Good Jobs Summit to feature GE Canada chief executive

TORONTO, Oct. 2, 2014 /CNW/ - The Good Jobs Summit this weekend will feature an address from GE Canada President and CEO Elyse Allan, who will provide a business perspective on job creation in Canada.

"I am pleased to be a part of this important discussion," Allan said. "There are no easy answers to the challenges we face in today's slower growth and more volatile economy. With open and genuine conversation among all sectors in the economy, we can imagine and chart a path forward."

This weekend's Good Jobs Summit will be hosted by Unifor, the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ryerson University, Ryerson's Centre for Labour Management Relations and the Unifor-Sam Gindin Social Justice Chair at Ryerson.

Allan will take part in a panel discussion Saturday morning at 9:30 am along with Canadian Federation of Students Chair Jessica McCormick and Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff on creating good jobs in Canada.

Allan brings a broad range of experience to the summit, having worked with a variety of industries across North America during her career. She has also served as president and chief executive of the Toronto Board of Trade and was a senior executive at Ontario Hydro.

"We can only create jobs in Canada by having an open discussion about what is needed," said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. "I am very much looking forward to hearing what Elyse Allan has to say."

A past chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Allan is also a member of the executive committee of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, and sits on the boards of the C.D. Howe Institute and the Conference Board of Canada. She has also served on the Federal Finance Advisory Committee and the Council for Alberta's Economic Strategy.

The Summit takes place October 3-5 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens), and is expected to attract more than 1,000 people.

GE Canada is a diverse company with interests in consumer electronics and appliances, financial services, aviation, healthcare, oil & gas, rail, energy and water.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, with more than 305,000 members. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union merged.

SOURCE: Unifor