Despite widespread speculation the Liberal government would use the 2017 Ontario Budget to announce a $15 minimum wage and sweeping changes to the province’s labour laws, we were left disappointed. 

In 2014, the Wynne government committed to review labour and employment laws with the stated goal of protecting vulnerable workers. Yet here we are in 2017, dangerously close to the June 1 recess of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and the government has yet to offer up a comprehensive vision to realize its promises.

We urgently need action to close loopholes and exemptions in the laws that leave us without the protections we deserve. Every week’s delay in fixing the laws costs Ontario workers nearly $45 million. That’s a staggering $2 billion each year.

There is no more time to lose. Tell Premier Wynne: We need a $15 minimum wage and Fairness right now! Forward this email to your friends & co-workers! If you are connected to a group, or organization please also ask them to take action today.

If you are on Twitter, join us in telling Premier @Kathleen_Wynne: Fulfil your promises. #15andFairness #GoBold #DoItNow

There is widespread speculation that the April 27 Ontario Budget will announce government support for a $15 minimum wage — to be implemented in 2018. (See the news stories by: Bob Hepburn; Jaime Watt; Andrew Steele; and Mike Crawley.) There is further speculation that the government will signal its intention to amend Ontario’s labour and employment laws to better protect workers.  

For this reason, the Fight for $15 and Fairness and the Ontario Federation of Labour, held a news conference earlier today to set out our expectations for the long-awaited final report of the Changing Workplaces Review. At the event, we set out 16 fundamental issues that must be included among the recommendations if the Final Report is to be meaningful. Without these foundational pieces, the Special Advisors will have failed to fulfill their mandate and the promise of the report to protect vulnerable workers.

“The objective of this review is
to improve security and opportunity for those made vulnerable by
the structural economic pressures and changes
being experienced by Ontarians in 2015.”

— Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour, May 14, 2015

Once the recommendations are released, it will be on the shoulders of Ontario government to take the lead in legislating the changes needed to — in the words of Kevin Flynn, Ontario’s Minister of Labour — “ensure that all Ontarians are protected and have the opportunities they deserve to fulfil their potential.”

We know that Ontarians want change. For the past two years, thousands have mobilized. We have made deputations, submitted letters, compiled research, met with MPPs, emailed the Premier, tweeted, collected signatures on petitions and rallied in communities across the province.

We are now dangerously close to the June recess of the Ontario parliament. Any delay in advancing decent work legislation reduces the time available to adopt the requisite legislation and puts the entire Review process at risk. That’s why we are demanding that our elected representatives release the final recommendations and implement the legislative changes that will fulfil the promise of the Review.

There is no room for complacency. We need to redouble our efforts to send a message to all our elected representatives that we want meaningful change in 2017 — we cannot wait for the next election. Join or organize an action or event near you:

Earlier this month, more than 200 organizers from across Ontario met in Toronto for the annual $15 & Fairness Provincial Strategy Meeting (check out the photos here). This strategy meeting was not only the biggest one we had so far, but it was also an incredibly important one. With the Ontario provincial election scheduled for June next year, 2017 is our window to win fair wages and decent working conditions.

We know this is not going to be an easy battle, with corporate lobby groups already pushing back. However, the public support is with us! A recent Forum Poll showed 70% of voters in Toronto support a $15 minimum wage! In fact this sentiment is shared well beyond Toronto. Just last fall, another Forum poll showed more than two-thirds of Canadians backed a $15 minimum wage. Some journalists are speculating that $15 & Fairness will be a key issue in the Ontario budget expected on April 27.

At the provincial meeting, we heard directly from organizers mobilizing from North Bay to Windsor. The response they are getting on the streets to $15 & Fairness is overwhelmingly positive. However, this support in itself will not win the legislative changes that Ontario workers desperately need. We must organize this sentiment in every community, in every workplace and every campus.

That‘s why we need each and every one of you right now. Like Kendall Fells, the National Organizing Director of Fight for $15 in the US, told us at the Strategy Meeting: “Politicians go whichever way the wind is blowing; let us be the wind.”

Click here to watch the live-stream of the Public Forum section of the 2017 Provincial Strategy Meeting

The Ministry of Labour just announced that Ontario’s general minimum wage will be adjusted upward by 20 cents as of October 1, 2017 to keep up with rising prices. We must remember that this measure does not increase the minimum wage; it merely helps maintain the original $11.00 value that was established in 2014 by the Ontario government – thanks to the workers who organized for this important win.

We know $11.60 will not be enough to survive on. Even for those of us who are able to find full-time work, $11.60 will still keep us 17% below the poverty line. Workers need at least $15 hourly to make ends meet as well as other important legislative measures such as decent hours, paid sick days, the right to unionize and more.

With two-thirds of Canadians now supporting a $15 minimum wage we believe it is about time that the Ontario government brings in this necessary reform instead of incremental adjustments. Alberta is already implementing a path to $15 by 2018 and 21 states in the U.S. have passed higher minimum wage laws. There is no reason why poverty wages should continue to be the norm in Ontario.

The Fight for $15 & Fairness movement is growing throughout the province with actions taking place in communities, campuses and workplaces every week. The indexation of the minimum wage to inflation was a key victory of the Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage, given that Ontario’s minimum wage had been frozen for 12 of the 20 years between 1995 and 2015.

Together we can win a $15 minimum wage for all workers, regardless of their age, student status, job or sector of employment – just like we won the indexation.

Click here to watch the CBC news clip from January, explaining why a $15 minimum wage for all workers is absolutely critical.

Join us to share strategies for building a strong, multiracial workers’ movement that unites union and non-union workers. Together we can raise the floor of wages and working conditions everywhere.

Event admission: Free.
Please let us know you are coming by visiting the Facebook event page, don’t forget to invite your friends and coworkers.

Panel moderated by acclaimed journalist DESMOND COLE with:

• ASHLEY CATHEY, Fast food worker from Memphis, Tennessee and member of the US Fight for $15 national organizing committee.
• KENDALL FELLS, national director of organizing for the US Fight for $15.
• DEENA LADD, coordinator of the Toronto-based Workers’ Action Centre and a leader in Ontario’s Fight for $15 and Fairness.

Spoken word performance by SHAWNA DIXON
Other special guests, TBA.

Friday March 31st, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
YMCA Metro Central, 20 Grosvenor St. Toronto

The US Fight for $15 has helped win raises for more than 19 million workers, putting nearly $62 billion back into workers’ pockets. The Fight for $15 has also been a driver in successful campaigns for paid sick days, fair scheduling, decent hours and so much more.

In Ontario, the government has promised sweeping changes to better protect workers and there is now growing momentum for $15 and Fairness which is calling for meaningful legislative change in 2017.

Unfortunately, the increase in bigotry unleashed by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has been finding an echo in Canada, among politicians and in our workplaces, and it risks undermining the unity and solidarity of our movements. That’s why we must oppose racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia in all its forms. Come out on March 31 and join the conversation.

With the February 28 Changing Workplaces Review deadline in the rearview mirror, its up to us to build the confidence of every MPP to make protecting workers a priority during the current legislative session.

In the coming days, the government will deliberate on which recommendations they will implement. A recent CBC news story suggests that many of our recommendations are on the table, but there are likely to be bad and mixed recommendations included in the final report, and of course, there will be fierce opposition from corporate lobbyists to any measures that benefit workers.

We believe the earliest possible date that the Advisors’ final recommendations can be publicly released by government is April 1. We will have to keep the pressure on  MPPs to ensure that government releases the report and tables legislation to support workers before June 1 (when the Ontario Legislative Assembly recesses for the summer). We need everyone to be calling, emailing and meeting with their local MPPs and ideally, presenting them with the signatures of hundreds of people in their ridings who want to see meaningful legislated changes to better protect workers.

The current political context makes it urgent that we step up our game and fine-tune our mobilizing efforts now, and over the next three months.

Support Food Service Workers at York University & U of T Scarborough

Food service workers continue their strike at York University and the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. They are striking for an immediate $15 minimum wage (plus increases each year of the contract), as well as fairness provisions such as paid sick time, fair scheduling, and respect at work which means an end to the blatant anti-Black and Islamophobic harassment so many have experienced. These workers — about 250 — are mostly women, workers of colour or newcomers. The average wage is a mere $12.41. If you haven’t seen them yet, watch these fantastic videos (Feb. 9 – 6 minutes and Feb. 22 – 2 minutes) that show how students, staff and faculty have come together to support these courageous members of UNITE HERE Local 75 who are leading the fight for decent work on campus. We can help these workers win by sending an email via www.York15.ca and by fighting for $15 and Fairness at all Ontario workplaces. If you want to visit picket lines or join a solidarity rally visit UNITE HERE Local 75 on Facebook or visit the Fight for $15 and Fairness events page here.

Ontario-wide Campus Outreach Blitz: March 15

Building on the success of the Campuses Love $15 and Fairness outreach blitz that took place on February 14, some campus-based Fight for $15 & Fairness groups are keen to mobilize again for Wednesday, March 15. (Click here for the great article in the North Bay Nugget that highlights the action at Nipissing University.) For the March 15 action, many are excited to use the Wall of Wages theme that highlights the wage differential between ordinary workers and the presidents / senior administrators of the college or university, or highlight the CEO salaries of big profitable corporations. (For pictures and inspiration, click here.) If you want to organize an action on your campus, please make a Facebook event and email us at [email protected] with the details. 

These days there is an incredible momentum in Ontario campuses as students, workers and faculty get ready for the February 14 Outreach Blitz: Campuses Love $15 & Fairness.

Increasingly, students are being squeezed by the rising tuition fees and low-wages. Campus workers deal with appalling working conditions and contracting out. Meanwhile faculty staff juggle piecemeal contracts, while facing unfair pay and lack of stability. This has to stop.

Together, we have the power to strengthen working conditions at our campuses and raise the floor for all workers across Ontario. The recent mobilizations at York University are the proof! In recent weeks, hundreds of students, faculty and community members have come together to support the striking food service workers who are fighting for a starting wage of $15, paid sick days, and a workplace free from Islamophobic and racist harassment.

Click here to watch & share the video displaying the incredible energy and solidarity at York.

Of course, the fight at York has just begun, and to win it we need the support of every single one of us. If you haven’t already, please take a moment now to send a message to York University President Shoukri. Winning $15 & Fairness at York will take us that much closer to win it at other workplaces, as well as provincially through labour law reform.

Already sent your letter? Take a solidarity selfie explaining your support, share it on social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtags #15andFairness and #YorkU.

For upcoming Fight for $15 & Fairness events in your community, please scroll down. Can’t see an event near you? Let us know how we can help you to organize one in your neighbourhood, campus or workplace.

February 11
KINGSTON OUTREACH
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm | Food Basics, 33 Barrack St click here for a map
On Saturday, join us as we take to the streets and speak with other members of our Kingston community about the need for decent pay and decent work in Ontario! We’ll be stationing outside the Food Basics/LCBO. Make sure to dress warmly!
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 13
WEBINAR ON $15 & FAIRNESS
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm | Online, at a computer near you
You’re invited! Join this FREE webinar, sponsored by CIRA, the Canadian Industrial Relations Association. Just register by clicking this link and join us on Monday, as we discuss our pan-Canadian, North American-wide movement that seeks to raise the floor of wages and working conditions for all workers. Please note you must register in advance to be able to attend.
To find more details, and share the event on Facebook, click here.

February 14 – Ontario Campuses
This Valentine’s Day, we’ll be talking to students, staff and faculty about $15 & Fairness at campuses across the province. We’ll be collecting signatures on our petition for $15 & fairness and inviting people to write valentines to their boss – click here to see a sample valentine. For the most recent list of February 14 campus events, click here, we’ll be updating it regularly.

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY
10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Mackintosh-Corey Hall, 68 University Ave. click here for a map 
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

CARLETON UNIVERSITY
10:00 am to 12:00 pm | Second floor of Loeb (the tunnel) click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY – MAIN CAMPUS (WATERLOO)
10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Concourse click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY – BRANTFORD CAMPUS
10:00 am to 5:00 pm | RCW Lobby, 73 George St. click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

NIPISSING UNIVERSITY
10:00 am TO 3:00 pm | 100 College Drive (outside the campus shop) click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

BROCK UNIVERSITY
10:00 am to 4:00 pm| Mackenzie Chown A.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY
10:30 am – 4:00 pm | Mills Library Lobby, 1280 Main St. W. click here for a map 
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

YORK UNIVERSITY
11:00 am to 1:00 pm | Central Square click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
11:00 am to 2:00 pm | Faculty of Arts & Sciences, 100 St George St. click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Bridge between POD and Library Building click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 15
YORK UNIVERSITY: SOLIDARITY RALLY
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm | Tim Hortons at the Central Square click here for a map
Aramark food service workers at York University are bargaining a new contract and need our support to get a fair deal. Over 100 allies joined our first solidarity rally. Let’s double the numbers for this one, and help the workers win a $15 minimum wage and fair working conditions.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 16
BRANTFORD: PUBLIC FORUM FOR $15 & FAIRNESS
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm | RCW Lobby, 73 George St. click here for a map
Save the date! We will be hosting a panel of community members and movement leaders to share why they believe $15 & Fairness is important. Speakers will include students, Wilfrid Laurier University faculty, community members, representatives from the Decent Work & Health Network, as well as Fight for $15 & Fairness movement leaders.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 18
WEST TORONTO BLITZ
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm | Tim Hortons, 1094 Bloor St West click here for a map
Do you live in the West End? Join us in the neighbourhood to spread the word for the Fight for $15 & Fairness! We need to send a message to our elected members of provincial parliament (MPPs) – help us mobilize our neighbours and get organized.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 21
TORONTO: FIGHT FOR $15 AND FAIRNESS CITY-WIDE ORGANIZING MEETING
5:30 to 8:00 pm | Suite 223, 720 Spadina Ave click here for a map
Join us for our next city-wide Fight for $15 and Fairness organizing meeting! We know we have the majority with us, but we need to organize this sentiment and put pressure on our MPPs to make sure we get the legislative changes we need in 2017! Snacks at 5:30 pm – Meeting begins at 6:00 pm and finishes at 8:00 pm.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 25
SCARBOROUGH OUTREACH
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm | Scarborough Town Centre Subway entrance click here for a map
Come out on Saturday February 25 and bring a friend 🙂 We’ll meet at the Scarborough Town Centre entrance adjacent to the station. There will be petitions and leaflets ready to go, and together we’ll talk with passersby about the fight for decent work for all.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

The past few weeks have been difficult, with members of our communities targeted by hateful attacks and policies. In response, however, millions of people have mobilized in an incredible show of solidarity, and resistance. Magnificent demonstrations have taken place starting with the Women’s March on January 21, which brought together 60,000 people in Toronto alone – see the BlogTO clip from the action here.

The Fight for $15 and Fairness sends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed in Quebec City when a gunman opened fire in the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec. From borders to the workplace, we must all stand up against Islamophobia and racism. We call on all supporters of decent work to join the National Days of Action Against Islamophobia and White Supremacy, February 3-4.

While we speak out against the attack on the Muslim community in Quebec City or the racist and Islamophobic immigration policies, we must also oppose the everyday incidents of Islamophobia and racism in our workplaces. Far too often workers — especially those in precarious employment — are singled out for racist and Islamophobic harassment, with little recourse. 

Food service workers at York University and the University of Toronto (members of Unite Here Local 75), for example, have been directly targeted for racist and Islamophobic mistreatment as they fight for higher wages and better working conditions. Many of the workers who are organizing are workers of colour, are newcomers to Canada or are women. 

They need our support: 
Sign the letter at york15.ca to support the food service workers who are standing up against anti-Black racism and Islamophobia, as they fight for $15 and fair working conditions. 

Already sent your letter? Take a solidarity selfie explaining your support, share it on social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #15andFairness and #YorkU.

For upcoming Fight for $15 & Fairness events in your community, please scroll down. Can’t see an event near you? Let us know how we can help you to organize one in your neighbourhood, campus or workplace.

February 4
Come out to one of the Ontario rallies taking place as part of the pan-Canadian Days of Action Against Islamophobia and White Supremacy. To see the full list of events, click here.

TORONTO
11:30 am to 2:30 pm | Southeast Corner of Dundas & University click here for a map
We are meeting an hour before the Toronto rally to build support for Aramark workers facing Islamophobia and anti-Black racisn at their workplace.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

LONDON
12:30 pm to 2:30 pm | Victoria Park click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

OTTAWA:
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm | Human Rights Monument click here for a map
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 7
TORONTO: FIGHT FOR $15 AND FAIRNESS CITY-WIDE ORGANIZING MEETING
5:30 to 8:00 pm | Suite 223, 720 Spadina Ave click here for a map
Join us for our next city-wide Fight for $15 and Fairness organizing meeting! We know we have the majority with us, but we need to organize this sentiment and put pressure on our MPPs to make sure we get the legislative changes we need in 2017! Snacks at 5:30 pm – Meeting begins at 6:00 pm and finishes at 8:00 pm.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 8
OTTAWA: FIGHT FOR $15 & FAIRNESS ORGANIZING MEETING
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm | Centretown United Church, 507 Bank St click here for a map
We have lots of exciting plans in the works! We’re coming up with fun and creative February actions, ramping up our campus organizing, and getting ready for taking our message to our local MPPs. Get involved! In case you have any questions, send an email to: [email protected]
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

February 14 – Ontario Campuses
It’s time to show workers some love! This Valentine’s Day, we’ll be talking to students, staff and faculty about $15 & Fairness at campuses across the province. We’ll be collecting signatures on our petition for $15 & fairness and inviting people to write valentines to their boss – to see a sample valentine, click here. How do you know your boss doesn’t love you? What would you love to get at work – paid sick days, a $15 minimum wage, fair scheduling? We might even have some yummy valentine treats to hand out to passersby. For requests for material or questions about hosting an event, please email [email protected].
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

YORK UNIVERSITY
11:00 am to 1:00 pm | Central Square click here for a map
The Fight for $15 and Fairness at York University is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special day of tabling! Stop by our table for a free slice of cake and participate in our “valentines to our bosses” activity by sharing why your boss doesn’t love you!
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY – BRANTFORD CAMPUS
RCW Lobby click here for a map
Laurier-Brantford Fight for $15 & Fairness will be tabling in solidarity with other campuses across Ontario on February 14. We will organize “Your Boss Doesn’t Love You” activities to celebrate the day with fellow students, staff and faculty. To stay in the loop about this event, join our Facebook group by visiting this page. For more information please send an email to [email protected].

Thanks to thousands of supporters across Ontario and the important work we undertook last year, 2017 is off to a fantastic start for the Fight for $15 & Fairness! Within the first two weeks of January, organizing meetings for the campaign were held in Oshawa, Toronto, Niagara and by the Decent Work & Health Network. In fact, shout outs to the freshly-launched University of Toronto chapter, which already hosted two separate events!

The growing excitement for the campaign is also making headlines. Earlier this week, CBC reported: “labour groups are optimistic Premier Kathleen Wynne and her provincial Liberals will follow Alberta’s lead and commit to raising Ontario’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.” We are not surprised because the Forum Research poll released last fall showed that two-thirds of Canadians support a $15 minimum wage — and support is well over 70% among Liberal and NDP voters. Clearly, the Fight for $15 & Fairness has momentum.

However, winning $15 & Fairness will be an uphill battle. Employers are running scared and putting everything they’ve got into blocking our fair and just demands. That’s why we need your support now more than ever. Scroll down to find out what is already happening in your community. Can’t see an event near you? Let us know how we can help you to organize a Fight for $15 & Fairness event in your neighbourhood.

January 21
TORONTO: WOMEN’S MARCH
11:30 am to 2:00 pm | Northwest Corner of College & University click here for a map
Join the $15 & Fairness contingent at Toronto Women’s March this Saturday. We’ll be meeting at 11:30 am to form our contingent with banners, colorful signs and buttons. We know that decent work, a $15 minimum wage, equal pay, paid sick days and union rights are all women’s issues. Women and racialized workers are over-represented in low-income, precarious employment. Nearly 60% of minimum wage earners are women, and 35% are workers of color. March with us on January 21st.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

HAMILTON: OUTREACH BLITZ
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | King & James, Jackson Square click here for a map
The Fight for 15 Hamilton crew is hitting the mall to spread the word and talk to workers about key campaign demands. We think its important to send a message that workers in Hamilton and Ontario are sick of living in poverty. So we’re making a “Wall of Wages” to show our community just exactly what people are earning. Come and join this creative action!
For more information about the event, contact [email protected]

January 24
YORK UNIVERSITY: ORGANIZING MEETING
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | Rm 430 York Student Centre click here for a map
At this Fight for $15 and Fairness – York University chapter meeting, we will be planning upcoming campaign events as well as developing strategies to support the food service workers on campus. Join us and share your ideas.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

January 26
OTTAWA: $15 & FAIRNESS ORGANIZING MEETING
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm | 251 Bank Street click here for a map
2017 is going to be the year of $15 & fairness! Come out to the first organizing meeting of the year to plan our upcoming actions in Ottawa. Bring your ideas and bring your friends! Labour and anti-poverty activists, students and community members have been organizing across Ontario to win fair wages and fair laws for workers.The next few months are crucial to win progressive change, come and be a part of the solution.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

January 31
TORONTO: FIGHT FOR $15 AND FAIRNESS CITY-WIDE ORGANIZING MEETING
5:30 to 8:00 pm | Suite 223, 720 Spadina Avenue click here for a map
Join us for our next city-wide Fight for $15 and Fairness organizing meeting! We know we have the majority with us, but we need to organize this sentiment and put pressure on our MPPs to make sure we get the legislative changes we need in 2017! Snacks at 5:30 pm – Meeting begins at 6:00 pm and finishes at 8:00 pm.
To RSVP and share on Facebook, click here.

Do you have an upcoming Fight for $15 and Fairness event that isn’t listed here?Email us at [email protected] so we can include it in the next e-mail update! For the most up-to-date listing of campaign events, watch this space.

Ending the year on a high note! 
After months of incredible organizing done throughout communities across Ontario, we are expecting the final recommendations of the Changing Workplaces Review to be released at the end of March or early April. Kevin Flynn, the Minister of Labour, has promised to table meaningful legislative changes in the Spring of 2017.

This means: the next six months may be the most important ones yet. We need to make sure that every Member of Provincial Parliament, from every political party, hears from us and knows that we are expecting them to do everything they can to improve labour and employment laws in this province. We simply cannot wait another year for better labour and employment laws. 

But we know there is powerful opposition from employer organizations who will be stepping up their game in 2017 to try to prevent the government from implementing changes that will improve wages and working conditions for Ontario workers.

We’ve got the momentum
South of the border, workers have mobilized to win pathways to $15 in cities and states across the US. Importantly, workers are also winning fairness: including paid sick days, fairer scheduling, measures to mitigate involuntary part-time, phasing-out tiered wages for tipped and young workers. Workers are standing up to bosses’ intimidation and demanding union rights in their thousands, as evidenced by the incredible mobilization on November 29 — the Fight for $15’s Day of Disruption in the US.This magnificent action gives us a glimpse of what might be possible here in Canada. We know there is a tremendous appetite to raise the minimum wage and improve employment standards for all workers. In fact,

This magnificent action gives us a glimpse of what might be possible here in Canada. We know there is a tremendous appetite to raise the minimum wage and improve employment standards for all workers. In fact, a recent poll shows that two-thirds of voters in Canada support a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile, the province of Alberta will have a $15 minimum wage by 2018. In Ontario, Mississauga Library workers – members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees – won a $15 minimum wage after going on strike for 17 days.

2017 is our year to win!
The solidarity we are generating is building the confidence of workers to demand more. From airport workers to janitors and from food service workers to retail clerks, we have an incredible opportunity to build a movement that will bring in stronger laws for the province and leverage better collective agreements for our workplaces.

The corporations may have millions of dollars, but we have the strength of millions of workers who need, want and deserve fair pay and better work. Our challenge is to organize this sentiment. We need to bring new workers into the Fight for $15 and Fairness in every community, every workplace, and every campus. That’s why our actions in 2017 really matter. We need your energy, activism, and commitment to make this happen.

Thanks to all your work, support, and solidarity in 2016, we have made enormous strides. This year has been packed with of organizing, outreach, MPP visits, demonstrations, singing, door-knocking, strategizing, speaking out, meeting and teleconferencing! Just in this past month alone, hundreds have participated in the Decent Work Sing-Along challenge and spread $15 & Fairness cheer.

We hope you take some well-deserved time with friends and family so that we can hit the ground running in January 2017. Happy Holidays and Merry Workplaces!