This Labour Day, Canada’s unions are calling for a strong pandemic recovery that centres around workers and their families and that includes a plan for replacing the jobs lost over the pandemic with better ones.
“This pandemic has highlighted the inequality created by our existing systems,” said Mike De Rose, President of the North Simcoe Muskoka & District Labour Council. “With a federal election in a few weeks, we have an opportunity to hold our political leaders accountable and demand better jobs and better social programs as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to the Labour Council, the recovery must be built on good jobs that offer decent wages, benefits and a path to unionization. Recovery planning must also strengthen the public health care system by adding universal pharmacare and disaster-proofing our social safety net with investments in childcare and affordable housing.
“With so many women forced out of the workplace due to a lack of affordable and quality childcare spaces, and with so many essential workers being paid poverty wages as big corporations saw massive profits, we need to come together as working people and demand a fair recovery.”
“A strong recovery isn’t possible without workers,” said De Rose. “Workers kept us all afloat through this incredibly difficult time by keeping us fed, healthy, housed and supported. We must ensure that when the next disaster hits, we are able to weather the storm without leaving anyone behind. Investing in these key priorities will keep us from returning to the status quo.”
