Ford and all his MPPs took away your rights at work. Tell them how you feel about it!

Christine Hogarth and every other stooge for the big business lobby in silver spoon rich boy Doug Ford's caucus voted to take away many of your rights as a worker in November as well as to delay the increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour. They even applauded themselves and their leader like trained seals when they did it.

The Financial Accountability Office just showed that the cancellation of the minimum wage raise has cost the most marginalized workers in Ontario around $400 a year. With the introduction of tax cuts to try to unsuccessfully offset this impact he is also asking all of us to subsidize the poverty wages paid by corporations and businesses.

There are many ways that you can fight back in your community and across the province. One visible way is to let your MPP know just what you think by posting these customized posters designed by the Fight for $15 & Fairness campaign.

This one was put up in the riding of Etobicoke Lakeshore today. You can download one customized to call out your Ford MPP or the Premier himself from the Fight for $15 & Fairness website.

October 15 is a Day of Action in Ontario! -- The Fight for $15 is far from over

The newly elected Conservative government of Doug Ford in Ontario has declared war on workers. At the behest of corporate interests and the wealthy they have said that the planned minimum wage hike to $15 an hour in January, 2019 will be halted.

This will take hundreds of dollars out of the pockets of some of the most marginalized and vulnerable workers in the province.

There is no question that higher minimum wages have a profound impact on the lives of workers at the lower end of the wage scale.

We see the devastating effect halting the planned increase would have on young people in Emma Paling's article: Doug Ford’s Minimum Wage Halt Will Increase Kids’ Exhaustion, Anxiety: Teachers.

Charles Smith points out that the minimum wage is also about fundamental issues of fairness in our society and economy in his article: Labour is essential': Living wage about more than just economics. Smith asks the critical question "What gives a business the right to profit off the labour of its employees while not compensating them in a way that allows them to live a full life, free from poverty?".

There are many other articles that help to counter the Chamber of Commerce style nonsense being parroted by the Ford regime. You can find some of them at:  Ten myth-busting articles about the minimum wage in Ontario.

But, it is not simply the minimum wage that is under threat. All of the hard won rights in Bill 148 are in jeopardy as is noted in Ontario Business Lobby Calls Additional Domestic Abuse Leave, Other Rules “Harmful to Business”, Begs Ford to Repeal It and Ford government prepares to drop the axe on labour reforms. 

This attack on the rights and wages of workers needs to be resisted which makes the upcoming October 15 Day of Action across Ontario being organized by the Fight for $15 and Fairness, labour and community groups all the more important.

Rallies in support of the $15 minimum wage and labour rights are being held in several communities including Toronto, London, Ottawa Ajax, etc. We have included links to the details for each event below.

Defend $15 & Fairness Morning Outreach Blitz!, Toronto
Toronto Day of Action - University of Toronto
Toronto Day of Action - York University
Hands off Labour Law, Hands off $15 Rally, Toronto
Educators for $15 & Fairness at Lawrence West Station, Toronto
London Day of Action - Fanshawe College
London Day of Action - Chamber of Commerce
Brampton Day of Action
Hamilton Day of Action - Rally at Jackson Square
Scarborough Day of Action - Scarborough Centre
Scarborough Day of Action - Scarborough Agincourt
Scarborough Day of Action - Scarborough Rouge Park
Waterloo Day of Action
Ottawa Day of Action
Cobourg Day of Action
Ajax Day of Action
Alliston Day of Action - Educators Rally to Protect $15
Oakville Day of Action - Banner Drop
Mississauga Day of Action - Celebration Square
Peterborough Day of Action

You can check out all Fight for $15 and Fairness events on their Event Page. 

On October 15 it is time to take to the streets and tell the Ford government that the workers and people of Ontario won't let him and his corporate cronies turn back the clock. As the Fight for $15 and Fairness puts it "Millions of workers are counting on the raise to $15, coming on January 1, 2019. Don’t let the Big Business bullies stop it now!".

April 1st "Equal pay becomes the law" in Ontario -- A reminder and information from Fight for $15 and Fairness

This morning Fight for $15 and Fairness in Ontario sent out an email headlined "We're not fooling: on April 1st, Equal pay becomes the law". (If you do not subscribe to get email updates from this essential campaign you can do so via their website www.15andfairness.org). 

It was a reminder that:

When equal pay for equal work becomes the law this weekend on April 1, millions of part-time, contract, casual, seasonal and temporary workers will start receiving the same pay as their full-time/permanent and directly-hired counterparts.

It included a link to the following brochure to help workers understand their rights under the new law:

You can download a .pdf of this leaflet to print and distribute via this link.

The email also had other ways that people can contribute to this ongoing, historic battle for the rights of workers:

Here’s what you can do right now:

• Spread the word about our $15 and Fairness wins. Distribute these leaflets in your workplace, campus, community.
• Organize a “Know your new rights” workshop in your workplace, campus, community. If you think you can assemble 15 people to participate, reply to this email and we will arrange to send workshop facilitators.
• Put up a sign on your door, window or lawn and ask your friends and co-workers to do the same (you can download posters by clicking here).
• Help us decorate Ontario with these beautiful window & lawn signs and banners (click here to fill out an order form).
• Join in one of these crucial actions coming up in your community (scroll below for details) or host an event yourself.

You can find the list of the events that were included in the email on the event page on their website. 

Here are some examples of posters you can download to print off and use:

Further Resources:

Ten myth-busting articles about the minimum wage in Ontario

Have minimum wage increases in Ontario demonstrably driven up inflation? No.

In the case of the Ontario $15 minimum wage the moral imperative is just as great as the economic