Top Stories
Ontario employers benefit by keeping people on for years as “temporary” workers:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/10/ontario-employers-cashing-in-on-temporary-workers.html
- A history of temp agencies, now and then: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/10/ontarios-temp-agencies-then-and-now.html
- Ontario hosting public consultations on updating labour laws: http://news.ontario.ca/mol/en/2015/05/ontario-holding-public-consultations-to-strengthen-labour-laws.html
San Francisco becomes the first city to legislate predictable schedules for employees:
Provincial efforts to boost low wages of home care workers, as promised, stymied by complex rules:
Federal government analysis says it’s cheaper to raise children now than ever:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/raising-kids-getting-more-affordable-government-analysis-suggests-1.3070037?fb_action_ids=10153249563266061&fb_action_types=og.shares
- The high cost of childcare keeps many families in poverty: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/10/high-cost-of-child-care-keeps-many-toronto-families-in-poverty.html
Calls for proposals for Ontario’s Local Poverty Reduction Fund now open – deadline June 10:
http://news.ontario.ca/tbs/en/2015/05/call-for-proposals-for-local-poverty-reduction-fund-now-open.html
The Mandatory Victim’s Surcharge challenged in court for disproportionate impact on low-income offenders and those with disabilities:
http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/2695/victim-surcharges-entrench-cyle-of-poverty-lawyer.html
Reports, Events, Campaigns
The ODSP Action Coalition extends Save the Work-Related Benefit campaign – here’s what you can do:
http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=586a900565&e=245c8ebaab
Think tanks seek to reframe Canada’s social safety net as “social architecture”:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/reframe-canadas-social-safety-net-as-its-social-architecture-so-we-can-rebuild-it-before-it-crumbles-report
- Here are the first three papers: http://social-architecture.ca/
CCPA-Ontario economist Kaylie Tiessen’s “Jobs Friday” report from last week:
http://ccpaontario.ca/jobsfriday/
New study shows treating poverty will save costs in health care:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/poverty-linked-to-future-high-health-care-costs-1.3065822
- Here’s the study report: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2815%2900082-3/fulltext
Around the Province
Northumberland County consulting on poverty, but no one in poverty can attend:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2015/05/13/northumberland-county-looking-at-poverty-issues
Hard for the poor to bury loved ones: Cobourg man still paying expenses related to wife’s death:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2015/05/11/hard-for-poor-to-bury-loved-ones
Nurses in Toronto work to improve health by fighting poverty:
http://www.thestar.com/life/nursing/2015/05/07/for-nurses-improving-health-means-fighting-poverty.html?referrer
Tenants in TCHC buildings in Toronto suffering with heat that’s not being turned off:
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer/2015/05/10/tchc-tenants-are-steaming-about-heat-that-wont-quit-fixer.html
Women leaving jail face difficulty finding housing and struggle to move on:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/08/women-leaving-jail-face-housing-problems-in-struggle-to-move-on.html?referrer
Windsor college looks to women to fill their skilled trades spots:
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/college-courting-women-for-skilled-trades-careers
York Region finds housing and homelessness savings sufficient to better address local needs:
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5628697-york-region-support-program-for-homeless-cost-61-5-less-in-2014/
Guelph residents on low income share their take on the Sunshine List:
http://www.guelphmercury.com/opinion-story/5614737-low-income-earners-take-on-the-sunshine-list/
Column: Action on poverty required in St. Catherines, not more talk:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/05/12/lafleche-action-not-words-needed-to-combat-poverty
Across the Country
Pierre Poilievre says fish plants in New Brunswick must boost wages to attract local workers, not rely on the temporary foreign worker program:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/pierre-poilievre-says-fish-plants-must-boost-wages-1.3069039
BC agencies make Ombudsman complaint that changes to social assistance delivery discriminate against recipients:
- http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Welfare+system+discriminates+against+those+need+report/11048017/story.html
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/welfare-office-reductions-prompts-complaint-to-bc-ombudsperson-1.3071863
Nova Scotia promising widespread reform of social assistance:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-promising-widespread-reform-of-social-assistance-1.3071895
- Minister says system is broken; advocates say consultation must occur: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-income-assistance-system-broken-and-needs-reform-1.3073055
Winnipeg shows how we can make homelessness history:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/policyfix/2015/05/winnipeg-shows-how-we-can-make-homelessness-history
National
Canada is failing in its responsibility to refugees:
http://montrealgazette.com/news/national/opinion-canada-is-failing-in-its-responsibilities-to-refugees
Former StatsCan head says NHS data is “so unreliable” that it’s almost “a piece of garbage”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/08/canada-national-household_n_7243594.html
- Globe editorial: Reinstate the mandatory long-form census: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/that-time-they-tried-to-a-study-but-gave-up-for-lack-of-data/article24320260/
Canadian Housing and Renewal Association video on the repercussions of declining federal social housing funding:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxNIM6eyVNA
Moms denied EI while on maternity filing class action lawsuit:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/11/sick-moms-denied-ei-to-get-their-day-in-court.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Feds enhance EI compassionate leave benefits:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1286551-compassionate-leave-benefits-increased
International
Stop blaming poor moms. It’s bad policies, not bad parenting, that hurts kids:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/05/08/stop-judging-poor-moms-bad-policies-hurt-their-kids-not-bad-parenting/
Using Lego bricks, an economist demonstrates how the tax system can affect income inequality:
http://www.upworthy.com/using-lego-bricks-an-economist-demonstrates-how-taxes-affect-income-inequality?c=ufb2
Australia cutting $1.6 billion from welfare programs funding over four years:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-12/federal-government-to-cut-16-billion-from-welfare/6464320
