Protecting the vulnerable

Re: Ontario tweaks labour reform bill, Aug. 22 (online) The business lobby is fixated on the costs of a higher minimum wage. But I know that changes in Bill 148 will actually strengthen the economy and improve working conditions for all Ontarians. In fact, there are many areas for improvement in the proposed legislation.

I spent many years as a single parent, and my daughter is also a single parent and a young mother; I know the importance having access to decent work. I also work with many students who can’t find good jobs to support themselves during their education.

Precarious work j ust keeps increasing, and I can see it’s affecting the most vulnerable workers in our society — young people, women, immigrants, racialized people, and other marginalized groups.

No one should be working four or five jobs just to get by.

In the second hearing of Bill 148, the government could make changes that better protect vulnerable workers.

For instance, the $15 minimum wage by 2019 doesn’t apply to everyone. Liquor servers and students will be paid a lower rate.

Ontario is the only province in Canada with a differential minimum wage for students.

For young people who are getting paid less for doing the exact same work as their colleagues, this exemption is clearly discriminatory.

As we update our employment standards, we should follow the lead of other provinces. Vikki Poirier, President Local 238 ( Conestoga College Support Staff- CAAT- S); OPSEU Provincial Women’s Committee Treasurer