The Fight for $15 & Fairness campaign has made great advances in recent months with the passage of new legislation in Bill 148 that will bring more fairness to Ontario workplaces. Among these changes is new equal pay legislation for contract, part-time, temporary and casual workers, which comes into force for non-union workers on April 1, 2018 and for unionized workers the earlier of January 2020 or expiry of collective agreement. At our colleges and universities, this means that contract faculty and part-time support staff must be paid the same as their full-time colleagues for the same work.

Our work as the $15 and Fairness Campus Network in the coming months is to educate workers and students about their newly won rights and fight to make sure they are enforced fairly.

For contract faculty, the stakes are high.

It is widely acknowledged that contract faculty at colleges and universities do the same work but are paid less than their full-time colleagues. The same goes for all part-time, casual and contract support workers on campus. Students also understand the importance of equal pay because many of them have worked part-time or at temporary jobs to pay their rising tuition fees.

That is why on April 4, we’re getting out on our campuses and in our communities to talk about Ontario’s new equal pay law. Click here to download the "Enforce Equal Pay" leaflets now.

Now is the time for students, staff and faculty across the Ontario post-secondary education sector to step up our organizing in the Fight for $15 & Fairness and to call on the provincial government to fund and enforce $15 & Fairness! Workers and students in the post-secondary education sector are well placed to take a leadership role in organizing and fighting to enforce, protect and extend equal pay across the province.

So join us on April 4 (watch this Facebook event page for updates). Let’s talk to students, staff and faculty on campus to make sure everyone knows about our new rights! 

Some ideas for getting involved:

• Hand out leaflets (download them here) and talk to others about equal pay
• Chalk the sidewalks with equal pay for equal work messages
• Host classroom “teach-ins” to educate students, many of whom are working temp and precarious jobs, about their rights
• Perform fun skits on equal pay for equal work
• Put up posters (click here for many colourful options) and send emails about our new rights under Bill 148
• Invite your friends, members and colleagues to take selfies with the equal pay posters/leaflets and post on social media (don't forget to use hashtag #15andFairness #fairness4cf)

All you need to participate is a couple of people, a few materials, and a location where there are people to talk to. To download and share leaflets, click here. Be sure to stay organized after the event, use this sign-up sheet to invite new people to join the campaign.

If you are interested in coordinating an outreach blitz on your campus, email [email protected]

If you need any other information about outreach blitzes near you, or are in need of other material please email [email protected] 

Thanks for your ongoing participation,
Together we WILL win.