Statement from Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, on the Swearing-In of Prime Minister Carney's Cabinet

OTTAWA, ON, May 13, 2025 /CNW/ - Today marks a new chapter for Canada, and workers are watching closely. With the swearing-in of Prime Minister Carney's new Cabinet, working people across Canada are looking not for symbolism, but for action—urgent, bold, and focused.

Canadians are struggling with the rising cost of living, a worsening housing crisis, a strained public health care system, and job insecurity in the face of global economic instability fueled by Trump's tariffs. At the same time, we are seeing the cracks in systems meant to protect workers, like Employment Insurance, widen as too many are left behind.

The time for hesitation is over. Workers are counting on this government to deliver real investments in people, in public services, and in the good union jobs that sustain families and communities.

Canada's unions, representing more than 3 million workers from coast to coast to coast, are ready to work with this new Cabinet. And we understand the stakes—and the urgency of bold action. Our economy cannot afford a wait-and-see approach, nor can we continue to rely on outdated structures or foreign markets. In this moment of economic uncertainty and mounting trade pressures from the United States, we need leadership that will meet the urgency of this moment with courage and ambition.

That means:

• Delivering public health care that includes universal Pharmacare and access to a doctor or nurse practitioner for every Canadian.
• Making life more affordable by tackling corporate greed and raising wages.
• Building truly affordable housing, not just promises and plans.
• Creating good union jobs in every region through investments in clean energy, manufacturing, and public infrastructure.
• Investing in public services that families rely on and reforming EI to ensure no worker falls through the cracks.

Canada's unions will be holding the new Minister for Jobs and Families, Patty Hadju, accountable to the core priorities of Canada's workers and the labour movement. Workers expect the Minister to take concrete action to raise wages, respect free and fair collective bargaining, improve workplace safety, and strengthen rights and protections for all workers—no matter how or where they work. It means ensuring that key reforms like the ban on replacement workers are implemented and enforced. And it means urgently updating our outdated Employment Insurance system so that no worker is left behind.

The role of Canada's Minister responsible for Labour is not just symbolic. It is critical. This is the person tasked with upholding and advancing the rights of working people across the country. That role must be rooted in a firm, unwavering commitment to protecting workers—not serving corporate interests.

Among the new appointments, the Prime Minister has named a Secretary of State, John Zerucelli, for Labour to support the Minister responsible for Labour. While not a member of the Cabinet, this role must be carried with a focused mandate and work closely with the Minister to ensure that workers' rights and protections remain a central pillar of the government's agenda.

Now is the time for this government to show workers that their voices will not be ignored. Canadians are not asking for the impossible—they are demanding what is fair, just, and long overdue. Workers built this country, and they will drive our future. The decisions made in the days and weeks ahead will send a clear signal: either this government is prepared to lead with bold and decisive actions, or it will fall short of the moment. Canada's unions are watching.

We are ready to partner in progress—but we will not hesitate to hold this government to account. Workers are not waiting, and neither can this government.

SOURCE Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

To arrange an interview, please contact: CLC Media Relations, [email protected], 613-526-7426