FEDERAL – A recent amendment to the Canadian Human Rights Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against people because they are transgender or because of their gender identity, received a blessing from national union Unifor in a June 22 media release. The union noted in the release that transgender people still face violence and discrimination in Canada and that unions have a responsibility to defend all workers, including transgender people and those in the LGBTQ community. Unifor human-rights and international director Mohamad Alsadi called the amendment “a major victory” in a press statement. “While this recognition will not immediately end the discrimination that transgender people face, it is an incredibly powerful tool to continue to push for equality,” said Alsadi. “After many years, the federal government has extended the same human rights protections to transgender people that other communities have had for many years.” The union stated that it bargains to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and expression in collective agreements and called for its members to challenge transphobia in all forms. Canada’s largest private-sector union, Unifor represents more than 310,000 workers across the country.