Lana Payne, "Unifor's plan to build a resilient economy always called for an all-hands approach, and our union will work with the newly-elected government to push for the protection that Unifor industries, our public services, and our country, needs." "As this new government turns to face today's crises, we expect workers' rights to be upheld by this government, as do our members and unionized workers across this country," continued Payne. In the lead up to the election, Unifor member organizers ran a large-scale voter contact campaign, reaching out to members directly on the doors and on the phone, plus additional workers at union and workplace meetings throughout the course of the writ period. "We heard it from members again and again; people are demanding we protect jobs in Quebec and Canada above all else. Now, the response to President Trump, and the necessary economic and political shifts will be the defining mission for this government and for our country over the next several years," said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier. Unifor's Protect Canadian Jobs campaign sets out ideas to protect workers and shore up the economy in the face of Trump's tariffs. Unifor's election campaign called on all parties to commit to the following: Protect Canadian jobs with bold industrial policies, to build economic resilience, strengthen our nation, and reduce dependency on the U.S.; Strong supports to mitigate job loss, keep workers on payrolls and expand Employment Insurance for those who need it; Stand up for equality and the things that make us Canadian by keeping health care public, expanding $10-a-day child care, and taking real steps to end intimate partner violence, and Tackle the high costs of living and housing that are holding families and young people back, contributing to a widespread homelessness crisis in our country. Unifor is the largest private sector union in Canada, representing more than 320,000 members in all sectors of the economy. Unifor fights for the rights of all workers. It also fights for equality and social justice at home and abroad and aspires to bring about progressive change for a better future. SOURCE Unifor
