Unifor President calls for FASTER media bailout funding from Trudeau government

"They should be saved," said Dias to the Commons human resource committee. "There have been 250 small newspapers close in the last ten years and I will argue the Conservative government did next to nothing."

"The federal Liberals need to get money quickly into the pockets of the newspapers in order to fund the journalists," said Dias. "The 2019 money hasn’t come down yet. Neither has the 2020."

Unifor, a union which represents over 12,000 media workers Canada-wide, was chosen to select which news outlets would be worthy of receiving government cash earlier last year.

This selection didn't go without its criticisms, as Unifor has never shied away from showing their total willingness to sic dogs on the CBC. The Unifor Canada Twitter account infamously branded themselves as "the resistance," saying that they are "Andrew Scheer’s worst nightmare."

Dias has also previously published a note wherein he clearly states he will go against the advice of the many worried journalists he represents to directly attack Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer.

"Journalists, my own communications staff, even our Atlantic Regional Director, Lana Payne, a former journalists [sic], have all explained to me why our union’s partisan stance makes some of you uncomfortable," said Dias in an August 2019 letter.

In 2019, Parliament amended the Income Tax Act to grant newspapers "a payroll rebate of up to $13,750 per newsroom employee under a $595 million bailout," Blacklock's reports. Those applications are vetted by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Dias praised cabinet for the hefty promised subsidies, which are penned to hit $13,750 per newsroom employee via a $595 million media bailout.

"The previous Conservative government wouldn’t even answer the phone," said Dias on Monday.