Labour Day Message from the President

Labour Day is an opportunity for each of us to recognize our achievements as Canadian workers. Take pride in the work that you do as public service financial officers. Your efforts contribute to the stewardship of Canadian tax dollars and ensure fiscal accountability in the delivery of government programs and services.

Labour Day is also a time to reflect on the many contributions labour makes to building a better country; contributions like the five-day work week, pensions, employment insurance, parental leave, and occupational health and safety standards.

To this day unions continue to be instrumental in maintaining fair wages, benefits, and working conditions that contribute to a healthy and equitable Canadian society.

Today, the labour movement is facing a very challenging period in its history. Unions and particularly those representing public servants – have been under attack by those with an agenda to distort the positive work that unions do for members and our country.

Opponents of labour organizations are campaigning hard to undermine your collective bargaining strength with proposed legislation to uniquely burden labour organizations with mountains of unnecessary red tape, stack the deck against union formation, and bring in U.S.-style right-to-work laws, among other bills.

As much as this is a time to celebrate our achievements as workers, we can no longer afford to be complacent as the institutions that contribute to a fair and prosperous Canadian society are dismantled. It’s vital that our members understand how much unions contribute to their health, income, safety and security.

Therefore, ACFO is pleased to join with the Canadian Labour Congress among other unions to launch labour’s new together FAIRNESS WORKS campaign.

Starting on Labour Day 2013, we will engage millions of union members in conversations about how unions have improved their lives and why supporting their union makes Canada better for all.

More information will be provided in the coming weeks as this campaign is rolled out. The Association urges you to participate in making this initiative, and our fight for our collective rights, successful.

Please have a Happy Labour Day and remember that together FAIRNESS WORK because your union makes your life and your community better!

Milt Isaacs, CMA, CPFA
President, Association of Canadian Financial Officers

29/08/2013