Monday, September 1 is Labour Day, celebrating the labour movement and its achievements.
Read the full statement from the Quinte Labour Council below:
Labour Day reminds us of a powerful truth: when workers stand together, we deliver progress and make Canada strong. From emergency rooms and factory floors to classrooms and grocery aisles, it’s the dedication and hard work of people from all backgrounds that keep our economy running and our communities thriving. Yet, for too many working families across this country, the past few years have brought relentless uncertainty and upheaval.
“Working families are facing historic challenges: the highest unemployment rate since 2016, rents outpacing wages, and a weakening social safety net where only two in five can access EI. Meanwhile, corporations take huge profits while lobbying for tax cuts,” said President Marg Bourgoin of the Quinte Labour Council. “That’s exactly why workers are coming together to demand solutions: affordable housing, good jobs, and public services that serve people, not profits.”
Bourgoin added: “Workers are the backbone of this country, and we deserve better. Politicians elected to represent us need to step up and protect workers’ interests. That means investing in affordable housing, strong public services like EI, health care and pharmacare, and creating good, unionized jobs in clean energy, manufacturing, and public infrastructure.”
Poverty rates are rising, disproportionately impacting some of Canada’s most vulnerable citizens, including seniors, Indigenous and racialized people, and those living with disabilities. These are not abstract statistics; they represent real people, real families, and real struggles in every community across Canada.
“The need for a powerful, united movement of workers is more urgent than ever. Across the country, unions are fighting for workers’ best interests, holding our governments accountable and advocating for a Canada where homes are truly affordable, public services are robust and accessible, and our economy genuinely protects the workers who make it run,” said Bourgoin
This Labour Day, Canada’s unions are not only celebrating the historic gains won by generations of union members, but also the strength that defines our movement. Every single victory for workers, big or small, begins with people coming together. It starts with individuals recognizing their shared interests, standing in solidarity, and demanding the respect and fair treatment they deserve. Now, three million strong and growing, we’re organizing in workplaces and communities across the country to demand the respect working people deserve.
When workers stand together in our unions, we don’t just raise standards in our own workplaces – we make Canada strong. That’s the message of Labour Day, and that’s what drives our movement forward: workers together, delivering progress for everyone.
