Greater Toronto Area Council

Rally at Doug Ford’s Campaign Headquarters Sat, June 2 | 2pm | Kipling Plaza, 2141 Kipling Avenue Facebook Event | Information about buses to be announced soon Doug Ford is a corrupt multi-millionaire whose party’s record is one of destroying Ontario’s public services, increasing poverty, and intensifying racism and bigotry. A Ford government promises corporate welfare and tax-breaks for the rich, and service cuts for the rest of us who depend on public hospitals, education, roads, transit, income support and decent jobs. We believe the only way for the struggling people of this province to win is to build determined social movements capable of taking on whoever gets in power. Ford would take the ongoing attack on poor and working class people to a new level, and so a resistance movement powerful enough to confront and defeat him must be built. Support for Ford is slipping but a hard-right government led by the Conservatives remains a serious possibility. So join us on June 2 to demonstrate opposition to Ford’s agenda and to give him a preview of the resistance that awaits him should he become Premiere of Ontario. #FightToWin.

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See more at: NUPGE's website Visit our webpage at: http://opseugtac.com

See more at: NUPGE's website Visit our webpage at: http://opseugtac.com

See more at: NUPGE's website Visit our webpage at: http://opseugtac.com

See more at: NUPGE's website Visit our webpage at: http://opseugtac.com

Shortly following the launch of the petition and the open letter, we received a response from Fred Victor management indicating that the drop-in closure won’t proceed indefinitely as was previously indicated. The drop-in closure will be limited to four days, and it will reopen on Monday, May 28. We’re glad public pressure has ensured the critical drop-in does not shut down. Thanks to all those who shared and signed the petition. However, management did not address the persistent problems of under-funding and under-staffing that have plagued the drop-in for quite some time. This means the drop-in will continue operating at half its original service duration and place continued strain on workers. So we are demanding that Fred Victor commit to reinstating the drop-in to its original four hour service duration and addressing the staff shortage by guaranteeing at least four full-time staff with relief worker support. The petition has been updated and available below. Please keep signing and sharing it. We also continue to call on the City and the Province to fund drop-in services adequately. We’ll keep you updated about additional actions, as necessary. #FightToWin Loading…

See more at: OCAP's website

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Greetings,

Change That Works for Ontario means a vote for Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP.

As President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) which represents over a million workers and advocates for every worker in Ontario, I’d like to highlight what’s at stake in the June 7, 2018 provincial election.

The OFL has been at the forefront of the fight for decent work in Ontario. Just this past year, together with our community partners, we won improvements and positive change for working people in every corner of this province whether they are in a union or not. Those gains were a long time coming, and they are in jeopardy if Doug Ford or Kathleen Wynne become the next Premier. Both parties have shown that they will not respect the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. Doug Ford has said he will cancel the raise to a $15 minimum wage, and the Liberals have already back tracked on providing holiday pay for all workers.

We all deserve a government that is responsive to the needs of working people, a government that puts working people first, a government that will build a more caring, equal, and prosperous Ontario.  When I talk to Ontarians about what they need from their government, here is what they tell me.

They need access to:

• High-quality and affordable health, dental and pharma care.
• Safe jobs with decent working conditions.
• Protections for their pensions to ensure they can retire and live their golden years with dignity.
• High-quality public services that are delivered by the government, owned and run by the people of this province.
• Safe and affordable housing.
• Universal, publicly funded, high-quality, fully inclusive, and affordable child care.
• A high-quality and fully inclusive public education.

The people of Ontario need to feel accepted and respected. We all deserve to live in healthy communities, on a sustainable planet.

That’s why people from all walks of life are joining with union members, concerned families, newcomers to Ontario, LGBTQ+, young people, seniors, and persons with disabilities in choosing to vote for change that works for Ontario.

Together, we can build a province that delivers on the needs of working people.

Friends, we are three weeks away from electing the next government of Ontario. I’ve looked at the platforms and promises, I’ve heard the debates. Doug Ford and the Ontario PC’s are light on details. They refuse to tell Ontarians which public services they will gut to give tax breaks to their wealthy friends, profitable multi-national corporations, and big businesses. Doug Ford says he’s for the people of Ontario, but like regressive conservatives Tim Hudak and Mike Harris before him, Doug Ford can’t be trusted.

One thing is for certain – only Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP can deliver change that works for the people of Ontario.

We can’t keep electing the same old parties to government, expecting a different outcome. We can make a difference, and I encourage every Ontarian that is eligible to vote – to do just that, exercise your right to vote!

Please join me and the millions of Ontarians who know that together we can win change for the better, on June 7, 2018 vote for Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP.

Sincerely,

Chris Buckley
President
Ontario Federation of Labour

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The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information visit www.OFL.ca & www.changethatworks2018.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.

For more information, please contact:

Meagan Perry,
Director of Communications, Ontario Federation of Labour,
416-894-3456

The post An open letter to the working people of Ontario: change that works for Ontario means voting for Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP. appeared first on The Ontario Federation of Labour.

See more at: OFL's website

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To download the registration form, click here. 

Supreme Court of Canada Pay Equity Decisions –
Implications for Ontario and Pay Equity Bargaining Technical Training on Pay Equity Maintenance

On May 10, 2018, the Supreme Court released decisions on two Quebec cases that will have a significant impact on pay equity for all of Ontario’s unions, particularly affiliates that represent workers in female-dominated workplaces governed by the proxy-comparison method. The decisions also make important rulings on pay equity maintenance. These key wins are relevant for litigation, law reform and public advocacy. Attend this seminar to get a technical briefing on how the cases help with pay equity enforcement and to get technical training on pay equity maintenance.

Afternoon sessions will address pay equity enforcement strategies at Review Services and the Tribunal.

Join us on June 21st. The session with be delivered by the Equal Pay Coalition’s co-chairs Jan Borowy and Fay Faraday.

Who should attend: union pay equity specialists; staff representatives; pay equity bargaining committees; local executives; women’s committee members.

AGENDA
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Review of the SCC decisions

Technical training for pay equity specialist maintenance issues:

(1) GNCSs in a time of maintenance: weighting, factors, subfactors, levels in the GNCS;
(2) what to do with the maintenance of deemed approved plans – are you stuck with the compromises of the past?
(3) Afternoon session will address pay equity enforcement strategies.

Registration fee $100: ndawe@ofl.ca 416-441-2731

To download the registration form, click here. 

The post June 21: Session on Pay Equity appeared first on The Ontario Federation of Labour.

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To download the OFL/AIL scholarship application form click here.

Dear OFL Members,

The OFL is proud to be joined in partnership by American Income Life (AIL) Canada in calling for applications for the annual OFL/AIL Labour Post-Secondary Scholarships.

Two OFL members, or the children of members, will be selected from a pool of applicants to each receive a scholarship in the amount of $2,500 to support them as they enter their first year of full-time post-secondary study in September 2018. The scholarships will be awarded in honour of distinguished trade union activists who have made a significant contribution to the life and growth of the labour movement in Ontario.

Eligible candidates must:

•         Be a current member, or the child of a member, of a local union affiliated to the OFL;

•         Be enrolled for September 2018 to enter their first year of full-time study (leading to a diploma or certificate) at a public Ontario community college or the first year of an undergraduate program (leading to a degree) at a publicly funded Ontario university;

•         Not have any prior post-secondary studies; and

•         Be currently enrolled or not more than two years out of secondary school.

The criteria for selection of the scholarship winners will be based on:

•         An original essay, poster, or video submission on the topic outlined in this year’s application package.

•         A brief résumé outlining non-academic interests and activities, such as community or political involvement as well as goals for the future.

•         Evidence of understanding the role and significance of the Canadian labour movement.

The deadline for receipt of applications is August 1, 2018. An Application Form is attached below. This year’s scholarship winners will be announced in late August/early September 2018.

The OFL is committed to social justice and equity and believes strongly that post-secondary education provides important opportunities that should not be limited by tuition fees or student debt. We hope this scholarship helps make education more affordable while we fight to make access universal. We proudly encourage women, people of colour, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQI* people, people with disabilities, and those from other equity-seeking backgrounds to apply for this scholarship.

The OFL represents more than one million unionized workers in Ontario from 50 affiliated unions and is proud to have the support of AIL Canada, a 100% union company that is a leader in providing supplemental insurance benefits. For more information on AIL Canada, visit: www.AILife.com.

Please circulate this call for applications to help ensure that these scholarships are made known as widely as possible.

In solidarity,

Chris Buckley

To download the OFL/AIL scholarship application form click here.

The post Apply for the 2018 OFL/AIL Labour Post-Secondary Scholarships today! appeared first on The Ontario Federation of Labour.

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The following is an open letter to Mark Aston, CEO of Fred Victor, about the abrupt closure of the Open House Drop-in program on Tuesday, May 22. Instead of addressing the long-standing issues of under-staffing at the drop-in, management at Fred Victor decided to just end the program, cutting off a critical service to dozens of people in the neighbourhood. Such callous disregard for the lives of poor people in the neighbourhood and the needs of agency workers cannot be tolerated. Please sign the petition demanding that Fred Victor reinstate the drop-in and provide adequate staffing. Dear Mark Aston, We’ve learned that the Fred Victor Centre will be closing its Open House Drop-In program, located at 145 Queen Street East, indefinitely starting Tuesday, May 22. The sudden shutdown of this decades-old program was announced on Monday, May 14, just a week prior to the closing date. It’s shocking that you would choose such a course of action at a time when the shelter and opioid crisis are claiming the lives of at least 2 homeless people weekly. The move appears to be a response to the on-going issue of understaffing at the drop-in. But Fred Victor management has been aware of these staffing shortages for quite some time. Around this time last year Fred Victor received multiple letters identifying significant concerns about deteriorating service and staffing levels at the drop-in….

See more at: OCAP's website

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