Government of Canada Launches Union-Led Advisory Table to Help Workers Succeed in Canada’s Economic Future
December 5, 2023
Government of Canada Launches Union-Led Advisory Table to Help Workers Succeed in Canada’s Economic Future. Governments make better economic decisions when we listen to workers. Every major challenge and opportunity we’re facing right now—the shift to clean energy, the housing shortage, climate change—comes down to workers. So workers shouldn’t just have a seat at the table, they should lead it.
On December 5, the Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced the launch of the Union-Led Advisory Table. The Advisory Table is chaired by Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, and includes 15 labour leaders from across Canada with expertise across sectors, including those impacted by ongoing transitions in the economy. It will advise the Government on the most pressing issues facing workers today, including automation and the changing labour market.
The Union-Led Advisory Table will provide recommendations to the Government on how best to support workers affected by economic change, with a focus on supporting skilled, mid-career workers in at-risk sectors and jobs. It will engage with stakeholders and subject matter experts to formulate recommendations informed by a wide range of perspectives that reflect Canada’s workforce and workplaces.
The Advisory Table will complete its work later in 2024 and will share its findings with the ministers soon after.
Quotes
“With the rapidly changing nature of work, workers need to be involved to find the best way forward to ensure that Canadians are equipped and ready to seize the opportunities that the future will bring. The Union-Led Advisory Table will advise the Government on concrete actions needed to build an agile workforce that can find and keep good, well-paying jobs.”
– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault
“We get all of our best ideas from workers. We need their advice to confront the big challenges we’re facing. So we’re doing more than just giving workers a seat at the table. They will lead it.”
– Minister of Labour and Seniors, Seamus O’Regan Jr.
“Workers power the Canadian economy. They are the heart of our nation’s services, health care, manufacturing and resource delivery, and that’s not all. It is vital that workers are leading the way forward to ensure that Canada has the skills and labour to realize the economic opportunities of today and tomorrow. I look forward to working with the ministers and other labour leaders to help chart a course for a prosperous future that works.”
– Chair of the Union-Led Advisory Table and President of the Canadian Labour Congress, Bea Bruske
Quick Facts
- The Advisory Table consists of 15 labour leaders:
- Chair – Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
- Mariam Abou-Dib, Executive Director, Teamsters Canada
- Rob Ashton, President, International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU-Canada)
- Bert Blundon, President, National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
- Patrick Campbell, Canadian Regional Director, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
- David Chartrand, Canadian General Vice-President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
- Roxanne Dubois, Director of Strategic Planning, Unifor
- Meg Gingrich, Assistant to the National Director, United Steel Workers (USW)
- Mark Hancock, National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
- Julien Laflamme, Political Advisor to the executive committee, Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
- Magali Picard, President, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ)
- Linda Silas, President, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU)
- Sharleen Stewart, President, SEIU Healthcare
- Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU)
- Matt Wayland, Canadian Director of Government Relations, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
- The Government of Canada is conducting other collaboration initiatives on the future of work with subject matter experts, including employers, at the Economic Strategy Tables and the Regional Energy and Resource Tables.
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