See more about the new campaign

Have you had enough of bad bosses breaking the law, the continuous rise of precarious work and the lack of legislated paid sick days?

If so, we need your voice more than ever in the weeks and months ahead. Here’s why:

Seizing the Moment
Last year, the Ministry of Labour initiated the Changing Workplaces Review, a re-assessment of all our employment and labour laws. As part of this process, workers from Scarborough to Thunder Bay, from Windsor to Sudbury, mobilized to deliver deputations.

We are watching closely now for the interim report that will be published this spring, outlining a potential agenda for change. More importantly, we expect the final recommendations of the review to be released this summer, which will then get discussed in the provincial parliament.

We have to organize now, to ensure the best recommendations come forward and that our MPPs implement the changes.

What’s at Stake?
How we respond now will shape the future of work in Ontario.

Temporary agency workers should not earn any less than their colleagues on permanent contracts with whom they work side by side, doing the very same job. Retail workers should not have to juggle two or three jobs due to poverty wages and unpredictable hours. Students should not be expected to work for free for the privilege of a good reference and they deserve decent wages. We can put a stop to contract flipping, ensure stronger enforcement, and make sure all workers can join a union.

2016 is our year to raise employment standards for every worker in Ontario.

Organizing in a community near YOU
Mark your calendars — not only to come out, but also to bring along others or organize an event in your community. By sending a strong, united message and mobilizing in all corners of this province we can win the changes we need!

• April 15 –  Day of Action for Fight for $15 & Fairness. Email us at [email protected].
• October 7 – International Day for Decent Work. Save the date now for this important milestone where we’ll rally in response to the final recommendations made by the Changing Workplaces Review.

The Fight for $15 & Fairness Team

This is just a note to wish you a happy holiday season and to thank you for all your ongoing support for the Fight for $15 & Fairness. If you haven’t done so already, we hope you’ll send an email to Premier Kathleen Wynne asking her to change the laws to make work better for all of us in 2016. 

Due to popular demand, we have posted the lyrics to our 2015 holiday carols for decent work on our website. We would love it if you, your friends, family and/or co-workers sang a carol or two and sent them to us in a video for sharing with Premier Kathleen Wynne and Labour Minister Kevin Flynn.

And to remind each and every one of you of all the good work we have done together this past year, we are sharing with you a few links that mark some of the 2015 Fight for $15 & Fairness highlights.

December Actions in Support of Retail Workers 
Thanks Rabble.ca for publishing this! (Be sure to scroll all the way down to watch the video at the end!)

November Actions in Support of Paid Sick Days and Union Rights
Thanks Atkinson Foundation for compiling this! (The links are all live so you can watch the videos and share the tweets!)

April 15 Actions Across Ontario & Around the World!
Have fun watching these samples of news coverage from the official launch of the Fight for $15 & Fairness in Ontario!

Are you a part-timer, “just-in-time” hire, temp worker? Ontario’s retail and service sector workers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Families are unable to make ends meet because of insufficient hours, ever-changing schedules and poverty wages.

This needs to stop!

Workers deserve a $15 minimum wage and fairness on the job. Join us in calling on Premier Kathleen Wynne to make decent jobs and wages her New Year’s resolution.

• Email the Premier to urge her to champion our decent work agenda in 2016.
• Send a tweet to the Premier here tell her your holiday wishes for #15andFairness. Feel free to put the sample tweet below in your own words.
  Dear @Kathleen_Wynne: Please make #15andFairness your New Year’s resolution for 2016! #OnPoli #CanLab #DecentWork

• If you are in Toronto, come out to today’s Holiday Caroling event between 11:30 and 1 pm at the Eaton Centre.

Wherever you are, keep your eyes on the #15andFairness Twitter feed at 1 pm for a surprise ending! With the provincial government reviewing employment laws, we have a real opportunity to improve working conditions for every Ontarian.

Ontario law leaves workers without protection when it comes to unstable hours and erratic schedules. Too many workers are on-call without pay, with no guarantee of hours or overtime. You can’t pay rent on question marks, nor can you buy groceries or arrange childcare.

Workers deserve decent hours that pay the bills, respect at work and predictable schedules. As the Ministry of Labour reviews employment laws, we have a unique opportunity to strengthen working conditions across the province.

Watch the Fairness Means Decent Hours video now. Click here to share it on Facebook and here to share it on Twitter.

Come out on Saturday, December 12, for a festive celebration in Toronto for retail and service sector workers. We’ll meet by Eaton Centre at the South-east corner of Dundas and Yonge at 11:30 am. There will be caroling, candy canes, holiday cards and much more! Bring out your friends and family!

Support North Bay workers who are organizing against severe economic hardships impacting workers, their families and communities. Show your solidarity online or join the Unity for Our Community Demonstration on December 12.

December has begun! Holiday songs are playing on the radio, festive decorations are coming out from their dusty boxes and the new year is around the corner!

This month we want to celebrate the workers who help us prepare for a wonderful holiday season. They put in long hours, greet us with a smile and help us meet the needs of our loved ones. Join us in wishing them a happy 2016 full of respect at work, predictable hours and schedules!

Outdated Labour Laws Fail Workers
Ontario law provides little protection against erratic schedules. Workers are denied dependable hours that they can plan their lives around, but are expected to be available on a moment’s notice. Without fair wages and decent hours, workers juggle two, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet. Many retail workers struggle with the stress of paying the bills and finding childcare.

As the Ministry of Labour continues its review of employment standards, we have a unique opportunity to improve work conditions across Ontario. Together we can win legislation that ensures respect at work as well as predictable hours and schedules.

Join the Action 

• Share the holiday visual on Facebook and Twitter to show your support.
• Come out on Saturday, December 12 to attend a festive action at the Eaton Centre in Toronto featuring holiday caroling, candy canes and more!

Health providers know that we need better sick day policies in Ontario. Every day, they see the consequences of Ontario’s outdated laws in their clinics and emergency rooms.

Health workers and advocates organized during November, the start of the flu season, to call attention to the need for legislated paid sick days. And what a month it was! Together with $15 & Fairness supporters, health workers held a press conference, gave media interviews, launched a video, led an on-line action targeting elected officials as well as a street leaflet.

The response we heard through all of these actions was consistent. People are frustrated about the lack of meaningful paid sick leave policies in our province. They know that Ontarians deserve better! The number of people joining the Fight for $15 & Fairness Campaign is increasing every day. As the Ministry of Labour reviews employment and labour laws, we have a unique opportunity to win paid sick days legislation and much more!

Let’s Push This Agenda Forward
Through your support and hard work, we are getting responses from our elected officials about paid sick days. We will not stop until this policy as well as other decent work recommendations are adopted at Queen’s Park. Last Friday we were at the Minister of Health and Long-term Care Dr. Eric Hoskins’ constituency office to talk to his staff about the need for improved paid sick day policies. Later in December we will be meeting his senior advisers. We’re also continuing our efforts to meet the minister in person to deliver him the 900+ health provider signatures we’ve collected.

The beginning of December does not mark the end of the paid sick days campaign. Increasing number of health organizations, providers and advocates are reaching out to join this fight. Help us reach 1000 providers by the end of 2015.

Celebrating Retail and Service Sector Workers
With the start of the holiday season in December the Campaing for $15 & Fairness will champion the rights of Ontario’s retail and service sector workers. We will mobilize to ensure respect at work as well as predictable hours and schedules. Make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to find out about future actions!

Did you know that in Ontario employers are not required to provide paid sick days?

And that employers with fewer than 50 workers can legally fire someone for taking an unpaid sick day? This has to stop!

Today, Thursday November 19, people across Ontario are emailing and tweeting Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Health Eric Hoskins, and Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn to ask them to legislate paid sick days for all workers.

Here’s what you can do:

Email the Premier, Minister of Health and Minister of Labour and tell them you support paid sick days for all Ontario workers. 

Tweet the Premier and Ministers:

I support paid sick days for all Ontario workers! @Kathleen_Wynne @DrEricHoskins @MPPKevinFlynn #15andfairness #onpoli

Click here to share this photo on Twitter, and click here to post it on Facebook. You can also use it as a profile picture to show your support for the campaign.

Your support today will make a huge difference! As the Ministry of Labour reviews employment laws for the first time in decades, we have an unprecedented opportunity to win paid sick days for all Ontario workers.

Check our website, facebook, and twitter for updates and to learn how you can get involved in the fight for decent work.

Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care advises people to stay home if they are sick. For millions of workers, however, this is not an option.

Current employment law leaves workers without any paid sick day guarantees, forcing them to choose between their health and a paycheque. In addition, 1.6 million Ontarians risk losing their job even when they take an unpaid personal emergency leave day.

The Ontario government is reviewing labour laws – now is the time to act.

Join the call for paid sick days for everyone. Share this video on Facebook and Twitter. 

With the start of the flu season, health care providers and advocates are telling our elected officials that paid sick days is a matter of public health. Thanks to the hard work of the $15 & Fairness supporters across the province, last Thursday’s release of the public statement for paid sick days with well over 700 signatures was a huge success!

Health care workers unveil a list of over 700 signatures from health workers in 62 cities across Ontario.

Here is how you can take action:

• Share the statement with the health care workers you know
• Show your support by using the paid sick days logo as your social media profile picture
• Mark November 19 on your calendar to participate in a day of provincial advocacy in your community

Ontario’s first legislated cost of living adjustment to the minimum wage takes effect October 1.

With indexation, workers have won an important milestone, but we still need at least $15 an hour. A new leaflet explaining the changes is available here. 

“The fact we have a legislated cost of living adjustment is a testament to the pressure brought to bear on our provincial government by union and non-union workers across Ontario,” says Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour. “It means that minimum wage earnings will not fall as far behind as they have in the past when the minimum wage could be frozen for years at a time.”

“This 25¢ adjustment is not the same as a wage increase,” says Deena Ladd, coordinator of the Workers’ Action Centre. “It’s a mechanism to prevent workers from falling even further below the poverty line. Whenever the minimum wage is frozen, it amounts to a pay cut for workers.” Between 1995 and 2004, when Ontario’s general minimum wage was frozen, it lost more than 20% of its purchasing power. When it was frozen again between 2010 and 2014, it lost nearly 10% of its purchasing power.

Even at $11.25 an hour, Ontario’s minimum wage leaves a full-time worker almost 20% below the poverty line. The Fight for $15 and Fairness continues to call for a minimum wage that provides full-time workers with income that is at least 10% above the poverty line, as well as changes that would bring fairness to workplaces across the province.

Not since 1976 has Ontario’s minimum wage provided earnings that bring full-time workers above the poverty line, notes a new report published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Today, nearly 30% of Ontario workers earn less than $15 an hour. Read the story by the Toronto Star’s Sara Mojtehedzadeh here.

“All workers, whether they are covered by federal or provincial labour laws, need at least $15 an hour,” says Ryan. “But we also need important legislative changes to make sure that workers have decent hours, fair scheduling, equal pay, seven days of paid sick leave – and the right to form unions to help make this happen.”

You can watch the video here and help promote it on Facebook and Twitter.  You might consider using the hashtags: #Elxn2015 #Elxn42 #CANPoli or #15andFairness.

You can also include it in an e-bulletin, newsletter or email blast. Here’s some sample text:

Not all employment is regulated by the provincial government. Bank tellers, airline workers, certain call centre workers and many others who work at low-wage jobs in federally regulated sectors need the support of strong federal employment laws. That’s why the Fight for $15 and Fairness is a Federal Election issue, as this video explains: https://youtu.be/fNXJhMnFl0M.” 

Two Federal Parties Now Officially Support a $15 Federal Minimum Wage 

Ask your candidate:

Does your party believe that a minimum wage should lift full-time workers out of poverty? And if so, does your party support a $15 federal minimum wage that rises enough each year to keep up with cost of living increases?”

Recent Developments in Other Jurisdictions – Let’s Get Inspired!

South of the border, the Governor of New York has promised to implement a $15 minimum wage for all workers, following on the recent victory of fast food workers there.

US President Barack Obama recently made decent wages and seven (7) paid sick days for employees a pre-condition for companies seeking contracts with the American federal government.

We can bring these kinds of working alternatives to Canada provincially and federally! Let’s keep the momentum going here. 

For updates, check your inbox, visit our website or find us on facebook & twitter. Email us at [email protected].

The Federal Election is now in full swing and we have a chance to make fair wages a key election issue.

There is a growing consensus across Canada — and indeed across North America — that all workers deserve at least $15 an hour.

So popular is the notion of a $15 minimum wage that the matter is now a key issue in the federal election.

Tellingly, opponents of a federal $15 minimum wage are not discussing whether low-income workers deserve a raise. Nor are they debating the merits of $15 an hour. Instead, they are trying to focus the debate on who’s going to get it.

For proponents of a $15 minimum wage, this in itself is a victory. It shows that a $15 minimum wage has become such a common-sense notion that not many politicians are confident to tell voters that low-income workers don’t deserve to earn wages that bring them above the poverty line.

Of course, it is true the federal government can only make laws that apply to federally regulated workers. This isn’t the choice of any political party. This is the reality of Canada’s legal system. And it’s a reality that may be disappointing for the millions of us across Canada who earn less than $15 an hour and whose hourly income falls well below the poverty line, even when we work full-time.

But if a political party genuinely cares about raising the wages of low-income workers then it is their responsibility to use every available policy lever at their disposal from establishing a decent federal minimum wage to restoring the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act.

This is precisely why a $15 federal minimum wage is not insignificant, as some have claimed. In fact, achieving such a standard would be a crucial step toward winning a $15 minimum wage for every worker, in every province in Canada.

Here’s why:

First, a $15 federal minimum wage would directly improve the wages of over 135,000 federally regulated workers who earn less than $15 an hour. Such workers include bank tellers who earn poverty-level wages (the average wage of bank tellers is about $13.80), while banks make billions in profit year after year. Such workers would also include airline workers, transportation workers, railway workers and many other trans-Canada employees where workers are responsible for the health and safety of passengers and communities and for the wellbeing of the environment and natural resources. Such workers will have more disposable income and, as customers, will help stimulate economic activity that will in turn create more jobs.

Second, raising wages for low-income workers in one sector of the economy helps raise wages in other sectors. When low-income workers have better employment opportunities, they may leave one low-wage job for another that pays higher wages. Employers may then choose to pay higher wages in order to keep their employees. In this way, a $15 federal minimum wage will indirectly help thousands of other workers including those already earning $15 hourly.

Third, federally regulated workers comprise a greater proportion of the population in some provinces than in others, which means the effects elaborated above will have an even greater, positive impact on the provincial economy.

Perhaps most importantly, a government elected on a platform of enacting a $15 minimum wage federally will reflect a consensus among voters across Canada and Quebec that workers deserve at least $15 an hour. Such a consensus will make it easier for voters to persuade provincial governments to implement a $15 minimum wage in their respective province.

The minimum wage debate is a litmus test for a political party’s commitment to decent work, whether we are talking about banks, pipeline companies, or telecommunications firms. In this context, the attempt to discredit the $15 federal minimum wage proposal by railing against the constitutional arrangements of Canada (over which no political party has control) is clearly a red herring.

The questions voters must ask their local candidates on the doorstep are these:

“Does your party believe that the minimum wage should generate income that lifts a full-time worker out of poverty? And if so, does your party support a $15 federal minimum wage that is annually indexed to inflation?”

Voters already know that the minimum wage is a federal election issue. It’s time to let the candidates know this, too.

This opinion piece was originally published by the Workers’ Action Centre.

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the Ontario government’s review of provincial labour laws, the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR). The review is an opportunity to make key changes to the Employment Standards Act that could better protect workers and push back against precarious and low-wage jobs. We have been organizing across the province to make sure these changes happen, including bringing in measures to promote more full-time permanent work, fair scheduling practices, access to paid sick days, and eliminating the wage gap between part-time, temporary, and full-time work. (See our full set of campaign demands here.)

All of these demands could help address another major workplace inequality in Ontario: the gender wage gap. This week, the Fight for $15 & Fairness wrote about the links between decent jobs and pay equity: “Because women, racialized workers, and disabled workers face systemic barriers within the labour market they are more likely to work in low wage jobs. And because women continue to shoulder more of the burden for caregiving, women are more likely to work part-time while fulfilling their caring responsibilities. In the absence of a high quality, public, and universally accessible caregiving system and other social supports, women’s choices in the labour market will continue to be limited.”

In addition to reviewing the province’s labour laws, the Ontario government is also doing consultations on the gender wage gap. We know that decent jobs are a pay equity issue, and that the time to act is now.

Tell the government that we need decent jobs in Ontario. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Tell him it’s time for #15andfairness.

Check your inbox, our website and our facebook page regularly for updates on how you can get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness.

The Fight for $15 & Fairness has been busy this week! In Cambridge last night, the Social Planning Council of Cambridge & North Dumpfries and the House of Friendship organized a forum on employment standards and decent work. Over 60 people turned out to hear from workers in the community and their experiences of bad jobs. David talked about the reality of low pay and poor working conditions for contract workers at colleges, and speakers from the Waterloo Region Community Legal Services and from the Workers’ Action Centre talked about the problems with the law and the need to organize. Marjorie talked about the need for paid sick days: because she didn’t have any at her minimum wage job, she had to go to work when she was sick with pneumonia, and lost pay when she had to miss work because of a broken ankle. “They are taking away things that our grandparents fought for,” Marjorie said. “We have become complacent. We have to be the ones that stand up!” Read a great opinion piece on the need for #15andfairness written by one of the organizers of last night’s event.

Meanwhile, a public consultation took place yesterday in Sudbury for the government’s Changing Workplaces Review (CWR). Speakers from Laurentian University, the Sudbury & District Labour Council, the Sudbury Medical Officer of Health, and the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre (SWEAC) gave powerful testimony. They talked about the need for more regulation of the temporary staffing industry, higher wages, making it easier for workers to unionize, the need for paid sick days and better scheduling, and for all workers – full time, part time, or temporary – to get equal pay and working conditions. Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the Sudbury Medical Officer of Health, talked about cases she has seen of workers without paid sick days going to work and infecting others, or single parents losing wages to stay home and take care of sick children. “The health-promoting or health-damaging nature of workplaces impacts all workers, their families, neighbourhoods, communities and societies,” she said. Read more about the Sudbury Consultation here.

Finally, we’ve told you about the major wins that happened in the US this week, with workers in LA County, at the University of California, and in the fast-food sector in New York State winning $15 minimum wages. The New York Times editorial board came out in support of the $15 fast food minimum wage and explained the impact of this victory on future organizing: “The new fast-food wage in New York will reinforce the notion that $15 an hour is a minimally decent wage, not a symbol or an extravagance…low pay dampens economic growth, worsens inequality and forces taxpayers to pick up the tab for public assistance to workers whose employers do not pay enough to get by.”

You can join the fight. Tell the government that it’s time for #15andfairness now. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same. Get involved in a Fight for $15 & Fairness event near you, or organize one yourself.

Check your inbox, our website and our facebook page regularly for updates on how you can get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness.

This week has seen a string of victories for the Fight for $15 in the US! The New York Wage Board recommended a $15 minimum wage for all fast-food workers in the state. The wage increase would take place over the next few years, increasing faster in the city of New York to account for the higher cost of living. The recommendation is expected to be approved and put into effect by the state’s Labor Commissioner.

“The $15 wage would represent a raise of more than 70 percent for workers earning the state’s current minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. Advocates for low-wage workers said they believed the mandate would quickly spur raises for employees in other industries across the state, and a jubilant [New York state Governor] Mr. Cuomo predicted that other states would follow his lead.” Read more about the decision here.

On the west coast, hundreds of thousands of workers also won a $15 minimum wage this week. The Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County, the country’s largest local government, voted to increase the minimum wage to $15 for all its unincorporated cities. The decision follows the City of Los Angeles, which approved a $15 minimum wage in June of this year. The increase raises the minimum wage in the county by more than 60%, and will be fully in effect by 2021. “Backers hope the combined actions by California’s two largest local governments reach a political tipping point and help accelerate the adoption of similar policies not just in the region, but across the nation.” Read more about the LA County decision here.

The University of California also approved a $15 minimum wage for all its hourly and contract workers this week. The University is the state’s 3rd largest employer, with 10 campuses across California, and is the country’s first public university to make such a move – setting an important precedent for other employers and universities to do the same. Read more about the University’s decision here.

And finally, Senators in the Congressional Progressive Caucus this week introduced a new bill to increase the Federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. It’s the largest proposed increase to the Federal minimum wage yet. Although there is no guarantee that the bill will receive the political support to move ahead, it will still have an impact – showing that a well-organized grassroots workers’ movement has succeeded in putting the demand for for fair wages front and centre in US politics.

As the momentum builds in the US, we continue to organize to build that momentum in Canada and in Ontario too. You can join us – tell the government that it’s time for #15andfairness now. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

Check your inbox, our website and our facebook page regularly for updates on how you can get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness.

Last week, Unifor Local 414, the union representing 4,000 workers at Metro grocery stores in the Greater Toronto Area, negotiated a collective agreement that pushes back on erratic scheduling and insufficient hours for part-time workers. Read about the agreement here. The agreement guarantees minimum hours for workers and requires that workers get their schedules 5 days in advance – two things that Ontario’s Employment Standards Act doesn’t do. As the Ontario government reviews the province’s labour laws for both unionized and non-unionized workers, now is the time to raise the floor of minimum standards for all workers. Workers need laws that create decent work, including a $15 minimum wage, sufficient hours, schedules at least two weeks in advance, and more full-time work. Read about our demands for Decent Hours for Decent Incomes here.

Tell the government why you think workers in Ontario need better laws. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Tell him it’s #time4decentwork and #15andfairness in Ontario, and ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

Two additional public consultations announced for the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR)

The Ministry of Labour recently announced that two new cities and dates will be added to the public consultations taking place across the province as part of the government’s labour law review. Public consultations will now also be held in St. Catharines on July 22 and Kingston on July 29. Information on how to participate in the consultations is available on the Ministry of Labour’s website.

Upcoming events:

Do you want to get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness? Here are a few upcoming events happening across the province.

Sudbury, July 23
The Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre (SWEAC) and its allies are preparing to make presentations at the Public Consultation for the CWR in Sudbury on July 23. They are asking for members of the public to pack the gallery to show support. Please contact Nicole at 705-470-3323 or [email protected] to confirm your attendance and get a campaign placard.

Thursday July 23, 11:30am-3:00pm (SWEAC will be presenting at 2pm)
Quality Inn & Conference Centre, 390 Elgin St. South

Cambridge, July 23
The Social Planning Council of Cambridge & North Dumpfries and House of Friendship are hosting an Employment Standards Community Forum, featuring speakers from Waterloo Region Community Legal Services and the Workers’ Action Centre. Come share your experiences and hear about how workers are organizing for decent work!

Thursday July 23, 7pm-9pm
Calvary Pentecostal Assembly
127 Hespeler Road

Toronto, August 4
If you live in the Toronto area and want to get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness, come to our next volunteers meeting! Please RSVP to [email protected].

Tuesday August 4
Refreshments at 5:30pm, meeting at 6pm
Workers’ Action Centre
720 Spadina Ave., Suite 223

Stay tuned about more upcoming events: check out our Take Action page and sign up for regular email updates.

Ontarians call in to talk about decent work and the labour law review

On July 2, Deena Ladd from the Workers’ Action Centre was on CBC radio’s Ontario Today phone-in show to talk about decent work and how the government’s labour law review could help us get there. Workers and concerned individuals from across Ontario phoned in to share their stories of bad jobs, and talk about what they think needs to change. The discussion really showed that people across Ontario are concerned about the state of jobs in this province, and that we need $15 and Fairness. If you missed it live, you can listen to the discussion here, What’s wrong with Ontario’s employment standards legislation.

Didn’t get a chance to call in? Let the government know what you think about jobs in Ontario and how the laws need to change. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Tell him it’s #time4decentwork and #15andfairness in Ontario, and ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

March for Jobs, Justice, & the Climate

On July 5, the Fight for $15 & Fairness joined the March for Jobs, Justice, & the Climate.  

We were joined by thousands of other labour, community, indigenous, and environmental activists as we took to the streets of Toronto to demand that a clean-energy future be built on justice and good jobs.

We demonstrated solidarity by coming together to stand up for an important cause that impacts us all #jobsjusticeclimate

Events:

Do you want to get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness? If you live in the Toronto area, come out to our first volunteers meeting to find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.

July 14 5:30pm
Access Point on Danforth, 3079 Danforth Ave. (at Victoria Park Ave.)
Refreshments will be available at 5:30pm, meeting begins at 6pm
Please RSVP to: [email protected] 

We’ve told you about the case of Angel Reyes, who worked through a temp agency – United Staffing – at the same workplace – Canada Fibres Inc. – for 5 years at minimum wage. He spoke to the Toronto Star in May about his experiences as a temp agency worker, and days later was dismissed. As his case made the headlines, the Fair Wages Office of the City of Toronto opened an investigation into the case.

Why? Because the City of Toronto has a fair wage policy to ensure that contractors it hires pay their workers at least the prevailing wage in their sector. Canada Fibres Inc. has a large contract with the City of Toronto, and the Fair Wages Office is investigating whether, by hiring minimum wage temp agency workers, this policy has been violated. If found in violation, money can be witheld from Canada Fibres Inc.’s contract with the City to pay these workers what they are owed, the company will be listed publicly as having been found in violation of the policy, and could be prevented from bidding on future City contracts.

But this is not the kind of enforcement that the provincial government does, an issue that the Toronto Star also raised in an article last week. The ability to force employers to pay money owed to workers, real financial penalties for employers that violate the law, and making this information publicly available are essential tools in deterring violations in the first place, because they represent real costs to employers who would break the law. This is why the Fight for $15 & Fairness is demanding better enforcement of employment standards, so that workers can get real protection on the job.

Let the government know that we need better enforcement. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Tell him it’s #time4decentwork and #15andfairness in Ontario, and ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

Events:

The public consultations for the Changing Workplaces Review have taken place in Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, and Guelph. Members of the Fight for $15 & Fairness have participated in all of them, and/or are preparing to speak at all upcoming consultations, including: the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, United Steelworkers, Workers United, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, Unifor, Workers’ Action Centre, Parkdale Community Legal Services, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Peterborough Workers’ Action Centre, We are Oshawa, Poverty Free Thunder Bay, Sudbury Workers’ Education and Advocacy Centre, Young Communist League, Ryerson Social Justice Centre; and several local labour councils including: Lindsay, Oshawa, Peterborough, Sudbury, and North Bay. Several member groups are also organizing events and forums in the lead up to the consultations to discuss the issues in their communities and prepare their presentations.

On June 18th, the Workers’ Action Centre and Access Alliance organized a street party for the Fight for $15 & Fairness in Scarborough to spread the word about the campaign. More than 250 signatures on petitions were collected, great connections were made with residents in the neighbourhood, and a good time was had by all! Here are some photos:

On July 5, the Fight for $15 & Fairness will be joining the march for Jobs, Justice, & the Climate. Join us and thousands of others to demand a clean-energy future built on values of social justice and good jobs. Meet us at 1pm at Queen’s Park. #jobsjusticeclimate 

In May, the Toronto Star did a four-part series on precarious work, highlighting some key areas where the law needs to change to better protect workers. One article focused on temp agencies, and how the law does not adequately regulate them or the companies who use them. The story focused on Angel Reyes, who had been working through the same temp agency at the same recycling plant for five years at minimum wage. His co-workers hired directly by the recycling plant got paid more than him for doing the same work. There is no time limit on how long a company can employ a worker through a temp agency, so Angel remained ‘temporary’ even after five years, denying him access to benefits and other entitlements.

Five days after Angel’s story appeared in the Toronto Star, his assignment was ended. He has not received termination pay, nor an adequate explanation for why he was let go, as the temp agency and the recycling plant point the finger at each other. A follow-up article in today’s Toronto Star explains how the laws leave workers like Angel in limbo: “What this system produces is a second class of workers that can just be let go with complete flexibility. And no one cares.”

But workers like Angel, along with dozens of labour and community organizations across the province that are part of the Fight for $15 & Fairness, know what needs to change and are organizing to make it happen.

Angel Reyes testifying at public consultation for the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR).

The Ontario government is holding public consultations across the province throughout the summer as part of its review of labour laws. The first consultation took place in Toronto on Tuesday, and Angel was there to tell his story and demand change. Throughout the day, workers and organizations involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness spoke decisively about exactly how the laws need to change to better protect workers, echoing the demands of the campaign: a $15 minimum wage that covers all workers; decent hours and fair scheduling, including pay equity for part-time, temporary, and casual workers; paid sick days; better protections for workers who stand up for their rights and making it easier to form unions; eliminating exemptions and special rules that leave workers unprotected; holding employers responsible for employment standards down the chain of temp agencies and sub-contractors; and stronger enforcement of the law. Read a summary of the issues raised at the consultation here.

What can you do?

The government needs to hear from those affected by precarious work, not just during public consultations. Email Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, or tweet him @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Tell him it’s #time4decentwork and #15andfairness in Ontario! Ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

Book a meeting with your local MPP to share your experiences and your concerns, ask them to support the campaign, or ask that they organize a community forum on decent work.

Download our petition, telling the government exactly how the law needs to change, and get people in your neighbourhood to add their names.

Submit your story to the consultations. You can find information on how to do this on our website. Upcoming consultations will be taking place in Ottawa (June 18), Mississauga (June 24), and Guelph (June 25).

Start your own conversation in your community about what decent jobs would look like, or join an event organized by the Fight for $15 & Fairness near you.

Public consultations begin today: Email & tweet the Minister of Labour!

The government is reviewing Ontario’s labour laws for the first time in a generation. The Changing Workplaces Review (CWR) is holding public consultations starting today in Toronto, and in 8 other cities across the province through June, July and September. Now is the time for the government to hear from workers about what needs to change to bring fairness to our workplaces.

What can you do?

Email and tweet Minister Flynn: @OntMinLabour @MPPKevinFlynn. Tell him it’s #time4decentwork and #15andfairness in Ontario! Ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

Book a meeting with your local MPP to share your experiences and your concerns, ask them to support the campaign, or ask that they organize a community forum on decent work.

Start your own conversation in your community about what decent jobs would look like, or join an event organized by the Fight for $15 & Fairness near you.

Download our petition, telling the government exactly how the law needs to change, and get people in your neighbourhood to add their names.

Submit your story to the consultations. You can find information on how to do this on our website. Upcoming consultations will be taking place in Ottawa (June 18), Mississauga (June 24), and Guelph (June 25).

Upcoming events

Events are taking place across the province in June:

Street Party! For decent wages & working conditions
Access Point on Danforth, 3079 Danforth Ave. (at Victoria Park Ave.)
Hosted by the Workers’ Action Centre and Access Alliance, with the support of Taylor Massey Action for Neighbourhood Change

Tuesday June 23, 6:30pm
Time for Change Tour – Preparing for the Federal Election
The Chestnut Residence & Conference Centre
89 Chestnut St.

Peterborough:
Tuesday June 16, 5:30pm-8pm
Good Jobs Summit
24 Whitlaw St.
Hosted by Peterborough County and City Health Unit and United Way Peterborough & District, sponsored by Peterborough and District Labour Council

Ottawa:
Saturday June 20, 12pm
Invisible No More: Living Wage and Benefits Now
Ottawa City Hall, Chaplain Room, 110 Laurier Ave. West
www.invisiblenomoreottawa.org

“Ontario’s ‘eye-popping’ shift to low-wage work”: New report shows need for labour law reform

During Constituency Week in May, members of the Fight for $15 & Fairness met with MPPs across the province to talk about the government’s review of labour laws that is currently underway, and put forward our demands for how the laws should better protect workers. And the results are already showing. MPP Cristina Martins (Davenport) submitted a letter to Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, supporting the campaign’s demands for better working conditions. MPP Arthur Potts (Beaches-East York) read our petition in to the Legislature and said, “I have great empathy for this petition.” Other MPPs have expressed their concern for issues affecting workers in precarious and low-wage jobs, and some suggested they may organize community forums in their ridings to hear from their constituents.

With the labour law review now in full swing, we need to keep the pressure up on MPPs and the government to make real improvements that will better protect workers. Members of the Fight for $15 & Fairness campaign will continue to meet with MPPs through the summer and will be participating in consultations across the province.

What can you do?

Email Minister Flynn and tell him exactly what needs to change to create decent jobs in this province! Ask your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours to do the same.

Book a meeting with your local MPP to share your experiences and your concerns, or ask that they organize a community forum on decent work.

Start your own conversation in your community about what decent jobs would look like, or join an event organized by the Fight for $15 & Fairness near you.

Get your name on the list to appear at a consultation near you, or submit your thoughts in writing. Public consultations in June will be taking place in the following cities:

Toronto: June 16
Ottawa: June 18
Mississauga: June 24
Guelph: June 25

It’s crucial that the government hear from Ontario’s workers that it’s #Time4DecentWork.

Contact us if you need support. Sign up for our email alerts, and check our website and our facebook page regularly for updates on how you can get involved in the Fight for $15 & Fairness.

The current enforcement model of employment standards in Ontario does little to deter violations of the law: the system is understaffed, depends on workers who have experienced violations to confront their bosses, and rarely imposes penalties on employers beyond what they already should have paid. Good enforcement should make it cost – not pay – to break the law. Read today’s article, ‘Ontario employers get slap on wrist for mistreating employees’, the last in this four-part series.

The Ontario government has launched a review of the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act in Ontario. This is an important opportunity for changing the laws to better protect workers. The Toronto Star has done a four-part series on some of the key issues facing workers in precarious and low-wage jobs in the province. The series features interviews with workers talking about the ways in which the law doesn’t do enough to protect them – either because the law has not kept up with the changing nature of work, or because it has been hollowed out and is not adequately enforced.

These are the reasons that the Fight for $15 & Fairness is so important – because now is the time to bring fairness to Ontario workplaces and create decent jobs for workers.

Every Monday in May, you’ve read the stories and heard the voices of workers who are demanding change, who are saying that it’s time for decent work now. What can you do?

With the government’s labour law review already underway, now is your chance to tell your story – get your name on the list to appear at one of the public consultations taking place in June, July and September, or submit your thoughts in writing.

Start a conversation in your community about what decent jobs would look like, or join an event organized by the Fight for $15 & Fairness near you. 

Sign up for our email alerts, and check our website and facebook page regularly for updates.

A dizzying array of exemptions, loopholes, and gaps have eroded the Employment Standards Act’s ability to serve as a minimum floor of rights, and too many workers are falling through the cracks. Read today’s article, ‘Ontario allowing employers to fire workers without cause’, the third in a four part series.

The Ontario government has launched a review of the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act in Ontario. This is an important opportunity for changing the laws to better protect workers. The Toronto Star is doing a four-part series on some of the key issues facing workers in precarious and low-wage jobs in the province. The series features interviews with workers talking about the ways in which the law doesn’t do enough to protect them – either because the law has not kept up with the changing nature of work, or because it has been hollowed out and is not adequately enforced.

These are the reasons that the Fight for $15 & Fairness is so important – because now is the time to bring fairness to Ontario workplaces and create decent jobs for workers.

Every Monday in May, read the stories and listen to the voices of workers who are demanding change, who are saying that it’s time for decent work now.

On Friday May 15, organizers with the Fight for $15 & Fairness started meeting with MPPs across Ontario to bring our campaign message to them directly. We’re telling MPPs that workers in Ontario deserve a $15 an hour minimum wage that brings them above the poverty line, with no exemptions for any worker; that workers deserve decent hours and schedules they can live on, and all workers should get equal pay for doing the same jobs; that at least 7 days of paid sick days a year is the least that workers and all Ontarians need to be healthier; that workers deserve respect and protection on the job when they stand up for their rights, including making it easier to join unions; and that labour laws should protect everyone without exception, not let employers download their responsibility for workers’ rights on to temp agencies and sub-contractors, and that the laws need better enforcement.

The government is currently reviewing existing labour laws to see how they can be updated and strengthened. The Fight for $15 & Fairness will continue meeting with MPPs throughout the province next week and in to the summer to send a clear message to them that now, more than ever, is the time for $15 & Fairness, that now is the time for decent work!

If you support the Fight for $15 & Fairness, book a meeting with your MPP. Send us your updates and post your photos on our facebook page and on twitter. Check back here regularly to get updates about the campaign and how you can get involved.

The Ontario government has announced the dates and locations of the first public consultations being undertaken for its review of labour laws, the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR).

To register to make a presentation at the consultations, email [email protected] or call 1-888-868-5844. You can also submit your testimony in writing. To find out more about the process, visit the Ministry of Labour’s website here.

These public consultations are an important opportunity for the government to hear from workers, unions, and community organizations across the province about how the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act need to be updated and strengthened in order to better protect workers.

The Fight for $15 & Fairness is organizing across the province to send a clear message to the government that our labour laws have not kept up with changing employment relationships and have been weakened by exemptions, loopholes, and inadequate enforcement. This has left too many workers unprotected. Workers know what needs to change to create decent work in Ontario, and will be using these public consultations to make these recommendations heard.

Read this report to learn more about what’s wrong with Ontario’s labour laws and for a full list of recommendations for how they need to be improved. To find out more and get involved in the campaign, contact us!

Temp agency workers get paid lower hourly wages, don’t get benefits, and can sometimes be ‘temporary’ for years at the same workplace. Ontario’s Employment Standards Act doesn’t prevent any of that. Read today’s article, ‘Ontario employers cashing in on temporary workers’, the second in a four part series.

The Ontario government has launched a review of the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act in Ontario. This is an important opportunity for changing the laws to better protect workers. The Toronto Star is doing a four-part series on some of the key issues facing workers in precarious and low-wage jobs in the province. The series features interviews with workers talking about the ways in which the law doesn’t do enough to protect them – either because the law has not kept up with the changing nature of work, or because it has been hollowed out and is not adequately enforced.

These are the reasons that the Fight for $15 & Fairness is so important – because now is the time to bring fairness to Ontario workplaces and create decent jobs for workers.

Every Monday in May, read the stories and listen to the voices of workers who are demanding change, who are saying that it’s time for decent work now.

The Ontario government has launched a review of the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act in Ontario. This is an important opportunity for changing the laws to better protect workers. The Toronto Star is doing a four-part series on some of the key issues facing workers in precarious and low-wage jobs in the province. The series features interviews with workers talking about the ways in which the law doesn’t do enough to protect them – either because the law has not kept up with the changing nature of work, or because it has been hollowed out and is not adequately enforced.

These are the reasons that the Fight for $15 & Fairness is so important – because now is the time to bring fairness to Ontario workplaces and create decent jobs for workers.

Every Monday in May, read the stories and listen to the voices of workers who are demanding change, who are saying that it’s time for decent work now.

Read today’s article: “‘Wild West’ scheduling holds millions of Ontario workers hostage“. And stay tuned here for updates as the series unfolds.