The Ontario government recently announced an investment to support workers affected by the closure of Cascades plants in Trenton and Belleville.
An amount of $445,252 was allocated to the establishment of a new action center, managed by Unifor, to assist 180 workers in their job search and professional retraining.
The Cascades Action Centre, operational until April 2025, is specifically aimed at members of Unifor Local 1470 and Independent Paperworkers of Canada Local 7. It will offer a variety of services, including:
- Workshops and seminars
- Peer support
- Help with job search
- Training in financial management and IT
- Certified training in the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Other short-term training
The goal is to prepare these workers for well-paying jobs in manufacturing and skilled trades in Eastern Ontario.
David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, highlighted the importance of this investment in supporting workers and enabling them to access better employment opportunities.
Lana Payne, Unifor National President, also voiced her support for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of peer-to-peer support during this difficult transition period for workers.
This action is part of the Ontario government’s broader efforts to support workers and strengthen the manufacturing sector. Indeed, Ontario invests more than a billion dollars per year in employment and training services, notably through programs such as Better Jobs Ontario and the Skills Development Fund.
The Cascades action center, located au 250 rue Sidney in Belleville, will also benefit from an in-kind contribution of $2,500 from Unifor National. This initiative is timely, as recent data indicates that approximately 6,600 jobs are unfilled in the Kingston-Pembroke economic region, and Ontario’s manufacturing sector had more than 19,000 unfilled positions in 2023.
