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Fairness for Ontario government summer students

More than 3,000 students work for the Ontario government each summer.

They run natural heritage programs, collect fees and maintain campgrounds at provincial parks. They give travel advice to tourists at the road-side travel information centres. They are the animators, guides and operators at tourist attractions. They carry out fieldwork and public outreach programs at the Ministry of the Environment. They do many other important jobs.

Without the students, most of these programs could not run.

About half of the students earn minimum wage, $9.50 an hour. Many are expected to work the statutory holidays. This summer, for the first time, the Ontario government decided it will no longer pay out vacation and holiday pay.

It can do this because it exempted itself from sections of the Employment Standards Act that require employers to compensate for vacations and statutory holidays. As a result, students earning minimum wage for the government will now earn less than if they worked at Wal-Mart, McDonald’s or any other employer.

The government’s decision to end a practice it followed for many years will cost students hundreds of dollars, money they need to cover the rising costs of going to college and university. The same government that wasted millions of dollars paying consultants at eHealth Ontario is nickel and diming the very workers who need money the most.

We believe the Ontario government should be a model employer, especially for the students who are the future of our province. The Ontario government must do the right thing and pay out vacation and holiday pay to students!

Click here to contact the government now!

Fairness for Student Workers

Latest reports & photos

September 2: Summer students are working hard and protesting their right to earn a fair wage. photos and more...

September 2: Liberal MPP doesn’t want to hear it! photos and more...

August 25: Students tell Minister of Labour: "Help us get our money back!" photos and more...

August 18: OPSEU protests for fairness for student workers in Northwestern Ontario. photos and more...

August 14: Students working at Ontario Place told the public that Premier Dalton McGuinty has broken yet another promise. photos and more...

August 11: Students at Killarney Provincial Park and Fort William Historical Park appeal for public support in their fight for fairness. photos and more...

August 10: Student information pickets at Algonquin Park well received by public. photos and more...

July 27: MacGregor Point and Sauble Falls parks users are sympathetic to students. photos and more...

July 20: Earl Rowe and Wasaga Beach parks students take their fight for fairness to the public. photos and more...

July 13: Student pickets at Sibbald Point and Six Mile Lake Provincial Parks get a sympathetic response from the public. photos and more...

In the news

View full list of media coverage!
The latest media reports on the Fairness for Student Workers Campaign, from
Orillia Packet and Times,
Toronto Star ,
A Channel (video clip),
Canadian Press ,
The Windsor Star ,
myFM Strathroy ,
The Record ,
Chatham Daily News,
Mix97
and more from across Ontario.

Tell the government to do the right thing!

August 12: Conservative MPP Supports Students in their Fight for Fairness more...

July 27: OPSEU asks MPPs: did you know that students who work Aug. 3 will receive no extra pay beyond their hourly wage? more...

Click here to contact the government now!

Download our Flyers

This flyer is for all students in the Ontario government: Colour

This flyer is for students
at Ontario Parks:
Black and White Colour

News Releases

October 9, 2009 'Top employer' award for the Ontario government a sham when students didn't get holiday and vacation pay. more...

August 14, 2009 Protest by student workers over holiday pay spreads to Ontario Place. more...

August 5, 2009 Student workers protest loss of vacation and holiday pay at two provincial parks. more...

July 30, 2009 Student stage information pickets at Algonquin, Pinery, Wheatley and Sibbald Point Provincial Parks. more...

July 23, 2009 MacGregor Point and Sauble Falls students join the fight against the government's denial of holiday pay. more...

July 16, 2009: Students at Earl Rowe and Wasaga Beach Provincial Parks to leaflet cars. more..

July 10, 2009 Students at Sibbald Point and Six Mile Lake Provincial Parks to leaflet cars going into the park on July 11. more...

June 5, 2009 Ontario government summer students treated worse than any other employee. more..

Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Rd. Toronto, ON M3B 3P8 (416) 443-8888

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