Secretary-Treasurer’s Message Kelly Tosato

The fight to protect working people

This is a strange time. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a real test of who we are and what working people truly mean to the prosperity and well-being of this nation. It’s clear that it will be working people – our Union Members – who will get all of us through this.

Unions have always fought to protect workers; to advance their economic status and quality of life; to ensure their human rights are respected; to bring equity to every industry across the nation.

Unions emerged more than century ago out of a desperate need to make work bearable; to raise the quality of life for families toiling long days in often harsh conditions for very little pay. Workers were at the complete mercy of their employers.

March 25, 2020, marked 109 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York City. That preventable disaster took 146 lives and forever changed many more. Locked doors, doors that opened the wrong way, tables, and more, prevented the victims – mostly women – from getting out of the factory in time. They were trapped.

That tragedy sent a surge of grief, anger, and resiliency through the working people in that city and beyond. It led to changes like putting sprinklers in high-rises, and ensuring that exit doors swung outwards.

Many health and safety practices that seem 'every day' suddenly, are more important than ever – like safe food handling procedures and ensuring there are enough masks, gloves, and protective equipment for our health care workers.

We all take many of today’s health and safety measures for granted. Whether it’s adhering to the fire code, painting caution lines in warehouses, stacking shelves and pallets properly, and much more. Most of today's health and safety laws are a result of working people and their Unions standing up and demanding better.

Working people and the labour movement have always fought to bring about change: The Printers’ Strike in 1872 to win a nine-hour work day; The Winnipeg General Strike in 1919 to win fair wages; A workplace tragedy in the 1960s that brought about the Industrial Safety Act followed later by the Canada Labour Safety Code, and; The addition of paid maternity leave in 1971, allowing more women to be in the workforce.

I know that there will be changes as we emerge from this crisis in the coming months: changes to our laws and worker protections; changes to health and safety protocols to ensure we have enough equipment on hand at all times.

Your Union will fight to have these types of changes find a permanent place in our laws.

It shouldn’t take such unprecedented circumstances for employers and governments to recognize the value of their workers.

Your work is – and always has been – something to be proud of.

I encourage you, as we start to see the light at the end of this tunnel, to remain vigilant and committed to advancing worker safety across all industries.

Your Union will continue to support and work for you. We will continue to handle grievances, conduct negotiations, and be there to hear your concerns and answer your questions. We will continue to do the work of protecting our members in every way possible.

Please don’t forget about those most vulnerable in your community. If you can assist others, safely, by getting their groceries or much-needed medicine, please do what you can. Please continue to support local businesses, charities, and service providers when you can, safely.

If you need extra support, the Members’ Assistance Program offers confidential referral services to the Members of our Local Union. They can put you in touch with services in your community to help you with finances, well-being, and more. Call them at 1-877-801-7762. Full details on page 25 of this issue of Checkout.

Thank you all for your dedication to families and communities across this nation who rely on you for care, food, and much more. I am confident we will make it through this with lessons learned and, hopefully, our eyes wide open to the things that must change in our province and across the country.

In Solidarity, Kelly Tosato