ALMA, QUEBEC (March 31, 2012) -- CEP Secretary-Treasurer Gaétan Ménard (left), Executive Vice-President, Quebec, Michel Ouimet and President Dave Coles were among the more than 8,000 demonstrators who marched through the streets of Alma this weekend to demand an end to the lock out and to fight for the preservation of jobs at the Rio Tinto Alcan smelter. Rio Tinto Alcan forced nearly 800 workers onto picket lines three months ago, rather than continue attempts to negotiate a new contract. The workers are members of USW Local 9490.
CEP President Dave Coles and other Canadian union leaders recently met with Francisco J. Barrio-Terrazas, Mexico’s ambassador to Canada to express concern about the continuing abuse of trade union rights by the Mexican government.
As part of a global week of action for Mexico, unions around the world met with Mexican ambassadors to demand the Mexican government to stop its attacks on workers and allow them to form free and democratic trade unions.
Building on global union action in 2011, independent unions in Mexico, together with their respective global union partners, have come together as a movement of force, challenging retrogressive labour legislation, Mexico's scandalous "protection contract" system, and exposing corporate and political corruption.
OTTAWA -- The president of one of Canada’s largest unions, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, says both the Colombian and Canadian governments need to act now to denounce the latest murder of a trade union leader in Colombia.
MONTREAL, Qc (December 18, 2011) -- Delegates from 10 Canadian Resolute mills in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and 4 US mills in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama met this weekend in Montreal and adopted a solidarity pledge to work to coordinate activities and work together leading to 2014 pattern and master agreement negotiations with the company in both countries.
MONTREAL, QC - American and Canadian union members who work for forest industry giant Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater) have joined forces to “speak with one voice” to the company.