$15 minimum wage coming January 1, 2019 -- Ontario Workers launch the “15 Week Countdown to $15” with a Provincial Day of Action


TORONTO, Sept. 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 20 provincial ridings will see local actions on Saturday, September 15, kicking off the “15 Week Countdown” to Ontario’s $15 minimum wage, coming into effect on January 1, 2019.

Residents, community groups, and labour councils will be delivering a message to local MPPs asking them to stand with the people of Ontario against the attempt by corporate lobbyists to rollback Ontario’s new labour laws.

Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Ontarians (66%) support a $15 minimum wage -- including 62% of small business owners -- Big Business is leading a campaign to cancel the $15 minimum wage and roll back the 2 paid sick days and other laws that came into effect this year.

The corporate campaign to repeal Bill 148, The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act is spearheaded by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, whose members include UBER, Loblaws Inc. (which recently confessed to price fixing), the Canadian Franchise Association which lobbies on behalf of multi-national companies like Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Pizza Pizza, etc., as well as international temp agencies like ADECCO, ACSESS and Randstad corporations. 

Actions are taking place in the following locations:

Ajax
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- Starbucks by Chapters, 90 Kingston Road
Together with Durham Region Labour Council we’ll be doing an outreach blitz to talk with Ajax residents. Help us send a strong message to MPP Rod Phillips.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Aurora
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- 238 Wellington St. East, Suite 203

Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott. Residents of Newmarket-Aurora support $15 & Fairness and expect their representative to be a decent work champion.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Barrie
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM -- Barrie Farmers Market (Collier & Mulcaster St)

Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to local MPPs Andrea Khanjin and Doug Downey.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Belleville
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- MPP Todd Smith’s Office, 5503 Hwy 62 South

Quinte Labour Council and $15 & Fairness Kingston are hosting this joint outreach to talk to constituents in Bay of Quinte. Come and help us collect petitions to be delivered to MPP Todd Smith.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Brampton (South)
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- 7690 Hurontario St (Near Hurontario & Ray Lawson)

We’re meeting in front of McDonalds at 10:45 am! Come and help us collect petitions to deliver to MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Brampton (West)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- 15 Bovaird Dr. East (Near Hurontario & Bovaird)
We’re meeting in front of Tim Hortons at 1:45 am! Help us deliver a strong message to MPP Amarjot Sandhu by collecting signatures in support of $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Cambridge
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Ainslie St. Transit Terminal, 35 Ainslie St. S
Join Waterloo Regional Labour Council in sending a message to MPP Belinda Karahalios. Cambridge residents want and support $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Cobourg
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- Outside MPP David Piccini’s office, 513 Division St, Unit 7
Join Northumberland Labour Council to raise awareness about our new workplace rights. Let’s call upon MPP David Piccini to be a decent work champion and ensure that our fairer labour laws are protected and extended.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Etobicoke
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM -- Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market, 2240 Lake Shore Blvd W
Meet us in front of the Pizza Plus store on the north east corner of the intersection of Lake Shore Blvd West at Legion Rd. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christine Hogarth.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Guelph
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- Guelph City Hall
Let's assemble at City Hall to talk about our new rights at work and why they may be at stake. MPP Mike Schreiner signed the $15 & Fairness pledge to be a decent work champion during the election, we will collect petitions for him to read into the legislature.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Hamilton
11:00 AM - 12:00PM -- Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street W
Join Hamilton & District Labour Council for a rally and solidarity action. Let’s call upon the new government to prioritize our need for decent work over corporate interests.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Lindsay
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Farmers’ Market, 4 Victoria Ave. between Kent St. and Peel St.
Come out and join us as we talk to our neighbours about our new rights at work. Let’s send a message to local MPP and Minister of Labour Laurie Scott that Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock wants and supports decent work!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

London / St. Thomas
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM --
Horton Farmers’ Market, 10 Manitoba St, ½ Block North of Talbot St
Join us to do community outreach and spread information about our new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to deliver to MPP Jeff Yurek in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there!

Mississauga
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Morning Star Dr and Goreway Dr (South East side of Westwood Square)

Join Peel Regional Labour Council for a neighbourhood outreach in Mississauga-Malton. Together we can send a message to MPP Deepak Anand.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

North Bay
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM -- Main St W and Ferguson St
Join Nipissing Decent Work for a downtown petition canvass in North Bay, followed by a 5:00 PM neighbourhood BBQ party. Help us collect signatures to demonstrate to MPP Vic Fedeli, our communities expect a $15 minimum wage by January 1, 2019.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Oakville
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -- Oakville Farmers Market (240 North Service Road West)
Join us to talk to our neighbours about their rights, collect signatures on our petition and remind people to contact Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and Oakville North Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Oshawa
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM -- East side of the Oshawa Centre Mall, 419 King St W
Meet We Are Oshawa to do outreach on the east side of the Oshawa Centre Mall (by the bus loop). We will be connecting with Durham and Oshawa residents to ask them to contact their MPPs. Please call Lucian Mailloux at 289-685-7393 for more info.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Ottawa
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM -- 2249 Carling Avenue (Near Carling & Fairlawn)
Help us take our message straight from the streets to MPP Jeremy Roberts. Meet us in the parking lot outside the MPP’s office and join a postering and canvassing blitz in the neighbourhood.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Scarborough Centre
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM -- 2063 Lawrence Ave E (Near Warden & Lawrence)
Let's talk to our fellow workers and community members in Scarborough to let them know what is at stake with our new rights at work. We’ll be collecting petitions to deliver to MPP Christina Mitas!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Scarborough (Rouge Park)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM -- #105-8130 Sheppard Avenue East (Near Sheppard & Morningside)
Help us spread the word in the neighbourhood to deliver a strong message to MPP Vijay Thanigasalam!
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

Toronto (Eglinton-Lawrence)
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM -- 2882 Dufferin St (Near the Glencairn Ave & Dufferin St intersection)
Join us outside the office of MPP Robin Martin to let all our neighbours know about their new rights as workers. We will also be collecting signatures to ask our provincial representative to speak out for $15 & Fairness.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

York Simcoe (Holland Landing)
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM -- 45 Grist Mill Road, Unit 8 (West of Grist Mill Park)

Join us in doing a delegation visit to local MPP Caroline Mulroney. Residents of York-Simcoe expect the new government to protect and extend our fairer labour laws.
Click here to let us know you’ll be there! Click here to share on Facebook.

To arrange interviews prior to the Day of Action or for more information, please contact:

Nil Sendil
Communications Coordinator
Fight for $15 & Fairness
info@15andfairness.org l 647-710-5795

Rob Halpin
Executive Director
Ontario Federation of Labour
rhalpin@ofl.ca l 416-707-1094

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