Labour Day is a time to recognize the accomplishments of the working women and men who built this province – and the accomplishments of the entire labour movement.

Labour Day began in Canada on April 15, 1872. On that historic day the Toronto Trades Assembly organized the country's first significant 'workers demonstration' forcing Parliament to pass the Trade Union Act on June 14 the following year.

Today, unions continue to fight for the public good. Public education, health care, clean water and breathable air are just some of the things that organized labour continues to strive for.

As we honour working people’s many achievements, today in Ontario working families are still fighting for good jobs, living wages, benefits, fair and safe working conditions and opportunities for pensions in later life.

Under Dalton McGuinty, thousands of men and women have lost their jobs in the manufacturing and forestry sectors. Yet the McGuinty Liberals are doing nothing to stop this crisis. The McGuinty Liberals squash worker’s right to unionize, instead of helping workers get better working conditions. And the McGuinty Liberals are penalizing laid-off workers who are denied their severance, instead of rewarding their hard work.

New Democrats stand proudly with workers across this province for fairness, justice and unity. We have fought for:

• Ensuring that all workers, in every sector, have card-based certification to form unions, because it’s the only way to protect workers from employer intimidation and coercion.

• Ontario’s working women and men by making sure that when a plant shuts down or lays off workers no one is denied severance and benefits that they have earned.

• Raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour right away to help thousands of working families make ends meet.

• Stopping the use of scabs to take the jobs of hard-working women and men.

We pledge to move worker’s rights forward and continue to build strong communities for Ontario’s families. Happy Labour Day!

Sincerely

Howard Hampton, Leader
Ontario’s NDP