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‘Billionaire wealth has bounced back’: Canada’s 20 richest people saw their fortunes grow by $37 billion during COVID-19, study says

Thursday, September 17th, 2020

The proceeds of a wealth tax could “create ongoing revenue streams” to fund important social policy initiatives… “That includes areas such as health care, building a universal child-care system, addressing the housing crisis that exists in so many parts of the country, and addressing the next looming crisis on the horizon in climate change.”

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Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »


Their work is keeping Canada safe. But they earn a fraction of the national average

Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

From food processing to warehouses to delivery services, the workers deemed essential to maintaining the country’s vital supply chain are significantly more likely to be low-wage and racialized compared to the rest of the labour market… “We have to really look at governments to respond in a longer term manner by increasing minimum wages, easing access to unionization, and increasing both protections and enforcement under minimum employment standards”

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Posted in Debates | No Comments »


Employers keep breaking safety laws — and government enforcement isn’t stopping them, auditor general finds

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

“The ministry’s enforcement efforts are not preventing many employers from continuing the same unsafe practices,” the report says… The auditor general report also highlighted issues with the ministry’s enforcement capabilities: its information system, which informs inspection strategy, only contains details of 28 per cent of all business in Ontario — leaving “many workplaces uninspected.”

Posted in Delivery System | No Comments »


More than a million Ontario workers do not have drug coverage. These groups are the most likely to be left out

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

“These gaps in coverage are worrisome, since prescription drugs play an essential role in preventing and treating disease and in helping us stay healthy,” the report says… highly concentrated in the retail trades, accommodation and food services industries… part-time work’s share of total employment rose from 13.5 per cent to nearly 20 per cent between 1976 and 2015… a significant portion of part-time work is low wage, without benefits, and has scheduling uncertainty which creates stress…

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Posted in Policy Context | No Comments »


New Ontario law allows less pay for overtime

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019

Time-and-a-half pay in Ontario is usually mandatory when employees work more than 44 hours a week, unless an overtime-averaging agreement in place. Under Bill 66, employers will have expanded use of these agreements and will be able to average workers’ hours over the course of a month rather than two weeks, resulting in less overtime pay… the new measures will encourage employers to assign erratic schedules to workers in order to minimize overtime payments.

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Posted in Policy Context | No Comments »


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