Unions are key to fighting child poverty
In the Nov. 29 Throne Speech, Dalton McGuinty signalled that he aims to
fight child poverty in Ontario over the next four years.
This is good news. But the Premier’s announcement was long on good
intentions and short on concrete plans. All we know is that a Cabinet
committee will set targets to reduce child poverty, likely in the next year.
Making a plan will come later. Taking real action will come later still.
Right now, one in six Ontario children is poor. Why? Because their parents
are poor. Part of the problem is that social assistance rates and Ontario
Disability Support payments are too low. They should be higher. But another
big part of the problem is that wages are too low.
Dalton McGuinty must make it easier for workers to join unions – by allowing
automatic certification when a majority of workers have signed union cards.
He must encourage collective bargaining – by banning the use of scabs during
strikes and lockouts.
And he must take strong measures to stop employers from exploiting the 37
per cent of Ontario workers who toil in “precarious” jobs. Part-time,
temporary, and self-employed workers keep getting the short end of the
stick. It’s time their government stuck up for them for a change.
Ontario has never been richer, but we are not succeeding as a province if we
don’t all share in that wealth. If Dalton McGuinty really cares about
reducing child poverty, he will put workers’ rights at the top of his
agenda. Better jobs, backed by strong public services for all, are the key.
OPSEU is one union that intends to tell him so.
In solidarity,
Warren (Smokey) Thomas
President
