Let's make sure we vote for decent work
If we win a higher federal floor for minimum wage and paid sick days, and if we can win improvements to Employment Insurance and Canada Recovery Benefits, it will make it easier to fight for better provincial labour laws across Canada. Let's send as many decent work champions to Ottawa as we can!
Because of COVID, many election polling locations have changed this year, so make sure you have a plan to vote today.
Where do our parties stand on Decent Work?
A $20 federal minimum wage
New Democratic Party
- Supports a $20 federal minimum wage, with annual cost of living adjustments
Liberal Party of Canada
- Legislated a $15 federal minimum wage which will take effect December 29, 2021, with annual cost of living adjustments
Conservative Party of Canada
- No mention of federal minimum wage in their platform
Green Party of Canada
- Supports a $15 federal minimum wage
10 permanent, employer-paid sick days
New Democratic Party
- Supports legislating 10 permanent, paid sick days for federally regulated workers
- Will meet with provinces to push for legislated paid sick days for provincially regulated workers
- Will extend Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit until all workers have paid sick days
Liberal Party of Canada
- Supports legislating 10 permanent, paid sick days for federally regulated workers
- Will meet with provinces to push for legislated paid sick days for provincially regulated workers
Conservative Party of Canada
- No mention of legislated paid sick days in their platform
Green Party of Canada
- No mention of legislated paid sick days in platform
Employment Insurance (EI) for all, with a minimum of $500/week for both EI and Canada Recovery Benefits (CRB)
New Democratic Party
- Supports a minimum floor of $2,000 per month ($500 per week) for those on Employment Insurance
- Will eliminate unfair rules so EI is available to those who have to quit their jobs, go back to school, provide childcare, protect their health or the health of immunocompromised family members
- Will allow workers with episodic illnesses and disabilities to access EI sickness benefits one day at a time as needed
- Will extend EI sickness benefits to 50 weeks
Liberal Party of Canada
- Supports a new benefit for self-employed workers comparable to EI for as long as 26 weeks up with a maximum of $15,500. Workers would only contribute as much as they would pay as an employee
- Continue the review of EI for a stronger and more inclusive Employment Insurance system that began prior to the election
- Has extended EI Sickness Benefits to 26 weeks and scheduled to take effect in Summer 2022
Conservative Party of Canada
- No mention of improving Employment Insurance Regular Benefits
- For gig-workers only, will create a private plan that would provide gig workers with only a fraction of what they would receive from EI if they were not misclassified as “self-employed”
- Will extend EI sickness benefits to 52 weeks only for those suffering “a serious illness.”
Green Party of Canada
- No mention of improving EI or the CRB
September 21: Decent Work Organizing meeting
No matter who wins the federal election, we will need to keep organizing for decent work for all. Join us on Tuesday, September 21 at 7 pm EDT. We will debrief the election results and plan the next steps in our campaign.
October 1: A new Ontario minimum wage
Workers fought hard to win the annual cost of living adjustments to the minimum wage so that our wages don’t fall even further behind. Check your pay stub after October 1st to make sure you received the new, higher minimum wage.
But Ontario’s minimum is still too low. Conservative Premier Doug Ford cancelled our $15 minimum wage that would have come into effect on January 2019. Had Premier Ford not cancelled it, our minimum wage would be $15.75 this October 1st instead of $14.35.
Ford has robbed workers of $1.40 an hour. For the more than 1.7 million minimum wage earners in this province, that represents $2.5 million an hour transferred from workers’ pockets to corporate profits.
Premier Ford claims he's "For the people". Yet again he shows he is for corporations like Amazon, Loblaws, Walmart and others who've raked in record profits while paying poverty-level wages and denying their workers permanent, employer-paid sick days.
So while we’re glad to have our annual wage adjustment, let’s redouble our efforts to win a $20 minimum wage for all and keep our annual cost of living adjustments. That’s another good reason to RSVP for the next provincial organizing meeting on Tuesday, September 21.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS
Tuesday, September 21 - 7:00 pm
ONTARIO: Provincial Decent Work Organizing Meeting
Join us and the Ontario Federation of Labour as we debrief the Federal election results and plan the next steps in our campaign for decent work.
RSVP for Zoom Link and share the event on Facebook
Friday, September 24 - 12:30 pm
TORONTO: Climate Strike
Queen’s Park | Toronto
Two years after Toronto saw its largest climate strike, let’s gather again to demand real and immediate climate action. More details are to come, but in the meantime, click “going”, mark the date on your calendars, and invite your friends!
Sunday, September 26 - 12:00 pm
BRAMPTON: Justice for Workers Organizing Meeting
Warehouse Workers’ Centre | 224 Rutherford Road South, Brampton
We’ve been out canvassing and we know that Brampton wants decent work for all. Join us on Sunday at 12:00 noon to plan next steps in the fight for justice for workers.
Let us know you're coming and share the event on Facebook.
Monday, September 27 - 6:00 pm
LONDON: Decent Work Canvass and Postering
Victoria Park | 580 Clarence Street, London
We’ll be out on the streets talking about why we need to keep fighting for a $20 minimum wage, paid sick days, fair scheduling, equal pay for part-time and full-time workers, and so much more. Meet us by the stage within Victoria Park.
Wednesday, September 29 - 6:00 pm
ETOBICOKE: Know Your Rights Teach-In
Michael Power Park | 5055 Dundas St W, Toronto
Got a bad boss? Got questions about your rights at work? Want to join the fight for decent work? Then let's talk! Join us for this outdoor teach-in to learn about your rights at work and how to defend them.
Let us know you're coming and share the event on Facebook.
Friday, October 1 - 5:00 pm
TORONTO WEST: Decent Work Canvass
Dufferin TTC Station | Toronto
We’ll be out on the streets talking about why we need to keep fighting for a $20 minimum wage, paid sick days, fair scheduling, equal pay for part-time and full-time workers, and so much more. Join us on the northwest corner of Dufferin and Bloor.
Let us know you're coming and share the event on Facebook.
Tuesday, October 19 - 7:00 pm
ONTARIO: Provincial Decent Work Organizing Meeting
Join us online for our monthly provincial organizing meeting co-hosted by the Ontario Federation of Labour.
