In this edition:
- Unifor sets Oct. 9 deadline for contract talks with General Motors
- St. Catharines calls for new funding model from the feds
- Sean Simpson to lead NOTL Museum’s $10M expansion project
- Enbridge and Tree Canada support Niagara Falls tree planting campaign
- St. Catharines church to build rental housing in its parking lot
- Tribunal rules in favour of injured migrant workers seeking more compensation
- Lincoln prioritizes employment with job fair, website
- Skills Ontario opens registration for International Day of the Girl events
- Focus on Technology
Unifor sets Oct. 9 deadline for contract talks with General Motors
Unifor has set Oct. 9 at 11:59 p.m. as the deadline for contract talks with General Motors as union leadership look to secure terms that will be accepted by both the company, and union members.
Negotiations between the union and the U.S. automaker resumed this week after workers at Ford Motor Co. of Canada voted to approve a new contract last weekend.
Lana Payne, president of Unifor, has hailed the Ford contract as life changing for workers as it makes historic wage gains and other benefit improvements.
St. Catharines calls for new funding model from the feds
St. Catharines is joining a chorus of Canadian municipalities calling on the federal government to develop a new fiscal framework for cities to replace a 19th-century model.
“Municipalities are dealing with 2023 needs and responsibilities with a funding model that actually dates back to 1849,” said St. Patrick’s Coun. Robin McPherson.
“I think we can all agree that much has changed since 1849.”
Hugo Chesshire, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce director of policy and government relations, told council it’s crucial that the interdependence between a municipalities’ fiscal health and its ability to foster growth is recognized.
“A municipality’s financial stability lays the foundation upon which we can build thriving, vibrant and resilient communities,” he said.
Sean Simpson to lead NOTL Museum’s $10M expansion project
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum has recruited pharmacist Sean Simpson as the face of a major $10-million project aimed at revitalizing and expanding the facility.
Simpson will lead a community campaign to raise $5 million from donors. With matching government grants, the museum hopes to cover the full $10-million cost of the expansion.
Enbridge and Tree Canada support Niagara Falls tree planting campaign
The City of Niagara Falls and the Environmental Action Committee, in partnership with Enbridge and Tree Canada, will be planting 100 native trees throughout the Royal Manor Park area. The tree planting effort will help to reforest areas and provide shade for trail users along the Millennium Recreational Trail, Canada 150 Pathway.
The event is made possible thanks to the generous support of Enbridge and Tree Canada. The City of Niagara Falls and the Environmental Action Committee have also contributed to the project through tree and supply donations.
St. Catharines church to build rental housing in its parking lot
A Queenston Street church has plans to tear down its old gym and say goodbye to some parking spaces to build a pair of three-storey rental apartment buildings with affordable units.
Westminster United Church Rev. Paul Miller told St. Catharines city council this week the church has an opportunity to make a real difference in the community by using the land on which the gym stands and its extensive parking lot to provide much-needed housing.
Tribunal rules in favour of injured migrant workers seeking more compensation
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal ruled this month that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board was wrong to assume seasonal migrant workers were eligible for a maximum of 12 weeks of income-loss compensation through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program if they had been injured.
It noted that the loss-of-earnings provisions of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act assumed that after three months, all workers could return to work either in Ontario or their home country, without taking into account workers’ actual circumstances, such as whether they had recovered from their injury, were capable of working or finding a job.
The tribunal ruled that was not appropriate.
Lincoln prioritizes employment with job fair, website
If you’re looking for work, the town of Lincoln wants to help you out.
The town, in partnership with the Employment Help Centre, is hosting a job fair at Great Lakes Christian High School from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 3.
Paul Di Ianni, the town’s director of economic development and communications, said this is the second job fair of this sort they are doing, with the goal of bringing job seekers together with local employers.
Skills Ontario opens registration for International Day of the Girl events
Registration is now open for Skills Ontario’s International Day of the Girl Celebration, which aims to recognize and inspire girls across the province to build their skills, conquer boundaries and explore their career pathways.
This year Skills Ontario is increasing its in-person and virtual events, hosting two in-person conferences on Wednesday, Oct. 11. One conference will take place at Science North, Greater Sudbury and feature keynote speaker Rokhaya Gueye and the other conference is being held at Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa with keynote speaker Jasmine Gauthier.
Truth and Reconciliation around Niagara
Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.
This federal statutory holiday was created through legislative amendments made by Parliament.
New: Town of Grimsby recognizes the 2023 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
New: National Truth and Reconciliation Day leads Niagara’s weekend things to do
New: What’s open and closed for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2023
Learning opportunities abound in Lincoln on 2023 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
City of Thorold to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
St. Catharines to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Did you know?
Focus on Technology
Canadian executives anticipate workforce reskilling and shifting employee expectations as they adopt AI, study shows
Canadian executives estimate that 42 per cent of their workforce will need to reskill as a result of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation over the next three years, according to a new global study by the IBM Institute for Business Value. The study, Augmented work for an automated, AI-driven world, surveyed, 3,000 global C-suite executives across 20 industries and 28 countries.
“Canada continues to face serious workforce shortages and AI is our best opportunity to tackle this challenge as we reimagine how work gets done,” said Dave McCann, President, IBM Canada. “As AI becomes more pervasive and adoption accelerates across business, it is critical for leaders to set a plan which leverages people as a core competitive advantage. Taking these steps now in Canada is critical to ensure our industries and organizations maintain leadership and are not left behind.”
Canadian executives surveyed ranked technology illiteracy as a top talent issue, which was ranked second among global executives.
AI is reshaping the workplace – but what does it mean for the health and well-being of workers?
The business landscape has undergone a significant shift over the past few years because of artificial intelligence (AI). This technological advancement has innovated business practices and is changing the way we work.
Businesses are increasingly turning to AI to solve problems and perform tasks that have traditionally required human intelligence. Across different industries and occupations, AI is being used to detect patterns, make predictions and even create content.
However, the rapid rate of AI adoption is putting workplaces at risk of overlooking its potentially adverse impacts, particularly those that could impact the health and well-being of workers.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
