But I do want to thank all of you, the leaders in this room today. Day in, day out, you stand up for your members, and by doing so, you also create standards that others across our countries can look up to. We know this union has the backs of millions of hardworking families, well, I'm here to say that we will be there for you, too.

(Cheers)

Now, just so all of you know, we have Francophone Canadians in the room with us today, so I've added a few lines in French to my speech, because you don't get to hear a speech from a Canadian without hearing in both official languages! 

(Applause)

And so, to all the delegates and representatives, thank you for the work you do every day to defend your members. You fight every day for better conditions, and I want to tell you that your efforts genuinely count. 

Now, speaking French made me think of something-…

(inaudible)

You’re welcome, madam. 

Speaking French made me think of this: You might not all know this, but in Canada, labour is spelled L-A-B-O-U-R. See, some of you may think it's because of the French influence, and you'd be wrong. Some of you think it might be because we're British in spelling, and that's sort of closer to the truth. But I like to say that in Canada we can't spell labour without the U for unions!

(Cheers & applause) 

It is so great to be here with you all in Philadelphia, a city of tremendous historical significance. As you all know, Philly is where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th, 1776. It's home to the Liberty Bell, which rang in a new nation at that time. But whether it's here in the U.S. or in Canada, we've made a lot of progress since the inception of our democracies. Progress on freedom for everyone, progress on economies that include everyone, and progress on civil rights and workers’ rights. 

In 1835, the first general strike in North America happened right here in Philadelphia. At the time, workers had organized because they believed that the length of a workday should be fixed, should not simply be based on the time of the sun rising and setting. So they fought for and won a ten-hour workday. Now… by the way, you guys need to know, for those who don't know, I used to be a high school teacher, so we're going to be peppering in facts throughout my whole speech.

(Laughter)

But my point is this, the fight for progress has been very long, but it must never stop. It's-…

(Applause)

As a Canadian, I can say this; it's like paddling a canoe up river, you've got to keep moving and digging in and steering or the current push you right back. Particularly these days, as the world is in a really difficult place right now, and it's understandable that people say they want change. But like all moments in history, the question can't simply be about whether people want change or not; it's what kind of change they want, what kind of change they need. 

Our world is going through a difficult time at the moment, and it’s normal for people to say they want change. We have to make sure that this change is positive for people. 

My job in Canada as a progressive leader is to make the case for how to meet this challenging geopolitical moment to face our shared headwinds in a way that will actually help workers and families and vulnerable people.

(Applause)

So what does this look like? Well, let me start with workers’ rights. There are those politicians who pretend that they're there for workers, but when you look at their track record, that's demonstrably false. In Canada, the previous government introduced anti-worker laws that were designed to – and absolutely did – weaken unions and make it harder for workplaces to join unions. Well, when we took office in 2015, I repealed those laws. 

(Cheers & applause)

We did it because we know that the hard work of building a better future takes partnerships. To overcome the challenges we're facing today, we need to work together. And another one of those things we did together in Canada was to make sure people can retire and get their old age security pension at age 65 as opposed to 67, which is what the previous government set it at. 

(Applause)

For federally regulated workers, we brought in ten days of paid sick leave. And last fall, we brought in historic anti-scab legislation to ban replacement workers.

(Cheers & applause)

You see, banning replacement workers is about free and fair bargaining, because you can't have one hand tied behind your back as you go to the negotiating table. Strong unions mean strong paychecks mean strong communities, and that's what we can always agree on!

(Cheers & applause)

Strong unions mean strong paycheques and strong communities.

Another example of our work in partnership with labour is the USMCA, the new NAFTA. When we renegotiated NAFTA with the U.S. and Mexico, we advocated vigorously for labour, resulting in all parties agreeing to strengthen union protections for workers. Now, when Canada first proposed these labour protections, some people mocked us. They said a trade agreement isn't the place to talk about labour and workers. Well, we fought for it and now it's in the agreement. We included commitments to ensure the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

(Cheers & applause)

And we included the elimination of child labour and new provisions that prohibit the importation of goods produced by forced labour. That's what Labour has to do with trade agreements. 

(Cheers & applause)

Now, this is all positive change, but we need to keep fighting. Not only do we need to keep fighting to protect the progress we've made, we need to go even further. SEIU wants workers to get their fair share. Service workers, security officers, educators, janitors, you work hard, you deserve your fair share.

(Applause)

Now, how many of you here are health care workers?

(Cheers)

Now, I know people don't really like to talk about the pandemic anymore, but I want you to know we haven't forgotten your sacrifices. As a society, we owe you a hell of a lot. Just earlier, you heard parts of my conversation with Sophia, a dietary aide in the Greater Toronto Area. Sophia is a single mom who works two jobs to try to make ends meet. During the pandemic, she worked for many months straight without a day off because they were short staffed. One of the reasons she made it through, she says, is because of the support of her union, the support of SEIU.

(Applause)

She asked me to stick together with unions. So, to Sophia and to everyone in this room, I want you to know that you are not alone in this fight, we will stand with you!

(Cheers & applause)

Because we know that better conditions of work lead to better conditions of care. And it's not enough to just say that you were heroes, we have to make sure we treat you with the respect you deserve Every. Single. Day. 

(Applause)

And this means increasing your hourly wages and making sure you can work in dignified conditions and mostly, making sure you have the resources, support and ability to help people with the highest quality of care – which is why you chose to become health care workers in the first place!

(Cheers)

In Canada, we've made major investments towards living wages and dignified retirements, and our work isn't done yet. Working with our provinces and territories, our goal is $25 an hour as a starting point for personal support workers, along with the means to save for retirement. That's where we are going together!

(Cheers & applause)

Fighting for better working conditions for people like Sophia is one of the many battles for progress. On top of this, we have to keep bringing forward measures to support the middle class and people working hard to join it. Last month, our government released a federal budget focused on fairness for every generation. Right now, younger generations, like Millennial and Gen Z (zed)– Gen Z (zee) for you guys here in the States – are worried that they won't have a life that looks like how they grew up, like what their parents and grandparents’ hard work gave to them. 

Young adults are stuck living with their parents for longer than before, or they have to find roommates that they keep for a longer period because rents are so high. But we need to change that, and that's exactly what we're doing in Canada with historic investments in housing. We have a plan to build almost 4 million homes in the coming years with an emphasis on nonprofit, affordable housing and rentals. 

(Cheers & applause)

Fairness is also the principle that guides investments in our publicly funded universal health care system. In Canada, as you all know, we made the choice a long time ago that you shouldn't have to max out your credit cards to get a much-needed surgery, so we're working hard to make sure our healthcare system delivers real results for people. We're hiring more doctors and nurses. We're collaborating with Indigenous communities on their specific needs. We're enhancing access to mental health care and addiction services for everyone. 

(Applause)

And we're improving access to diabetes medication, because even in Canada, insulin costs more than what some people can afford. And if you know somebody who's diabetic, then you know the dangers that result if they can't afford the insulin they need, so we're going to make insulin free for Canadians who need it. 

(Cheers & applause)

Another choice we've made to help families is to create a national school food program that will increase by 40% the number of students across the country who will get the healthy, nutritious support they need and take pressure off family grocery bills, too.

(Applause)

And of course, we're very enthusiastic about the progress we're making on child care. We are building a Canada-wide system that has cut child care fees in half, on the way to just $10-a-day in two years.

(Cheers & applause)

In Canada, the work accomplished in the province of Quebec was a springboard for setting up a $10-a-day child care system across the country.

You see, hundreds of thousands of kids are already benefiting from affordable child care, with some families saving over $14,000 per child, per year. Indeed, since we started rolling out our child care program, we've heard thousands upon thousands of stories of moms who now have the freedom to choose the care arrangement that works best for their families. Because choice means choosing among excellent options, not being forced to take decisions because of high costs, little access and low quality. That's what choice is.

(Cheers & applause)

And because of it, in Canada, the participation of women in the workforce has now reached record highs, which proves that child care is not just social policy, it's economic policy!

(Cheers & applause)

Now, under the cloak of change, there are those who aim to exploit this period of uncertainty to roll back the progress we've all made. 

Workers’ rights are under threat, 2SLGBTQI+ rights are under threat, and so are women’s rights. 

Worker’s rights are under threat, 2SLGBTQI+ rights are under threat, and so are women’s rights. For our government, there is no equivocation, women’s rights, reproductive rights and equality are non-negotiable!

(Cheers & applause)

Being pro-choice means we believe that women should be free to choose if, when and how they want to start a family. And that's why we protect abortion services right across our country, and that's why we just put forward a plan that puts freedom, choice and rights front and center by making sure that all women have access to free prescription contraceptives, including emergency contraceptives.

(Cheers & applause)

See this? This is everything but the status quo, my friends, this is what real, lasting positive change looks like! And we're in a moment of uncertainty like we haven't seen in our lifetimes. The rising cost of living has put real stress on families, many indicators show the economy is doing well, but people don't care about these numbers if they can't afford a home or groceries. 

Climate change is having a real and terrifying impact on people's lives, in Canada, we're seeing it firsthand with another wildfire season already upon us. There are many conflicts around the world. Authoritarianism is on the rise all around us, and we see more and more polarization. You see daily reminders of this tension in your workplaces with the need for signs you shouldn't need to see that read disrespectful and abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. 

In this moment of turbulence, it's so important to strengthen and deepen our relationships with like-minded friends and allies.

In this moment of turbulence, it’s important to strengthen and deepen our relationships with our friends and allies. That’s what your organization does every day. 

SEIU members from Canada and the U.S. work together to make our community stronger on both sides of the border.

(Applause)

The relationship that you share in this room is just like the relationship we share between our two countries. Canada and the U.S. have one of the closest and most extensive relationships in the world, as exemplified by all of us here today. See, this is just one of over 25 binational unions we share between our two countries, an arrangement neither of us have with any other country in the world. Our partnership is forged by shared geography, values, common interests, strong people-to-people ties and powerful, multi-layered economic connections. 

At this moment of global crises and deep uncertainty, Canada and the United States know we can count on each other. Today, more than ever, we should remind ourselves of how priceless a partnership like ours is. We must never take for granted the peace, the stability and the enduring friendship that characterizes the Canada-U.S. relationship.

(Cheers & applause)

And it's not just morally good, it's good for both of us too. In 2023, trade between Canada and the U.S. amounted to over $1.3 trillion, which means over three and a half billion dollars’ worth of goods and services cross the Canada-U.S. border every single day. NAFTA created the largest free trade region in the world, and it's helping raise the standard of living in our three member countries.

Roughly 80% of Canadian goods exported to the U.S. are incorporated directly into U.S. supply chains. Right here in the state of Pennsylvania, they export more to Canada than to their next four largest foreign markets combined. That's how connected we are, and this all supports millions of jobs in our two countries, and when the economy is strong in our two countries, it benefits the 2 million members of SEIU.

(Cheers & applause)

So, let's keep working together, governments, businesses and labour unions.

Let’s keep working together, governments, businesses and labour unions.

Let's create jobs while we fight climate change at the same time. Let's make sure our economies are fair for everyone and for every generation. Let's focus on solutions that support the middle class and people working hard to join it. Let's work together towards positive and progressive change. Since the very beginning of our democracies, progress didn't happen by accident, and it certainly won't continue without effort, so we must, and we will meet this moment. And we, my friends, we will do it together!

Thank you very much!

Thank you all, my dear friends!

(Cheers & applause)