(Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash)
Local advocacy group – $15 and Fairness NL – has changed its name to Workers’ Action Network, to combine efforts, and not only advocate for a higher minimum wage, but better working conditions, overall, for Newfoundland and Labrador’s non-unionized and low-wage workers.
$15 and Fairness NL had previously been organized to advocate for a higher minimum wage in the province. The current minimum wage in NL is $12.75 an hour, and the provincial government has announced an increase in the minimum wage to $13.20 in NL for April 1st, 2022. The organization has pushed the government to increase the minimum wage in NL to at least $15 an hour so that all workers can afford basic costs of living.
(Photos by Louis Hansel and Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash)
When COVID-19 cases surged last month, many low-income workers and students found themselves struggling due to a lack of financial resources. The network was vocal on social media, through the hashtag #paidsickdayssavelives, advocating for government-mandated paid sick days amid the rise of Omicron cases in the province.
In an interview with the Muse, the network explained that “It was the minimum wage and low-wage workers for whom we advocated during the $15 and Fairness campaign” that inspired the change to the Workers Action Network. “They made it clear that low-wage, precarious work denied them decent work conditions beyond poverty wages. Workers in low-paying, precarious industries also face harassment, discrimination, unsafe work conditions, abuse, wage theft, and more. A broader approach to address all of these systemic issues was needed.”
The group was formed in 2018, after former Premier Dwight Ball’s austerity agenda was released, as “an initiative that was brought forward by Common Front– a coalition of labour, community, social justice groups,” and “is most well-known for the Fight for $15 and Fairness Campaign, which ran from 2018 to 2022.”
The workers’ action network announced in a Twitter thread on February 1st, that “The issue of poverty wages is only one of many faced by non-unionized, low-wage workers. Therefore, the Workers’ Action Network of Newfoundland and Labrador will replace and build upon the advocacy of the Fight for $15 and Fairness NL campaign.” The Network’s new goals are now centered around bringing non-unionized and low-wage workers together to organize the fight for decent work in the province.
“Decent work is about more than fair wages and benefits: it means a work environment free of harassment, abuse, discrimination, precarity, and other unjust labour conditions which deny the dignity, rights, and economic well-being of workers. ALL workers deserve decent work.”
@workersactionnl on Twitter
The network explained to the Muse that “We, the organizers, Sara Moriarity and Mark Nichols were hired by the Common Front to work on the $15 and Fairness campaign in 2020 shortly after Newfoundland and Labrador’s first province-wide lockdown in an effort to advocate for those in low-wage work and create public pressure on the provincial government to raise the provincial minimum wage to a more livable $15.00 per hour. Though we both took on this work believing that a $15.00 per hour minimum wage was an attainable target and a good first step toward a true living wage, we knew that the demand for that wage fell short of what workers in low-wage, precarious jobs needed. Workers in low-wage, precarious jobs are not only paid poverty wages but are often denied decent work conditions. Workers in these industries face harassment, discrimination, unsafe work conditions, abuse, wage theft, and more.”
“The $15 and Fairness campaign took a back seat and Common Front began a series of conversations that would lead to the decision to launch the Workers’ Action Network. Rather than advocate on behalf of workers, the Workers Action Network will provide the space for workers to come together and exercise their collective voice in order to fight for decent work conditions for all.”
I asked them to explain how the network organizes workers against the province’s unfair working conditions, and they explained their three steps of action: Educate, Agitate and Organize.
“Our very first step is to let workers know they have rights that must be upheld in the workplace. Educate. Once workers realize not only do they have these rights that have been infringed upon, but employers are rarely if ever, held accountable for doing so. Agitate. Suddenly, we’re looking at a province full of informed workers who are ready to defend their rights and fight for better working conditions. Organize.”
Currently, the network is in the first phase of action, to educate workers of the provinces about their rights in the workplace. They explained “We’ve created a living document, on our website, that contains vital, simplified information on one’s rights in the workplace. We’ve opened up a line of support through which workers can contact us when tackling workplace issues as an individual, or better yet, as a group of coworkers or those in the same or similar industries sharing these issues. We’re issuing printed materials to be distributed to inform workers across our province that this resource exists. We’re holding bi-weekly “Know Your Rights!” Webinars, and will begin to offer a variety of workshops on various topics. Workers who join the network through our website will have the opportunity to vote on which workshops they’d like to partake in next.”
Through this phase of action, they are hoping “to let every worker in our province know that ‘The Network’ exists. The Workers’ Action Network has been created to let them know their rights, to support them and their coworkers in dealing with workplace issues, and we want them to get involved in the operations of the network going forward.”
The network is aiming to achieve three main outcomes:
- “For employers to provide decent work conditions and to permanently stop infringing upon the rights of workers under current legislation,”
- “For the provincial government to diligently and effectively hold employers who violate workers’ rights under current legislation accountable, and,”
- “For the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador to enact legislation that guarantees decent work conditions, giving all workers in our province the basic human dignity and economic ability to live life in our province.”
The network has utilized social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to reach out to workers in NL and spread their message of workers’ rights.
They told the Muse that “It’s early, but we’ve seen an encouraging upward trend in our engagement and follower counts on all social media channels since the $15 and Fairness campaign, and have recruited an encouraging number of worker sign-ups to our worker-only newsletter. It’s safe to infer from this information that we are beginning to reach a wider audience of workers, but our ultimate goal is to reach every vulnerable worker across our province to let them know that we exist and for them to join the network. This is a huge demographic and significant undertaking, so we will constantly be adjusting our approach as required.”
Through their social media platforms they “want to provide content that is helpful, interesting, and engaging. If workers have requests or suggestions for content, we are always accepting feedback. They can contact us through our website.”
I asked the network: What opportunities do you have right now for people interested in worker organizing?
They are encouraging those interested to first, join the network. “All workers in low-wage, precarious work across our province are encouraged to join and receive updates to their email inbox. Once they’ve joined, they’ll receive invites to bi-weekly webinars in which we meet to discuss the voted subject of choice. The ultimate goal is to have a strong network of dedicated workers who are collectively making the decisions, but first, workers need to join, stay updated, and participate in webinars and future events. The pandemic has made it difficult and currently unsafe to meet in person, but we’re looking forward to hosting in-person events and information sessions as soon as it becomes safe to do so. That social component is so important in building solidarity. We can’t wait to meet everyone.“
Here, those interested in joining the network can fill out an online form to receive emails and updates from the network and learn how to get involved with the network’s decision-making.
The network wants students and workers who are struggling with precarious and low-income work to know that they are not alone.
“It can feel impossible, and at times, hopeless, to advocate for yourself alone. Know this: we will have success addressing the infringements upon these rights and fighting for better conditions as a collective of workers.”
They encourage workers who are struggling with their working conditions to “Come talk to our support staff about the issues you’re facing. We welcome you to do that individually, or with a group of trusted coworkers. We’ll lay out all your options and would love to facilitate a discussion about organizing your workplace or industry.”
And they encourage those who are interested in organizing against unfair working conditions to “Spread the word about the Network. Request print materials to distribute to the workers in your life or put them up on your workplace bulletin board. The more informed workers we have, the more successful we will be in fighting for decent work as a collective.”
“If you feel the call– join the network and get involved. Follow our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), and make use of our website when you need it. The more informed workers we have, the stronger and more effective we’ll be in demanding better working conditions and advocating for stronger labour legislation. In solidarity, we have power.”
To find out more information or to reach out to the network, you can look here on their website.