TORONTO—The recently merged Canadian Auto Workers and Canadian Energy and Paperworkers unio announced their rebranding as a new unio called Unifor.
The name and logo for Unifor were unveiled at a press conference this morning at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The new unio will represent over 300,000 workers across 20 different economic sectors.
A number of representatives of the preceding unios were on had to speak about the merger and discuss what the new unio would represent.
“It’s always been part of core mandate to defend the interests of working people, and that’s one thing that’s not going to change. We’re here to stand up for people,” said Peter Kennedy, Secretary Treasurer of the Canadian Auto Workers.
“We believe that strong unios are necessary to build a more prosperous, more equal, more inclusive Canada. Without strong unios representing working people, all of us would be lesser off.”
The CAW’s Ken Lewenza also gave an impassioned speech at the unveiling, at one point even becoming choked up as he discussed the importance of unios.
All together, Unifor will be: 800 local unios, 3,000 bargaining units, in more than 20 different sectors, and were here to show that we will be a strong voice and a positive force for change for working people across this nation, said Lewenza.
Trish Hennessy, the ontario Director for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives also spoke at the event. She espoused the importance of branding for the new unio, and related it to the unveiling of Canada’s flag in 1965.
“Branding can answer the question; what is special about you and what you do,” she said.
“You don’t just wear a unio logo, you carry it with pride.”
The logo unveiling was done with a video montage, which showed workers from across the country in all of the different industries the unio represents.
The video closed with the new logo, name and the #unifor hashtag in white over a red backdrop.
Unifor will hold a founding convention in Toronto on Labour Day weekend, 2013.
www.newunioconvention.ca
