Labour Day is upon us once again, and for many Ontarians, this is a day to celebrate, to spend time with our families, and to mark the many accomplishments of the labour movement that have made us a stronger province. Things like the minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, workplace safety, pensions and even the weekend.
I grew up in a union family in a union town. As a new Canadian, my dad found work at an auto plant and his union job allowed him and my mom to raise our family in Hamilton on his single income - we weren't rich, but we didn't go without. Growing up, my family could count on the basics, and I was able to go to university, leave home, start my own career and have my own family.
This year, like almost every year since I was a child, I will march alongside my union brothers and sisters in Hamilton, and in Toronto as well. Labour Day is a day of camaraderie and solidarity that I enjoy, and look forward to each year. It's a day to celebrate all that we've achieved, a day to feel the power of togetherness and to recommit ourselves to the struggle ahead.
From Leamington, to Toronto, it's clear that this economy is not working for people and their families. Factories continue to close, and unemployment in this province remains stubbornly high. Our once strong, stable middle class is quickly becoming a class of precarious workers. People are working longer hours for less pay. Increasingly people are self-employed, or "independent contractors", often working endless short term contracts with no protection, ineligible for basic pensions or benefits. After years of hard work, older workers find themselves on the sidelines, and new Canadians and young people find themselves with more education and more skills but fewer opportunities than past generations. Around the province, families are struggling to pay the bills and make ends meet. Indeed, the economic picture continues to look bleak in Ontario with our federal and provincial governments pursuing the same old and failed policies that got us into this mess in the first place.
My dad and my hometown taught me about scrappiness and solidarity. I don't expect this to be easy, but I know that as a province, we can turn things around.
We can ensure that every person in this province receives a fair wage for a hard day's work. We can ensure people can still afford to raise a family in this province and retire with dignity. We can invest in our public services, in our workforce, and in our economy. We can support young people get started with their careers. We can protect workers' safety and stop exploitative work conditions like illegal unpaid internships. We don't have to pursue failed policies. We don't have to give breaks to organizations, or partner with companies who then take jobs elsewhere.
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