It's Go Time
Our next Decent Work Organizing Meeting is this Tuesday, February 15 at 7 pm EST. ASL interpretation and closed captioning will be available. We hope you can join us!
With the Ontario legislative assembly resuming on February 22, we must ensure our elected representatives stand up for us - not the big corporations who profit off our labour.
In this meeting, we'll organize for action in the following breakout groups:
- Paid Sick Days
To date, no level of government has implemented meaningful sick day legislation. Join this group led by health providers in the Decent Work and Health Network to organize next steps in the fight for at least 10 permanent, employer-paid sick days for all.
- Workplace health and safety, Justice for injured workers
For too long, injured workers have been denied justice. Instead, we have to fight the very government bodies that are supposed to protect us. At the same time, public and private sector workers continue to face working conditions that fail to protect us from COVID. Join this group to plan next steps to demand safe and healthy work for all of us and to ensure injured workers are treated fairly.
- Early Childhood Education
Without adequate staffing, wages and safe working conditions, our children won’t get the care and learning resources they deserve. Meanwhile, Ontario is the only province that has not signed a $10/day child care agreement with the federal government. Join this breakout group to take action toward making real changes in Ontario’s childcare.
- Protection for Gig Workers and an end to misclassification
Corporate lobbyists are working hand-in-hand with Ontario's Conservative government to pass legislation to make it legal for companies to misclassify us and take away our basic entitlements such as minimum wage and Employment Insurance. Join this breakout group to fight to end misclassification and stop the exploitation of gig workers.
- Federal Issues
With parliament back in session and a federal budget around the corner, it’s time to turn up the heat on our federal members of parliament. Join this group to plan the next steps in the fight for decent federal income support, to fix Employment Insurance, for full immigration status for all, and for solidarity with Indigenous communities.
- Decent Work and Wages
The decent work agenda means organizing to win a $20 minimum wage; adequate and predictable hours of work; real protections for temp agency workers; protections from wrongful dismissal and more. Join this breakout group to plan local outreach and follow-ups, build our local networks, and meet with MPPs.
We really need you! Can you join one of the breakout groups at Tuesday's Decent Work organizing meeting? Please RSVP now and bring a friend.
Building Worker Power: Online organizer training
Throughout February and March, Justice for Workers is hosting a series of online training sessions to help us all become better organizers. From understanding decent work as a matter of racial justice to busting big business BS, and from best practices for outreach to tips for meeting with our MPPs, there's something to learn or share for everyone!
The next workshops are coming this Sunday - so please RSVP in the links below (scroll down) for the session you want to attend. And if you can't make it this weekend, check out the full schedule of upcoming organizer trainings to find a date and time that work best for you.
Sunday, February 13 | Building Worker Power sessions
Choose two of the following three workshops
10:00 am: 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?
12:30 pm: Busting the Big Business BS
- 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
12:30 pm: 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?
Whether you’re a seasoned activist with experience to share, or a first time fighter - we hope you can join one of our upcoming sessions! The full schedule of trainings is here. 
UPCOMING 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 protections 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].
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.
Sunday, February 27 | 11:00 am
BRAMPTON 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 Brampton.
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.
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 in across Ontario!
Thanks so much for all you do!
See you soon - and hopefully on February 15 at the next big organizing meeting!
