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Ottawa launches its Union-Led Advisory Table with 15 labour leaders from across Canada

Ottawa has launched its Union-Led Advisory Table — a group made up of 15 labour leaders from across Canada.

“Governments make better economic decisions when we listen to workers,” the federal government said in a press release. “Every major challenge and opportunity we’re facing right now—the shift to clean energy, the housing shortage, climate change — comes down to workers. So workers shouldn’t just have a seat at the table, they should lead it.”

Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced the launch of the Union-Led Advisory Table on Dec. 5.

“We get all of our best ideas from workers. We need their advice to confront the big challenges we’re facing. So we’re doing more than just giving workers a seat at the table. They will lead it,” said Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Labour and Seniors.

The Advisory Table is chaired by Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, and includes leaders with expertise across sectors, including those impacted by ongoing transitions in the economy. It will advise the federal government on the most pressing issues facing workers today, including automation and the changing labour market, it said.

The Union-Led Advisory Table will provide recommendations on how best to support workers affected by economic change, with a focus on supporting skilled, mid-career workers in at-risk sectors and jobs. It will engage with stakeholders and subject matter experts to formulate recommendations informed by a wide range of perspectives that reflect Canada’s workforce and workplaces.

The Advisory Table will complete its work later in 2024 and will share its findings with the ministers soon after.

Who has a seat at the table?

The Advisory Table consists of 15 labour leaders:

• Chair – Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
• Mariam Abou-Dib, Executive Director, Teamsters Canada
• Rob Ashton, President, International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU-Canada)
• Bert Blundon, President, National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
• Patrick Campbell, Canadian Regional Director, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
• David Chartrand, Canadian General Vice-President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
• Roxanne Dubois, Director of Strategic Planning, Unifor
• Meg Gingrich, Assistant to the National Director, United Steel Workers (USW)
• Mark Hancock, National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
• Julien Laflamme, Political Advisor to the executive committee, Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
• Magali Picard, President, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ)
• Linda Silas, President, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU)
• Sharleen Stewart, President, SEIU Healthcare
• Sean Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU)
• Matt Wayland, Canadian Director of Government Relations, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

The Government of Canada is conducting other collaboration initiatives on the future of work with subject matter experts, including employers, at the Economic Strategy Tables and the Regional Energy and Resource Tables.