Human Resources committee  What did you do for them? I'm doing everything I can, by the way. At least I'm having a voice.

Human Resources committee  By the way, they should be saved. There have been 250 small newspapers that have closed in the last 10 years, and I will argue that the Conservative government did next to nothing. You are right. The federal Liberals need to get money quickly into the pockets of the newspapers in order to fund the journalists.

Human Resources committee  The bottom line is, you should speak to your friends who are running the newspapers and find out what they're doing.

Human Resources committee  We were a part of the original committee that determined the criteria. We had a journalist who had spent most of his time with the Toronto Sun as our representative on the committee. As you are well aware, the committee that put together the rules had Unifor, as well as representatives from all segments of the industry.

Human Resources committee  I welcome the question. I'm used to answering the questions of people who know very little of what they're talking about, and obviously, that's where that question came from.

Human Resources committee  Excuse me, I'm speaking. I listened to you. The bottom line is that you know that the work of the original committee was to put a structure in place. The role of that committee was not to determine who got what, and I think you know that. The bottom line is this: Did Unifor have a role in determining who gets any of the money?

Human Resources committee  Yes.

Human Resources committee  I'm doing a heck of a lot more than you have done as a member of Parliament. The simple reality is, your party, your newspapers—

Human Resources committee  Does he have an intelligent question for me?

Human Resources committee  We are doing everything we can to push the government. You will find that I'm working very closely with the industry, trying to find a way to get the federal government to tax Google and Facebook in order to stop the carnage of the industry. I have to say that at least you can have this conversation with the government.

Human Resources committee  Excuse me—

Human Resources committee  Not as a journalist. You were a member of the CEP for all those years

Human Resources committee  Good for you. How long ago was that?

Human Resources committee  Listen, I'm used to dealing with—

Human Resources committee  Good luck with that. Good afternoon, honourable Chair, members of the committee, and Dominic and Ken. My name is Jerry Dias. I'm the national president of Unifor, Canada's largest trade union in the private sector. Unifor represents 315,000 members across the country who are working in nearly every industrial sector, including health and long-term care, retail, passenger transit, food processing, utilities, logistics and many others on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.