TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Over 50 actions are expected on Monday, October 15, when communities across Ontario mobilize in defense of new workers’ rights brought in by Bill 148: Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, including the $15 minimum wage that is scheduled for January 1.
What stands to be the largest coordinated day of action for Ontario workers in the past decade will target ridings of Conservative MPPs, after Premier Doug Ford revealed the government is considering the full repeal of Bill 148, cancelling Ontario’s decent work laws.
“It is not too late for Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet to do the right thing and help Ontario workers,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. “This October 15, wherever Conservative MPPs look across the province, they’ll find workers who want, need and deserve decent work laws, including the $15 minimum wage.”
“The law is the law, and as it stands, nearly 2 million workers are scheduled to get a raise in 11 weeks,” says Pam Frache, Coordinator of Fight for $15 & Fairness Campaign. “Every single day we encounter people who tell us they voted for Premier Ford because they thought his promise to be ‘for the people’ meant standing up to corporate elites, like Galen Weston and Rocco Rossi. Repealing Bill 148 now would be a slap in the face of many workers who voted for Premier Ford,” she added.
Rocco Rossi is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, which has repeatedly called for a full repeal of Bill 148. That same bill brought in modest reforms like 10 days of job-protected emergency leave (the first two days paid), equal pay for equal work, and making it easier to join and keep a union (read more here).
Actions across the province range from public rallies, visits to the offices of Conservative MPPs, workplace actions in support of $15 & Fairness, campus actions at universities and colleges as well as neighbourhood outreach blitzes.
The day of action is coordinated by the Fight for $15 and Fairness and the Ontario Federation of Labour as well as community, student, teacher, faculty, faith, health, labour and non-profit associations across the province.
Scroll below for October 15 Actions, more details are coming, including actions at Ontario’s 24 colleges. To see the latest listing of events, visit www.15andFairness.org or www.oflevents.ca
AJAX
MPP Rod Phillips’ Office
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM — 1 Rossland Road W, Suite 209
https://www.facebook.com/events/1890033274377097/
ALLISTON
MPP Jim Wilson’s Office
4:15 PM to 6:15 PM — 180 Parsons Rd, Unit 28
https://www.facebook.com/events/1105764262908474/
AURORA
Outreach Blitz
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM — 15900 Bayview Avenue
https://www.facebook.com/events/2278584029054493/
BRAMPTON
Outreach Blitz
5:00 PM to 6:30 PM — Brampton City Hall, 2 Wellington Street West
https://www.15andfairness.org/brampton_oct15
COBOURG
MPP David Piccini’s Office
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM — 513 Division Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/2239650782774692/
ETOBICOKE
Outreach Blitz
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM — Corner of Dixon and Islington
https://www.facebook.com/events/273361209972051/
HAMILTON
Mohawk College
12:00 Noon to 1:00 pm — Fennel Campus (location TBA)
Rally
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM — Jackson Square (James North and King Street)
https://www.facebook.com/events/2126481291013219/
KINGSTON
Queen’s University
12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM (University Avenue & Union Street West)
St. Lawrence College
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (main entrance, transit stop)
Cataraqui Town Centre
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm (location TBA)
https://www.facebook.com/events/163504867919883/
LONDON
Fanshawe College
10 AM to 3 PM — F Building at Fanshawe College
https://www.facebook.com/events/548694465559530/
Chamber of Commerce Action
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM — London Chamber of Commerce, 244 Pall Mall St
https://www.facebook.com/events/240792906594680/
MISSISSAUGA
Outreach Blitz
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM — Mississauga Celebration Square (300 City Centre Dr)
https://www.facebook.com/events/343116039596400/
NEWMARKET
Action Against Corporate Bullies
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM — Real Canadian Superstore, 18120 Yonge St
https://www.facebook.com/events/550068845448883/
NORTH BAY
15 Workplace Actions
9:00 AM to 9:00 PM — Across the city
https://www.facebook.com/events/991736950987724/
OAKVILLE
Banner Drop
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM — Trafalgar Road exit – South-West QEW off-Ramp
https://www.facebook.com/events/1800350026749723/
OTTAWA
Outreach Blitz
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM — in front of Loblaws, 363 Rideau St (corner of Nelson St)
https://www.facebook.com/events/681597172211532/
PETERBOROUGH
Outreach Blitz
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM — South East corner of George St North & Simcoe St
https://www.facebook.com/events/543791412738650/
SCARBOROUGH
Centennial College, Progress Campus
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM — Progress Campus, the Bridge
https://www.facebook.com/events/243984089622188/?event_time_id=243984096288854
Scarborough Centre
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM — Intersection of Warden Ave and Lawrence Ave East
https://www.facebook.com/events/550380335403347/
Scarborough Agincourt
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM — Sheppard Ave East and Kennedy Road Intersection
https://www.facebook.com/events/336959493705534/
Scarborough Rouge Park
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM — Morningside Avenue and Milner Avenue Intersection
https://www.facebook.com/events/1083895695111500/
ST. CATHARINES
Rally
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM — Outside the Ministry of Transportation, 289 St Paul St
https://www.facebook.com/events/2143198219048121/
TORONTO
Morning Outreach Blitz
7:30 AM to 8:45 AM — Dufferin & Sherbourne TTC stations
https://www.facebook.com/events/338555650239079/
York University Outreach Blitz
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM — Vari Hall, York University at 198 York Blvd
https://www.facebook.com/events/2149680478582507/
University of Toronto Outreach Blitz
11:00 AM to 1:30 PM — Sid Smith (East Side)
https://www.facebook.com/events/2186536938264706/
Rally outside Ministry of Labour
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM – 400 University Ave
https://www.facebook.com/events/251715398866409/
Educators at Lawrence West
3:15 PM to 5:00 PM — Lawrence West Subway Station
https://www.facebook.com/events/475332019618614/
WATERLOO
MPP Mike Harris’ Office
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM — 63 Arthur St South Unit 3&4
https://www.facebook.com/events/1109742122517576/
For more information:
Meagan Perry,
Director of Communications
Ontario Federation of Labour
mperry@ofl-org.flywheelsites.com l 416-894-3456
Nil Sendil
Communications Coordinator
Fight for $15 & Fairness
info@15andfairness.org l 647-710-5795
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