Category: Uncategorized

Care Workers

Care Worker Rights’ During #COVID19: Minimum Wage Increase

If I am a Care Worker receiving minimum wage, should my wages go up? Yes! On October 1, 2020, the minimum wage in Ontario increased to $14.25. This means that your employer is required by law to pay you $14.25 per hour. Read below for more information!

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If you are a Care Worker with questions about your rights, call, text or WhatsApp the Caregivers’ Action Centre at (647) 782-6633. 📞📞

Care Workers

Over 280+ organizations demand FULL & PERMANENT Status For All!

Over 280 organizations – which includes 8 million people! – jointly released a letter just now supporting our call for FULL and PERMANENT immigration #StatusForAll!

Read the letter, see the massive support we have and add your name! 

Today, just as the Federal Liberal Party starts their Cabinet retreat to finalize plans for recovery from COVID-19, hundreds of groups across the country and from all sectors are making sure that political parties know what is expected of them: Nothing less than FULL and PERMANENT immigration status for all migrants, undocumented people, students or workers immediately, and permanent resident status on arrival for all migrants in the future. 

For the last six months, thousands of migrants have marched on the streets, signed petitions, made calls to the Prime Minister, and shown up at online events. Today’s letter proves that WE ARE NOT ALONE. A massive number of people across the country are with us. 

A fair society is one with equal rights, and equal rights are not possible without full and permanent immigration #StatusForAll.

Sign and share this letter on facebook, twitter and instagram!

With decisions about our future being made in Ottawa right now, we have no time to lose. We need thousands of people and organizations to read and sign this letter today to make our voice even louder: www.StatusforAll.ca. 

“Migrants, refugees, and undocumented people want to take care of their families and be active members of their communities. But federal immigration rules tip the scales against them. We call for a single-tier immigration system, where everyone in the country has the same rights.”

Today, let’s make sure that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all other political parties hear our LOUD VOICES! Read our letter and sign on here!

Advisory: International Students Left Out in the Cold As Schools Reopen & Unemployment Remains High

Migrant Students United
Media Advisory

International Students Left Out in the Cold As Schools Reopen & Unemployment Remains High

Thousands face deportation, high fees, and lack of healthcare

Toronto and Mississauga, September 10, 2020 — Current and former international students are organizing a weekend of demonstrations in Toronto (Sep 12) and Mississauga (Sep 13) to call for changes to immigration rules to recover from COVID-19. International student tuition fees have increased dramatically during COVID-19 even as students and their families have lost work and wages, and classes have shifted online. Many international graduates on time-restricted work permits are required to complete 12-24 months of continuous high waged work to qualify for permanent resident status. However, with unemployment for racialized workers at 17%, most graduates do not have access to these jobs. Work permits remain non-renewable despite the impact of COVID-19 on the job market, meaning that thousands face deportation in the near future because they cannot fulfill requirements. Delays in permit processing has resulted in thousands without active Social Insurance Numbers. Access to healthcare for former students, even during COVID-19, is tied to having a full-time job, and most students cannot access emergency supports. Over 14,000 people have signed two petitions calling for changes in immigration policy now.

TORONTO – Saturday, September 12, 2:45pm
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office, 344 Bloor Street West

MISSISSAUGA – Sunday, September 13, 2pm 
Westwood Square Mall, 7205 Goreway Drive

BACKGROUND
There were 572,000 new study permits and 98,470 new post graduate work permits issued in 2019. Many of these permit holders remain in Canada for several years. Over 17,000 one or two-year work permits were issued between September 2019 and June 2020.

Migrant students are calling on the federal and provincial government to:

  • FIX RULES AROUND WORK: Make post-graduate work permits renewable so former students can complete requirements for Permanent Residency (PR) in the COVID-19 job market; Remove time-limits and industry restrictions on work;
  • GIVE REAL ACCESS TO PR: Lower points requirements for PR (CRS); Count work that is part-time, in-school, in any occupation, including with gaps towards PR; and Ensure full and permanent immigration status for all migrants;
  • LOWER TUITION & ENSURE FULL SERVICES: Ensure migrant students pay domestic tuition; Full access to all services including healthcare, housing, jobs, scholarships, pandemic emergency benefits, and in-school support; Immediate access to Social Insurance Numbers
  • UNITE FAMILIES: Allow families to travel, ensure work permits for family members

Media Liaison: Sarom Rho, 647-858-2854, sarom@migrantworkersalliance.org, Migrant Students United 

Migrant Students

Petition: International Students Need Support! #FixPGWP

TAKE ACTION

Millions of people lost work and wages during COVID-19. But there’s an added cost to migrant students –  without these jobs, we can’t apply for permanent residency (PR). Now post graduate work permits (PGWP) are expiring, and thousands of us are in crisis. If work permits remain non-renewable, students will lose status and the ability to get PR. Fill in your information below to send an email to Prime Minister Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino to #FixPGWP and ensure #StatusforAll.

We need the government to make immediate changes:
(1) Make Work Permits Renewable, so we have more time.
(2) Value all work to count for PR, including part-time, NOC C & D.
(3) Real access to PR: Lower the Comprehensive Ranking System score.
(4) Unite Families, so our family members can get work permits.
(5) Status for All: All migrants deserve full and permanent status.
(6) Lower Tuition Fees & Universal Services: We want the same rights as everyone else.

Read the letter we sent to Minister Mendicino on Friday October 30, 2020 here.

Care Workers

Care Workers’ Rights During #COVID19: Civic Holiday in Ontario

Is the first Monday in August a PUBLIC holiday in Ontario? No, the first Monday in August is a CIVIC Holiday in Ontario. This means that under the Employment Standards Act, Ontario employers are NOT required to offer paid vacation on a Civic Holiday. Read below for more information!

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✊ JOIN our friends at the Fight for $15 & Fairness on August 11th for a cross-country phone ZAP where we will ALL call Prime Minister Trudeau, cabinet ministers, and MPs to demand fairness at work and #incomeforall! Sign up here: https://www.15andfairness.org/phone_zap_aug11_2020

If you are a Care Worker with questions about your rights, call, text or WhatsApp the Caregivers’ Action Centre at (647) 782-6633. 📞📞