Workers power this province, but the Houston government isn’t treating them with the respect they deserve. What happened at Ubisoft Halifax sends the wrong message to people who want to build their lives here. Our province can’t have a strong economy if we don’t protect the workers who create it.
Today, I called on the Minister of Labour to stop looking the other way, strengthen our labour laws, and finally stand up for Nova Scotian workers. You can read the text of my letter to Minister Nolan Young below.
Dear Minister Young,
I am writing to share serious concerns about the closure of Ubisoft Halifax. This move -announced shortly after workers exercised their right to form a union – resulted in 71 people losing their jobs. The timing of this decision raises troubling questions about the state of workers’ rights in Nova Scotia and sends a chilling message to workers across the province.
Since 2017, Ubisoft has received more than $11 million in public funds through provincial tax credits, including $1.78 million in 2025 alone. Any public investment in private companies must come with a clear expectation that workers’ rights – including their right to unionize -will be respected and protected.
As the Minister of Labour, your silence in the face of 71 skilled workers losing their livelihoods is a terrible precedent to set in a province that has some of the weakest labour laws in the country. Nova Scotian workers here already face low wages, a high cost of living, and few protections in the workplace. Now, they’re watching as your government shrugs about mass layoffs by a company that has taken millions of their hard-earned dollars. What kind of message does this send to the hard-working Nova Scotians who are already feeling left behind by our outdated labour standards.
Under the Labour Standards Code, Ubisoft had a duty to give your department at least eight weeks’ notice before closing its Halifax operation. To date, your office has not yet said publicly whether that requirement was met. This lack of transparency raises serious questions about whether labour laws are being enforced. I urge you to clearly state whether this law was followed so workers and the public can have confidence that employers are being held to account.
The workers at Ubisoft Halifax chose to build their lives and careers here in Nova Scotia. Many could have gone elsewhere for higher pay and stronger protections, but instead they helped establish and grow a new industry with enormous potential. They, and all Nova Scotian workers, deserve better.
The work of modernizing Nova Scotia’s outdated labour laws and strengthening protections for workers who choose to unionize is far past due.
New Democrats have already introduced legislation to improve working conditions and protect workers – from shortening the work week, to ending scab labour, to speeding up the unionization process. We also intend to introduce new legislation in the next session to further strengthen protections for workers and support their right to unionize. We urge your government to support these proposals.
Your government has a clear choice. You can continue to stand on the status quo that leaves Nova Scotia’s workers vulnerable, or you can collaborate with us to pass legislation that provides the protections they need and deserve.
Nova Scotian workers need a government that puts them first – not one that allows them to be punished for exercising their rights.
Yours truly,
Paul Wozney
Official Opposition Labour Critic
MLA, Sackville-Cobequid
