U of T Cafeteria Workers Celebrate as Hunger Strike Ends

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 15, 2016) -

What: A Hunger Strike Celebration Rally in front of U of T's Convocation Hall, where two University of Toronto cafeteria workers, joined by supporters, will break their fast after a six-day hunger strike; Rally will feature hundreds of supporters with signs and banners.

When: Wednesday, June 15^th, 2016 at 4:30pm

Where: Gathering at 4:30 pm at the King's College Gates (King's College Rd & College St), followed by a march to Convocation Hall, University of Toronto (31 King's College Circle, Toronto).

Cafeteria workers from the University of Toronto will break their fast after a six-day hunger strike on campus today, protesting their mass termination and loss of job security due to the university's move to bring food services on St. George campus in-house.

Because of an existing loophole in Ontario labour law, the long-time cafeteria workers are being forced to re-apply for their jobs and are being put back on probation. Significant numbers of these workers could be terminated even if they are offered jobs by the university.

The majority of these workers are immigrant workers. Many have served the university community for more than a decade, some more than twenty years.

These terminations are occurring even as the Liberal government is entertaining changes to labour law that would make the actions of the university illegal. On Wednesday, the hunger strikers will submit almost a thousand supportive postcards calling on the Liberal government to reform labour laws to MPP Peter Tabuns, who will in turn present them to the Premier's office.