KEVIN FLYNN
Over the past two years, I have met with Ontarians from every walk of life and every area of this great province while we consulted on changes to Ontario’s labour laws.
Outside of PC leader Patrick Brown and his caucus, I have yet to meet anyone so adamantly opposed to the needs of working Ontarians. Fifty-three economists, including two past presidents of the Canadian Economics Association, confirmed that the false Conservative assertion that the minimum wage raise will kill jobs, raise prices and cause businesses to flee Ontario is “fear-mongering that is out of line with the latest economic research.”
But it’s not just about economics.
During my consultations, I met with many good people who simply can’t get ahead. Their debt loads are piling up. Their wages are stagnating. They are living paycheque to paycheque. And this is happening at a time when Ontario’s economy is growing faster than Canada’s and all G7 nations. Our economy is booming — over 840,000 jobs created since the recession and our unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in almost 20 years.
Brown’s Conservatives voted against a $15 minimum wage, against paid sick days, more vacation time and equal pay for full-time and part-time workers doing the same work. In doing so, he voted against both the economic evidence and the people who are relying on these changes. Worse, in his platform, he guaranteed his party would roll these changes back.
People who work 35 to 40 hours a week should be able to put food on their table, pay their rent and care for their children. If someone gets sick, they shouldn’t have to go to work and get others sick. If someone works full time, they shouldn’t be told they’re a “contract worker.” These are the minimum standards.
As a former small business owner, I know what it’s like to pay myself last. But I also know that providing a basic level of fairness to all employees is a reasonable requirement. The Government of Ontario is doing everything in its power to make sure that all businesses, regardless of size, can thrive in Ontario. But we’re also going to make sure that every hard-working Ontarian shares in that success.
— Flynn is Ontario’s minister of labour