Today: Unifor rallies at Cadillac Fairview locations across the country

TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2013 /CNW/ - Unifor is holding a series of rallies today, Thursday October 31, in six locations across the country in support of the nearly 150 low wage cleaners who are being kicked out of their jobs by Cadillac Fairview in Vancouver.

In September, Cadillac Fairview announced that it would be ending the contract with their employer for its Waterfront and Pacific Centre buildings in Vancouver, throwing its 150 building cleaners out of work. Cadillac Fairview instead will be using a service that pays its workers only $10.50 an hour, instead of the $12 earned by Unifor members. A living wage in Vancouver has been pegged at $19.62 an hour, according to a recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The rallies include the following locations and times:

Vancouver 12:30 p.m. (PST)
609 Granville St.

Calgary 10:30 a.m. (MT)
Chinook Centre, 6455 Macleod Trail SW

Winnipeg 11 a.m. (CST)
Polo Park Shopping Centre, 1485 Portage Ave.

Toronto 12 p.m. (EST)
TD Centre, 66 Wellington St. West

Ottawa 12 p.m. (EST)
234 Laurier Ave. West

Kitchener 12 p.m. (EST)
Fairview Park Mall, 2960 Kingsway Dr.

"This profitable corporation is motivated by greed and greed only," said Unifor National President Jerry Dias, who will be attending the Toronto rally today. In 2012 alone, Cadillac Fairview earned nearly $1 billion in profit. Unifor is calling on Cadillac Fairview to repeal their decision.

The cleaners are represented by Unifor Local 3000 in Vancouver.

SOURCE: Unifor the union

Vancouver: BC Area Director Gavin McGarrigle (cell) 778-668-6455
Calgary:  Alberta Area Director Don Boucher (cell) 780-920-1892
Winnipeg: Winnipeg Area Director Ken Stuart (cell) 204-333-7969
Ottawa: Eastern Ontario Area Director Harry Ghadban (cell) 613-7697844
Toronto: GTA Director Naureen Rizvi (cell) 647-233-2855
Kitchener: Kitchener Area Director Bill Gibson (cell) 519-589-6390
Unifor Communications Stuart Laidlaw (cell) 647-385-4054