Polls show the majority of Ontarians support paid sick days, a $20 minimum wage, and decent work for all. For more than two years of the global pandemic, journalists and health authorities have recounted stories about how COVID disproportionately hit low-wage workers, and how workplaces have become hotspots for COVID outbreaks – with tragic consequences. It’s never been clearer that precarious work is a public health hazard.

Our elected representatives must play a leading role in supporting decent work. The Ontario Government must provide proper funding for the full implementation of a decent work agenda. All public services, institutions and not-for-profit agencies must be funded adequately to implement these decent work policies, without a loss in employment hours or reductions in services.

Supporting decent work for all also means making sure income supports for injured workers and those on Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program are livable. COVID has shown us that we all need at least $500 per week in income to survive.

If elected, will you actively support this decent work agenda?

A $20 minimum wage

• Legislate a $20 minimum wage for all 
• Protect and extend legislated annual wage adjustments so our wages keep up with rising prices
• End sub-minimum wage rates and remove all exemptions to the general minimum wage such as for students and farmworkers

Decent hours

Make employers:

• Guarantee a minimum number of hours of work each week 
• Offer additional hours to existing workers before hiring new employees
• Provide work schedules two weeks in advance

10 Permanent, employer-paid sick days

• Legislate at least 10 employer-paid emergency leave days per year, plus an additional 14 paid days during public health outbreaks
• Oppose public subsidies for profitable corporations
• Stop employers from asking for sick notes to access paid sick days

Full and permanent immigration status for all

This means: 

• Permanent residency status upon arrival for all new migrants, and
• Permanent residency status for all migrant and undocumented workers already here

Equal pay for equal work

• Legislate equal pay and benefits for equal work regardless of our status as part-time, contract or temporary workers 
• Ensure equal pay and benefits regardless of gender, racialization and immigration status 
• Make employers provide pay transparency in our workplaces so we can enforce equal pay and help fight racism and sexism

Laws that protect all of us

• Ensure migrant and undocumented workers can assert labour rights
• Expand the Employment Standards Act to include all workers by closing loopholes and ending exemptions
• Make companies who use temp agencies, franchises and/or subcontractors, fully responsible for their workers’ wages, working conditions and collective bargaining
• Protect us from unjust firing (wrongful dismissal)

Protections for gig workers & end misclassification

• Stop misclassifying gig workers (like Uber drivers) as independent contractors 
• Repeal the new law that allows companies like Uber to deny gig workers their full rights under the Employment Standards Act

Real protections for temp agency workers

• Make companies financially responsible under WSIB for the death and injury of temp agency workers
• Ensure temp agency workers earn the same wages as directly-hired workers when we do the same work 
• Require temp agency workers are hired directly by the client company after three months on assignment.
• And to protect temp agency workers from being fired before this deadline, the law must also require employers provide just cause (a good reason) for terminating the assignment if they bring in another temp agency worker to do the job 

Make it easier to join – and keep – our unions

• We must have the right to join unions by signing cards
• We must be able to form unions across franchises and subcontractors.
• We must also be able to bargain across regions and sectors of work (broader-based bargaining)
• Protect us from losing our wages, benefits, and union coverage when a business is sold or when a new service provider gets the contract (stop contract flipping)
• Repeal Bill 124 that took away our right to free collective bargaining

Make employers follow the law

The Ontario Government must implement:

• More surprise workplace inspections
• Bigger fines when employers break the law
• Meaningful compensation for workers when employers violate our rights at work
• Real job protection for us when we stand up for our rights at work