Issue 99 – 26, April 26, 2026
Day of Mourning
Every year on April 28, we observe the Day of Mourning. It’s a day to remember workers who have lost their lives, been hurt, or had their lives changed because of workplace accidents and illnesses. It’s also a time to honor those workers, support their families, and promise to make work safer for everyone.
This year’s theme is “Psychological Health and Safety is Occupational Health and Safety.” This means that workplace safety isn’t just about physical hazards like machinery or falls. It also includes mental health issues like stress, harassment, burnout, and trauma. These problems affect many workers and are just as serious as physical injuries.
Union Retirees are encouraged by the work of our unions to make workplaces safer for both body and mind. No worker should have to choose between their mental health and their job. Governments also need to treat mental health in the workplace as seriously as physical health. This includes creating clear laws and protections to stop psychological injuries before they happen.
We need a fair and consistent national standard to protect workers everywhere. On this Day of Mourning, let’s remember those we’ve lost and promise to continue fighting for safe, healthy workplaces where everyone's well-being is protected.
Participate in an Event - Day of Mourning Events and Ceremonies 2026 | Canadian Labour Congress
Woman’s Retirement Income
Over the past sixty years, many women in Canada have seen their retirement income improve. Some programs, like Old Age Security (OAS), started to increase with inflation in the 1970s. Another program, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), also increased to help low-income seniors.
Back in 1976, about 34.3% of women aged 65 and older were considered low income after paying taxes. Today, around 700,000 women in Canada were living with low income, and that number is rising with today’s economy.
Statistics Canada collects lots of data about income and poverty. Their reports show that older women generally have lower incomes than older men. In 2022, the median income after taxes for men aged 65 and older was $38,700 a year. For women, it was only $28,600. This means women have less money to pay for things like rent, food, and health care.
Elizabeth Shilton, is a Senior Fellow with the Centre of Law in the Contemporary Workplace at Queens University and pension expert, explained that Canada has a good retirement system, but it doesn’t help women as much as men. She said there is a “gender pension gap,” which means women tend to have less money saved for retirement than men. This gap has lasted for many years, and it hasn’t changed much since 1976.
One reason for this is that the way pensions are set up is based on a system from the late 1800s. Back then, pensions were mainly for men working in factories or companies. Women often didn’t have the same chances to save for retirement. Many women worked part-time or took time off to raise children, which lowered their earnings and their savings.
Canada’s first private pension plan started in 1874, but only for managers. Workers’ pensions came later, but they weren’t protected by laws. If a worker was fired before retirement, they could lose their pension. It wasn’t until the 1960s that laws started to protect workers’ pensions better.
The public pension plan, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), was created to help people save for retirement. But it only replaces about 25% of what people earned before retirement. That’s much less than the 70% many experts wanted. The CPP is slowly increasing to replace more income, to about 32%, but current plans will only reach half of that 70% goal.
Many women took time off work to have children, which lowered their earnings and savings. If they did work outside the home, they often earned less than men. This made it harder for women to save enough for retirement.
Everyone deserves a fair chance to have a comfortable retirement, no matter their gender or job.
To make retirement better for women, we need to ensure women earn the same as men for doing the same work. We need to recognize and support women who take time off work to care for children or family. This could include better pension credits or benefits for periods when women are not working.
Make sure that workplace pensions are fair and accessible for all workers, including those in part-time or lower-paid jobs. Create laws that protect women’s retirement savings and support pension equality.
We can help women have a more secure and comfortable retirement in the future.
Read more - $28,600 a Year: What the Average Older Canadian Woman Lives On | The Walrus
World Immunization Week – 24 to 30 April, 2026
World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to promote the life-saving power of immunization to protect people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases. This year’s theme, “For every generation, vaccines work”.
Every year, millions of people around the world get sick from diseases like measles, flu, and COVID-19. But thanks to vaccines, many of these diseases are now preventable. Vaccines are one of the greatest health successes in history because they save lives and keep us healthy.
When you get a vaccine, your immune system learns how to protect you from a specific germ, like a virus or bacteria. If that germ tries to make you sick later, your body is prepared to fight it off quickly.
Vaccines protect you from getting sick. They help reduce the risk of serious illness, hospital stays, and even death. For example, vaccines have helped eliminate diseases like smallpox and have made many others, like measles and tetanus, much rarer.
When many people get vaccinated, it’s harder for diseases to spread. This protects those who can’t get vaccines, like babies or people with certain health problems. This is called herd immunity. It’s like a team effort to keep everyone safe.
In the last 50 years, vaccines have saved over 150 million lives. Every shot counts in making sure that families, communities, and entire countries stay healthy.
Yes! Vaccines go through many tests to make sure they are safe and effective. Most side effects are mild and only last a few days. Vaccines are monitored carefully to keep everyone safe.
Vaccines are important from when you’re a baby to when you’re old. As you grow older, your immune system weakens, so getting vaccines in later life helps keep you healthy and independent. Some vaccines recommended for older adults include flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, shingles vaccines, and pneumonia vaccines.
Check if your vaccinations are up to date. Talk to your doctor or nurse about which vaccines you need. Getting vaccinated is a simple way to protect yourself and those around you.
Vaccines have helped make the world a safer place. They continue to protect us and future generations. During World Immunization Week, remember, vaccines work, and they are a key part of staying healthy.
Read more - World Immunization Week 2026 - 24 to 30 April.