Unifor donation in support of the Mi'Kmaw Friendship Centre
HALIFAX, Aug. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - Unifor donated $80,000 to the Mi'Kmaw Friendship Centre through a fundraiser and Canadian Community Fund.
The union also pledged that members who work in the skilled trades would donate their skills to help in the hard work of building a vibrant community centre.
"Unifor unites with Indigenous people in the ongoing struggle against intergenerational violence and colonialism," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "Members from coast to coast to coast came together in this fundraiser to support the life-altering work of the Mi'Kmaw Friendship Centre."
The fundraiser last night was part of Unifor's ongoing support of truth and reconciliation as members from across the country gathered in Halifax for the union's annual Canadian Council this weekend at the Convention Centre.
The Mi'Kmaw Friendship Centre serves as a focal point for the Halifax Indigenous community, providing programs that support Indigenous health, justice, employment, and education and offers a space to gather for community functions and events.
"We are committed to reconciliation at Unifor," said Lana Payne, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. "The ongoing work of reconciliation challenges us to be better community members and allies, this fundraiser is part of how we do that work."
The Canadian Community Fund is a 5 cent per work hour collective bargaining package funded by Unifor employers that also includes funding for women's advocates who help women facing violence and paid leave for skilled trades members to participate in relief efforts, conduct repairs at local women's shelters or other similar work.
Unifor is also a partner of the friendship centre's program, Pathways to Shipbuilding, a program that integrates education, industry and community partnerships to create pathways for Indigenous people to enter the shipbuilding industry. Over the two-year program, community and industry supporters, including Indigenous employees working at the Halifax Shipyard, coach participants.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 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.
SOURCE Unifor
News published on and distributed by:
