Unifor 87-M to welcome a Syrian refugee family

More than a dozen members of Unifor Local 87-M have stepped forward as frontline volunteers to help five Syrian refugee families start a new life in Canada.

More than a dozen members of Unifor Local 87-M have stepped forward as frontline volunteers to help five Syrian refugee families start a new life in Canada.

The five families are being sponsored by Unifor National, Canada's largest private-sector union, and its Social Justice Fund. Unifor's Social Justice fund is funded through 1-cent-per-hour-of-work voluntary donations from members.

The national union and its Social Justice Fund have made a $150,000 commitment for one year. The sponsorship volunteers, which include Local President Paul Morse and Local Representative Brad Honywill, have committed their services for one year as well.

The volunteers take on all aspects of preparation for the arrival of the Syrian families, from housing, furniture and transportation, to arranging access to health care and education, and generally assisting the refugees for one year. The families are expected to arrive by the end of February but the exact time may not be known until they are in the air.

Local 87-M will help with communications needs by paying for two discounted cell-phone plans for two years. Members are donating personal unlocked smartphones to the refugees. The ability for refugees to communicate with each other, their sponsors, health and employment services, and their community in Canada and abroad is a critical element in their successful integration into Canadian society.

A request for donations of household goods will go out soon to Local 87-M members.