Media & Policy News: 15 September 2017

Top Stories

Canadian incomes jump, Ontario residents hit by manufacturing downturn: Statistics Canada:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/09/13/canadian-incomes-jump-but-ontario-residents-hit-by-manufacturing-downturn-statistics-canada.html

• Census: Children make up one quarter of 4.8 million Canadians living in poverty:
  http://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/09/13/census-children-make-up-one-quarter-of-4-8-million-canadians-living-in-poverty/
• 2 million Canadian children living in poverty: http://globalnews.ca/news/3739960/canadian-census-children-poverty/
• Hennessy: CCPA Ontario: Seven things the Census teaches us about income inequality: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2017/09/13/7-things-the-census-teaches-us-about-income-inequality-in-canada/#.WbmFAp7sWYg.facebook
• McInturff: CCPA: Sense of the Census: Income, wage gaps, and poverty: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2017/09/13/sense-of-the-census/
• Income grows in resource-rich provides, Ontario and Quebec lag behind: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/census-2016-statscan-income/article36242392/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&
• Fewer young kids, more seniors in low-income households: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/census-2016-income-1.4285527
• Percentage of children living in low-income housing highest in the Maritimes: http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/percentage-of-children-living-in-low-income-housing-highest-in-the-maritimes-stats-canada-1.3588763
• Average household income climbed $7,000 in a decade: https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/census-2016-average-household-income-climbed-7k-in-a-decade-716029
• Highlights from the latest report on Canadian income levels: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/statistics-canada-census-2016-income-hightlights-1.4287179
• Census data shows London’s median household income is 2nd-lowest among big Ontario cities:
  http://www.lfpress.com/2017/09/13/census-data-shows-londons-median-household-income-is-second-lowest-among-big-ontario-cities
• New census income data conceals the scars of the oil crash: http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/new-census-income-data-conceal-the-scars-of-the-oil-crash/
• Armine Yalnizyan on rising incomes: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/armine-yalnizyan-on-rising-incomes-1.4289131
• Stats Can The Daily: Household income in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170913/dq170913a-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan

Undercover in Temp Nation:
http://projects.thestar.com/temp-employment-agencies/

• Ontario must toughen law to protect temporary workers: Editorial:
  https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/09/11/ontario-must-toughen-law-to-protect-temporary-workers-editorial.html
• NDP slams Liberals on temp work: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/09/12/ndp-slams-liberals-on-temp-work.html
• Temp work growth is ‘alarming’ and changes are coming, says Ontario labour minister:
  https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/09/11/temp-work-growth-is-alarming-and-changes-are-coming-says-ontario-labour-minister.html
• Fiera Foods pleads guilty to Labour Ministry charges in death of temp worker: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/09/14/fiera-foods-pleads-guilty-in-death-of-23-year-old-temp-worker.html

Ontario’s minimum wage hike could cost 50,000 jobs: provincial watchdog:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ontario-minimum-wage-jobs-1.4285443

• Financial Accountability Office report: http://www.fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/minimum_wage
• New report warns of minimum wage hike dangers: https://www.insauga.com/new-report-warns-of-minimum-wage-hike-dangers
• The headline you didn’t see: $15 an hour will have big net benefit: http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2017/09/12/the-headline-you-didnt-see-15-per-hour-will-have-a-big-net-benefit/
• Sobeys parent company sees employees as a competitive advantage; looking at ways to handle minimum-wage hikes: https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/09/14/empire-looking-at-ways-to-handle-minimum-wage-hikes.html
• Minimum wage increase could hurt Parry Sound, local chamber: https://www.parrysound.com/news-story/7549181-minimum-wage-increase-could-hurt-parry-sound-local-chamber/
• Minimum wage hike: The new higher cost of doing business in Sudbury: https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/head-new-cost-of-doing-business-716834
• Raise for employees, price hike for customers: Toronto business owner implements $14 minimum wage: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/true-north-climbing-14-an-hour-1.4290371
• On minimum wage debate, analysts are missing the forest for the trees:
  https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/analysts-are-missing-the-forest-for-the-trees-on-minimum-wages/article36222700/

Ontario labour reforms nothing to fear, some small-business owners say:
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/some-small-business-owners-speak-out-in-favour-of-ontario-labour-reforms/article36222996/

• Minimum wage hike, labour law changes “nutso” and “heartbreaking” says Ontario Chamber of Commerce: https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/7546078-minimum-wage-hike-labour-law-changes-nutso-heartbreaking-chamber/
• Metro talks: Ontario labour minister on precarious work, minimum wage, and degrees that don’t get jobs: http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/09/14/metro-talks-ontario-labour-minister-on-precarious-work-minimum-wage-and-degrees-that-don-t-get-jobs.html
• Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn: Brown’s got it all wrong: http://www.torontosun.com/2017/09/13/browns-got-it-all-wrong-labour-minister
• The real cost of unpaid internships:
  http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2017-09-14/features/the-real-cost-of-unpaid-internships/
• Inside the conditions migrant workers face in Niagara-on-the-Lake:
  https://this.org/2017/09/13/inside-the-conditions-migrant-workers-face-in-niagara-on-the-lake/

 

Trudeau: “Wealthy folks” who would be affected by tax changes “making a lot of noise”:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/prime-minister-pierre-trudeau-interview-1.4286195

• Fair tax system down the drain if loopholes aren’t closed: https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2017/09/11/Fair-Tax-System-Down-Drain/
• The rich are set to go to war over Trudeau’s tax changes: Here’s what they are: https://news.vice.com/story/the-rich-are-set-to-go-to-war-over-trudeaus-tax-changes
• Canada’s unions welfare plans to start closing tax loopholes: http://canadianlabour.ca/news/news-archive/canada%E2%80%99s-unions-welcome-plans-start-closing-tax-loopholes
• Which tax, what middle class? Debunking the income splitting debate: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2017/09/14/who-are-the-income-splitters/
• Proposed tax changes could drive doctors out of country, physician warns: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/federal-tax-changes-doctors-income-investments-reduced-cape-breton-1.4284501
• Doctors’ fury over proposed federal tax changes could affect provincial health budgets: http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/doctors-fury-over-proposed-federal-tax-changes-could-affect-provincial-health-budgets
• Trudeau government stands firm on tax changes: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/09/12/trudeau-kicks-off-cabinet-retreat-in-newfoundland-with-nafta-and-economy-briefings.html
• Coyne: The tax system can’t possibly do what people want it to do: http://nationalpost.com/news/andrew-coyne-the-tax-system-cant-possibly-do-what-people-want-it-to-do
• Tone-deaf rollout of Liberal tax reforms a lesson in how good ideas go sour: Editorial: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/09/15/tone-deaf-rollout-of-liberal-tax-reforms-a-lesson-in-how-good-ideas-go-sour-editorial.html
• Walkom: Will Liberals fold again on difficult tax reform?: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1501314-walkom-will-liberals-fold-again-on-difficult-tax-reform
• Take Action!: Tell Morneau to Hold Firm on closing private corporation tax loophole: http://www.taxfairness.ca/en/action/hold-firm-closing-private-corporation-tax-loophole

Toronto to get 2,000 market-rent and affordable units:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/09/13/toronto-to-build-2000-market-rent-and-affordable-units.html

• Government release: Ontario unlocking surplus land to create more affordable housing: https://news.ontario.ca/mho/en/2017/09/ontario-unlocking-surplus-land-to-create-more-affordable-housing.html

BC budget hikes taxes on rich to pay for social spending:
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/ndp-budget-hikes-taxes-on-rich-to-pay-for-social-spending-1.22628778

• BC budget funds 3,500 teachers, homes for homeless; hikes taxes on rich: http://www.bnn.ca/b-c-budget-funds-3-500-teachers-homes-for-homeless-hikes-taxes-on-rich-1.853667
• BC raising taxes for high earners and corporations to help pay for $51.9B balanced budget:
  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/2017-bc-budget-update-1.4284778
• Tax hike in BC for wealthy, more money for education, housing, overdose crisis:
  http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/ndp-budget-increases-takes-on-wealthy-spends-money-on-education-housing
• Iglika Ivanova and Alex Hemingway: Budget update investments a positive first step for BC: https://www.straight.com/news/963106/iglika-ivanova-and-alex-hemingway-budget-update-investments-positive-first-step-bc
• Expect tax changes for $150K earners, carbon footprint, and small businesses: http://globalnews.ca/news/3735492/b-c-budget-tax-changes-for-british-columbians/
• BC budget has two sides: http://www.langleyadvance.com/opinion/our-view-budget-has-two-sides/
• Housing for homeless among social commitments from NDP: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/housing-for-homeless-among-social-commitments-from-ndp-1.22629358

Here’s another reason why voting matters: http://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/editorial/our-view-here-s-another-reason-why-voting-matters-1.22653474

$15 minimum wage might come to BC faster than expected:
https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/09/14/Minimum-Wage-Increase-Might-Come-Faster/

 

Ontario

Is workplace bullying compensable? Ontario expanding workers’ compensation law to include emotional stress:
http://www.cos-mag.com/psychological-health-safety/columns/is-workplace-bullying-compensable/

Create stand-alone ministry for mental health and addictions, Ontario NDP urges:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/09/13/create-stand-alone-ministry-for-mental-health-addictions-ontario-ndp-urges.html

Want free university? Changes to OSAP, Canada Student Grants could help:
http://www.macleans.ca/education/university/want-free-university-changes-to-osap-canada-student-grants-could-help/

Editorial: End unjust and ineffective practice of academic streaming:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/09/08/end-unjust-and-ineffective-practice-of-academic-streaming-editorial.html

Government release: More than one-third of college and university students receiving free tuition:
https://news.ontario.ca/maesd/en/2017/09/more-than-one-third-of-college-and-university-students-receiving-free-tuition.html

 

Reports, Events, Campaigns and Other Good Things

Take Action! Over 30 organizations from across Canada call for a fair EI appeal process:
http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?e=78146ddbd7&u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=85046877de

Stats Can: Employer pension plans (trusteed pension funds), fist quarter 2017:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170914/dq170914c-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan

Webinar on Employment Rights and Responsibilities: Important information for Ontario newcomers: https://events-na11.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/1114987542/en/events/catalog.html

Parental-leave rich and parental-leave poor: Inequality in Canadian labour market based leave policies:
http://www.andreadoucet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Doc-10_McKay-Mathieu-Doucet-2016-JIR-FINAL.pdf

 

Around the Province

Former Sears employee waited to hear Sudbury store’s closure was a “mistake”:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/former-sears-home-employee-sudbury-1.4287989

• Sears Canada pension saga “is not over yet”: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/7553993-sears-canada-pension-saga-is-not-over-yet-/

Job fair takes over North Bay City Hall:
https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/job-fair-takes-over-city-hall-716526

Windsor Assembly Plant to shut down this fall for five weeks:
http://windsor.ctvnews.ca/windsor-assembly-plant-to-shutdown-this-fall-for-five-weeks-1.3587543

Average cost of one-bedroom rental in Toronto hits $2,000:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2017/09/average-cost-one-bedroom-rental-toronto-hits-2000/

Low wages leave Londoners caught in a housing crunch:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-ontario-low-income-high-rent-home-values-1.4287867

Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic expands to include help for employment law issues:
https://chathamvoice.com/2017/09/13/legal-aid-clinic-expands-to-include-help-for-employment-law-issues/

Anishnabek Family Well-Being program brings wellness to First Nations:
http://anishinabeknews.ca/2017/09/13/family-well-being-program-brings-wellness-to-first-nations/

Protesters rally after talk of anti-loitering bylaw in downtown Leamington:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/protestors-anti-loitering-bylaw-downtown-leamington-1.4283409

Ottawa sees surge in welfare fraud as province eases eligibility rules:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ontario-works-welfare-fraud-ottawa-1.4278873

Woodstock town hall meeting will focus on solving problems of poverty and food insecurity:
http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2017/09/11/town-hall-meeting-will-focus-on-solving-problems-of-poverty-food-insecurity

Street Eats program combines cooking and community in Toronto:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/09/14/street-eats-combines-cooking-and-community.html

 

Across the Country

Living wage for Whitehorse lowered between 2016 and 2017:
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/living-wage-for-whitehorse-lowered-between-2016-and-2017/

Complaints of fruit pickers living in derelict North Okanagan house investigated by regional district:
http://infotel.ca/newsitem/complaints-of-fruit-pickers-living-in-derelict-north-okanagan-house-investigated-by-regional-district/it45907

No matter who governs, $15 an hour minimum wage is likely here to stay in Alberta:
http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/breakenridge-no-matter-who-governs-15-an-hour-minimum-wage-is-likely-here-to-stay

Calgary Election: Advocacy group pushes council to introduce living wage for city workers:
http://globalnews.ca/news/3729947/calgary-election-2017-advocacy-group-pushes-council-to-introduce-living-wage-for-city-workers/

Saskatchewan NDP leadership candidate calls for $15 minimum wage:
http://leaderpost.com/news/politics/ndp-leadership-candidate-meili-calls-for-minimum-wage-increase-to-15-per-hour

Median incomes up in Manitoba, but percentage living in poverty unchanged:
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/median-incomes-up-in-manitoba-but-percentage-living-in-poverty-unchanged-444192253.html

Fighting for the rights of the poor and disabled in Nova Scotia – for free:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1502370-demont-fighting-for-rights-of-the-poor-disabled-.-.-.-for-free

Businesses on PEI raise concerns about federal budget changes:
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/business/2017/9/13/businesses-on-p-e-i–raise-concerns-about-federal-budget-changes.html

Research group suggests EI model that helps Atlantic workers save for retirement:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-aims-ei-report-changes-1.4279977

 

National

Catholic advocates turn up the heat on Canada’s poverty reduction strategy:
https://www.catholicregister.org/item/25986-advocates-turn-up-heat-on-poverty-strategy

Hunger in Canada a complex problem:
http://www.sarniathisweek.com/2017/09/08/hunger-in-canada-a-complex-problem

Liberals weighing new language to fix sexist Indian Act, says Sen. Sinclair:
http://www.hilltimes.com/2017/09/13/liberals-likely-looking-new-language-fix-sexist-indian-act/118603?mc_cid=b478dad625&mc_eid=e23a377433

Aboriginal Legal Services launches charter challenge on mandatory minimum sentences:
http://globalnews.ca/news/3742998/mandatory-minimum-sentence-charter-challenge/

Editorial: How Canada can help those fleeing Myanmar:
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-how-canada-can-help-those-fleeing-myanmar

Opinion: Trudeau’s promise of a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples seems to be all talk:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/renewed-relationship-indigenous-1.4286699

Former federal cabinet minister Allan MacEachen dies at 96:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/09/13/former-federal-liberal-cabinet-minister-allan-maceachen-dies-at-96.html

• Editorial: MacEachen a canny reformer: http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorials/1502576-editorial-maceachen-a-canny-reformer

 

International

The unspoken link between income, occupation and suicide:
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/mind/the-unspoken-link-between-income-occupation-and-suicide/news-story/c3cffb1e268e2457fef8a334979bde36

US Census Bureau: Median incomes rose and poverty levels fell in 2016:
http://waer.org/post/census-bureau-median-incomes-rose-and-poverty-levels-fell-2016

• US incomes and poverty rate bounce back to pre-recession levels: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-poverty/u-s-incomes-poverty-rate-bounce-back-to-pre-recession-levels-in-2016-idUSKCN1BN1VN?il=0
• Poverty rate is down to 12.7%, but probably not for long: https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2017/09/12/poverty-rate-is-down-to-12-7-but-probably-not-for-long/#5398fc313776
• More and more older Americans are slipping into poverty: http://uk.businessinsider.com/americans-65-and-up-slipping-into-poverty-2017-9
• The USA – and especially California – has a major poverty problem: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-income-levels-census-poverty-20170915-story.html
• US child poverty declines, still surpasses adults: http://www.aappublications.org/news/2017/09/13/Poverty091317

I’ve watched my patients die of poverty for 40 years. It’s time for single payer health care in the US:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/09/12/i-watched-my-patients-die-of-poverty-for-40-years-its-time-for-single-payer/?utm_term=.12109e147828

Concern in Ireland over gap between minimum wage and living wage:
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/concern-over-gap-between-minimum-wage-and-living-wage-805432.html

• New higher minimum wage still 20% below living wage: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-higher-minimum-wage-still-20-below-living-wage-1.3216110

Fears Ireland’s social welfare policy making young adults homeless:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/fears-that-social-welfare-policy-making-young-adults-homeless-1.3216295

China’s unconditional cash program: Implications for basic income:
http://basicincome.org/news/2017/09/chinas-unconditional-cash-program-implications-basic-income/

Welfare drug testing in Australia punishes those “least able to change”:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/13/welfare-drug-testing-punishes-those-least-able-to-change-former-afp-commissioner-says

Increase in homelessness in the UK “likely to have been driven by welfare reforms”:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41241021

Labour reform plans in France face first big test: A strike:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/11/europe/macron-reforms/index.html

Progress on global poverty and disease at risk, says Bill Gates:
https://in.reuters.com/article/health-global-gates/progress-on-global-poverty-and-disease-at-risk-gates-says-idINKCN1BO0JE