To defend decent work laws and the $15 minimum wage, Ontario workers are holding
the largest coordinated day of action in a decade
Toronto, Oct. 12, 2018 - Over 50 actions are expected on Monday, October 15, when
communities across Ontario mobilize in defense of new workers' rights brought in
by Bill 148: Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, including the $15 minimum wage that
is scheduled for January 1.
What stands to be the largest coordinated day of action for Ontario workers in the
past decade will target ridings of Conservative MPPs, after Premier Doug Ford revealed
the government is considering the full repeal of Bill 148, cancelling Ontario's
decent work laws.
"It is not too late for Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet to do the right thing
and help Ontario workers," said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley.
"This October 15, wherever Conservative MPPs look across the province, they'll find
workers who want, need and deserve decent work laws, including the $15 minimum wage."
"The law is the law, and as it stands, nearly 2 million workers are scheduled to
get a raise in 11 weeks," says Pam Frache, Coordinator of Fight for $15 & Fairness
Campaign. "Every single day we encounter people who tell us they voted for Premier
Ford because they thought his promise to be ‘for the people' meant standing up to
corporate elites, like Galen Weston and Rocco Rossi. Repealing Bill 148 now would
be a slap in the face of many workers who voted for Premier Ford," she added.
Rocco Rossi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, which
has repeatedly called for a full repeal of Bill 148. That same bill brought in modest
reforms like 10 days of job-protected emergency leave (the first two days paid),
equal pay for equal work, and making it easier to join and keep a union (read more
here).
Actions across the province range from public rallies, visits to the offices of
Conservative MPPs, workplace actions in support of $15 & Fairness, campus actions
at universities and colleges as well as neighbourhood outreach blitzes.
The day of action is coordinated by the Fight for $15 and Fairness and the Ontario
Federation of Labour as well as community, student, teacher, faculty, faith, health,
labour and non-profit associations across the province.
Scroll below for October 15 Actions, more details are coming, including actions
at Ontario's 24 colleges. To see the latest listing of events, visit www.15andFairness.org
or www.oflevents.ca
- AJAX
- ALLISTON
- AURORA
- BRAMPTON
- COBOURG
- ETOBICOKE
- HAMILTON
- 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 (location TBA)
-
https://www.facebook.com/events/163504867919883/
- LONDON
- MISSISSAUGA
- NEWMARKET
- NORTH BAY
- OAKVILLE
- OTTAWA
- PETERBOROUGH
- SCARBOROUGH
- ST. CATHARINES
- TORONTO
- WATERLOO