The Good Jobs Summit at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on October 3-5 brought together more than 1,200 participants – students, workers, educators, policy makers, researchers, elected government officials, labour leaders and members of non-governmental organizations for a big and broad ranging discussion on how we create good jobs here in Canada. At the end of the weekend, it came down to several shared ideas as a direction for the future. Here are a few of them: • We need stronger employment standards – and much better enforcement so that standards and rights are a reality for everyone. • Training should be linked to real opportunities and opportunities should be available across all demographics. • It’s about equity – racialized people, Aboriginal people, women, youth, newcomers must all have access to meaningful work. • No unpaid internships – this exploitative practice must end immediately. All work must be paid work. • Jobs must not only pay an above living wage, but provide stable and ample hours. Jobs must lift people out of poverty, not doom them to stay in it. • Understanding unions improve workers’ standard of living, workers in all sectors must have real access to joining a union, barriers to unionization must be removed. • Better policies and planning that prioritizes creating good green jobs and domestic innovation would help fuel a move towards decent sustainable jobs. This was a great national Summit which was live streamed across the country, and it got off to a great start with an opening debate on what constitutes a good job and how we create them. The attendees got inspired by the dynamic speech by CNN commentator and racial and environmental justice advocate Van Jones. The keynote address was delivered by the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 19:00:00 +0000
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