$5.5 Million Saved for Employment Standards.

WAC members and allies have a victory to celebrate!
Three months of intense pressure from WAC members and our allies have resulted in a huge win for Ontario workers! The Dalton McGuinty government has pledged to restore $5.5 million in planned cuts to employment standards enforcement—and to bring us to the table to figure out the most effective way to use these funds to better enforce employment standards and prevent wage theft.

How it all came together
In just three months…

Over 25 provincial organizations signed on to a letter demanding the cuts be stopped.
Hundreds of supporters sent emails to Dalton McGuinty on this issue
WAC members organized urgent delegation visits to MPP offices across the city to push for action to stop the cuts. Many MPPs we spoke with recognized and supported the need to make sure workers are protected at work.
WAC delivered over 3,000 Stop Wage Theft postcards—signed by workers across the province--to Premier Dalton McGuinty

What will happen now?
The government has committed to restore funding to meet their 2008 Poverty Reduction Strategy promise of $10 million in increased annual funding for employment standards by 2013. This means we will see an increase of $3 million this year, and another increase of $2.5 million next year. The $5.5 million total will go into proactive enforcement of employment standards. The government has committed to work with WAC and other community partners to develop a plan on how the money should best be used.

Wage theft is at a crisis.
We are hearing stories of wage theft from across Ontario. With 1 in 3 people in low wage jobs facing unpaid wages, it’s time to step up the pressure to win better protections for workers in Ontario. Restoring this funding was a crucial first step. But it’s just the beginning. We look forward to working with allies and supporters as together we build the base for decent work for all in Ontario.

TAKE ACTION

Join us as we step up the Stop Wage Theft campaign! Find out more how you can get involved in the campaign here
Share your story of wage theft. We are collecting stories from around the province.
Contribute financially to our campaign and support our fight for better wages and working conditions. Find out more here

Find out more about this victory at http://www.workersactioncentre.org/stopwagetheft.html