At the end of the summer, the Society joined with the rest of Canada’s labour movement to launch the Forward Together campaign, which calls for federal action on key issues that will make Canada stronger and fairer as we grapple with this global pandemic and other challenges ahead.
As widely expected, Ontario and much of Canada is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19. With recently re-enacted measures in Toronto, Peel and Ottawa to contain the virus’s spread, the hardship on local workers and businesses is already apparent. Canada must do more to support people struggling through the pandemic and position the whole country for prosperity once COVID-19 is behind us.
Forward Together: A Canadian Plan seeks to:
- Replace lost jobs with better ones by hiring people to transition Canada to a low-carbon economy, educate our young people, and help us care for one another
- Strengthen Canadian public health care by making long-term care for seniors and prescription drugs part of medicare
- Disaster-proof our social safety net so a strong employment insurance program, accessible childcare and strong community services are available when the next economic disaster hits
- Pay for these changes by recognizing that the wealthiest among us made record profits during the pandemic and should pay their fair share to help Canada as a whole recover and prosper
The campaign is a continuation of the Canadian Labour Congress’s (CLC) efforts to advocate for all workers during the pandemic. With tens of thousands of Canadians joining the CLC in calls to support workers, the congress has successfully advocated for stronger supports for workers. But Canadians know much more is needed and there is no better time than now for the transformational change proposed in the Forward Together plan.
To learn more about Forward Together and to ask your local elected representatives to support the plan, go to https://canadianplan.ca.
