Submitted: October 15, 2025
1. Oppose Cuts to Language Education for Immigrants and Refugees
Whereas:
The federal government department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has announced that it will no longer fund language education above CLB level 4 after the current fiscal year; and
The federal government’s decision to defund language education above CLB 4 would equip immigrants and refugees with only “survival English”, the bare minimum required to function in Canada;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL Will:
· Oppose the federal government’s plan to end funding of Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) above level 4 and demands that the government fully fund LINC up to including CLB 7;
· Communicate this position to elected representatives at all levels of government; and
· Urge the CLC to campaign for a restoration of funding up to and including CLB 7.
Word Count: 118
2. Hot Cargo and Israel
Whereas:
The OFL has previously endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement’s calls to sanction Israel because of the occupation of Palestine and Israel’s system of apartheid;
Israel has escalated its genocidal bombing campaign, ground invasion, siege and starvation of Gaza and annexation of the West Bank;
The Israeli labour central the Histadrut has been a partner in the colonization of Palestine since the foundation of Israel, and maintains discriminatory practices against Palestinian workers;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL will declare and call on the Canadian Labour Congress to declare trade, services and relationships with Israel to be “hot cargo” and to cut ties with the Histadrut.
Be it further resolved that the OFL endorse the Arms Embargo Now campaign and work with relevant unions to declare arms shipments to Israel to be “hot cargo,” not to be touched by workers of conscience.
Word Count: 134
3. Defend Ontario’s Industrial Jobs
Whereas:
The provincial and international trade landscape has shifted dramatically, with escalating U.S. tariffs and threats;
Thousands of good, unionized jobs in Ontario’s steel industry and sectors like aluminum, forestry, and mining are at risk, threatening the economic backbone of communities in Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Timmins and across Northern Ontario; and
Major public infrastructure projects represent historic opportunities to require Ontario-made steel, aluminum, softwood, copper, cement, critical minerals and other manufactured products for every possible structural component;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL commit to a policy of Ontario-first procurement for all major public infrastructure projects, to ensure taxpayer dollars protect and create Ontario jobs, defend our communities and secure the future of Ontario’s industrial economy;
And be it further resolved that the OFL will call on the provincial government to work with the federal government and industry to ensure strong trade enforcement rules, and to invest in domestic production capacity.
[ Wordcount: 144]
4. Standing Up for Post-secondary Workers and Students
Whereas:
Ontario’s public colleges have faced chronic underfunding for years, resulting in increased reliance on precarious work, larger class sizes and deteriorating learning conditions; College faculty and staff have had to take strike action to secure fair wages and job security, unwillingly disrupting the academic year and causing undue stress for both workers and learners; and The Ford government has continued to underfund the post-secondary sector, pushing colleges to seek more revenue from international students instead of stable public investment; and Therefore be it resolved that:
The OFL will call on the province for an immediate increase in core public funding to Ontario’s colleges to ensure fair compensation for workers, reduce precarity and prevent future labour disruptions that harm students, staff and the broader community.
[ Wordcount: 119]
5. Pension Fund Divestment
Whereas:
Pension funds should not be invested in entities complicit in human rights violations;
Six Canadian public pension funds have invested at least USD$1.6 billion in companies and arms manufacturers supporting Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank; and
These public pension funds investments speak to an ever-widening gap between workers who contribute to these funds and the investors who decide where to invest them;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL will:
· Develop expertise to help research, advise and guide affiliated unions on the divestment within their pension funds from Israel-linked investments, all direct and indirect holdings in entities that manufacture or distribute arms, ammunition, implements or munitions of war, as well as companies engaged in activities that support or sustain Israel’s illegal occupation.
· Compile these learnings into materials and resources available to affiliates and members.
Word Count: 135
6. Demand Public Steel & Auto Industries
Whereas:
Federal and Provincial governments have handed billions of dollars in subsidies to the largest corporations, e.g.,General Motors, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Honda, and Ford; and Stelco, Defasco, and others;
The domestic steel industry and the electric vehicle transition has been subsidized with no guarantees, no ownership and no longer-term plan for workers and communities; and
USW, UNIFOR, and other union members are in for the fight of their lives;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL will:
• Support the creation of a Canadian publicly owned car company under democratic control;
• Work with others in the labour movement to study the viability of nationalized steel and auto sectors which could be the central feature of a green transition by producing electric passenger vehicles, light industrial vehicles and mass transit, and the necessary components; and
• Urge the Carney Liberal government to provide greater supports to steel and auto workers who were among the first affected by Trump tariffs.
150 words
7. Campaign for a Workers’ Bill of Rights
Whereas:
Workers’ rights, including the right to strike, are under threat through increasing government interventions;
Workers’ rights are the foundation upon which all other civil, democratic, and human rights are built; and
The OFL has endorsed a Workers’ Bill of Rights;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL will:
• Develop and resource a campaign to enshrine a Workers’ Bill of Rights; and
• Ensure that this Bill of Rights include:
• An unlimited, unqualified, and irrevocable right to strike for all workers
• A ban on the use of scabs during a strike
• A return to a model of “card-check” certification for all union organizing campaigns
• Extend equal rights to all workers – regardless of status
• Improvements to employment standards, health and safety, and workers compensation
Word Count: 116
8. Development of a Unified Strike Support Strategy
Whereas:
State intervention in strikes has increased, and the right to strike is under threat;
The right to strike is enshrined in the Canadian Bill of Rights; and
Coordinated strike strategies, like those used in Quebec’s Common Front, lead to stronger agreements for workers
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL will:
• Develop and resource a campaign to coordinate strike support for affiliates across the province;
• Defend and fight for an expanded right to strike to ensure it is unlimited, unqualified, and irrevocable for all workers, in line with the creation of a Worker’s Bill of Rights;
• Develop resources, to assist affiliates and labour councils prepare for strike action, and possible defiance of a back to work order; and
• With the launch of this campaign, the OFL will call together a table of affiliates and labour councils to coordinate strike support strategies in line with the campaign
Word Count: 142
9. Fund Our Schools
Whereas:
Funding for education has been cut by $6.3 billion since 2018 and funding has not kept pace with inflation and increased costs;
The health impacts of underfunding result in burnout and take a toll both mentally and physically;
2 in 3 school boards are facing deficits in Ontario; and
The effects of this are deteriorating learning and working conditions for students and workers;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL will:
· Coordinate with local Labour Councils, provincial and local education unions to defend against the attacks on local democracy and democratically-elected trustees;
· Work with affiliates to demand more funding for publicly-funded education to fix our crumbling buildings such as the $16 billion repair backlog;
· Demand that additional caring adults be placed in schools to end violent incidences;
· Demand a province-wide strategy to end violent incidences; and
· Demand regular review of the funding formula so that every student has what they need to succeed
Word Count: 149
10. Artificial Intelligence
Whereas:
It is unclear what adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) means for workers and communities;
AI (including automation) has risks for equity, data governance, public services, job loss or job degradation;
Unions like CUPE 4948 and CUPW have seen workplace injuries due to employer automation; and
Many unions including ACTRA, CUPE, PIPSC, PSAC, and others have done analysis and/or provided resources or guidance for their members;
Therefore be it resolved that the Ontario Federation of Labour will:
· Undertake, consolidate, and share research, analysis, and collective agreement language in order to support sound positions on the adoption and future of AI,
· Support restrictions on the use of AI in both public services and the private sector that provide meaningful protection for human rights, privacy, and labour rights, and
· Lobby the provincial government to adopt restrictions on the use of AI that are strong enough to protect human rights, privacy, climate, and labour rights.
Word count: 146
11. Campaign Against Increase in Federal Defense Spending
Whereas:
The Carney Government has announced 15% across the board cuts to programs at the federal level and cuts to transfer payments to provinces;
These cuts are being used to fund a massive increase in the military budget, as requested by Trump, up to $150b per year; and
These funds could instead be used to create jobs, construct desperately needed housing, expand healthcare, fix our broken schools, and kickstart a green transition;
Therefore be it resolved that the OFL Will:
· Condemn the job-killing federal cuts and the $150b military budget they will fund;
· Call on the CLC to resource a campaign against the cuts and the massive military budget; and
· Connect affiliates to resources to educate their members on the negative impacts of excessive military funding and the austerity it will cause, and alternatives for workers
Word Count: 131
12. Workplace Labour Adjustment
Whereas:
The trade war with the United States, the transition of our electrical grid, and the development of new technologies are disrupting longstanding industries and leading to layoffs;
The Federal and Provincial Governments often give direct supports to business going through transition with no guarantees for workers or communities; and
These public dollars being used to fund transitions are often not accountable to any democratic scrutiny or controls
Therefore be it Resolved that the OFL will:
· Advocate to the Provincial Government for a moratorium on public funds going to any company or industry without an agreed transition plan in place, which includes robust supports for workers and communities;
· Advocate for implementation and expansion of mandatory “closure notices” which give workers and communities time to begin their transition plan; and
· Advocate for new programs which provide caseworkers and supports for workers undergoing transition (modelled after the USW Just Transition Centre).
Word count: 144
