Unifor and CLC presidents to visit locked out workers

OAKVILLE, ON, May 29, 2014 /CNW/ - The national presidents of Unifor, Canada's largest union in the private sector, and the Canadian Labour Congress will be at the picket line of locked out soap factory workers this afternoon to show their support.

"These workers are standing up for basic labour rights in this province," said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. "We will not allow hard-won rights to be rolled back by this company, or any other."

Workers at JemPak GK, members of Unifor Local 132-O, have been locked out for two weeks in a dispute over the future of the union at the plant, with the company demanding a rollback in the union's rights.

Dias will be joined on the picket line today by Hassan Yussuff who was elected president of the Canadian Labour Congress three weeks ago on a platform of reinvigorating the labour movement in Canada. They will be at JemPak's factory at 1485 Speers Road in Oakville at 1:15pm today.

The dispute is a good example of the kind of attack on labour that can be expected if Tim Hudak is elected premier in the June 12 provincial election, Dias said.

"Tim Hudak has made it clear that he will attack the fundamental rights of labour. That's what's on the line here, and we will not stand for it," Dias said.

• What: Jerry Dias and Hassan Yussuff at JemPak picket line
• Where: 1485 Speers Road in Oakville, Ontario
• When: 1:15pm

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union merged.

SOURCE: Unifor

please contact Unifor Communications National Representative Stuart Laidlaw at [email protected] or (cell) 647-385-4054.