In light of COVID-19, the Workers’ Action Centre will not be open for in-person drop-ins or workshops. Our hotline will remain open. If you have a workplace problem, please call us at 416-531-0778 (Toll-free: 1-855-531-0778), and leave a message asking to speak to someone in your language. All support from the Workers’ Action Centre is free and confidential!
The phone line will be closed from December 8, 2023 – January 8, 2024. If your situation is urgent, please call the Ministry of Labour at 1-800-531-5551.
Our regular phone line hours are: Monday to Thursday, 12 pm to 5 pm
(We are closed on public holidays.)
HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO WIN STATUS FOR ALL
Government officials are making decisions that could give equal rights to 1.7 million migrants over the next few years. Amazing organizing by farmworkers, care workers, international students, undocumented people, frontline essential migrant workers and our allies have brought about this historic opportunity: Our organizing could win permanent residency (PR) for all low-waged migrants and undocumented people! Your help is needed to make sure Parliament opens the door to PR for all migrants in Canada, not just a select few.
Show your solidarity:
- Sign this petition and share it with at least three friends
- Call the Prime Minister, Immigration Minister and your MP
The Workers’ Action Centre is a member of the Migrant Rights Network that is spearheading our regularization campaign. Many of our WAC members are migrant and undocumented workers who have risked their health at essential jobs and been denied equal access to healthcare and income support. That’s why it’s exciting to be part of the fight for regularization – for the chance to make sure no one gets left behind. Find more details in our update Status for All: Fight for Regularization this Summer!
ONTARIO’S 3 TEMPORARY PAID SICK DAYS EXPIRED
The Worker Income Protection Benefit (WIPB) allowed employees to request only 3 paid sick days. It was introduced on April 29, 2021 and ended March 31, 2023. There was no increase or reset in the number of sick days offered and workers could only use these 3 days for COVID-19 related reasons. Now many workers are back at 0 paid sick days. What workers really need are at least 10 permanent paid sick days to recover from any illness or injury. Please take a minute to remind Premier Ford that paid sick days save lives: Send an email demanding 10 permanent paid sick days. To help strengthen the movement for paid sick days and other essential protections, sign up for outreach actions at Justice4Workers.org/events_actions.
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE UPDATE
Temporary measures for EI during the pandemic expired on September 24, 2022. We need to extend the temporary measures that make EI more accessible to those most in need. With many part-time, misclassified, migrant, undocumented and international student workers unable to receive these supports, these benefits leave too many workers out. Please read our recommendations and sign the petition to fix EI.
Check out some of our latest rights at work below, and don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need help defending any of them:
- $16.55 general minimum wage
- $15.60 minimum wage for students under 18
- The minimum wage for liquor servers has been eliminated, so they now receive the general minimum wage rate.
- There is an annual minimum wage adjustment each year on October 1st. These minimum wages will be adjusted upwards on October 1, 2024 according to the Consumer Price Index.
- Job-protected leaves for all workers: You get 3 days if you are sick; 3 days for family responsibilities, such as an illness or urgent matter of a family member; and 2 days for bereavement. Your employer is allowed to ask you for evidence in order to take these leaves. We no longer get any paid sick days. (We are fighting for at least 10 paid emergency leave days and 14 more during public health emergencies – join us by signing the petition for 10 permanent paid sick days!)
- 1 week notice or pay in lieu of notice when temporary agency workers are terminated from assignments that were supposed to last 3 months or longer.
- Temporary agencies and their client companies are jointly responsible for unpaid wages, overtime, public holiday pay and injuries.
- Misclassification is illegal. If you are an employee who is being misclassified as self-employed, call us for help.
- 3 weeks of vacation after 5 years of working at the same company.
- Domestic or sexual violence leave of up to 10 individual days of leave and up to 15 weeks of leave if you or your child is experiencing or being threatened with domestic or sexual violence. The first 5 days of leave each year will be paid.
We are committed to defending and expanding these labour laws. Will you help us fight for workers’ rights? Here are a few things you can do:
- When you have a problem at work, call us at 416-531-0778. All calls are free and confidential. We also have a toll-free number which is 1-855-531-0778.
- Sign up for Action Alerts at the bottom of the page.
- Read and share information about your rights at work.
- Join and support the Justice for Workers campaign. Visit Justice4Workers.org.
- Support the Workers’ Action Centre.