Media Advisory: Workers and Community Join Forces to Reclaim and Rename the Ministry of Labour

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 13, 2016) - Hundreds of workers from across Toronto will converge at the Ministry of Labour on Friday, April 15, 2016 to engage in a ribbon-cutting celebration to reclaim the Ministry of Labour and rename it the Ministry of Decent Work.

For over a year, two advisors appointed by the Ministry of Labour have been engaging Ontarians about needed changes to the laws that govern work and workplaces. Their first report is expected soon.

"Ontarians have big expectations for this review," said Pam Frache, provincial Fight for $15 & Fairness coordinator. "Whether it's parents trying to make ends meet on poverty wages, recent graduates struggling to pay student debt on short-term contracts, temp workers with no guarantee of hours, workers losing their wages and benefits when contracts flip, or unfair exemptions that leave some workers with no protection at all - more and more Ontarians are saying: Enough - we need changes now!"

"There is no better time than now for our elected representatives to commit to a meaningful, decent work agenda," said Frache. "By doing so, this government has an opportunity to transform the Ministry of Labour into the Ministry of Decent Work."

This Toronto event is one of many taking place across Ontario - and Canada - as part of the Fight for $15 & Fairness Day of Action.

The Fight for $15 & Fairness is calling for sweeping reforms, including fair scheduling; further regulating temporary agencies; investing in pro-active, public enforcement of employment laws; imposing meaningful fines for labour law infractions; legislating seven paid sick days; an end to contract flipping; easier access to unions and more. Central in the campaign is the demand for a $15 minimum wage for all workers, regardless of age, student status, job or area of work.