NDP Leader statement on Labour Day

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath made the following statement to mark Labour Day:

“Because of COVID-19, Labour Day 2020 is going to be different from those in the past. During these trying times especially, all of us are missing the in-person connection and solidarity of Labour Day events.

But the work of the labour movement is more important now than ever before in our lifetimes. My heart today is with all the folks who have worked on the frontlines of this pandemic. Throughout this crisis, you have gone above and beyond, and we all owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. My heart is also with the working folks who have been infected by COVID-19, including those who were made sick at work, often due to a lack of appropriate PPE provided. And my focus is on the more than two million Ontarians who have lost income, or a job, or are hurting because of the devastation of the economy.

In the face of this horrible virus, and in the face of employers and governments not doing enough to ensure that workers have safe workplaces, the NDP will continue to fight along with the labour movement for your right to have safe places to work. We will fight to lift up the two million working Ontarians who have lost income during the pandemic; to push back against Doug Ford’s cruel agenda of cuts and freezes; to demand justice for Black, Indigenous and racialized folks in this province; and for an economic recovery that works for working people and their families – not just for the wealthy and the well-connected.

All frontline and all health care workers deserve pandemic pay, as well as fair and decent pay post-pandemic; all workers deserve PPE and strong safety protocols to make sure workplaces are safe; all workers deserve paid sick days; and a plan for child care and back-to-school that’s safe, because that is the bedrock of an economic recovery, especially for working women.

COVID-19 has shown us that we are a community even when we are physically apart. Together, we’re going to fight for a recovery that won’t just get Ontario to back to normal — we’ll fight for a recovery that gives working folks more good jobs with pensions and benefits, more job security, and better wages. New Democrats are proud to be part of a movement rooted in solidarity, ready to step up and take care of each other. We know that, united, we can make it happen.”