Updates

It’s two years after the pandemic began and Ontario only has three temporary paid sick days for COVID-19 related illness only. The Ontario government opened the Worker Income Protection Benefit (WIPB) on April 28, 2021 and extended it until July 31, 2022 – but they did not bother to increase the number of paid days… contine reading

Happy New Year!  Today, Ontario Premier Doug Ford finally brought in the $15 general minimum wage that he cancelled back in 2018 and kept frozen for two years. Had Ford not cancelled $15 in the first place, the minimum wage would now be $15.75. All the same, $15 will offer some relief to those of… contine reading

Don’t miss your chance to support workers and make your community stronger!  We need your help to continue vital organizing with workers in precarious employment. Your donation to the Workers’ Bowl enables us to take on bad bosses and give workers access to critical programs. Workers are depending on us more than ever. Make your… contine reading

Hard times like the COVID-19 pandemic only give our workers’ movement momentum. Lockdowns don’t keep us from organizing and the economic devastation of low-income workers just makes it more crucial that we support workers to stand up for their rights. The Workers’ Bowl fundraiser makes it possible for the Workers’ Action Centre to keep building… contine reading

Frontline, low-income workers have been left in the cold without paid sick days during the pandemic. With 58% of workers in Canada not having a single paid sick day and low wage jobs making it impossible to miss a day of work, our labour standards are directly contributing to the threat to worker safety and… contine reading

While workers’ rights in Ontario have gotten weaker throughout the pandemic, the Workers’ Action Centre has been building workers’ power to face these difficult times. The pandemic has brought renewed attention to the poor conditions in low-wage, precarious jobs, and it isn’t over yet. We offer education and leadership programs that empower workers to defend… contine reading

The pandemic is not over! Many sectors including tourism, entertainment, hospitality and the restaurant sector are not fully open or at full capacity. Yet the Federal Government cancelled the  Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) on October 23rd. Over 880,000 people were given only two days’ notice that benefits to cover basic needs would be cut off.… contine reading

On October 1st, 2021, Ontario’s minimum wage goes up by 10 cents. This raise is a result of the yearly change to the minimum wage to keep up with the cost of living.  It’s only happening because workers organized seven years ago to make sure the minimum wage gets reviewed each year and goes up by… contine reading

COVID-19 revealed that people need at least $500 per week in income to survive. Together, we successfully pushed to increase the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and Recovery Benefits to $500 per week. We also campaigned to ensure the Employment Insurance (EI) system also delivered at least $500 in weekly income support, since we knew nobody… contine reading

Much is at stake for workers in Ontario’s review of the Employment Standards Act. The Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee (OWRAC) was tasked with making recommendations that could reshape our labour laws, but was formed without worker representation. Their review began soon after Uber presented the Ford government with the “Flexible Work+” plan, which seeks… contine reading