TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Apr 30, 2016) - Across Ontario, workers are joining the Asian and South Asian communities in recognizing May as both Asian Heritage Month and South Asian Heritage Month. However, while the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) acknowledges and celebrates the rich history of Asian and South Asian Canadians and their contributions to our country, we are also fighting to tear down the economic and social barriers they continue to face.
A recent report on Chinese restaurant workers uncovered alarming rates of exploitation, including wages that are below the minimum wage, wage theft and widespread violation of employment standards and labour law. Further down the food chain, a group of Tibetan produce pickers have been fighting for five months to get a first contract that would bring their wages up to levels paid to their counterparts at the Ontario Food Terminal. These recent stories are all too common ones and fall against a backdrop of a recent rise in precarious work in Ontario that is hitting immigrant and racialized communities the hardest.
"Canadian workers are proud of the contributions that the hundreds of thousands of Asian and South Asian workers have made to our country and our labour movement, but today we are reminded that Ontario's outdated labour laws and lack of legal enforcement are conspiring against their success in our economy," said OFL President Chris Buckley. "While we challenge systemic racism, we must also raise the floor for every worker. Asian, South Asian, and other racialized and predominantly immigrant communities, won't be able to reach their full economic potential without broad improvements to employment standards, a $15 minimum wage and easier access to joining a union."
For the first time in over 20 years, the Ontario government has opened up the laws pertaining to employment standards and labour relations across the province. In doing so, it has given hope to many racialized workers in Ontario, who understand that better employment standards and easier access to union membership can be a pathway out of poverty.
"Poverty and precariousness continue to plague Ontario's racialized and immigrant people, and they drive a wedge between communities," said Ahmad Gaied, OFL Executive Vice-President. "Meaningful strides towards ending racism and inequality will not happen unless every Ontarian can fully participate in our society and our economy. Challenging racism is about much more than speaking out against prejudice and discrimination when we witness it, it is about standing together across diverse communities to confront the systemic barriers to equal opportunity."