See more about the new campaign

By Vincent Ball

A handful of people gathered Monday at Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma’s constituency office to urge the provincial government to back off plans to repeal labour laws.

The Brantford action was among about 50 expected to take part in communities across Ontario in defence of new workers’ rights brought in by Bill 148: Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, including the $15 minimum wage that is scheduled for Jan. 1.

“We think Bill 148 should remain in place,” said Andja Milos, a 26-year-old Laurier Brantford criminology student, who was part of the group at Bouma’s office on Nelson Street.

“I’ve worked for temp agencies and know what that’s like,” she said.

“And there are a lot of people who work full-time hours but only get part-time pay.

“We want fairness in the workplace and that’s what Bill 148 is all about.”

The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act was brought in by the previous Liberal government. Premier Doug Ford has vowed to get rid of the legislation, suggesting it has been a job killer.

Bouma was not at the constituency office on Monday. So, Milos and others provided information to an office employee.

Milos said she is especially concerned about the potential loss of personal emergency leave, a measure she says is vitally important to workers.

“Workers shouldn’t have to go to a lot of trouble to get time off in an emergency,” she said, adding that the law helps part-time workers and others who are struggling with child care or providing care to a family member.

Under existing legislation, employees are entitled to 10 sick days a year, two of them paid.

The province also is being urged to follow through on a planned raise of the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The “Fight for $15 and fairness” is being supported by labour leaders, including Chris Buckley, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

“It’s not too late for Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet to do the right thing and help Ontario workers,” Buckley said in a statement.

For more information about the campaign visit www.15andfairness.org.

Read The Brantford Expositor full story

By Jill Young

There are over 50 protests planned today across Ontario about Bill 148

Over 50 protests are planned today province-wide about the minimum wage.

It's about the potential scrapping of Bill 148 which would include a $15 minimum wage by January of next year.

The bill was introduced by the previous Liberal government, and even before he was elected,  Premier Doug Ford voiced his opposition to it.

A rally is being held this afternoon at 4:15 at the office of Simcoe Grey MPP Jim Wilson in Alliston.

Wilson is also Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade.

Read the Bayshore Broadcasting full story

By Jerry Dias

Ford should explain where he's getting his numbers before he attacks a piece of legislation that can make a real difference in workers' lives.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford needs to understand that before he goes telling the Ontario Legislature, as he was quoted in online publication Queen's Park Todayas saying, that the bill has caused businesses to leave Ontario "in droves."

Statistics Canada tracks the number of incorporated businesses in Ontario and across the country, but the most recent data is only for 2016, so Ford can't be using official statistics to back up his assertion.

Ford should explain where he's getting his numbers before he attacks a piece of legislation that can make a real difference in workers' lives.

Think about it: people with good jobs have more money to spend, and the confidence to spend that money.

When people spend their earnings, it spurs the economy. Every dollar workers earn becomes revenue for businesses in their community, which leads to those businesses needing to hire more workers.

People in precarious jobs often have little money to spend, and in any case can be leery of doing so in in case things go bad and their hours are cut or they lose their job.

If people can't spend, the economy can't grow. It's just common sense. Precarious jobs create a precarious economy.

Addressing all this was the driving force behind Ontario's Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act of 2017, and Unifor's exhaustive submission as the bill was being drafted.

The bill raised the minimum wage, allowed for two paid days of sick leave a year, provisions to ensure predictable shift schedules, three weeks' vacation after five years, sexual and domestic violence leave, and more.

Now the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, whose members are the same businesses that benefit most when workers in their community have more money to spend, is calling on the Ford government to repeal Bill 148.

Even before the bill came into effect, the Chamber commissioned an apocalyptic report claiming that Bill 148 would cost the province 185,000 jobs.

In my experience, only a bad trade deal can cause that kind of damage.

While Ford's claim that businesses are leaving in droves can't be backed up with verifiable statistics, we do know that in the seven months after the minimum wage came into effect, unemployment in Ontario fell from 5.6 to 5.4 per cent as the province added 80,000 jobs, one of the best job creation rates in the country.

I have to ask, if companies are leaving, who is hiring all these workers?

The job growth we have seen is the exact opposite of what the chamber predicted. A dip in the notoriously volatile employment rate in August doesn't change the longer-term growth trend since the minimum wage was raised at the start of the year. The fact is, Bill 148 has not been the job killer the Chamber of Commerce claimed.

Disturbingly, the Ford government seems open to the Chamber's call to repeal Bill 148, with Ford himself making a surprise announcement in the Legislature that his government would get rid the bill.

Such a move would return the province to having labour laws dating back to the 1970s, when jobs were much more likely be permanent and full-time, and could support a family, including fringe benefits and a pension that guaranteed retirement security.

Things look rather different today. In Hamilton, for instance, only 44 per cent of millennials have been able to find full-time, permanent jobs in a city that was once a major centre of manufacturing in this country, according to a recent report. Disturbingly, 38 per cent of those polled by McMaster University and the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario said they expect to be worse off than their parents.

Precarious jobs are characterized by lower pay, little, if anything, in the way of benefits or a pension, and heightened insecurity. People in jobs like that don't tend to spend. They can't.

We need more provinces to pass legislation such as Bill 148, so we can address the dire future facing our young people. Instead, we face the prospect of losing what gains have been made.

Rather than calling for the bill to be repealed, the Chamber of Commerce should rescind its own misguided report and let its members go about the business of reaping the rewards of having consumers in their communities with more money in their pockets.

Jerry Dias, National President, Unifor

Read the Huff Post full story

Largest. Coordinated. Day of action. In a decade. In support of workers' rights in Ontario.
That's what we are getting ready to organize on Monday, October 15.

Click to find an October 15 event near you!
or scroll below

On Monday, we will be mobilizing in all corners of Ontario to defend the new workplace laws we won last year, including the $15 minimum wage that is scheduled for January 1. This Day of Action is crucial to convince the Doug Ford Government to put our need for decent work ahead of corporate interests.

WATCH & SHARE THE PROMO VIDEO FOR OCTOBER 15
Click to share on Facebook -  Click to share on Twitter

We are expecting over 50 events to take place on the October 15 Day of Action that we are organizing together with the Ontario Federation of Labour. That means doubling the 20+ actions we held on September 15, when we collectively pulled off the largest provincial day of mobilization since the Ontario election in June. Clearly, the momentum is with the 66% of Ontarians who want and support $15 & Fairness.

Will you join us on October 15?

Right now Big Business lobbyists are using every trick in the book to pressure the government into fully repealing our new labour laws. Let's not forget, when the Chamber of Commerce campaigns against Bill 148, they are literally campaigning to make it easier for employers to fire workers whose childcare has fallen through, who decline a last-minute shift, or who stay home sick when they have the flu (click here to read more about what's at stake).

We cannot let the corporate pressure roll back the most basic protections we won through grassroots organizing. Hands off job-protected emergency leave, paid sick days, equal pay for equal work! Despite chatter, the government hasn't moved yet to cancel the new labour laws, which means $15 is less than 12 weeks away.

Please join us on Monday by speaking out for $15 & Fairness. In addition to the events listed below, actions will also be happening in 24 Ontario Colleges.

If you can't come in person, please take action online! Send an email to Premier Doug Ford and your local MPP by clicking here and ask your friends to do the same! Please use the hashtag #15andFairness to spread the word about the Day of Action on social media, and show your support!

AJAX

MPP Rod Phillips’ Office
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM -- 1 Rossland Road W, Suite 209
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

ALLISTON

MPP Jim Wilson’s Office
4:15 PM to 6:15 PM -- 180 Parsons Rd, Unit 28
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

AURORA

Outreach Blitz
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM -- 15900 Bayview Avenue
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

BRAMPTON

Outreach Blitz
5:00 PM to 6:30 PM --  Brampton City Hall, 2 Wellington Street
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

BRANTFORD

MPP Will Bouma's Office 
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM --  Assemble at Laurier Brantford (student centre), then visit the MPP’s office at 96 Nelson Street (Suite 101)
Please share on Facebook

COBOURG

MPP David Piccini’s Office
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM --  513 Division Street
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

ETOBICOKE

Outreach Blitz
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM -- Corner of Dixon and Islington
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

GUELPH

Outreach Blitz
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM -- University Centre and Guelph City Hall
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

HAMILTON

Mohawk College
12:00 Noon to 1:00 pm -- Fennel Campus (135 Fennel Avenue West)
Share on Facebook

Rally
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM -- Jackson Square (James North and King Street)
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

KINGSTON

Queen’s University
12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM -- University Avenue & Union Street West

St. Lawrence College
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM -- Main entrance, transit stop

Cataraqui Town Centre
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM -- South Entrance facing Kingston Frontenac library

Please RSVP or share on Facebook

LONDON

Fanshawe College
10 AM to 3 PM -- F Building at Fanshawe College
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Chamber of Commerce Action
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM -- London Chamber of Commerce, 244 Pall Mall St
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

MISSISSAUGA

Outreach Blitz
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM -- Westwood Mall, 7205 Goreway Drive (bus shelter)
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Outreach Blitz
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM -- Mississauga Celebration Square, 300 City Centre Dr
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

NEWMARKET

Action Against Corporate Bullies
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM -- Real Canadian Superstore, 18120 Yonge St
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

NORTH BAY

15 Workplace Actions
9:00 AM to 9:00 PM -- Across the city
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

OAKVILLE

Banner Drop
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM -- Trafalgar Road exit - South-West QEW off-Ramp
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

OTTAWA

Outreach Blitz
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM -- in front of Loblaws, 363 Rideau St (corner of Nelson St)
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

PETERBOROUGH

Outreach Blitz
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM -- South East corner of George St North & Simcoe St
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

SCARBOROUGH

Centennial College, Progress Campus
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM -- Progress Campus, the Bridge
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Scarborough Centre
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM -- Intersection of Warden Ave and Lawrence Ave East
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Scarborough Agincourt
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM --  Sheppard Ave East and Kennedy Road Intersection
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Scarborough Rouge Park
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM -- Morningside Avenue and Milner Avenue Intersection
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

ST. CATHARINES

Rally
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM -- Outside the Ministry of Transportation, 289 St Paul St
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

TORONTO

Morning Outreach Blitz
7:30 AM to 8:45 AM -- Dufferin & Sherbourne TTC stations as well as Parkdale
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

York University Outreach Blitz
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM -- Vari Hall, York University at 198 York Blvd
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

University of Toronto Outreach Blitz  
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM -- Sid Smith (East Side)
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Rally outside Ministry of Labour
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM - 400 University Ave
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Educators at Lawrence West
3:15 PM to 5:00 PM -- Lawrence West Subway Station
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Educators at Parkdale
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM -- Corner of Lansdowne and Seaforth
Please RSVP 

WATERLOO

MPP Mike Harris’ Office
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM -- 63 Arthur St South Unit 3&4
Please RSVP or share on Facebook

Workers in every corner of Ontario are getting ready for the October 15 - Provincial Day of Action next Monday. Will you join us?

From teachers speaking out about the impact of poverty wages on students who come to school exhausted or hungry, to doctors advocating for good jobs as a public health solution - support for $15 & Fairness is growing. Even Ford voters are speaking out in support of the fight for $15 and fairness.

Evidence is in

The jobs data released by Statistics Canada on Friday makes our case even clearer: when workers have money in their pockets, they spend it, creating more business and more jobs.

Contrary to the lies spread by the Chamber of Commerce and their Big Business backers, employment is up and wages are improving in Ontario. This is true even in the Food Services and Accommodation sector where the proportion of minimum wage employment is highest and therefore most likely to be impacted by a higher minimum wage.

As David Bush explains in this must-read analysis: The data show "wage growth in the lowest wage sector in Ontario doubled the national average over the last 12 months... This is the exact opposite of what the business lobby is claiming is happening. The trend line is showing that the $15 minimum wage, far from having an adverse impact on jobs and hours for workers in the low-wage sector, is benefiting workers."

Join us on October 15 - Day of Action

With both the evidence and the public support on our side, we need to double-down our efforts to make sure that the Ontario government stands with the people against the corporate lobby groups. Right now, we are only 12 weeks away from the $15 minimum wage increase and fairer scheduling rules that are coming into effect on January 1, 2019. The government has not yet moved to roll back our gains, despite the public musings last week. 

Click here to share on Facebook -- Click here to share on Twitter

This is why our October 15 Day of Action is more crucial than ever (sign up now for to join an event near you). Across the province, we have street, campus, workplace and online actions already planned, but we need your help to mobilize as many other people as we can. Click here to see announced events for October 15.

Constituency week - drop by your local MPP office

As we get ready for October 15, if you have 15 minutes to spare this week help us send a strong message to your local representative. This week is constituency week - where Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) are in their home ridings (find the address of your MPP here).

The constituency week is an excellent time to drop by your local MPP office and let them know you support the $15 minimum wage, fairer scheduling, job-protected emergency leave, paid sick days, equal pay, and all the other improvements contained in Bill 148 that the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is campaigning to eliminate (read our 1-page backgrounder to learn more).

What else can you do to take action:

Let's remember, every day without legislation or regulation rolling back our rights is a victory for our side. But we are in a race against the clock to let our friends, neighbours and co-workers know that our new workplace rights are in grave danger.

• Email your MPP, click here. Then mobilize your friends, family and co-workers to do the same.
• Order a window / lawn sign or a banner to display on your campus, in your workplace or neighbourhood (click here).
• Help us financially - we urgently need financial resources to fund this phase of the campaign (click here to donate). No amount is too small - or too large! 

With your energy and commitment, there's every reason to believe we can convince the government to stand with the people, not with the corporate elites. But they need to hear from us, the 66% majority who support $15 and Fairness.

Let's make it happen.

By Chris Buckley

Far too many Ontarians have experienced domestic or sexual violence. My own story is like many others: a father who was physically abusive towards my mother. It was 50 years ago, but I remember the day she was able to leave like it was yesterday. I remember trudging along beside her in the snow with my brothers and sister in tow. I remember that we headed to my Aunt’s house. I remember that we slept on the floor for weeks as my mother looked for work and then used her off hours to find us housing, see the doctor and find a lawyer; everything she needed to keep us safe.

This was a time long before domestic and sexual violence leave existed in Ontario.

Thankfully, workers fought for and won today’s laws, which provide survivors with five paid days off work to help them. It’s one portion of the decent work laws that Doug Ford wants to cancel.

With decent work laws, keeping us safe would have been easier for my mother. Right now, Ontario has a number of new laws that improve life for workers in this province: the upcoming $15 minimum wage, two paid sick days, 10 personal emergency leave days, two of them paid, and laws that make it easier to join and keep a union.

Doug Ford has said he will scrap the whole thing, leaving millions without these important protections. This isn’t good for working-age people anywhere in this province, and it’s not good for their children.

Teachers tell us that losing decent work laws will put stress and strain on students who live in poverty. Doctors have told us that sick days and better wages improve the health of workers. Faith leaders report the benefits of decent work laws for members in their congregations.

Ontario’s decent work laws are the result of a long process of consultation. I spoke to MPPs who were deciding on the law. As I sat in the committee rooms, I kept the stories I’ve heard from workers across this province in the back of my mind, along with my mother’s story.

My brother, mother and I scraped by on my mother’s wages for many years. I wonder how her life would have been different with a decent minimum wage and decent work laws to help, including domestic and sexual violence leave.

Decent work laws create the conditions for workers to do better. When workers do better, so do their families, and so does Ontario.

Decent work laws, including domestic and sexual violence leave, would have provided my mother with the support every worker now has in this province.

Doug Ford must stop listening to big corporations, and start listening to the millions of workers who will be left vulnerable if he cancels decent work laws and the Jan. 1 increase to a $15 minimum wage.

Mr. Ford, it’s not too late to change your mind and keep your hands off decent work laws and the $15 minimum wage.

Chris Buckley is the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

Read the Toronto Sun full story

By Gill Deacon

Yesterday, Doug Ford said the government will scrap legislation that, among other things, would raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars. The move has been criticized by a number of people... including, now, teachers. A number of teachers and support staff are holding a rally tomorrow to draw attention to the repercussions that scrapping the minimum wage hike could have on students and their families. Melanie Wilson is a high school teacher with the TDSB who's participating in tomorrow's rally.

Listen to the CBC full Story

During question period today, Premier Doug Ford signaled his intent to cave in to the Big Business lobby by rolling back our new workplace rights.

Let's remind the premier that it takes more than a comment in Question Period to undo our fairer employment laws.

As it stands, THE LAW still says we are less than 13 weeks away from our $15 minimum wage and fairer scheduling rules – rules that would  protect workers if they say no to a last-minute shift that conflicts, say, with a child’s birthday celebration.

Help us spread the word that our $15 minimum wage is still coming.

Click here to share on Facebook - Click here to share on Twitter

This musing from Premier Ford must not be allowed to pass without a response. We need to let him know the whole province is watching. Will he be FOR THE PEOPLE or FOR THE CORPORATE ELITES?

What you can do right now:

• Call the premier - dial 416-325-1941 to leave a message. Let's raise our voices from across Ontario.
• Email your MPP, click here. Then mobilize your friends, family and co-workers to do the same.
• Sign up for an October 15 Day of Action event in your community - click here to get updates.
• Order a window / lawn sign or a banner to display on your campus, in your workplace or neighbourhood (click here).
• Help us get the truth out over social media, by sharing the evidence below:

Don't believe the lies coming from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, that decent wages hurt the economy.

The Statistics Canada data show that the total number of hours worked by workers across Ontario grew fastest AFTER the minimum wage rose to $14 and in the Food Services and Accommodation sector – the sector with the highest concentration of minimum wage employment -- average hours of work grew even faster, increasing by 13% between January and August. Wages in that sector also grew at by an impressive 10% - faster than the rest of Ontario (click here to download shareable)

Contrary to recent media headlines, the law still says a $15 minimum wage and fairer scheduling rules are coming on January 1, 2019. As it stands, more than 1.7 million workers are set to receive their wage increase in less than 14 weeks. This is why we took this important message straight to Queen's Park today, to set the record straight!

Click here to check out photos from the press conference
Click here to watch the live streem

The confusion about the future of Ontario's minimum wage stems from Labour Minister Laurie Scott signalling her intent to side with the Big Business lobby that wants to cancel our $15 minimum wage and our other new workplace laws. Unless backed by legislative action, these kinds of statements can be understood as "trial balloons". Governments release statements to gauge the public's response to an initiative. How the public responds helps the government decide whether to proceed, pull back, -- or go even further. That's why what we do now really matters.

WHAT WE DO NOW WILL MAKE HISTORY.

We must let every government MPP know, we expect them to put our need for decent work ahead of corporate interests. Here is what you can do: 

1. Email Doug Ford today. Each and everyone of us need to speak out right now! Please send an email today (click here). If you are a member of a community group, union, or student organization with access to an email list, please ask your organization to circulate this call to action. 
   
   
2. Get ready for an emergency action. If the government does go forward with legislation (or regulation) that attacks our new workplace laws, we need to respond no later than the following day. For Toronto, this means heading over to the Ministry of Labour (400 University Ave) at 5:00 pm the day after they table legislation (or regulation) rolling back our rights. For other actions and other cities, check our website (click here) or Facebook page (click here) to see where you can connect.
   
   
3. Help fund our fight. We urgently need financial resources to organize and extend our fight. Big Business has lots of money to donate to political parties, buy advertising, and influence media. But this campaign relies on all of us donating our time and money to this fight. Whether its copying flyers and posters or providing buttons and banners, we are counting on you to help us. Click here to make a contribution right now. We promise we will make good use of every single penny we receive. 

Please don't forget: if the government felt confident about cancelling our wage increase and rolling back our labour laws,  Premier Ford would be front and centre of a major news conference.

But they are NOT confident. They know, as do we, that over 66% of the Ontarians support a $15 minimum wage, including 62% of small business owners and nearly half of Conservative voters. 

So please join us as we continue the countdown to $15, and help spread this message far and wide.

Share the graphic: Click here for Facebook -  Click here for Twitter

Millions of workers are counting on a $15 minimum wage, equal pay for equal work, paid sick days and so much more. Let's double-down on organizing to make sure these rights are protected, enforced, and arrive on time.

By Amanda Lang

TORONTO -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford vowed Tuesday to scrap labour reform legislation from the previous Liberal regime that raised the province's minimum wage and introduced a range of other worker protections, a declaration that came days after his government said the law was under review.

Ford's comments caught the opposition off guard and upset those in the labour community who have been supporters of the law known as Bill 148.

"We're getting rid of Bill 148," the premier said in the legislature. "We're going to make sure we're competitive around the world."

The Progressive Conservatives said last week that they would halt a planned increase to minimum wage set to kick in next year as a result of the Liberal law, and the labour minister said the rest of the legislation was being reviewed.

The bill mandates equal pay for part-time and temporary workers doing the same job as full-time employees and increases vacation entitlements to three weeks after a worker has been with their company for five years.

It also requires employees to be paid for three hours if their shift is cancelled within 48 hours of its start, and expands personal emergency leave to 10 days per year, two of them paid.

When brought in, the law was applauded by labour activists who had been calling on the government to increase the minimum wage for years. Some businesses, however, complained about the hike in minimum wage -- from $11.60 to $14 an hour on Jan. 1 -- and raised prices, cut staff hours and reduced employee benefits in response.

When asked to clarify his comments about the bill, Ford doubled down on his remarks Tuesday afternoon.

"I don't think this is any surprise," he said. "I talked about this all throughout the campaign. I went from town to town talking about Bill 148."

Ford said the bill has hurt Ontario businesses and meant workers lost their jobs. He wouldn't say if the government planned a full repeal of the bill or changes to part of it, adding that more information would be available in the coming weeks.

"Bottom line, it's an absolute job-killer," he said of the bill. "We want to create more jobs for everyone right across the sector."

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said it's not clear, despite Ford's latest comments, just what the government plans to do with the labour reform law. Repealing the legislation will only make life more unstable for workers across the province, she said.

"At the end of the day, dragging us backwards to the days where people couldn't get three weeks vacation or they couldn't get sick time off when they were sick at work, these are things that we worry about," she said.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said the premier's declaration hurts workers across the province.

"It does a disservice to the office to not fully consider the direction you're going in," he said. "The premier's not doing that."

Pam Frache, the Ontario co-ordinator of the Fight for $15 and Fairness, a group that supports the law, noted that the government has not yet introduced legislation to replace or repeal Bill 148, despite Ford's comments.

"We still think there's time for the premier to change his mind, to do the right thing and to stand with the people, not with the corporate elites," she said.

Meanwhile, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, which represents the province's business community, said it would like the government to repeal Bill 148.

"The very real unintended consequences (of Bill 148) have forced our members to decrease product offerings and increase the price of products being sold, hire fewer employees, reduce services and hours of operation, cut back on employee benefits, and halt capital investment -- all in an effort to stay afloat," president Rocco Rossi said in a statement.

Last year the province's economic watchdog, the Financial Accountability Office, estimated more than 50,000 people could lose their jobs due to the minimum wage increase brought in by the Liberal bill.

Read the BNN Bloomberg full story

By Colin D'Mello

Premier Doug Ford says his government will “get rid” of Bill 148, the labour reform law that raised minimum wage and gave part-time and contract workers job security and protections.

In a surprise statement during question period, Ford announced the repeal of the bill, claiming the issue was top of mind when he talked to “thousands and thousands of people” across the province.

Minutes later, Economic Development Minister Jim Wilson clarified, saying the government is still “consulting” on Bill 148 while confirming that some parts “probably will go.”

The premier was asked about the his decision again during an afternoon press conference, and would only say his government "will talk" about the specific plans. He would not confirm whether the decision had been finalized, but noted his intention to scrap the bill should come as "no surprise." 

The bill, passed by the previous Liberal government last November, brought sweeping labour reforms. It included changes like mandating employees be paid three hours’ worth of wages if a shift was cancelled within 48 hours. The legislation also extended emergency medical leave to ten days, two of which are paid days,and enacted equal pay for equal work.

The bill would also have raised the minimum wage to $15/hour in 2019, but Labour Minister Laurie Scott announced a “pause” last week, freezing wages at$14/hour.

Ford said on Friday wages would likely rise “in two years” without giving any firm commitments on how much of a raise minimum wage employees would get.

Pam Frache, with the group Fight for $15 & Fairness, called the government’s intent to scrap the bill “cruel and egregious.” She defended the emergency leave provision as being a “lifesaver” for families with young children.  

“These are not perks for workers,” Frache told CTV News Toronto “These are basic tools to help people survive.”

Frache stressed that “rolling back labour rights by decades” would affect millions of workers across the province. She is calling on the premier to “do the right thing.”

Ford’s decision is in line with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, which called for an “immediate repeal” of Bill 148 in September.

“Bill 148 has led to a substantial decrease in staff hours and capital investment as well as an increased reliance on automation,” said a statement from Rocco Rossi, president of the OCC.

Parts of the law came into effect in 2018 and other portions are scheduled to be implemented in 2019.

Frache said while Ford’s statement was “disappointing,” it isn’t final.

The government will have to enact new legislation that rewrites Ontario’s labour laws.

Read the CTV News full story

By Sarah Mojtehedzadeh, Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson

Two paid sick days are too much.

That was the message Tuesday from Premier Doug Ford, who is poised to dismantle the previous Liberal government’s labour reforms that increased sick day benefits and paid vacation, and were set to raise the minimum wage from $14 an hour to $15 on Jan. 1.

By Muriel Draaisma

For Christine, the high cost of living in the Greater Toronto Area means juggling four part-time jobs. It means one long bus ride after another, borrowing money from her parents when she doesn't have enough and living in a cramped basement apartment in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Christine, 45, a single woman whose last name is being withheld to protect her employment, says a minimum wage increase to $14 in January 2018 improved her life, but still her day is long.

She gets up at 8 a.m., leaves at 8:30 a.m., spends about an hour and 15 minutes on a bus to get to work, often works two jobs a day, then returns home sometimes after 11 p.m. There are no luxuries.

"Honestly, nothing can get cut because I'm down to bare bones. I don't have TV or anything like that," she told CBC Radio's Metro Morning. "I don't have any entertainment."

Christine is not alone. Labour organizers say not everybody can afford to leave the GTA for a more affordable life.

The high cost of living, especially soaring rent, means being priced out of certain neighbourhoods, areas of the city and even the city itself. Effectively, it also means minimum wage workers are priced in, as in stuck in the GTA with limited choices.

Organizers say a planned increase in the minimum wage to $15, put on hold by the provincial government, would help low-income workers, but they know getting the hike with Doug Ford in power will now be a fight. The previous Liberal government planned to increase the minimum wage to $15 on Jan. 1.

'Completely limited' choices

Deena Ladd, a co-ordinator with the Workers' Action Centre, a worker-based organization in Toronto that works to improve the lives of people who earn low wages and have unstable employment, told Metro Morning that the high cost of living means low-income people have to live on the outer edges of Toronto's inner suburbs, such as Etobicoke or Scarborough, and sometimes even further. 

Transportation costs are "huge" and a commute to work can be one to two hours and lots of time on public transit. People are living in housing that is "not great" and in "disrepair," she said.

They often have to share one-bedroom apartments with other people, live in units that have bed bugs or cockroaches, or where windows don't open, and where they are constantly thinking about safety, Ladd added. 

"Not only do you have to deal with the stress of making low wages and trying to make ends meet, but also you are also constantly dealing with looking for housing, looking for better housing or dealing with the appalling conditions that come with that housing," she said.

It's hard to find a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto for less under $1,000, Ladd added. "I think the question should be: Is it reasonable to charge the kinds of rates that we are seeing in the city?" she said.

Community, labour groups say 'pause' in minimum wage hike will affect nearly 2M workers

Community and labour groups are urging Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to scrap the planned hike in the minimum wage to $15.

The so-called Fight For $15 & Fairness movement says the increase from the current $14 an hour would have affected nearly two million workers in the province.

Labour Minister Laurie Scott confirmed on Wednesday the Ford government will not go ahead with an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour scheduled for Jan. 1. Instead, the minimum wage will stay at $14 an hour, and Scott did not give a timetable for any future increases. 

The minimum wage increased from $11.60 to $14 an hour on January 1st, drawing complaints from businesses and prompting some to raise prices and cut staff hours and benefits.

Critics have said the government's decision to stall the wage hike will hurt the very people it claims to champion.

Read the CBC full story

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Representatives from the $15 and Fairness movement, including the Ontario Federation of Labour, a doctor, and an Imam from a Mosque in Etobicoke held a press conference at Queen’s Park today to call on the government to protect the $15 minimum wage and fair scheduling rules coming in on January 1, 2019.

Ontario is only thirteen weeks away from giving nearly two million workers a much-anticipated raise to $15, closely following Alberta where $15 is set to come into effect on October 1. Across Canada, support for a $15 minimum wage is on the rise, with active fight for $15 campaigns being led in almost every province, from Quebec to Manitoba, British Columbia to Nova Scotia.

In fact, an Angus Reid poll released in August showed that over 66 per cent of Canadians support a $15 minimum wage. A similar percentage of Ontario small business owners – 62 per cent – also believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour, according to a Campaign Research poll.

Despite this majority support, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has been calling on Premier Doug Ford to fully repeal Bill 148; legislation that made Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to provide two paid sick days to all workers, unpaid emergency leave, in addition to fairer scheduling laws and a $15 minimum wage taking effect January 1, 2019.

Deena Ladd of the Workers’ Action Centre, a non-profit that operates a confidential “bad boss” hotline for workers who need help, argued repealing the bill would be a grave mistake.

“After nearly 5 years of consultation, committee review and hearings, the Ontario government brought in Bill 148 last year to deal with the massive deterioration of wages and working conditions in this province,” said Workers’ Action Centre Coordinator Deena Ladd. “The Ministry of Labour itself found, during proactive investigations, that three-quarters of employers who break the law are repeat offenders. Clearly what is needed here is stronger enforcement, not the rollback of new labour laws that offer modest protections.”

“It is shameful that the Ontario Chamber of Commerce is calling on the government to eliminate every single step forward we have made in the last year, steps toward decent work and making it easier to join a union,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. “They even want to eliminate the unpaid emergency leave that prevents workers from losing their job if they have to miss work to care for a sick child. It makes a person ill just thinking about what eliminating this provision would mean for a single parent.”

Christine, a minimum wage earner, spoke at the press conference to ask the government to stand up for people just like her instead of giving into corporate demands.

“Working for minimum wage is a struggle,” she said. “I’m a college graduate. I'm in my mid-40s. I live alone. I have the same bills most families do, and I struggle to pay them. That's with four jobs across the GTA. All my jobs are minimum wage. Last year I earned around $22,000. You can’t live in Toronto on that. You can’t live anywhere in Ontario on that. You just can't. I'd like to say that's after taxes, but the truth is I don't earn enough to pay taxes. Two-thirds of minimum wage earners don't.”

Negative predictions from right-wing think-tanks like the Fraser Institute about the higher minimum wage have proven false. Ontario’s job numbers have been outperforming the rest of the country. According to the August Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada, Ontario’s average weekly hours of work increased from 36.3% in August 2017 to 36.5% in August 2018 – better than the national average. In fact, total hours worked in Ontario rose by 3.3 per cent from January to August, after Bill 148 came into effect.

The incoming minimum wage increase is only one of the many aspects of Bill 148 that the broad coalition of community and labour advocates are speaking out for. “Ensuring paid sick days is not just an improvement to labour standards, but also a major public health advance,” explained Dr. Edward Xie. “The flu season begins next week, and for the first time ever in Ontario, every worker will have the right to paid leave if they are sick. Of course, only two of the ten personal emergency days are paid, so for many Ontarians, this is still a financial struggle. We need to be providing more paid sick days, not penalizing workers for getting sick, as everyone eventually does.”

-30
To arrange interviews or for more information, please contact: 

Nil Sendil
Communications Coordinator
Fight for $15 & Fairness
[email protected] l 647-710-5795

(TORONTO, ON) -- Leaders of the $15 and Fairness movement, including the Fight for $15 and Fairness and the Ontario Federation of Labour, will be speaking at a press conference on Friday September 28, 2018 at 9:30 am in the Queen’s Park media studio.

With mere weeks to go before 1.7 million Ontario workers get their long-awaited $15 minimum wage, the Minister of Labour mentioned to reporters Wednesday that the government intends to cancel the $15 minimum wage, which is currently scheduled to come in on January 1, 2019.

Freezing the minimum wage at $14 would ignore the 66% public support and 62% small business support for the $15 minimum wage. It would also ignore the economic gains to be made from putting decent wages in low wage workers’ pockets. Bill 148, Fair Wages, Better Jobs Act, brought in the $15 minimum wage and many improvements for workers after an extensive two-and-a-half-year province-wide consultation.

The Ontario Federation of Labour and the Fight for $15 and Fairness emphasize that, contrary to what the Minister suggests, there is no need for another review.

When:  Press Conference on Friday September 28, 2018 at 9:30 am
Where: Queen’s Park Media Studio
Speakers:  
Chris Buckley, President, Ontario Federation of Labour; 
Deena Ladd, Workers’ Action Centre; 
Christine, a minimum wage earner; and,
other community leaders to be announced.

For further information contact:   

Nil Sendil 
Communications Coordinator,
Fight for $15 & Fairness
[email protected] l 647-710-5795

What an incredible Day of Action we had on Saturday, September 15, to kick off the "15 Week Countdown" to $15 minimum wage! Hundreds of people came out to do outreach in over 20 cities across Ontario, extending our reach to thousands of new supporters! Bravo to everyone who participated in the day of action on the streets or online. If you haven't done so already, add your voice now by sending an email to Premier Ford and your local Member of Provincial Parliament (click here).

 
Click here to see more photos from September 15 Day of Action

There is no doubt that Labour Minister Laurie Scott's op-ed in the Financial Post suggesting that her government is preparing to cancel the $15 minimum wage was a big disappointment for many Ontarians, including almost half of Conservative voters, who support the wage increase. But let's be clear: publishing an opinion piece in the Financial Post on a Friday afternoon, is not the mark of a government confident in its actions. Were they confident to cancel our $15 minimum wage, it would have been announced at a multi-media news conference with Premier Ford at the centre. Indeed, this op-ed is more of a trial balloon for the public and a pacifier for the corporate elite. 

What we do right now matters. There's not a moment to lose. Call or email Premier Ford, and ask your friends, neighbours, and coworkers to do the same. 

Click here to send an email to Premier Ford and your local MPP

As it stands, the law says: 1.7 million of us are poised to get a $15 minimum wage on January 1. Millions more will benefit from the fairer scheduling rules that are also coming on January 1. For the first time in our lives, all of us have paid sick days and job-protected emergency leave. The new equal pay for equal work rules that prevent wage discrimination based on part-time or temporary employment contracts have made life-changing differences for so many of us -- including workers of colour, newcomers and women. We have come this far by fighting for every inch of progress. 

It is crucial that we keep up the momentum to demand public accountability from our elected officials. Despite the 66% public support for the $15 minimum wage, the special interest groups representing the 1% are pulling out all the stops to take away $15 minimum wage, paid sick days, and our other new workplace rights. 

But WE can still stop them. Every email we send to our MPP (send an email now), every conversation we have with our friends and coworkers, every #15andFairness lawn sign or banner (order now) we display outside our home, community centre, labour council or place of worship makes a world of difference.

In the days ahead, we have many actions coming up from Hamilton (Sept. 24, click for details) to Brantford (Sept. 25 & 26, click for details), Kingston (Sept, 28, click for details) to Aurora (Sept. 29, click for details). And if you are based in Toronto, please join us at next week's Volunteer drop-in on Monday, City-wide Organizing Meeting on Tuesday or Phonebank on Wednesday. An incredible number of people are joining our campaign every day. We need all the help we can get to follow-up with them, and connect them with local actions. Click here to see the full list of upcoming events.

By Jamie West

During question period Monday, the NDP’s labour critic, Jamie West, said that by cancelling the minimum wage increase, Doug Ford is taking more than $2,000 a year out of the pocket of minimum wage earners.

West said that with that kind of financial strain being inflicted on workers, it’s a shame that Doug Ford has been completely focused on his grudge-match against the City of Toronto during the September sitting of the legislature – including an all-night session in the early hours of Monday – and not the jobs and wages people need to build a better life.

“We could be at Queen’s Park to take action on increasing the minimum wage or creating better conditions for all Ontario workers.  Instead, we are once again using our time and resources to debate a bill that violates Ontarians’ rights and freedoms,” said West, MPP for Sudbury.

“Why is slashing Toronto city council a more important to this government than the wages and well-being of workers across the province? “

Last week, Doug Ford’s minister of labour penned an op-ed boasting about her government’s plans to freeze the minimum wage at $14 an hour, cancelling the upcoming increase and ripping $2,000 a year out of the hands of the lowest-wage workers in the province.

“Hard working Ontarians should not have to continue to struggle in poverty because of a wage that has not kept pace with the cost of living,” said West. “For Mr. Ford to cancel the promised minimum wage raise at all – and without a minute of debate or consultation – is wrong, and it’s dragging Ontario backwards.”

Read the Wawa News Story

TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2018 -- Constituents in more than 20 Ontario ridings called on their local Conservative MPPs today to oppose calls from Big Business to scrap the $15 minimum wage.

Almost two million workers are counting on the $15 minimum wage which is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2019. Public opinion surveys show that 66% of Ontarians support a $15 minimum wage and many believe it should be even higher. A similar percentage of small business owners – 62% – also believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour.

Despite this fact, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has called on Premier Doug Ford to fully repeal the legislation that made Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to provide two paid sick days to all workers, unpaid emergency leave, in addition to fairer scheduling laws and a $15 minimum wage taking effect January 1, 2019.

Christine Ilott, who lives in York Region, wants her MPP to do the right thing: “Working for minimum wage is a struggle. I’m a college graduate. I'm in my mid-40s. I live alone. I have the same bills most families do, and I struggle to pay them. That's with four jobs across the GTA. All my jobs are minimum wage. Last year I earned in the vicinity of $22,000. You can’t live in Toronto on that. You can’t live anywhere in Ontario on that. You just can't. I'd like to say that's after taxes, but the truth is I don't earn enough to pay taxes. Two-thirds of minimum wage earners don't.”

Jared Hunt, an education worker in North Bay, says he was shocked to hear the Ontario Chamber of Commerce wants the government to take away paid sick days and eliminate the minimum wage increase. “I thought the Chamber represented community interests, but now it seems they are simply parroting the big corporations that make millions of profit while paying sub-poverty wages,” he said. “Taking away the new workplace rights will harm our communities. It will affect parents and children – the kids who sit in our classroom – they will suffer the consequences of rolling back labour laws.”

Navneet Aujla, lives in Brampton, and was part of the delegation that visited MPPs Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria and Amarjot Sandhu. She says repealing Bill 148 would mean reversing new regulations for temp agencies. “That would be a disaster for workers in our community. We already have an incredibly high concentration of temp agencies in Brampton and for many workers these agencies are the main source of employment. The equal pay provisions of the new legislation – where temp agency workers have to be paid the same as their directly-hired co-workers – have made a huge difference in workers’ lives. Not only are these workers now making more money, many have been offered permanent jobs because the financial incentives for employers to keep people temporarily have been eliminated.”

Pam Frache is the Ontario Coordinator of the Fight for $15 and Fairness. She says the response today has been tremendous. “People are really excited about the $15 minimum wage and fair scheduling rules that are coming January 1,” she said. “That’s why so many of the actions today were celebrating the 15-week count-down.” But since the Ontario Chamber of Commerce publicly demanded the new government repeal our new legislation in full, there’s been a real sense of urgency. More people than ever have joined the campaign.

Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley says union members have been part of the Fight for $15 and Fairness from the beginning, and many labour councils helped organize today’s actions. “Raising the floor of wages and working conditions is as good for the economy as it is for workers,” said Buckley. “That’s why the majority of Ontarians – including people who voted for Ford – expect the government to stand with workers; they don’t want the new government to cave in to pressure from corporate elites who clearly don’t have community interests at heart.”

When workers have money in their pockets, they spend it, explains Frache. “They don’t collude to cheat workers in price-fixing schemes or put it into off-shore accounts to avoid taxes like Loblaws did. Most of us just want to earn a living that brings our head above water and offers a modest amount of security. That’s not too much to ask for.”

Frache doesn’t think it’s a contradiction that supporters of the Fight for $15 and Fairness may have voted for Ford. “A good number of people voted for Doug Ford because they really believe he is going to stand up for us against corporate elites,” she said. “This is his chance to make good on that promise.”

Christine Ilott has big plans for how she’s going to use the $15 minimum wage when it comes in on January 1. She wants to go see a movie and maybe even splurge on popcorn. She wants to visit the dentist and buy a warmer coat. “We simply must get to $15 in January. It’s not much. But it will go a long way to lifting millions of us out of poverty. It's the right thing to do – and it's time.”

Rallies took place today in the following communities:

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:

Nil Sendil
Communications Coordinator
Fight for $15 & Fairness
[email protected] l 647-710-5795

Rob Halpin
Executive Director
Ontario Federation of Labour
[email protected] l 416-707-1094

By Kevin Werner

If Premier Doug Ford can use the notwithstanding clause to push through his agenda, the labour movement will have in reserve its own general-strike strategy as a counter move, said Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council.

“It took years to build up to the Days of Action, when people were prepared to do what they had to do,” he said. “(Ford) has to understand we have in our back pocket the general strike that we can shoot down the premier. We can shut this city down. We can shut this province down.”

However, before Ontario’s labour movement can pull out what Marco called an extreme tool, the Sept. 15 Hands Off Hamilton rally at city hall demonstrated the first of what labour, poverty and environmental activists hope to be a growing community that will become the bulwark against the Progressive Conservative government’s agenda.

Workers across the province rallied in support of $15 minimum wage. 

Watch CTV News Barrie Story

By Sara Mojtehedzadeh

Workers rallied in support of a $15 minimum wage, across Toronto and 15 other cities Saturday, as the Ontario government doubles down on its pledge to cancel what it’s calling a “crassly political” wage bump scheduled for January 2019.

“We cannot survive below $15 an hour,” said valet driver Abdullahi Bare, 65, who attended one rally of about 50 people at Premier Doug Ford’s constituency office. Eight other rallies were scheduled to take place across the GTA.

By Gord Young

About a dozen people hit the streets in downtown North Bay Saturday to help garner support for the Fight for $15 and Fairness.

The volunteers with the province-wide campaign were busy collecting signatures for a petition calling on Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government to proceed with a planned minimum wage increase promised by the previous Liberal regime.

“Today is big day. It marks the start of a 15-week countdown until January, when the minimum wage bumps up to $15,” said organizer Jared Hunt.

He said Premier Doug Ford has signalled that he is not supportive of the wage hike for low-income earners and that the campaign is concerned the increase may be nixed.

“Because we’re worried about it, we’re talking with people about their rights,” said Hunt, noting the volunteers are not only speaking to people on the streets about the minimum wage increase, but other workplace changes that came under Bill 148 – the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act – which was passed last year.

He said that includes fair scheduling, equal pay and paid vacations.

Hunt said the campaign believes that there’s a lot of support in Ontario for the increase in minimum wage and other workplace enhancements. And he said the campaign aims to demonstrate that to the new government.

“We think that two third of Ontario actually want the increase,” said Hunt, noting Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s finance minister, will be asked to present the petition at Queen’s Park at the end of the month.

If Fedeli refuses, he said another provincial member of Parliament from another party will be asked.

Fedeli, in interview last month, didn’t say what direction the province will be taking when it comes to the planned minimum wage hike. But his comments were not supportive of the move.

“We heard loudly and clearly from businesses how many jobs would be lost in Ontario,” said Fedeli, referring to province-wide consultations last year on Bill 148. “And, we saw immediately – just as the Financial Accountability Office had predicted – we lost 50,000 jobs in January.”

Fedeli noted how the premier has said Ontario is open for business again. And he said that means “lower taxes, lower hydro rates and less red tape.”

“A big part will be how we handle the fallout of Bill 148 and the amount of companies that have left Ontario and the amount of companies that have not hired,” he said.

The minimum wage rose last year to $14, from $11.60 an hour. And many businesses have said another increase in January is too much too fast.

But Hunt said the campaign believes that’s a position propped up by large corporations that have long been “building wealth on the backs of workers earning low wages.”

“For decades, people in Ontario have been living in low-wage economy,” he said, of the importance to that the planned wage hike in January proceed. “When we help the lowest earners we help everybody.”

Read the North Bay Nugget Story

By Brock Ormond

A small, but mighty local group was part of a province-wide movement to prevent a delay of a minimum wage increase Saturday afternoon.

About 30 people gathered for a rally in support of the “Fight for $15 and Fairness Campaign” in front of MPP Todd Smith’s office in Rossmore, organized by the Quinte Labour Council and the Kingston & District Labour Council.

This rally was held to protest against the plan by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and big businesses to convince Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government to repeal Bill 148 (the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act), freeze minimum wage at the current $14 an hour and cut taxes for minimum wage earners.

The group’s intention with the rally was to give people the right to fair and equal wages for work across the board to keep up with the higher cost of modern living.

The minimum wage is set to go up to $15 per hour as of January 1, 2019.

This “Day of Action” event marks the 15-week period leading up to the $15 an hour pay rate.

Quinte Labour Council President Margaret Bourgoine says she wants Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservative Government to stand up to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce “for the people” and help push the minimum wage increase forward. (Photo: Brock Ormond/Quinte News)

President of the Quinte Labour Council Margaret Bourgoine says 66 percent of workers in Ontario are in favour of a minimum wage increase.

She says she wants Doug Ford to live up to his campaign promise to be “for the people” and stand up to the business lobby to provide workers with their right to an honest wage.

Lesley Jamieson of the Kingston Labour Council says it’s important to raise awareness in the community about the Fight for $15 and Fairness Campaign to give workers a fair wage to keep up with the cost of living. (Photo: Brock Ormond/Quinte News)

Lesley Jamieson is a member of the Kingston & District Labour Council and a supporter of the Fight for $15 and Fairness Campaign.

She says they want to send a strong message to the PC government to not bend to big businesses who are calling for the minimum wage freeze.

Chris Snooks, Chief Steward of Local 00641 UNDE Kingston, says that he came out to the rally to support equality in the local workforce.

For more information on the Fight for $15 and Fairness Campaign, go to their website.

Read the Quinte News Story

By Valerie MacDonald

The newly-formed Northumberland Coalition for Social Justice is supporting the upcoming Northumberland Labour Council rally at MPP David Piccini’s Cobourg constituency office this Saturday.

The event focuses on the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s “roll back” request pertaining to the New Employment Standards Act (ESA),” Coalition spokesperson Derek Blackadder said in an interview Wednesday.

“The House (of Commons) is being called back this week,” Blackadder said suggesting that the legislation could be dealt with quickly.

The local labour council is joining other groups across the province bringing the message to Ontario MPPs not to change the Act (which addresses issues ranging from minimum wage to equity), Blackadder said.

“It is now expected that the Tories will go after not just the scheduled increase in the minimum wage but the other improvements that were made to the ESA last year (by the Liberal Government)…and that this will start when Queen’s Park reconvenes in order to attach a ‘notwithstanding’ preamble to Bill 5,” Blackadder stated in a wide-ranging invitation to the rally.

The local rally is scheduled for noon Saturday, Sept. 15 at MPP Piccini’s office on Division Street in the same plaza as Papa John’s and across from the No Frills plaza. Asked if the MPP would attend the rally, Blackadder indicated he didn’t think that would be the case.

Piccini did not respond to a request by the News Now Network about whether he would be there.

Due to a conflict last summer, Piccini said at that time he could not attend another rally at his office organized by the Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty – but a meeting was held the following week. That rally’s focus was the Tory Government’s announcement that it was cancelling the “basic income” pilot program. Lindsay was the closest area where it was in place.

It is because of these, and other anticipated government actions, that a steering committee of people from various organizations in Northumberland has come together in an attempt to put the Northumberland Social Justice Committee (NCSJ) in place, said Blackadder, a retired union staffer. He predicts there will be “horrendous challenges over the next few years” and that co-ordinated activities through a Coalition, rather than working in local organizational silos, would be beneficial.

There are 45 people signed up on the Coalition’s e-mail and individual meetings are taking place to determine what organizations will be part of it, Blackadder explained.

In a release to union activists, the process is described this way: “The NCSJ is a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to social justice and based in Northumberland County. The Coalition was created for the purpose of mutual assistance and solidarity. It undertakes activities as a Coalition but also organizes its members to support social justice actions led by member organizations and others.”

“The NCSJ is definitely a work in progress.  We have a steering committee composed of Kim McArthur-Jackson (Cobourg Queer Collective) and Derek Blackadder (retired union) as Co-Chairs along with Linda MacKenzie-Nicholas (Northumberland Health Coalition), Dan Tobin (Labour Council) and Deborah O’Connor (Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty).” 

Individuals can also be part of the Coalition, Blackadder said.

An open meeting for the NCSJ will be held Sept. 22 in Cobourg but the exact location has not yet been confirmed. For more information go to [email protected]. The Coalition also has a Facebook page.

Read the Cobourg Now Story

We are now only 15 weeks away from getting the scheduled increase to $15 minimum wage and fairer scheduling laws. To mark the day, over 20 cities across Ontario are hosting local events tomorrow, making this the biggest provincial day of mobilization since the June election.

Spread the message!
Click here for: Facebook -- Twitter -- To Download

Saturday's day of action -- co-organized with the Ontario Federation of Labour -- is crucial. Corporate lobbyists spearheaded by Ontario Chamber of Commerce are intensifying the pressure on the government to roll back our new labour laws. We need to send a clear message to all elected officials: stand with us, the people, against corporate elites.

Will you join us tomorrow, on Saturday, September 15?
Click here to find an event near you!

If you cannot attend an event, you can still take action to make your voice heard. Please take a minute right now to send an email to Doug Ford and your local MPP (click here to take action). Our online tool comes with a pre-drafted message (which you can also edit). Just type in your address and press send!

To find out more about the events happening tomorrow, scroll down. Don't forget to follow the action at #15andFairness! Share your messages and photos in support of decent work by using the hashtag #15andFairness.

Ajax
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- Starbucks by Chapters, 90 Kingston Road
Together with Durham Region Labour Council we`ll be doing an outreach blitz to talk with Ajax residents. Help us send a strong message to MPP Rod Phillips.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Aurora
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- 238 Wellington St. East, Suite 203
Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott. Residents of Newmarket-Aurora support $15 & Fairness and expect their representative to be a decent work champion.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Barrie
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM -- Barrie Farmers Market (Collier & Mulcaster St)
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to local MPPs Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Belleville
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- MPP Todd Smith’s Office, 5503 Hwy 62 South
Quinte Labour Council and $15 & Fairness Kingston are hosting this joint outreach to talk to constituents in Bay of Quinte. Come and help us collect petitions to be delivered to MPP Todd Smith.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Brampton (South)
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- 7690 Hurontario St (Near Hurontario & Ray Lawson)
We’re meeting in front of McDonalds at 10:45 am! Come and help us collect petitions to deliver to MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Brampton (West)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- 15 Bovaird Dr. East (Near Hurontario & Bovaird)
We’re meeting in front of Tim Hortons at 1:45 am! Help us deliver a strong message to MPP Amarjot Sandhu by collecting signatures in support of $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Cambridge
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Ainslie St. Transit Terminal, 35 Ainslie St. S
Join Waterloo Regional Labour Council in sending a message to MPP Belinda Karahalios. Cambridge residents want and support $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Cobourg
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Outside MPP David Piccini’s office, 513 Division St, Unit 7
Join Northumberland Labour Council to raise awareness about our new workplace rights. Let’s call upon MPP David Piccini to be a decent work champion and ensure that our fairer labour laws are protected and extended.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Etobicoke
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market, 2240 Lake Shore Blvd W
Meet us in front of the Pizza Plus store on the north east corner of the intersection of Lake Shore Blvd West at Legion Rd. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christine Hogarth.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Guelph
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- Guelph City Hall
Let's assemble at City Hall to talk about our new rights at work and why they may be at stake. MPP Mike Schreiner signed the $15 & Fairness pledge to be a decent work champion during the election, we will collect petitions for him to read into the legislature.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Hamilton
11:00 AM - 12:00PM -- Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street W
Join Hamilton & District Labour Council for a rally and solidarity action. Let’s call upon our elected officials to prioritize our need for decent work over corporate interests.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Lindsay
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Farmers’ Market, 4 Victoria Ave. between Kent St. and Peel St.
Come out and join us as we talk to our neighbours about our new rights at work. Let’s send a message to local MPP and Minister of Labour Laurie Scott that Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock wants and supports decent work!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

London / St. Thomas
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM -- Horton Farmers’ Market, 10 Manitoba St, ½ Block North of Talbot St 
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to MPP Jeff Yurek in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

Mississauga
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Morning Star Dr and Goreway Dr (South East side of Westwood Square)
Join Peel Regional Labour Council for a neighbourhood outreach in Mississauga-Malton. Together we can send a message to MPP Deepak Anand.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

North Bay
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Main St W and Ferguson St
Join Nipissing Decent Work for a downtown petition canvass in North Bay, followed by a 5:00 PM neighbourhood BBQ party. Help us collect signatures to demonstrate to MPP Vic Fedeli, our communities expect a $15 minimum wage by January 1, 2019.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Oakville
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -- Oakville Farmers Market (240 North Service Road West)
Join us to talk to our neighbours about their rights, collect signatures on our petition and remind people to contact Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and Oakville North Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Oshawa
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- East side of the Oshawa Centre Mall, 419 King St W
Meet We Are Oshawa to do outreach on the east side of the Oshawa Centre Mall (by the bus loop). We will be connecting with Durham and Oshawa residents to ask them to contact their MPPs. Please call Lucian Mailloux at 289-685-7393 for more info.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Ottawa
12:30 PM -  2:00 PM -- 2249 Carling Avenue (Near Carling & Fairlawn)
Help us take our message straight from the streets to MPP Jeremy Roberts. Meet us in the parking lot outside the MPP’s office and join a postering and canvassing blitz in the neighbourhood.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Scarborough Centre
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM  -- 2063 Lawrence Ave E (Near Warden & Lawrence)
Let's talk to our fellow workers and community members in Scarborough to let them know what is at stake with our new rights at work. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christina Mitas!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Scarborough (Rouge Park)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM -- #105-8130 Sheppard Avenue East (Near Sheppard & Morningside)
Help us spread the word in the neighbourhod to deliver a strong message to MPP Vijay Thanigasalam!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Toronto (Eglinton-Lawrence)
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- 2882 Dufferin St (Near the Glencairn Ave & Dufferin St intersection)
Join us outside the office of MPP Robin Martin to let all our neighbours know about their new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to ask our provincial representative to speak out for $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

York Simcoe (Holland Landing)
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM -- 45 Grist Mill Road, Unit 8 (West of Grist Mill Park)
Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP Caroline Mulroney. Residents of York-Simcoe expect the new government to protect and extend our fairer labour laws.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

North Bay labour leaders will join their counterparts from more than 20 provincial ridings Saturday launching the 15-week countdown campaign to Ontario’s $15 minimum wage, due to come into effect Jan. 1.

The Nipissing Decent Work committee will canvass for petition signatures from 2-4 pm at Main and Ferguson streets, followed by a neighbourhood barbecue at 5 pm.

The committee is asking Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli to “stand with the people of Ontario against the attempt by corporate lobbyists to roll back Ontario’s new labour laws.”

It claims “big business is leading a campaign to cancel the $15 minimum wage and roll back the two paid sick days, as well as other laws that came into effect this year.”

It says the corporate campaign to repeal Bill 148, The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, is being spearheaded by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Read the North Bay Nugget Story

ONTARIO, September 13, 2018 – Over 20 provincial ridings will see local actions on Saturday, September 15, kicking off the “15 Week Countdown” to Ontario’s $15 minimum wage, coming into effect on January 1, 2019.

Residents, community groups, and labour councils will be delivering a message to local MPPs asking them to stand with the people of Ontario against the attempt by corporate lobbyists to rollback Ontario’s new labour laws.

Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Ontarians (66%) support a $15 minimum wage -- including 62% of small business owners -- Big Business is leading a campaign to cancel the $15 minimum wage and roll back the 2 paid sick days and other laws that came into effect this year.

The corporate campaign to repeal Bill 148, The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act is spearheaded by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, whose members include UBER; Loblaws Inc. (which recently confessed to price fixing); the Canadian Franchise Association which lobbies on behalf of multi-national companies like Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Pizza Pizza, etc; as well as international temp agencies like ADECCO, ACSESS and Randstad corporations.  

Actions are taking place in the following locations:

Ajax
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- Starbucks by Chapters, 90 Kingston Road
Together with Durham Region Labour Council we`ll be doing an outreach blitz to talk with Ajax residents. Help us send a strong message to MPP Rod Phillips.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Aurora
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- 238 Wellington St. East, Suite 203
Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott. Residents of Newmarket-Aurora support $15 & Fairness and expect their representative to be a decent work champion.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Barrie
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM -- Barrie Farmers Market (Collier & Mulcaster St)
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to local MPPs Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Belleville
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- MPP Todd Smith’s Office, 5503 Hwy 62 South
Quinte Labour Council and $15 & Fairness Kingston are hosting this joint outreach to talk to constituents in Bay of Quinte. Come and help us collect petitions to be delivered to MPP Todd Smith.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Brampton (South)
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- 7690 Hurontario St (Near Hurontario & Ray Lawson)
We’re meeting in front of McDonalds at 10:45 am! Come and help us collect petitions to deliver to MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Brampton (West)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- 15 Bovaird Dr. East (Near Hurontario & Bovaird)
We’re meeting in front of Tim Hortons at 1:45 am! Help us deliver a strong message to MPP Amarjot Sandhu by collecting signatures in support of $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Cambridge
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Ainslie St. Transit Terminal, 35 Ainslie St. S
Join Waterloo Regional Labour Council in sending a message to MPP Belinda Karahalios. Cambridge residents want and support $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Cobourg
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Outside MPP David Piccini’s office, 513 Division St, Unit 7
Join Northumberland Labour Council to raise awareness about our new workplace rights. Let’s call upon MPP David Piccini to be a decent work champion and ensure that our fairer labour laws are protected and extended.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Etobicoke
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market, 2240 Lake Shore Blvd W
Meet us in front of the Pizza Plus store on the north east corner of the intersection of Lake Shore Blvd West at Legion Rd. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christine Hogarth.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Guelph
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- Guelph City Hall
Let's assemble at City Hall to talk about our new rights at work and why they may be at stake. MPP Mike Schreiner signed the $15 & Fairness pledge to be a decent work champion during the election, we will collect petitions for him to read into the legislature.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Hamilton
11:00 AM - 12:00PM -- Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street W
Join Hamilton & District Labour Council for a rally and solidarity action. Let’s call upon our elected officials to prioritize our need for decent work over corporate interests.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Lindsay
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Farmers’ Market, 4 Victoria Ave. between Kent St. and Peel St.
Come out and join us as we talk to our neighbours about our new rights at work. Let’s send a message to local MPP and Minister of Labour Laurie Scott that Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock wants and supports decent work!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

London / St. Thomas
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM -- Horton Farmers’ Market, 10 Manitoba St, ½ Block North of Talbot St 
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to MPP Jeff Yurek in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

Mississauga
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Morning Star Dr and Goreway Dr (South East side of Westwood Square)
Join Peel Regional Labour Council for a neighbourhood outreach in Mississauga-Malton. Together we can send a message to MPP Deepak Anand.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

North Bay
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Main St W and Ferguson St
Join Nipissing Decent Work for a downtown petition canvass in North Bay, followed by a 5:00 PM neighbourhood BBQ party. Help us collect signatures to demonstrate to MPP Vic Fedeli, our communities expect a $15 minimum wage by January 1, 2019.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Oakville
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -- Oakville Farmers Market (240 North Service Road West)
Join us to talk to our neighbours about their rights, collect signatures on our petition and remind people to contact Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and Oakville North Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Oshawa
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- East side of the Oshawa Centre Mall, 419 King St W
Meet We Are Oshawa to do outreach on the east side of the Oshawa Centre Mall (by the bus loop). We will be connecting with Durham and Oshawa residents to ask them to contact their MPPs. Please call Lucian Mailloux at 289-685-7393 for more info.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Ottawa
12:30 PM -  2:00 PM -- 2249 Carling Avenue (Near Carling & Fairlawn)
Help us take our message straight from the streets to MPP Jeremy Roberts. Meet us in the parking lot outside the MPP’s office and join a postering and canvassing blitz in the neighbourhood.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Scarborough Centre
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM  -- 2063 Lawrence Ave E (Near Warden & Lawrence)
Let's talk to our fellow workers and community members in Scarborough to let them know what is at stake with our new rights at work. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christina Mitas!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Scarborough (Rouge Park)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM -- #105-8130 Sheppard Avenue East (Near Sheppard & Morningside)
Help us spread the word in the neighbourhod to deliver a strong message to MPP Vijay Thanigasalam!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Toronto (Eglinton-Lawrence)
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- 2882 Dufferin St (Near the Glencairn Ave & Dufferin St intersection)
Join us outside the office of MPP Robin Martin to let all our neighbours know about their new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to ask our provincial representative to speak out for $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

York Simcoe (Holland Landing)
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM -- 45 Grist Mill Road, Unit 8 (West of Grist Mill Park)
Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP Caroline Mulroney. Residents of York-Simcoe expect the new government to protect and extend our fairer labour laws.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

-30-

To arrange interviews prior to the Day of Action or for more information, please contact:

Nil Sendil
Communications Coordinator
Fight for $15 & Fairness
[email protected] l 647-710-5795

By Christine Sharma

An outstanding Liberal promise for minimum wage to rise to $15 is under pressure from multiple sides - from the newly elected PC government, to minimum wage workers, to businesses, and beyond.

While the province’s PC government looks to cancel the next minimum wage increase, some residents, community groups, and labour councils are planning to fight back this weekend.

A group called $15 & Fairness is organizing rallies across the province on Saturday September 15, 2018.

This marks a 15-week countdown to Ontario’s next minimum wage increase to $15, which comes into effect on January 1, 2019.

Over 20 provincial ridings will see local actions on Saurday.

Those coming out to the rallies are “delivering a message to local MPPs asking them to stand with the people of Ontario against the attempt by corporate lobbyists to rollback Ontario's new labour laws,” according to recent statement from $15 & Fairness.

“Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Ontarians (66%) support a $15 minimum wage — including 62% of small business owners — Big Business is leading a campaign to cancel the $15 minimum wage and roll back the 2 paid sick days and other laws that came into effect this year.”

Wages underwent a major hike in 2018, from $11.60 to $14 per hour. The increase set for 2019 is to be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation.

Here’s the rally is happening in Oakville:

10 a.m.-12 p.m. — Oakville Farmers Market (240 North Service Road West)

“Join us to talk to our neighbours about their rights, collect signatures on our petition and remind people to contact Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and Oakville North Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos,” reads the statement.

What do you think of the minimum wage hike in Halton?

Read the in halton Story

It isn’t business as usual at Queen’s Park.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has come out calling on the Ford government to take away -- not only the $15 minimum wage, but also our 2 paid sick days, right to equal pay, fairer scheduling laws, and more. Indeed, Corporate Canada is calling for the full repeal of Bill 148. And with the legislative assembly reconvening tomorrow, we need to pull out all the stops to ensure the new government doesn’t cave in to the Big Business lobby.

That’s why our September 15 - Day of Action is so critical. In partnership with the Ontario Federation of Labour, we'll be mobilizing across Ontario to send a clear message to our elected representatives. Let's show every MPP that Ontarians are counting on them to stand up to corporate elites by protecting our new workplace rights.

Will you join us on Saturday, September 15?
Click here to find an event near you!

Public opinion is clearly with us. We know that 66% of Ontarians support the $15 minimum wage and decent work for all. On Saturday, help us call on the new government to stand with us against the rich CEOs who would rather deny decent wages to their workers, than share their vast wealth.

Already, more than 15 actions are planned for September 15 (click here to see them). Wherever you are, you can collect signatures on petitions (click here to download), visit your local MPP office, hang up our new Hands Off! posters (click here to download) or simply send an email to Doug Ford and your MPP (click here to take action now).

Please scroll below to see the actions that are already called for September 15. If you don’t see one in your community, grab a friend or co-worker and plan one. And be sure to let us know what you’re doing -- by replying to this email with your deets -- so we can promote it.

Ajax
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- Starbucks by Chapters, 90 Kingston Road
Together with Durham Region Labour Council we`ll be doing an outreach blitz to talk with Ajax residents. Help us send a strong message to MPP Rod Phillips.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Aurora
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- 238 Wellington St. East, Suite 203
Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott. Residents of Newmarket-Aurora support $15 & Fairness and expect their representative to be a decent work champion.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Barrie
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM -- Barrie Farmers Market (Collier & Mulcaster St)
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to local MPPs Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Belleville
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- MPP Todd Smith’s Office, 5503 Hwy 62 South
Quinte Labour Council and $15 & Fairness Kingston are hosting this joint outreach to talk to constituents in Bay of Quinte. Come and help us collect petitions to be delivered to MPP Todd Smith.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Brampton (South)
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- 7690 Hurontario St (Near Hurontario & Ray Lawson)
We’re meeting in front of McDonalds at 10:45 am! Come and help us collect petitions to deliver to MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Brampton (West)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- 15 Bovaird Dr. East (Near Hurontario & Bovaird)
We’re meeting in front of Tim Hortons at 1:45 am! Help us deliver a strong message to MPP Amarjot Sandhu by collecting signatures in support of $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Cambridge
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Ainslie St. Transit Terminal, 35 Ainslie St. S
Join Waterloo Regional Labour Council in sending a message to MPP Belinda Karahalios. Cambridge residents want and support $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Cobourg
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Outside MPP David Piccini’s office, 513 Division St, Unit 7
Join Northumberland Labour Council to raise awareness about our new workplace rights. Let’s call upon MPP David Piccini to be a decent work champion and ensure that our fairer labour laws are protected and extended.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Etobicoke
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market, 2240 Lake Shore Blvd W
Meet us in front of the Pizza Plus store on the north east corner of the intersection of Lake Shore Blvd West at Legion Rd. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christine Hogarth.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Guelph
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- Guelph City Hall
Let's assemble at City Hall to talk about our new rights at work and why they may be at stake. MPP Mike Schreiner signed the $15 & Fairness pledge to be a decent work champion during the election, we will collect petitions for him to read into the legislature.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Hamilton
11:00 AM - 12:00PM -- Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street W
Join Hamilton & District Labour Council for a rally and solidarity action. Let’s call upon our elected officials to prioritize our need for decent work over corporate interests.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Lindsay
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Farmers’ Market, 4 Victoria Ave. between Kent St. and Peel St.
Come out and join us as we talk to our neighbours about our new rights at work. Let’s send a message to local MPP and Minister of Labour Laurie Scott that Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock wants and supports decent work!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

London / St. Thomas
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM -- Horton Farmers’ Market, 10 Manitoba St, ½ Block North of Talbot St 
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to MPP Jeff Yurek in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

Mississauga
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Morning Star Dr and Goreway Dr (South East side of Westwood Square)
Join Peel Regional Labour Council for a neighbourhood outreach in Mississauga-Malton. Together we can send a message to MPP Deepak Anand.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

North Bay
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Main St W and Ferguson St
Join Nipissing Decent Work for a downtown petition canvass in North Bay, followed by a 5:00 PM neighbourhood BBQ party. Help us collect signatures to demonstrate to MPP Vic Fedeli, our communities expect a $15 minimum wage by January 1, 2019.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Oakville
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -- Oakville Farmers Market (240 North Service Road West)
Join us to talk to our neighbours about their rights, collect signatures on our petition and remind people to contact Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and Oakville North Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Oshawa
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- East side of the Oshawa Centre Mall, 419 King St W
Meet We Are Oshawa to do outreach on the east side of the Oshawa Centre Mall (by the bus loop). We will be connecting with Durham and Oshawa residents to ask them to contact their MPPs. Please call Lucian Mailloux at 289-685-7393 for more info.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Ottawa
12:30 PM -  2:00 PM -- 2249 Carling Avenue (Near Carling & Fairlawn)
Help us take our message straight from the streets to MPP Jeremy Roberts. Meet us in the parking lot outside the MPP’s office and join a postering and canvassing blitz in the neighbourhood.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Scarborough Centre
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM  -- 2063 Lawrence Ave E (Near Warden & Lawrence)
Let's talk to our fellow workers and community members in Scarborough to let them know what is at stake with our new rights at work. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christina Mitas!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Scarborough (Rouge Park)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM -- #105-8130 Sheppard Avenue East (Near Sheppard & Morningside)
Help us spread the word in the neighbourhod to deliver a strong message to MPP Vijay Thanigasalam!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

Toronto (Eglinton-Lawrence)
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- 2882 Dufferin St (Near the Glencairn Ave & Dufferin St intersection)
Join us outside the office of MPP Robin Martin to let all our neighbours know about their new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to ask our provincial representative to speak out for $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

York Simcoe (Holland Landing)
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM -- 45 Grist Mill Road, Unit 8 (West of Grist Mill Park)
Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP Caroline Mulroney. Residents of York-Simcoe expect the new government to protect and extend our fairer labour laws.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook

See you in the streets on September 15!