The Good Jobs for All Coalition, organizers of the November 2008 Good Jobs for All for a Greater Toronto Summit, is actively working on various projects and campaigns, as the follow-up to the action plan which came out of the Summit.

Please check out the new website, http://www.goodjobsforall.ca for a look at the Coalition’s work, including the Fix EI campaign, Green Economy for All conference, and support for the Community Social Services Campaign and the Toronto Coalition for Better Childcare Campaign. You can also see the six workshop summaries of the action plans which the 1000 plus summit participants supported.

Campaign for EI reform gains momentum across Toronto and York Region.
Since the launch of the Good Jobs for All EI Reform Campaign this winter, we have been actively lobbying Liberal MPs in Toronto and York Region, organizing rallies and protests across the region and getting folks to sign petitions. The sisters and brothers at PMP Worker’s Action Centre have been in the forefront of our EI campaign, led by Fa Lim.

The petition campaign maps out our demands, which includes a reduction in the number of hours required to qualify for EI to 360 hours across all regions in Canada. Right now, you need anywhere between 420—910 hours depending on where you live in Canada and whether you are a new entrant or re-entrant into the EI system. While the Prime Minister has not agreed on reducing the number of hours, all three opposition parties have agreed to this key demand for reducing the number of qualifying hours to 360.

Some of the campaign’s organizational highlights include:

• Holding 5 town halls on EI across Toronto and Brampton

• Forging alliances between unionized and non-unionized workers, who are unemployed

• Training Good Jobs For All volunteers to lobby MPs on EI reform

• Contacting and visiting 17 Liberal MPs across Toronto and York Region (note there are 24 Liberal MPs in this region)

• Coordinating the support from the City of Vaughan, Town of Newmarket and the Town of Markham for resolutions that mirror our demands to reform EI.

• Requesting a meeting with the Ontario Liberal Caucus on either June 3 or June 10 in Ottawa so the Good Jobs For All Coalition can make their case for further EI reforms

• Organizing EI reform rallies at 25 St Clair Ave East, Scarborough Town Centre, Dufferin Mall and 7600 Yonge St., Thornhill  ( MP Peter Kent’s Constituency Office)

• Obtaining comprehensive media coverage on the need for EI reform by using unemployed workers to tell their story

• Interacting with our colleagues in Montreal to develop joint strategies to put pressure on Liberal and Conservative MPs in Quebec.

• And collecting petitions—so far we have over 4000 petition signed and more are being delivered every day

Get involved! We can win!
The campaign is gaining momentum everyday—please contact Julius Deutsch at 416.892.4380 to get information on how you can assist in this key campaign to reform and save EI.

Please go to http://wwwgoodjobsforall.ca to download the EI petition with the demands.  Get involved by signing and collecting signatures on the petition then return to us. Every signature is important in showing the masses of people who are demanding changes to EI.

Rally for EI and Good Jobs for All – Saturday June 13th, 1pm
Please come on out and bring your family and friends on Saturday June 13th at 1pm at Metro Hall in downtown Toronto at King and John streets. Join with thousands in the call to Fix EI and for Good Jobs for All. Please go to http://wwwgoodjobsforall.ca for an event poster. Share with all your contacts.

Green Economy for All Conference – Saturday November 7, 2009
The Good Jobs for All Coalition is planning a Green Economy for All conference in the Fall 2009. This conference will help us to develop our strategies and capacity to create green and sustainable communities by creating good jobs for all that pay a living wage. We will be bringing communities and workers together in what promises to be an exciting event. Stay tuned for more information on location and agenda.

Investing in Social Infrastructure
The Good Jobs for All Coalition is demanding investment from governments in social infrastructure. We are supporting the Community Social Services Campaign and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care Campaign. Please go to their respective websites at http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/cssc and http://www.childcareontario.org to see how you can support these campaigns. Your support is needed.

The Community Social Services Campaign is tackling the issue of public investment in non-profit organizations, making the link between improving quality and access to services, improving salaries and working conditions in community organizations, and the government investment needed to ensure that community organizations can meet growing needs.

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care is working to promote better access to quality childcare, which implies better pay and working conditions for childcare workers – again pursuing the government investment needed to make that a reality.

Investment in social infrastructure creates and maintains good jobs for individuals employed in the sector, but also improves the quality of life for all residents of our city. “Social Infrastructure” includes the range of ‘public goods’ – education, childcare, community social services, health care, among others – that individuals need to be safe, happy and to reach their full potential.  It is both ‘hard’ infrastructure – schools, community centres, hospitals, public housing – and ‘soft’ infrastructure – the actual delivery of services like childcare, education, recreation, settlement and health care.

New Protections for Temp Agency Workers Passed by the Ontario Legislature
Congratulations to Workers’ Action Centre!
Workers’ Action Centre (WAC) and Temp agency workers have been pushing for years for legislative changes that will bring fairness for temp agency workers. The new law is a good start in improving protection for temp agency workers.
However, the fight for fairness for workers must continue! Not every change WAC was fighting for made it into the law. Workers need equal pay and working conditions regardless of being a temp agency worker, on contract or working on their own. For more information please go to http://www.workersactioncentre.org.

Thank you once more!

Our movement for Good Jobs for All cannot be strong without each of us. Be a part of these campaigns and let our voices be heard together.

Tam Goossen & Winnie Ng
Co-Chairs, Good Jobs for All Coalition

Judy Vashti Persad
Coordinator, Good Jobs for All Coalition