Throne Speech should include commitment to a Good Jobs Summit

TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2013 /CNW/ - The one thing that will make the most difference in the lives of Canadian families with today's Throne Speech is a commitment to find ways to put our unemployed back to work in good quality jobs, says Unifor National President Jerry Dias.

"I'm hoping that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has heard loud and clear the need to start a conversation about creating and sustaining decent work," Dias said before the speech. "Incremental changes to consumer regulations or consumer prices don't mean anything if you don't have a good job and decent security."

Instead of the creation of good jobs, the Canadian economy has seen more part-time and precarious employment, along with the disappearance of good jobs in manufacturing, public services, and elsewhere. Canada's youth are positioned to become the first generation in Canadian history to be worse off than their parents.

"The government tries to distract Canadians with an emphasis on free trade and consumer choice, when what would make the most difference is a commitment to a better quality of life, including good jobs they can rely on," said Dias.

That's why Unifor has called on the federal government to bring together all stakeholders to put their heads together at a national summit to find ways to create and support the jobs Canadians need.

Dias reiterated Unifor's pledge to organize its own Good Jobs Summit in 2014 if the federal government fails to provide the necessary leadership, and will actively seek out partners from civil society, including labour, First Nations, and non-governmental organizations, business and government.

"Working people across our economy are seeing their jobs outsourced and the government and corporations are simply telling them to expect less," Dias said. "Corporations have misused the federal government's foreign worker programs, and demanded that workers take a hit even when profits are high. We need to do better."

To build support the Good Jobs Summit, Unifor has asked Canadians to reflect on how Canada's job market could be improved. Unifor has started the conversation by taking to twitter with the hashtag #GoodJobsRev.

To learn about the campaign, visit: www.unifor.org/goodjobs

SOURCE: Unifor

For further information contact Unifor Communications: Katie Arnup [phone] or Stuart Laidlaw [phone]