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Pages tagged "In the News"


CTV News: Critics hold rally to reinstate $15 minimum wage

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 24, 2018 11:51 AM

By Miranda Anthistle

Critics hold rally to reinstate $15 minimum wage

Hundreds gathered outside the Ministry of Labour to protest the government's decision to freeze the minimum wage at $14 an hour.

Watch the CTV News full story

 


North Bay Nugget: Workers' rights advocates let down by Fedeli

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 24, 2018 11:41 AM

By Gord Young

Workers’ rights advocates demonstrated in North Bay Wednesday against the Progressive Conservative government’s plan to roll back labour reforms.

Armed with placards, about a dozen people rallied at the base of the Lakeshore Drive overpass near Judge Street, calling on the Doug Ford government to nix legislation tabled this week that will freeze Ontario’s minimum wage at $14 for another two years and do away with many of the other labour reforms introduced by the previous Liberal government.

“It really makes me pretty upset and incredibly disappointed in our elected MPP Vic Fedeli,” said organizer Jared Hunt, of the government’s Making Ontario Open for Business Act. “People believe he is the kind of person that will truly stand up for the people in our riding and people in need.”

Hunt said there are many people in Ontario and Nipissing who work low-wage jobs. And he asked who will fight to protect their rights from being “steamrolled” if it’s not Fedeli, who is Ontario’s finance minister.

He said there’s a disproportionate number of newcomers, women, seniors and those with disabilities who hold low-wage jobs.

“That’s the real impact on the community,” said Hunt, noting such employment is no longer reserved mostly for students or those wanting entry-level or part-time work.

He said that’s evident at places like Home Depot and Tim Hortons where there are employees are from all walks of life. Hunt said many low-income earners also have more than one part-time job because full-time work is harder to come by.

“That’s what Bill 148 (the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act) was trying to help with,” he said, noting the labour reforms introduced by the former Liberal government were intended to make life better for those workers.

He said measures such as fair scheduling and sick days were aimed at bringing more balance to the lives of low-income earners who are often consumed on a day-to-day basis by work and the sovereignty of employers.

“We’re going to continue to apply pressure,” said Hunt, noting the Nipissing Decent Work group and other advocates will be looking to leverage public support and plan to step up their efforts through events and lobbying.

The Progressive Conservatives say businesses were hurt by the changes brought in by the previous regime and that it plans to link future increases to minimum wage to the rate of inflation.

“The previous government brought in a tsunami of new burdens and regulations that have imposed significant unnecessary costs on businesses and stifled economic growth,” said Economic Development Minister Jim Wilson as the government detailed its proposed labour legislation.

Minimum wage increased from $11.60 to $14 an hour on Jan. 1, and was set to rise to $15 an hour next year as a result of the Liberal law. Under the government’s new legislation, it will remain at $14 until October 2020.

The government’s labour bill, if passed, will also cut two paid personal leave days for workers, bringing their total to eight – three for personal illness, two for bereavement leave and three for family responsibilities.

The legislation keeps provisions brought in by the Liberals that granted workers up to 10 days of leave if they or their child experiences domestic or sexual violence. It will also maintain regulations that grant Ontario workers three weeks of paid vacation after five years of service.

But a number of scheduling provisions will be scrapped under the Tory bill, including a minimum of three hours pay in the event a shift is cancelled 48 hours or less before it was scheduled to begin.

The North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce and its provincial counterpart applauded the move Tuesday, maintaining that former Liberal government’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act was “too much, too fast.”

“The compounding labour reforms and unintended consequences came at too high a cost to Ontario’s economy,” stated a release, which also welcomed the dissolution of the Ontario College of Trades and improvements to the journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio.

The college “has become overly focused on enforcement and regulation, limiting its ability to serve the public interest by attracting and training new tradespeople,” said the release.

Read the North Bay Nugget full story


Inside Halton: Oakville protesters call on Doug Ford to leave labour reforms alone

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 16, 2018 1:45 PM

By David Lea 

A group of residents concerned about the future of worker’s rights in this province took to the streets of Oakville to make their voices heard on Monday, Oct. 15.

Around 20 people participated in a late afternoon protest on the Trafalgar Road QEW overpass in defence of Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act.

The act, which was put in place by the previous Liberal government, would introduce a $15 minimum wage starting Jan. 1.

Other features of the act included requirements that employers:

• provide employees with two paid sick days per year;

• provide three weeks of paid vacation after five years of service;

•pay part-time, casual, temporary and seasonal employees the same rate as regular employees when they perform substantially the same work.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has pledged to scrap the bill and freeze the minimum wage at $14-an-hour.

Ford has argued the labour reforms hurt business and kill jobs.

At the Oakville protest residents waved signs reading “$15 is fair” and “Sick Days.”

One larger banner protesters waved at passing vehicles said “Doug Ford hands off $15 min. wage & decent work.”

The group also hung a banner from the overpass stating they were proud to support a $15 minimum wage and decent work for all.

Oakville resident Pat Robinson said she was participating in the protest because Ford scrapping the bill would impact the students at the adult education centre she teaches at.

She said the students need those paid sick days so they can take time off when they are sick without financial hardship.

She also pointed out that some of these people have jobs as food handlers and as such are not really people one wants coming to work when they are sick.

“Those other parts of the bill beyond the minimum wage increase are basic human rights,” said Robinson.

The Oakville teacher also disputed Ford’s claims that Bill 148 is a job killer noting that her husband is a small-business owner who pays his employees $15-an-hour.

“Your business model should be able to afford to do that,” she said.

Maureen Weinberger, president of the Oakville & District Labour Council also participated in the protest.

She said the group is there because it believes in a $15 minimum wage and decent work for everyone.

“We’re fortunate our affiliated groups belong to unions and we have unions to bargain for us and get us decent wages and benefits, but there are lots of people out there, our daughters and sons, our families, our friends, the people in the community, who don’t have that and we think that’s wrong,” said Weinberger.

“Everyone should have the right to decent work, decent pay and a decent life. That supports all of us. We spend our money in our communities and that creates jobs and gets our economy working well in our communities.”

Weinberger said her daughter runs a small business and pays her employees well above minimum wage.

“I think you create a business plan. That means you can have a good life and the people who help you earn that good life also can have a good life,” said Weinberger.

“I don’t see how that is a problem.”

The Oakville protest was part of a larger day of action, which saw demonstrations organized by the Ontario Federation of Labour in more than 20 Ontario municipalities.

Read the Inside Halton full story


Muskoka Region: Fight for $15 and Fairness comes to Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP’s office

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 1:26 PM

By Alison Brownlee

MUSKOKA — Demonstrators clutched their signs and stood in front of Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller’s office in Bracebridge despite rain on Monday.

Diana McConnell, organizer of Parry Sound-Muskoka Decent Work in support of Fight for $15 and Fairness, said the demonstrators wanted to build momentum in the region for a $15 minimum wage and better laws to protect workers, despite the PC government’s plans to repeal Bill 148.

The bill, brought into law by the previous provincial government, would have raised the minimum wage to $15 by January 2019, while also providing personal emergency days for workers, more financial fairness for part-time, temporary, casual and contract workers, additional health and safety oversight, and more.

“It’s important here in Muskoka and Parry Sound,” said McConnell. “We want to keep Bill 148. It’s the law.”

Demonstrators argued anyone working full-time should have access to a living wage, while noting low wages often disproportionately affected women, many of whom fill minimum wage roles, especially in the service industry.

Petitions that called on the provincial government to honour and enforce Bill 148, “to ensure no worker is left without protection,” were available at The Hub, 1 Crescent Rd., Huntsville, and YWCA Muskoka, 440 Ecclestone Dr., Bracebridge.

Find Parry Sound-Muskoka Decent Work on Facebook for more information.

Read the Muskoka Region full story


CTV London: Fighting for Bill 148

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 1:23 PM

Organized labour rallies around the bill that would see minimum wage increase to 15 dollars per hour. Brent Lale reports.

CTV London: Day of Action October 15

Watch the CTV London full story


CTV News Ottawa: Protestors want $15 an hour minimum wage

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 1:15 PM

By Michael O'Byrne

Worker call for return to Ont. Government plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, CTV's Michael O'Byrne reports.

CTV News Ottawa Day of Action

Watch the CTV News Ottawa full story


CTV News: Labour protests against minimum wage change

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 1:06 PM

By Janice Goldin

Watch CTV News full story

The new provincial government's changes are not sitting well with everyone. 

Watch the CTV News full story


ICI: Des manifestants demandent le retour du salaire horaire minimum à 15 $

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 12:56 PM

Plusieurs manifestants, qui ont organisé des rassemblements un peu partout en Ontario, ont demandé lundi au premier ministre de la province de revenir sur sa décision et de maintenir la hausse du salaire minimum qui devait avoir lieu le premier janvier prochain.

Le groupe Fight for $15 and Fairness (battons-nous pour 15 $ et pour l'égalité), qui est l'oeuvre de la Fédération du travail de l'Ontario, est derrière l'événement panprovincial.

Les manifestants exigent que le gouvernement progressiste-conservateur au pouvoir garde en place la loi 148, approuvée par les libéraux en novembre 2017. Celle-ci, baptisée la loi pour l'équité en milieu de travail et de meilleurs emplois, prévoyait une augmentation du salaire minimum à 15 $ l'heure en janvier 2019, en plus d'ajouter de meilleures conditions pour les travailleurs, comme davantage de journées de maladie payées, une sécurité d'emploi et des horaires stables.

Arrivé au pouvoir, Doug Ford a décidé de faire marche arrière et de ne pas augmenter le salaire minimum. Il restera donc à 14 $ l'heure jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Le premier ministre désire aussi abolir complètement la loi, qui fait perdre beaucoup d'argent aux petites entreprises selon lui.

La militante Roxanne Dubois souhaite que le salaire minimum en Ontario soit de 15$ de l'heure.
La militante Roxanne Dubois souhaite que le salaire minimum en Ontario soit de 15 $ l'heure. Photo : Radio-Canada

 

Le président de la Fédération du travail de l'Ontario, Chris Buckley doit rencontrer lundi la ministre ontarienne du Travail, Laurie Scott et le ministre ontarien du Commerce, Jim Wilson pour discuter des enjeux reliés aux conditions des travailleurs en Ontario. Le ministre du Commerce dit qu'il analyse présentement différentes options. Jim Wilson ajoute que certaines portions de la loi pourraient demeurer en place, alors que d'autres seront abolies.

« Nous sommes en train de la réviser et nous en aurons plus long à dire plus tard » précise M. Wilson.

La Fédération du travail de l'Ontario promet plusieurs autres manifestations en Ontario au cours des prochaines semaines.

Read the ICI full story


Black Burn News: Union holds Day of Action to remember ‘historic’ college strike

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 12:51 PM

By Angelica Haggert

It’s been one year since the province-wide college faculty strike left students and professors out of the classroom for more than a month.

To commemorate the day, front-line college workers across Ontario are participating in a “Day of Action”.

They’re also fighting for the recently cancelled $15/hr minimum wage increase.

“Equal pay for equal work is the law,” said OPSEU President Warren Thomas. “It needs to stay that way.”

There will be events at all college campuses, ranging from information tables to picket lines. According to an OPSEU release, some college campuses were trying to suppress Day of Action events.

“I am deeply concerned,” said OPSEU College Faculty Division Chair RM Kennedy in response. “Post-secondary institutions are important sites for inquiry and debate on matters of public concern.”

Thomas said despite the mess left by the strike, it wasn’t all bad.

“It was a historic strike in the sense that we made major gains on academic freedom, on precarious work,” said Thomas. “Even though it was a nasty five-week strike, there was still some good to come out of the bad.”

Thomas said the union has added the “Fight for $15” into their Day of Action because of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s first 100 days in office. On his first day, Ford cancelled the College Task Force, ending the joint system review.

Thomas said Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs movement has already improved the lives of college system workers. He called cancelling the task force and the $15 an hour minimum wage “stupid.”

“It’s pure vengefulness, short-sighted,” said Thomas. “Either that or he doesn’t care what anyone thinks.”

The strike, which saw college faculty walk off the job on October 16, 2017, was focused on academic freedom and a more fair split between full time and part-time faculty.

Read the Black Burn news full story


Toronto Star: Protesters urge Ford to keep worker protections, minimum wage bump in place

Posted on Media by Jessica · October 15, 2018 12:47 PM

By Sarah Mojtehedzadeh

Protesters rallied across the province Monday urging Premier Doug Ford not to scrap new worker protections after he pledged earlier this month to repeal the law giving Ontarians two paid sick days, equal pay for equal work and a minimum wage bump.

In Toronto, at least 200 protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Labour in support of a $15 minimum wage, currently scheduled to come into effect in January. Ford has pledged to freeze it at $14 and scrap the rest of Bill 148, which was enacted late last year to tackle the rise of precarious work.

“I have the same bills as most families and I’m struggling to pay them,” said Christine, who addressed Monday’s rally and is only being identified by her first name for fear of reprisal at one of her four minimum-wage employers.

“We’ve been prisoners in our homes because, aside from work, we can’t afford to go anywhere. Who lives like that?”

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has called for a “full repeal” of the new legislation, which it says has “created a number of compounding changes that created greater administrative and financial pressure on employers.”

At Queen’s Park Monday, Ford said the minimum wage hike from $11.60 to $14, which took place earlier this year, increased payroll costs by 22 per cent — and that a further bump to $15 in January would increase them by 32 per cent.

“I’m guessing already 60,000 people have already lost their jobs,” he said.

On a year-over-year basis, employment increased by 1.1 per cent, or 79,000 jobs, in Ontario in August, according to Statistics Canada.

In addition to increasing the province’s minimum wage, Bill 148 provided two paid, job-protected emergency leave days for all workers, increased holiday entitlement, mandated equal pay for casual and part-time workers doing the same job as full-time employees, enshrined, improved scheduling protections and boosted protections for temp agency workers.

The legislation represents the most sweeping change to the province’s labour laws in decades, and was implemented after two years of research and public consultation conducted by two independent labour experts. About one-third of Ontario’s workforce are vulnerable workers in low-wage, precarious employment, according to the final 400-page report written by the two experts about proposed labour reforms.

“It’s not realistic. We’re going to create good-paying jobs. We’re going to make sure that the part-time person gets treated very well,” Ford said in response to questions in the legislature from New Democrat MPP Sara Singh (Brampton Centre).

“But you have to keep in mind the person that’s been working there 15 years. You can’t treat a part-timer the same way.”

Monday’s rally was spearheaded by unions, worker advocates, and the Fight for $15 movement, which has successfully fought for a higher minimum wage and other protections for precarious workers in cities like San Francisco, Seattle and New York.

“We are not willing to turn the clock back to 40 years ago” said Deena Ladd of the Toronto-based Workers’ Action Centre. “This is not asking too much. These are basic rights.”

United Steelworkers Union International vice-president Carol Landry told the crowd outside the Ministry of Labour she could “not believe in 2018 these are the choices we are giving working families.”

“Our message is, Premier Ford, do the right thing.”

Gilleen Pearce, who owns a Toronto-based dog walking service, said she attended the rally because the “Chamber of Commerce does not speak for everyone.”

“The narrative about business has 100 per cent been hijacked by right-leaning, anti-worker voices,” said Pearce, who is also the spokesperson for the Better Way Alliance — a group of Ontario employers that supports Bill 148.

“I don’t want workers to feel all business owners are against them.”

At another action orchestrated by Toronto teachers, Roopa Cheema said she was worried about the potential impact on her students if the bill is scrapped.

“This minimum wage issue is an education issue because our students’ living conditions are their learning conditions,” she said, adding many of her high school students from low-income households are working to pay their families’ bills.

“They are coming to school hungry and exhausted and stressed and anxious,” she said. “These are not high school students saving to go to university. They’re working to keep the lights on.”

Read the Toronto Star full story


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Fight for $15 and Fairness

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Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T9

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