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Can you balance the bills on $10.25?

May 16, 2014

On May 14th, CFS-Ontario and the OFL Young Workers Committee joined with the Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage to organize a real-life minimum wage obstacle course and rally for young workers.

The obstacle course featured the race to pay rent; the unpaid bills balancing act; the child-care juggle and much more!

Participants tested their survival skills at each station to see how difficult it is for young workers to pay their bills, rent, child care and high tuition fees while working in minimum wage jobs.

Many balls were dropped at the childcare juggling station. Not many could juggle bills, tuition and childcare with poverty wages!

Sarah from Anakbayan at the race to pay tuition station. She have a great speech on why Filipino youth are fighting for a $14 dollar minimum wage today!  Read more here 

Participants fueled up at the Kraft Dinner Station – all students can afford with a minimum wage below the poverty line.

Powerful speakers at the rally called on party leaders and candidates to support a $14 minimum wage for students and all workers in Ontario.

Speakers included Denise Martins, Ontario Federation of Labour Vice-President for Young Workers, Alastair Woods, Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, John Nerier, Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance, Sareh Serajelahi from the Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage, Rob Depipple, United Steelworkers Local 9176 and Sarah Salise, Anakbayan.

Thank you to the many students groups who came out and to the United Steelworkers, UNIFOR, IATSE, Workers United, CUPE, OSPEU, Unite Here, UFCW, IBEW and many other union locals who mobilized members to participate!

WAC members did an amazing job getting petitions signed!  We collected almost 400 signatures in under a hour!

WAC members also tested their luck in the obstacle course!

…and enjoyed a Kraft Dinner lunch!

Sareh from WAC giving her first ever rally speech: “we can’t allow the government to legislate poverty wages!  We all deserve better!”

WAC members joined by supporters for this group shot. We were yelling “fair wages now!”

Students can’t afford rent, tuition, books, childcare and TTC fair on minimum wages!

Check out some of the media coverage of our May 14th action:

Toronto Star
rabble.ca
World Journal
Anakbayan Toronto

Read more about what you can do this election to fight for a $14 minimum wage here

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