Wynne Government Talks About Justice But Delivers Poverty

Raise the Rates Provincial Week of Action: October 13 – 20th

 List of Events Below

Raise the Rates banner

MPPs will be going back to Queen’s Park on October 20 but, during the week before, they will be in their local communities and in their constituency offices. Doubtless Liberal MPP’s will be feeling quite smug after their election win and telling people about how committed to ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice’ they are.

Communities living in poverty know from bitter experience that the reality they face is very different:

  • The minimum wage has been set at a level that leaves people in poverty
  • People on Ontario Works (OW) and ODSP are living on incomes that leave them unable to feed themselves and pay the rent
  • The real value of social assistance payments has fallen by 55% since 1994 and people have continued to get poorer during the years the Liberals have been in office
  • The vital Community Start Up benefit that kept people housed has been taken away
  • The Special Diet benefit that put food on the table for thousands has been slashed
  • People on ODSP are now facing medical reviews that threaten to take away their income

The Raise the Rates Campaign, a coalition of poor people fighting back along with community and union allies, is not buying into Kathleen Wynne’s ‘social justice austerity’. We are demanding living wages, decent income, the reversing of cutbacks and adequate and secure ODSP benefits.

From October 13-20th, we’ll be going to MPP’s and provincial offices and Liberal events with our demands and holding events throughout Ontario. The Wynne Government is going to have to understand that people in poverty are fighting back.

**Announcing Raise the Rates Week of Action Events!** 

 Toronto:

 Join community members in Weston-King

Tuesday, October 14th, 5:30pm

Weston-King Neighborhood Centre: 2017 Weston Rd (at King St)

Meal and Discussion on Raise the Rates

 

Join Educators for Peace and Justice

Wednesday, October 15th, 5:00pm

Ministry of Education, Bay and Wellsley

Poverty is an Education Issue: installation / street theatre and flyering

 

Join the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

Thursday, October 16th 12:00PM

George St. South of Gerrard

Meal then March to Glen Murrays office

ocap@tao.ca /www.ocap.ca / 416-925-6939

 

Join Jane Finch Action Against Poverty

Friday, October 17th 4-7PM

Southeast corner of Jane and Finch

Dancing, food, Rally

https://www.facebook.com/events/1508544179384461/

janefinchactionagainstpoverty@gmail.com

 

Ottawa:

Join Poverty Makes Us Sick Ottawa

Friday, October 17th 12:00 PM

Cdn Museum of Nature park (O’Connor and Argyle)

Meal and Rally and March

raisetheratesottawa@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/events/599647510147620/

Sudbury:

Join Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty

Thursday, October 16th  1:30PM

Memorial Park

March to provincial building Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty:https://www.facebook.com/groups/257339454351403/

Kitchener-Waterloo: 

Join Poverty Makes Us Sick KW

Thursday, October 16th 5:00 PM

Food and MARCH

Kitchener City Hall

200 King Street West, Kitchener

https://www.facebook.com/events/535255453285044/

Guelph:

Join OPIRG Guelph and the Raise the Rates Campaign

Thursday, October 16th, 7pm

Panel and Discussion: Poverty in Guelph, Raise the Rates of Welfare and Disability Now!

Then join the Raise the Rates Gue;ph Rally
Friday, October 17th, 1pm
Liz Sandals’ office, 173 Woolwich Street
Contact: volunteer@opirgguelph.org
______10 Carden St, Downtown

Cobourg:

Join the Northumberland Coalition Against Poverty

Tuesday, October 14th, 7:00PM

Delegation to City Council on Homelessness

https://www.facebook.com/groups/northumberland.cap/

For more updates visit raisetherates.ca or like Raise the Rates on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaiseTheRates

If you want to be part of an action in your community during October or want to help build one, email raisetheratescampaign@gmail.com, call OCAP at 416 925 6939

Week of ActionJoin the Raise the Rates Provincial Week of Action to Confront Poverty in Ontario: Raise Welfare and Disability Rates Now!