Labour Day Message from REVP

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Labour Day celebrations are taking place all across our country, commemorating the achievements organized labour has made for workers and their families. It is important to remember how far we’ve come over the years; gaining health and safety regulations, human rights achievements, improvements to our workplaces, pay and benefits.

Union members have been at the forefront of gaining these enhancements, and Labour Day is an opportunity for all workers, union and non-union, to come together and show that we are all one labour movement.

To continue our progress in fighting for workers’ rights, PSAC Ontario, along with the Ontario Federation of Labour and all its affiliated unions, are lobbying the provincial Liberal government to improve basic employment protections for all workers by amending the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act. This work coincides perfectly with this year’s Labour Day theme of “We stand for fairness”.

Some of the recommendations made to the government as it reviews these labour laws are: ensuring equal pay, benefits and conditions for all workers regardless of their part-time, temporary or full-time status, paid sick days and vacation days in keeping with international standards, and making it easier for workers to join a union.

It’s time we made Ontario’s labour laws fair for all workers. Please join the “Make it Fair” campaign and find out how you can help. Also, take the quick 5-minute survey on the Make it Fair webpage (www.makeitfair.ca/precarious_work_survey) to help us collect information on precarious work.

This Labour Day, bring your family and friends and let’s continue our work to make Ontario better for all workers for generations to come.

In Solidarity,

Sharon DeSousa,
PSAC Ontario Regional Executive Vice-President