ONTARIO NEEDS A RAISE June 5th Flyering Day On June 5th, the North Bay Network for Social Action & DAWN Ontario will be participating in an Ontario-wide day of flyering organized by the Ontario Needs A Raise Coalition. We are calling for increases to the minimum wage and social assistance rates and for indexing of both to keep pace with inflation. If you can volunteer for a half hour to an hour to assist with the flyering, please contact us: Terry O'Connor -- Tel: 472-8877 email: terry_oconnor@publicpower.ca or Barbara Anello -- Tel: 494-9078 email: anello@thot.net Backgrounder MINIMUM WAGE The Harris-Eves government froze the minimum wage at $6.85 an hour in 1995. It’s even lower for students ($6.40) and liquor servers ($5.95). Six Canadian provinces have raised their minimum wage since 2001. Inflation has dealt minimum wage earners a 20 per cent pay cut. If you work 35 hours a week in a big city you are almost $6,000 below the poverty line. Low-wage work is a big reason why poverty is high in Ontario. More than 1 million workers, many of them young, earn poverty-level wages (under $10 an hour). The majority of minimum wage workers are adult women and workers of colour. Overwhelmingly, transitions in the workforce are forcing more people onto the minimum wage. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE & DISABILITY In 1995, the Conservatives slashed social assistance (Ontario Works) by almost 22 per cent. Disability benefits (Ontario Disability Support Program) were frozen in 1993. A single person receives, at most, $520 a month from social assistance or $930 from disability. Two adults and 2 children get only $1,770, if one adult has a disability. Many families spend most of this on rent. Single-parent families on social assistance are $10,000 below the poverty line. This is driving people into abject poverty. People seek assistance for many reasons, but many are aged 20 to 35 and single parent families, most led by women. When they find work, it is too often low wage, part-time, temporary or casual. These low-wage earners increasingly need social assistance from time-to-time. ONTARIO GOVERNMENT The Ontario government that slashed social assistance, disability and minimum wage rates was able to raise MPPs’ pay by more than 35 per cent. This provincial election, demand a government that will ensure a decent standard of living for all Ontarians. Raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour. Raise the housing portion of social assistance and disability benefits to cover the real cost of shelter. Protect incomes from rising costs. Tie the minimum wage, social assistance & disability benefit rates to inflation. COSTS HAVE CLIMBED SINCE 1995 Inflation has soared 20 per cent. Water, fuel and electricity costs are 30 per cent higher. Food prices have risen 14 per cent. Ontario rents rose from $665 to $836 a month for one bedroom, a 26 per cent increase. When social assistance, disability benefits and minimum wages are too low, we are all insecure. North Bay Network for Social Action & DAWN Ontario ask you to Demand a government that will do what is FAIR and RIGHT!   Vote for a candidate who supports our demands. Go to all-candidates meetings. Ask where the parties stand. Talk to family, friends, neighbours and co-workers about why Ontario Needs a Raise. Help Leaflet on June 5th to raise awareness about growing poverty. Join us in the movement to get Ontario a Raise & End the Poverty Trap Ontario Needs A Raise! • It's right. • It's fair. • It's time. In solidarity Terry O' Connor & Barbara Anello North Bay Network for Social Action & DAWN Ontario (Terry) 705.472-8877 terry_oconnor@publicpower.ca (Barbara) 705.494.9078 anello@thot.net

 

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Last updated May 23, 2003

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