OTTAWA—Unifor welcomes Bill C-50, the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, passing third reading as an important milestone for workers in the transition to net-zero.

“Passing Bill C-50 puts Canada on the right path to creating and sustaining the jobs of today and tomorrow in an economy in transition,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

Bill C-50 was passed by the Senate today following consultations that included a submission by Unifor to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science & Technology.

“Bill C-50 addresses many of our union’s key recommendations by defining a sustainable job as including trade union representation as well as a collective agreement, and includes fair income, job security, social protection and social dialogue,” added Payne.

The union stressed that the path to net-zero must involve measures that aim to preserve existing jobs in high-emitting sectors by transforming them into sustainable jobs.  

“While the Senate chose not enact all of the amendments that Unifor recommended, the Sustainable Jobs Act will help prevent employers from exploiting the transition to contract-flip or push workers out of good-paying, union jobs into low-paying, precarious, non-union ones,” said Payne.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

For media inquiries or to arrange interviews via FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype please contact Unifor Communications Director Kathleen O’Keefe at @email or by cell at (416) 896-3303.