2

ACTION REPORT ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR Chris Buckley VOL. 6 NO. 2 SPRING 2016 P.6 FIGHTING FOR $15 AND FAIRNESS ONTARIO WE WANT Patty Coates OFL Launches Campaign to Make It Fair .............................................................................4 Taking Action for $15 and Fairness ....................................................................................6 Ontario Budget Throws Public Services Under the Infrastructure Bus .....................................8 Campaign Pushes Back Against Hydro One Corruption Scandal ............................................9 Rally Calls on Wynne to #PlayFair with OLG Pensions ...........................................................9 EQUITY & HUMAN RIGHTS Ahmad Gaied ACTION REPORT ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR The Ontario Federation of Labour represents 54 unions and one million workers. It is Canada’s largest provincial labour federation. Volume 6, Issue 2 of the OFL Action Report was produced for the April 21, 2016 meeting of the Executive Board of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Editor-in-Chief/Writing/Design/Layout: Joel Duff Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) Fédération du travail de l’Ontario (FTO) 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 202 Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Y8 416-441-2731 • 1-800-668-9138 TDD: 416-443-6305 • FAX: 416-441-1893 info@ofl.ca OFL Marks International Women’s Day with Call to End Wage Discrimination........................10 April 19 is Equal Pay Day for 2016 ....................................................................................10 Op-Ed: The Gender Wage Gap is About More than Wages ...................................................11 Black Lives Matter Shows that Direct Action ... Gets Action .................................................14 Ontario Labour Councils Band Together to Challenge Racism ..............................................15 Attawapiskat First Nation Declares State of Emergency ......................................................16 Annual Strawberry Ceremony Remembers Stolen Sisters ....................................................16 Wrongful Termination of New Mother Threatens Maternity Leave .........................................17 Ontario Creates New Anti-Racism Directorate ....................................................................17 Day of Pink Takes on Bullying............................................................................................18 Ontario Pride Events .........................................................................................................18 HEALTH & SAFETY / WCB Historic Legislation Supports First Responders with PTSD but Leaves Others Behind ....................... 20 NDP Bill Calls for Flags to be Flown at Half-Mast for Day of Mourning ................................. 20 OFL NEWS Letter from OFL President Chris Buckley ..................... 3 OPSEU Membership Votes 93.8% in Favour of Re-Joining the OFL ................................................. 12 OFL Hires Two New Staff to Strengthen the Labour Movement Inside and Out ............................. 13 OFL Stalwart Retires After 46 Years .......................... 19 Labour & Human Rights Dates ................................. 18 Upcoming Events .................................................... 21 Jim Freeman: 1955-2016 ....................................... 22 IN MEMORIAM This document was proudly produced with unionized labour: JD/ph:cope343 SUBSCRIBE TO THE OFL E-NEWSLETTER BY TEXTING THE WORD “OFL” TO 647-496-5602 OFL GROWS BY 132,000 New Affiliations since January 1, 2016 OPSEU USW 2010 USW 6565 CUPE 3907 130,000 members 690 members 128 members 200 members Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association 918 members We are stronger together! MEET THE OFL OFFICERS Secretary-Treasurer Executive Vice-President President PHOTO: ARNIE DE VAAN FRONT COVER PHOTO: JOEL DUFF