Northumberland Labour Council wants workers to be the primary focus of the Provincial Conservative government

Monday June 13, 2022

Northumberland Labour Council plans to hold the Conservative Government accountable.

As Doug Ford and the Conservative party gets settled into their second majority government, the Northumberland Labour Council wants workers to be the primary focus of the Conservative government.

Northumberland Labour Council President, Dan Tobin, claims that, “Workers will remember what Doug Ford did to them during his first term in office. Ford took away workers’ paid sick days by introducing wage-suppression legislation with Bills 106 and Bill 124, which cancelled minimum wage increases. In addition, Ford seemed hell-bent on picking a fight with public educators on all levels. It will be interesting if Premier Ford has learned anything through the pandemic? Workers are the backbone of this Province, and they deserve dignity, respect and good governance.”

The Northumberland Labour Council will be looking for signs of Premier Ford staying true to his word that he is here for the workers. However, Dan Tobin is doubtful “Bill 124 limits most public sector workers to a 1% increase was unfair when it was passed in the legislature,” says Tobin. “Workers need real wage increases. Life is getting more expensive in Doug Ford’s Ontario and we need the wages to keep up with it.”

In addition, we need to watch the Education sector. Education contracts between the government and the unions expire at the end of August. Considering the strain on the system, the cuts to funding, the learning loss and mental health strain on young people due to school shutdowns, the Northumberland Labour Council is wondering if fair negotiations can even take place. Fair negotiations that show real investment in young people and in the education system would go a long way.

The Northumberland Labour Council is also curious about what this government plans to do with Long Term Care. This sector was the most decimated during the pandemic due to years of under-funding and under-inspection on multiple governments. Many private for profit homes sacrifice the health and safety of our vulnerable seniors so that they can increase their profits. Reports also have shown that Ontario’s for profit homes had more deaths per capita than Ontario’s publicly funded homes. Will the Conservative government make commitments to move away from private for profit homes?

There are a lot of ways we can measure how Doug Ford and his Conservative government is doing. Will Ontario put workers, our healthcare and our children ahead of big corporations? “Ontario needs higher wages, paid sick days, real investments in public healthcare, and public education” states Tobin.

The Northumberland Labour Council looks forward to continuing to help workers, their families, and our communities through political action and advocacy.

Northumberland Labour Council