Unifor marks the 2022 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) with solidarity for people of all sexual and gender diversities.

Unifor remains resolved to continue the fight against homophobia and transphobia through social change and the fight for human rights for all.

The union celebrates this IDAHOTB as a year of mixed progress. Since May of 2021, the federal government announced a pathway to the end of the identity-based screening of Canadian Blood Services’ blood ban, and passed a federal law banning the dangerous practice of conversion therapy. These are important, and long-fought victories for activists and community members.

Conversation therapy is a dangerous, unfounded practice that often involves minors’ abuse and leads to lifetime trauma. The basic assumption that a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is something to be altered or corrected, threatens LGBTQ workers’ dignity and well being. This runs against the union’s position on supporting the rights of all workers.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia and Pride itself, are beginning to once again change in 2022.

Read Unifor’s full statement.

In Canada, this year Equal Pay Day is April 12, 2022. Equal Pay Day marks the day that the average woman must work in order to have earned what the average man did in 2021. It’s 2022 and unions and other progressive organizations are still fighting to close the pay gap in Canada. We pride ourselves on so many progressive labour conditions but when it comes to ensuring women are paid equally we still fall short.

The pay gap is not just about gender. It’s about the intersectional lives of women of colour, Indigenous women, immigrant and migrant women, women with disabilities, elderly women and women who identify as LGBTQ. As women’s lives intersect with other forms of discrimination they experience, the gap increases substantially.

Unifor believes in equal pay for equal work. That belief informs our advocacy for legislation at the federal and provincial levels to ensure working women are treated equitably by all employers, unionized or not.

The union also works with coalition partners to fight for progressive policies that will shape a better future for all women. We join the Equal Pay Coalition in five key asks to end the gender pay gap.

• Raising the minimum wage to a living wage,
• Mandating paid sick days for workers,
• Implementing the Pay Transparency Act,
• Establishing affordable, accessible public child care with decent wages and conditions for child care workers, and
• Rebuilding the economy by funding public services and providing health, community & social services, and education workers with decent wages and working conditions.

Read Unifor’s full statement here.

Unifor recognizes and invites all members to celebrate the International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2022. This annual day celebrates the value and resilience of transgender people both within the union and around the world.

Trans people are those who identify with a gender other than the one assigned at birth and exist within all countries, communities and religious groups around the world. This identity is separate from an individual’s sexual orientation.

Transphobia and anti-trans discrimination remains prevalent in Canada and is closely associated with growing far-right movements and political parties. This makes workers’ commitments to equity and justice more urgent and demands that we celebrate and build off tangible wins.

On December 8, 2021, Canada’s conversion therapy law, passed unanimously by the House of Commons, received Royal Assent.

Activists and survivors from across the country campaigned for decades to discredit and ban this dangerous practice.

The fight for trans rights, dignity, and equality is not yet won. The continued need for solidarity and allyship with the trans community is a must for workers. As workers, we understand the importance of allyship. As an ally you inform those around you that you are supportive and attentive to the needs of the trans community. We must never forget that our allyship is predicated on actively listening and making change with, and for, trans communities.

A slew of anti-trans laws adopted across the United States reverberated in LGBTQ2 communities and families in recent months. These laws should serve as a reminder to all workers of the fragility of legal protections, and the importance of continued, devoted solidarity for trans, non-binary and two-spirit people.

Unifor wishes to honour trans, non-binary and two-spirit members, who continue to help build our union and strengthen our movement. Our union and society are made better, more educated, and compassionate through their contributions and labour.

Unifor asks members to share a message of support and solidarity on the Trans Day of Visibility.

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