Today's Statistics Canada report reveals that Ontario is leading the country in job creation and July's unemployment rate has fallen to 5.4% -- the lowest rate since 2000. Youth employment in Ontario increased, which means more young people are finding jobs. These results fly in the face of Big Business lobby groups -- like the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce -- that made outlandish claims that raising the minimum wage would kill jobs, especially for youth. As we can see, nothing could be further from the truth. And yet, the new Ontario government is still preparing to cancel our $15 minimum wage and roll back our other labour law victories. We can't let this happen.
The clock is ticking.
Doug Ford is clearly wasting no time in advancing his agenda. Not only has he launched a direct attack on municipal representation in Toronto, he’s taken out his own Conservative rival Patrick Brown by cancelling elections for the four regional chair positions.
In just a few short weeks, the new Conservative government has legislated striking workers back to work, cut the scheduled increase in social assistance rates, cancelled the basic income pilot project affecting thousands of low-income families, and implemented a hiring freeze that will make it harder to deliver the public services we rely on. This hiring freeze also undermines the government’s ability to enforce our new labour laws and eliminates the 100 additional Employment Standards Officers who would have been hired for that purpose.
Clearly, it is only a matter of time before the new government tables legislation intended to roll back our hard won labour law reforms. But each day without legislation is one more day we have to organize and activate the majority of Ontarians who support a $15 minimum wage and decent work for all.
The fight is not over and we need you more than ever!
Mobilize and organize!
Across Ontario, $15 and Fairness fighters have been collecting signatures on our new petition demanding the government protect -- and extend -- the improvements we’ve won through Bill 148. Already, eight (8) MPPs have read our new petition in the legislative assembly and more have promised to do so in the days ahead.
But we need many more people to be collecting signatures, in workplaces, campuses, and communities in every riding. We should aim to have an MPP reading our petitions into the legislative assembly every single day the legislature sits. We must use every opportunity we have to remind Premier Doug Ford and other government MPPs that WE are the people and we want our $15 minimum wage, fair scheduling laws, equal pay rules (regardless of whether we work full-time, part-time, contract, or temporarily), union rights, and more.
Click here to download our excellent new online tools, from posters & petitions to leaflets & fact sheets.
To order lawn signs and banners, click here.
We are the majority!
Never forget: 60% of voters did NOT support Doug Ford and among those who did, post-election surveys show that some 40% also support the $15 minimum wage. Indeed, a recent Angus Reid poll shows that fully two-thirds of all Canadians – 66% – support a $15 minimum wage!
Click here to download our latest sharable.
But good sentiment is not enough. It is urgent that we find ways of pulling everyone who supports $15 and Fairness into activity, regardless of how they voted. A great example is in Barrie, where former NDP, Liberal and Green candidates joined forces to mobilize at Kempenfest – local festival. Click here to read more.
There’s no doubt that the majority of Ontarians want decent work for all and we clearly have momentum. The only thing working against us is time. It’s a race against the clock to organize and activate every single person who wants to fight. That’s why your efforts are so crucial. Let’s do our very best to beat the clock. Millions of workers are counting on us to do just that.
Join an action near you or contact us to find out how you too can organize an event in your neighbourhood, campus, or workplace.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, August 10
Northumberland Coalition for Social Justice MPP Picket (Cobourg)
4:00 pm | Constituency Office of David Piccini, Unit 7, 513 Division Street (across from No Frills, north of KFC)
The recently-formed Northumberland Coalition for Social Justice is calling for all Northumberland residents committed to social justice to join the information picket called by the Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty (NCAP) at the time and place set out above. NCAP, together with anti-poverty organizations across the province, is calling for the Ford government to reverse its cut to the planned increase in social assistance rates and for an open and transparent process for future changes. For more information about the Ford cuts or Friday’s picket contact Deborah O'Connor, (905) 372-3646. Text 905-376-3110 or e-mail [email protected] for more information about the Northumberland Coalition for Social Justice.
Saturday, August 11
Fighting Austerity, Building a powerful movement (London)
12:00 noon – 3:00 pm | Unifor Local 27 Hall 606 First Street
Join us to discuss building a movement to challenge the new government's plans to impose austerity. Guest speakers include: John Clarke from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Mike Palacheck from CUPW, Pam Frache from the Fight for $15 & Fairness, and Patti Dalton from the London District Labour Council. See you there! To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Sunday, August 12
Ottawa petitioning blitz – Lansdowne Farmers’ Market
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm | 900 Exhibition Way
Ontario workers are expecting a $15 minimum wage on January 1st 2019. We are ready and organized to defend the rights that we won, and push for more! We'll be reaching out to folks at the Lansdowne Farmers’ Market this Sunday! See you there! To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Outreach Blitz at Christie Pits (Toronto)
5:45 pm – 7:30 pm | Christie Pits
Ontario workers are expecting a $15 minimum wage on January 1st 2019. We are ready and organized to defend the rights that we won, and push for more! We'll be reaching out to folks at Christie Pits on a lovely sunday evening. Meet us at 5:45pm at the south east corner of the park near Christie and Bloor. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Tuesday, August 14
Toronto-Wide Organizing Meeting
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm | 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 202
We are the people that Premier Doug Ford says he represents, so let’s get him prepared to add decent work to the agenda. Join us for this next organizing meeting to find out how we can make this happen and what is next in our campaign. Snacks served at 5:30 pm. Meeting begins at 6:00 pm, finishes at 8:00 pm. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Thursday, August 16
Kingston Summer Social and Fundraiser
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm | Grad Club, 2nd Floor (corner of Barrie and Union) Kingston
Join us for this summer social with guest speaker David Bush (Toronto Fight for $15 and Fairness). We’ll be discussing where the Ford Agenda and the Fight for $15 and Fairness. We’ll be hosting a 50/50 draw to help fund campaign materials. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Saturday, August 18
Britannia Beach Pop-Up Know Your Rights Primer & Petitioning (Ottawa)
11:00 am – 2:00 pm | Britannia Beach
Join us as we spread the word about our new employment rights. Workers can’t enforce what they don’t know they have. A big part of our battle is making sure that workers know their rights so they can work together to enforce them. Join us at Britannia Beach to help us spread the word, collect signatures on our petition and increase the pressure on our elected representatives at Queen’s Park. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here. For more information: [email protected]
Outreach Blitz in Mimico
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm | Birds and Beans Coffee
Ontario workers are expecting a $15 minimum wage on January 1st 2019. We are ready and organized to defend the rights that we won, and push for more. We'll be speaking to families and workers in Mimico to collect petitions that we will deliver to MPP's at Queens Park to make our voices heard! We'll meet first at the Birds and Beans cafe at 1pm. (Take the 76 bus from Royal York station). Call Jared at 647-273-5285 to find us if you're coming a bit late or for more information. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Outreach Blitz at Moss Park Festival (Toronto)
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Moss Park Festival
Moss Park festival will feature local entertainment, fun and interactive activities, market place vendors, and a community BBQ - Free Barbeque at 1pm- 2pm. The event is free and open to all! Join the Fight for $15 & Fairness as we do outreach and talk to the festival attendees about the need for a $15 minimum wage and decent work for all. We will collect petitions that we will deliver to MPP's at Queens Park to make our voices heard! To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Tuesday, August 21
Ottawa Organizing Meeting
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm | 251 Bank Street
There’s no time to lose! Join us for this Ottawa area organizing meeting. Help us send a message to Queen’s Park: Ottawa supports $15 and Fairness. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Workshop: Door-Knocking and Influencing MPPs (Toronto)
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm | 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 202
Let's make sure all Members of Provincial Parliament are decent work champions. This summer, 30 MPPs signed our decent work pledge and many MPPs have already read our petitions into the legislature. But, we need to encourage all of them to do the same this fall. Join us for a workshop on how to influence your MPP to support decent work. We’ll learn everything from how to grab the attention of your MPP to running an effective in-person meeting. Snacks served at 5:30 pm. Meeting begins at 6:00 pm, finishes at 8:00 pm. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Saturday, August 25
Herongate Tenant Coalition Fundraiser (Ottawa)
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Happy Goat Coffee Co, 33 Laurel Street
Join the Ottawa area Fight for $15 and Fairness as they support Herongate tenants.
Outreach Blitz in Weston (Toronto)
12:00 noon - 2:00 pm | Northwest corner of Weston Road and Lawrence Ave W by the clocktower.
Ontario workers are expecting a $15 minimum wage on January 1st 2019. We are ready and organized to defend the rights that we won, and push for more. We'll be speaking to families and workers in Weston to collect petitions that we will deliver to MPP's at Queens Park to make our voices heard! To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Saturday, August 25 AND Sunday, 26
$15 and Fairness Outreach Blitz at TamilFest (Scarborough)
Choose your shift(s): 2:00 pm-4:00 pm OR 4:00 pm-6:00 pm | Markham Road between McNicholl Avenue and Passmore Avenue, Scarborough
Tamil Fest is the largest Tamil street festival of its kind outside of the Indian subcontinent. This two-day festival is expected to draw thousands of people from across North America and is a unique platform to showcase and exhibit traditional and modern Tamil culture, cuisine, arts and entertainment. Join the Fight for $15 & Fairness as we do outreach and talk to the festival attendees about the need for a $15 minimum wage and decent work for all. We will be having 2 shifts on Saturday, August 25; and 2 shifts on Sunday, August 26. The shifts will be 2-4pm, and 4-6pm for both days. To RSVP for August 25, click here; to RSVP for August 26, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Sunday, August 26
$15 and Fairness at Ottawa Pride
1:30 pm to 3:30 pm | Bank Street
We’re loud and proud and can’t wait to take $15 and Fairness to Ottawa’s Pride Parade with the message that all workers deserve protection! To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here. For more information: [email protected]
$15 & Fairness outreach blitz in Oakwood (Toronto)
12 pm noon - 2:00 pm | 1471 Eglinton Ave W (Meet at Coffee Time)
Ontario workers are expecting a $15 minimum wage on January 1st 2019. We are ready and organized to defend the rights that we won, and push for more. We'll be speaking to families and workers in Oakwood to collect petitions that we will deliver to MPP's at Queens Park to make our voices heard! P.S Extra exciting news: MPP Jill Andrews will be joining us this round. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Tuesday, August 28
Toronto-Wide Organizing Meeting
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm | 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 202
The momentum is with us and we are pulling out all the stops to protect and extend our new labour rights, including equal pay, fair scheduling, union rights, and our $15 minimum wage. Please note there will be a special caucus to discuss strategy and action to enforce the new equal pay protections for workers and faculty on college and university campuses. We are extending a special invitation for students, staff, and faculty to join us. Snacks served at 5:30 pm. Meeting begins at 6:00 pm, finishes at 8:00 pm. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Wednesday, August 29
Ottawa ACORN Herongate Press Conference
Save the date: Details TBA
Monday, September 3rd
LABOUR DAY - Events across Ontario
Check with your local labour council to find a Labour Day event in your community. Click here for a list of labour councils across Ontario.
Toronto 15 & Fairness at Labour Day
9:45 am - 12:45 pm | Trinity Bellwoods Park - 790 Queen St W
The Big Business lobby isn't going to stop and we won't stop until every single worker has $15 and real fairness at work. We'll meet at Trinity Bellwoods gates and will be spreading the word about what's at stake in the upcoming months. It's gonna be a morning of freezies and fun! To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Tuesday, September 4th
Workshop: Organizing Creative Actions
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm | 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 202
Join us for this workshop on how to organize creative, empowering and fun actions. The more creative and attractive our events, the more likely we'll be to draw new people into our movement. Together we’ll share tips and strategies for building the boldest actions possible. Snacks served at 5:30 pm, workshop begins at 6:00 pm and finishes at 8:00 pm. To RSVP click here and to spread the word on Facebook, click here.
Thursday, September 6th
Carleton University (Ottawa) Grad Fair Tabling
12:00 noon – 4:00 pm | Carleton University
Fighting for $15 and Fairness means fighting for equal pay for full-time, part-time and contract workers and faculty on campus. Join us for a petitioning blitz to help students, staff, and faculty enforce equal pay for equal work, and other current and scheduled provisions under the new law, including our $15 minimum wage. To RSVP, click here & to spread the word on Facebook, click here. For more information, email [email protected].
Tuesday, September 11th
Toronto-wide Organizing Meeting
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm | 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 202
There's no time to lose as we step up our fight for $15 and fairness! At this meeting, we'll share the latest news, information, action updates and strategies to mobilize the majority who want a $15 minimum wage and decent work. In addition to our ongoing caucuses, we will be hosting a special trade union caucus for union members. It will be a chance to share tips and learn more about organizing for $15 & Fairness and strengthening your union. You'll go home with all the tools you need to build this campaign with your fellow union members! Snacks served at 5:30 pm, workshop begins at 6:00 pm and finishes at 8:00 pm. To RSVP click here and to spread the word on Facebook, click here.