24 www.hrreporter.com
F E A T U R E S
WHEN
faced with a crisis, Canada's
workers come together. At
no time has that been truer than during
this pandemic. We adapted. We
embraced new norms and physical
distancing. We pushed government to
help affected workers and fill the many
holes in our social safety net. Unions
like ours worked with employers to put
in place health and safety protocols to
protect public health.
For now, Canada appears to have
avoided the worst-case scenarios of this
pandemic, but still our country has paid
a terrible price. Thousands of businesses
temporarily closed and millions of
people were thrown out of work. In the
beginning, the closures and layoffs were
protection in the short term.
The second was to create a stimulus
package big and bold enough to get
people back to work in the long term.
On this front, the government has yet to
deliver. The planning for this work must
begin now.
Canada approached this crisis with
bravery and compassion. Our recovery
plan should embrace those same values.
We cannot turn away from the many
deep flaws that were revealed in Canada's
economy — including in our health-care
system and social safety net. Together,
we must leave behind the economy that
existed prior to the pandemic and build
back better for the future.
There is a proven method to prevent
continued decline and to build a more
resilient economy for the future —
Canada must invest in its industries
and workers. Like the investments in
universal health care and infrastructure
during the postwar period, this is our
generation's time to step up and create a
better world than the one we were given.
In times of severe economic recession,
BUILDING BACK
A BETTER ECONOMY
Canada approached the pandemic with bravery and compassion. Our
recovery plan should embrace those same values. We cannot turn away from
the deep flaws revealed in Canada's economy, says Jerry Dias of Unifor
L A B O U R R E L AT I O N S
temporary, but today, many are still
wondering if and when they will be able
to go back to their jobs.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Unifor
made two demands of government.
The first was to take all necessary
steps to protect public health and
ensure workers had access to sick leave
and other income assistance and job
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