Family Day Weekend: Take action to support gig workers!
About 150 people attended and we agreed to take a number of important actions in the fight for decent work. Scroll down for more information.
In the meantime, don’t forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming organizing meetings. We meet every four weeks on Tuesday at 7:00 pm EST, as follows: March 15, April 12, May 10, and June 7.
Here's a quick summary of the key actions arising from last Tuesday’s meeting.
Family Day Weekend: Support Gig Workers
We can help Gig Workers United connect more app-based workers to the fight for decent work. On Family Day weekend, many of us will splurge on supper or snacks using an app-based delivery service.
Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to have organizing conversations with the frontline workers who deliver our orders.
At the Justice for Workers organizing meeting, Jennifer Scott from Gig Workers United reminded us that corporate lobbyists like Uber have been working with the Conservative government to pass legislation that would roll back our rights.
If they get away with it, such legislation would make it legal to misclassify gig workers as “independent contractors”. Doing so paves the way for companies like Uber and Skip the Dishes to pay their workers less than minimum wage and deny workers their basic employment rights.
This is dangerous for all of us. Other employers will use this opening to pay us less for the work we do. Now is the time for us to protect ourselves by supporting gig workers who are under attack. Please help spread the solidarity this weekend by sharing this link.
March 6: Activist Assembly
We’re organizing for the provincial day of action called by the Ontario Federation of Labour for Sunday, May 1st. That day kicks off the provincial election campaign and we want to make sure that Decent Work demands like a $20 minimum wage, 10 paid sick days, and equal pay for part-time, contract and temp agency workers are front and centre.
To get organized, we are attending the OFL Activist Assembly on Sunday, March 6th from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. The Activist Assembly will be the place to get inspired and share ideas for what our big action on May 1 can look like in our communities.
Will you be at the Activist Assembly?
Building Worker Power Workshops
Throughout February and March, Justice for Workers is hosting a series of organizer trainings called Building Worker Power. As we approach the June 2 election, we need an army of leaders like you who have the skills, confidence and information necessary to organize in every workplace and community in Ontario.
Scroll down to RSVP for these upcoming sessions. You can also check out the full schedule here to find a date and time that works best for you.
Wednesday, February 23 | 6:30 pm EST
Getting Started: Reviewing the Agenda for Decent Work
- Why decent work is a matter of racial justice
- Where our demands come from and why they matter to our communities
- Why must we build power and not simply rely on elected representatives to do it for us?
Saturday, February 26 | 10 am (EST)
Getting Started: Reviewing the Agenda for Decent Work
- Why decent work is a matter of racial justice
- Where our demands come from and why they matter to our communities
- Why must we build power and not simply rely on elected representatives to do it for us?
Saturday, February 26 | 12:30 pm (EST)
MPP Visits as an Organizing Strategy
- Demonstrating our power from rallies to phone zaps to MPP visits
- How do we show our power before and while we meet with MPPs?
- How do you prepare for tricky MPP conversations?
Saturday, February 26 | 12:30 pm (EST)
- Dealing with difficult questions from the minimum wage to how we can win change
- Who creates wealth and how do we close the wealth equity gap?
- Common myths about raising the minimum wage
Upcoming local actions and events
Are you ready to join an event in your community? Keep reading to find upcoming events near you. New events come online every day, so please also visit our meetings and events page here or on Facebook here.
Sunday, February 20 | 2:00 pm
GUELPH: Know Your Rights at Work - Workshop
Employers take advantage when workers don’t have rights, don’t know what they are, or don’t know how to enforce them. Do you have questions about income support during the Omicron crisis? Do you have all the protection you need to stay safe at work? Have you been paid for all your hours? Do you have the paid sick days you need to care for yourself and your family?
Jared Ong, an organizer for the Workers' Action Centre, will walk us through our rights at work and how to use them. Co-sponsored by the Guelph and District Labour Council. For more information please email [email protected].
RSVP for the Zoom link
RSVP and share on Facebook
Tuesday, February 22 | 6:00 pm
HAMILTON: Secrets of a Successful Organizer - Book Club
Join us as we read and discuss the ‘Secrets of a Successful Organizer’ handbook. Each week we will read and discuss two lessons and complete the accompanying worksheets and handouts. Together we will learn how to organize and inspire our own workplaces and communities.
Friday, February 25 | 7:00 pm
MOVIE NIGHT: The Gig is Up Documentary
Join Justice for Workers and the Workers' Action Centre for a screening of The Gig Is Up: A Very Human Tech Doc. The documentary is directed by Shannon Walsh who looks at the lives of gig workers from around the world at app-based companies like Amazon and Uber. We will discuss the costs of the digital platform economy, what's at stake in Ontario and why all workers need to fight back.
Sunday, February 27 | 11:00 am
BRAMPTON Justice for Workers organizing meeting
Warehouse Workers Centre
224 Rutherford Road South, Brampton (South of Clarence Rd.)
Join us for this online organizing meeting where we’ll discuss the next steps in building our fight for decent work in Brampton.
RSVP for a reminder
RSVP and share on Facebook
Tuesday, March 1 | 7:00 pm
OTTAWA Justice for Workers organizing meeting
Join us for this online organizing meeting where we’ll discuss the next steps in building our fight for decent work in Ottawa.
RSVP here for the Zoom link
RSVP and share on Facebook
Tuesday, March 1 | 6:00 pm
HAMILTON Secrets of a Successful Organizer - Book Club
Join us as we read and discuss the ‘Secrets of a Successful Organizer’ handbook. Each week we will read and discuss two lessons and complete the accompanying worksheets and handouts. Together we will learn how to organize and inspire our own workplaces and communities.
Sunday, March 6 | 9:30 am
ONTARIO Activist Assembly
Don’t miss the Ontario activist assembly where we will share our ideas and inspiration for the May 1 day of action to demand Justice for Workers and a Workers’ First Agenda. No matter where you are in the province on May 1, we’ll be counting on you to bring your passion for decent work to the forefront. See you there!
Tuesday, March 8 | 6:00 pm
HAMILTON Secrets of a Successful Organizer - Book Club
Join us as we read and discuss the ‘Secrets of a Successful Organizer’ handbook. Each week we will read and discuss two lessons and complete the accompanying worksheets and handouts. Together we will learn how to organize and inspire our own workplaces and communities.
Tuesday, March 15 | 7:00 pm
ONTARIO Justice for Workers organizing meeting
Join us for our online organizing meeting where we’ll discuss the next steps in building our fight for decent work.
Tuesday, March 22 | 6:00 pm
HAMILTON Secrets of a Successful Organizer - Book Club
Join us as we read and discuss the ‘Secrets of a Successful Organizer’ handbook. Each week we will read and discuss two lessons and complete the accompanying worksheets and handouts. Together we will learn how to organize and inspire our own workplaces and communities.
Tuesday, April 12 | 7:00 pm
ONTARIO Justice for Workers Organizing Meeting
Join us for our online organizing meeting where we’ll discuss the next steps in building our fight for decent work.
Sunday, May 1 | ALL DAY
ONTARIO Day of Action
We all deserve better. We deserve to have decent wages, adequate hours and safe working conditions. We deserve affordable housing, proper health care and education, all the services we rely on. Every single one of us deserves enough income to live on, whether we are working or in-between jobs; whether we are injured or disabled; whether we are retired or just starting out; whether we are sick or on parental leave. It’s our future, our fight -- let’s make it happen.
Tuesday, May 10 | 7:00 pm
ONTARIO Justice for Workers Organizing Meeting
Join us for our online organizing meeting where we’ll discuss the next steps in building our fight for decent work.
Thursday, June 2 | ALL DAY
ONTARIO ELECTION
Let’s elect decent work champions across Ontario!
Thank you so much for everything you do in the fight for decent work. We are building a movement strong enough to beat back the big business lobby -- and that wouldn’t be possible without you.
Jared Ong on behalf of Justice for Workers
