Good Fight Prize Winners

The Campaign for Community Benefits, led by the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN) and Labour Community Services – Toronto, won the prize in 2022. The goal of this campaign is to put equity at the centre of Ontario’s infrastructure development process.

 

From its inception in 2013, this membership-based, community-labour coalition has fought for a process that respects the voices and interests of communities most affected by infrastructure development – especially those who have historically benefited the least and have been harmed the most by these investments. 

 

TCBN began with 13 member organizations and now has over 120. Members include construction unions, community organizations, grassroots groups, and social enterprises. They are active in 10 neighbourhoods throughout Toronto, and support a growing network in seven cities – Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catharines/Niagara, Windsor, London and Peel Region. 

 

They have negotiated goals, targets and agreements to make job opportunities, apprenticeships, and other community benefits like child care part of major projects, such as the Finch West Light Rail, Eglinton LRT and Woodbine Casino. This campaign has brought about necessary changes in legislation governing the infrastructure development process at municipal, provincial and federal levels of government. At last count, over 2,000 individuals from under-represented groups have moved into apprenticeships and professional, administrative and technical careers as a result of this campaign.

 

Learn more about this campaign at Toronto Community Benefits Network and Labour Community Services – Toronto.

The Fight for $15 and Fairness Campaign, coordinated by the Ontario Employment and Education Resource Centre in partnership with the Workers’ Action Centre, won the inaugural prize in 2017.

 

The campaign began when Ontario’s minimum wage was only $11.00 an hour. Actions included door knocking, street outreach with racialized communities and petitions, to government consultations and hosting community meetings with workers across the province, wrapped up with a strong social and other media presence.

 

Local campaigns took off in cities like Brampton, Peterborough, Sudbury, Guelph, Kingston, St Catherines, London, Hamilton, Barrie, Ottawa, Toronto and Oshawa working alongside faith leaders, students, the Decent Work and Health Network, the Better Way Alliance, and the Ontario Federation of Labour. 

 

Unionized workers joined the campaign to fight employer efforts to drive down wages and working conditions. The mobilization between union and non-union workers in workplaces, on campuses, and on the streets, paid off.

 

In 2017 the provincial government introduced major reforms to Ontario’s labour law, including two minimum wage adjustments that would see it rise to $15 an hour on January 1st, 2019. Roughly 1.6 million workers, 22% of the labour force, were directly affected by the minimum wage increase.

 

Learn more about this campaign, the Workers’ Action Centre and the Ontario Employment Education and Research Centre.