top of page
5cd8971424000059007e20ad.jpeg

OUR STORY

Unifor's Mission


Unifor strives to protect the economic rights of our members and every member of the workforce (employed or unemployed). We are committed to building the strongest and most effective union to bargain on behalf of our members, working with our members to improve their rights in the workplace, and extending the benefits of unions to non-unionized workers and other interested Canadians.

Local 649's History

​

Local 649 and our employers: SaskPower, SaskEnergy, Westmoreland Coal and TSASK had their beginnings at a single employer, The Saskatchewan Power Corporation.  At that time, UNIFOR was a part of CEP and prior to that the Electric Utilities Employee's Union.  


In the 1950's we had our first agreement between the newly formed Electric Utilities Employee's Union chartered by the Canadian Congress of Labour and Saskatchewan Power Corporation.


By the 1960's our union had merged and joined an international union, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union.  They represented all employees' at Saskatchewan Power Corporation.


In the 1990's things changed for the Union when the employer split into three companies: SaskPower, TransGas and Provincial Gas.  As well, or union underwent a change and was known as the Energy and Chemical Workers Union (ECWU).
Not to be outdone, the 90's provided even more change.  Our employers were now SaskPower and SaskEnergy (combining TransGas & Provincial Gas).  As well, ECWU merged with the Communications Workers of Canada and the Canadian Paperworkers in 1992 to form the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.

​

In 2023, members at Westmoreland Coal chose to de-certify and face their employer on their own.

Unifor's History


Unifor was officially formed on August 31, 2013, at a Founding Convention in Toronto, Ontario. It marked the coming together of the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) – two of Canada’s largest and most influential labour unions.

​

The birth of Unifor represented a sign of hope for the Canadian labour movement, and working people more generally.

​

For decades, union membership (as a share of total employment) had been in steady decline – particularly in the private sector. Running parallel to this decline in union density had been a sharp rise in income inequality, growing threats to retirement security, chronic unemployment and underemployment (particularly for young people) and a noticeable rise in insecure, precarious forms of work, especially among newcomers. The decline of union influence coincided with the rise of grossly imbalanced business-friendly policies, starting in the 1980s, that included tax cuts, labour market deregulation and corporate-led free trade deals.

Unifor was a bold answer to the question: "How do Canadian unions respond to the changing economy and these challenging times?"

​

Its large and diverse membership (that includes nearly every sector of the economy), makes it one of the most representative voices of our national economy. Its representative organizational structure and innovative forms of membership means it can better address regional economic and political matters on behalf of working people. Its core mandate – to be an effective union that is built by its members and deeply rooted in community – brings Unifor's work into the day-to-day lives of Canadian families.

​

The Unifor project began as a discussion about union renewal in the fall of 2011 between former CAW President Ken Lewenza and former CEP President Dave Coles. Informal discussions led to formal talks among union leadership and staff. A formal discussion paper was prepared, which lead to a comprehensive, open and inclusive union revitalization project, spanning 20-months. Members were invited to follow developments of the New Union Project through regularly published reports, a frequently updated website, and were also asked to participate in telephone town hall meetings and online polls.

​

From its inception, Unifor has become a source of optimism and inspiration that a fairer, more secure future can be won for working people, that unions can adapt to changing times and remain a relevant voice for workplace and social justice.

​

In the summer of 2022, Lana Payne was elected as the first women to assume the mantle of president of Unifor (and either of it's predecessors).  Payne is a former journalist and past president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour. Prior to being elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2019, Payne was the founding Atlantic Regional Director for Unifor. She began her involvement in the labour movement in 1991 with FFAW/CAW.

bottom of page