The Conference executive passed a resolution presented at the 79th annual meeting of Toronto Conference calling us to:
- Endorse the Justice for Workers campaign which includes increasing minimum wage to at least the poverty line of $10 per hour;
- Encourage congregations and missions in Toronto Conference to endorse the Justice for Workers campaign.
- Increasing minimum wage to at least the poverty line of $10 per hour;
- Providing supports to small businesses implementing the increase in minimum wage;
- Adjusting social assistance rates accordingly so that the increased cost of living is adequately reflected.
- Ceasing the practice of claw backs of assistance from one level of government by another level of government.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Educate yourself about minimum wage, social assistance levels, and cost of living. (Ontario Coalition for Social Justice www.ocsj.ca, Centre for Social Justice www.socialjustice.org, Canadian Council on Social Development www.ccsd.ca, Canadian Social Research Links www.canadiansocialresearch.net.)
- Ensure that people hired by your congregation or organisation are paid a living wage.
- Endorse the Justice for Workers campaign to call for an increase in minimum wage, 1266 Queen St. West, Toronto, M6K 1L3, 416 531 2411, ext. 246, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
- Participate in the Living Wage - Living Income campaign to demand raises to the minimum wage and social assistance rates (Ontario Coalition for Social Justice, 416 441, 3712, www.ocsj.ca/campaign.htm.).
- Write to and meet with your MP, MPP, the Premier of Ontario, and the Prime Minister to request an increase in minimum wage to $10 an hour, an increase in the housing portion of social assistance and disability benefits to cover the real cost of shelter, indexing of minimum wage, social assistance and disability benefits, supports to small businesses to implement the increase in minimum wage, and to cease the practice of claw backs of assistance by other levels of government.
WHEREAS many of our members are very much involved in charitable works through food banks, Out of the Cold programmes, etc. With this involvement and as witnesses to the increased need for such emergency services it is evident that the root causes remain to be addressed. Clearly the cause is a lack of living income, for those on the low end of the economic spectrum.
WHEREAS our society faces an increasing split between the rich and poor. Growing inequities in our society need to be addressed and countered through the assurance of a living income for all in our society of plenty. This can only occur through the collective efforts of our governments, business, and civil society.
WHEREAS the minimum wage in Ontario has been frozen at $6.85 since 1995, despite increases in average rents of 23% and a 9% increase in the cost of food and clothing. A minimum wage should provide people with a standard of living for securing housing, food and clothing.
WHEREAS the Statistics Canada low income cut off or poverty line is $18,371 for a single person living in a big city and it would require a person working full time at a regular 35 hour job at least $10 to reach the poverty line.
WHEREAS low wages and assistance rates are a big reason that poverty is on the rise; over 1 million workers in Ontario work at wages below the poverty level with 32% of people of colour making less than $10 per hour, 38% of women of colour earn poverty wages and 31% of all women make less than $10 per hour.
WHEREAS Social Assistance rates were cut 20% in 1995 and have not been changed since. Clearly the shelter allowance is totally inadequate (e.g. a single parent with two children receives a maximum benefit of $1086 which consists of $544 for shelter and $532 for basic needs. The average rent for a two bedroom apartment in Toronto is $1055 leaving $31 to buy groceries, clothes for kids, hydro and utilities, school expenses, etc.)
WHEREAS claw back clauses are applied to social Assistance (e.g. Federal child benefit is subtracted from social assistance received from the province, money received through part time employment or for educational advancement is subtracted from support received.) All of this further works against the attainment of a living income for thousands of people in the province of Ontario.
WHEREAS the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25 (proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948) states:
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being for himself [sic] and his [sic] family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care, and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his [sic] control.
