Join the Raise the Rates Campaign TODAY!

THE DEMANDS!

1) Reverse the Cuts, Raise the Rates!
In 1995 the Tory government cut welfare rates by 21.6 % and froze disability. Since the Liberals came to power in 2003, they have not only failed to reverse the Harris cuts, but have actually perpetuated a further decline in rates. As a result of that initial 21.6% cut coupled with inflation for the last 16 years, welfare rates are approximately 55% below where they should be. If benefit levels were restored to the same level of spending power as we had in 1994, a single person on Ontario Works would receive an immediate $904/month instead of the miserable $593 now being issued. No one can survive on these poverty rates; $593 cannot afford someone a place to live let alone food and basic needs.

The Liberal government has now announced that they are freezing the minimum wage in 2011. Workers trying to survive on minimum wage are already making poverty wages and will now see their incomes fall as a result of inflation and a freeze on wages. Currently there are approximately 1 in 6 workers or working at or close to minimum wage in Ontario, and the gap between minimum wage and welfare is greater now than it ever has been.

WE DEMAND an immediate increase in OW and ODSP rates to bring them back to pre-Harris levels. 55% NOW– raise the rates to where people can live with health and dignity!

WE DEMAND the minimum wage freeze be lifted immediately and that minimum wage be increased to a living wage for everyone in Ontario.

2) Restore the Special Diet!

In the 2010 provincial budget last March, the Liberal government announced that the special diet would be slashed completely. The special diet has been a vital benefit that has put money in the pockets of communities forced to live in poverty on social assistance rates that are entirely inadequate. Due to community outrage and mobilization, the Liberal government have now backtracked and said that they will keep part of the Special Diet, however the program is being completely gutted. The new system excludes numerous health conditions and reduces the benefits received for many other conditions. In addition applicants will have to release medical information and face other intrusive measures designed to prevent access to the benefit. Within the Liberals’ own statement about this measure, they refer to the fact that ‘many will not be eligible’. The new Special Diet comes in to affect on April 1st and all those who are not eligible under the new program will be cut off by July 31st.

The loss of the full Special Diet alongside declining social assistance rates will drive communities deeper into poverty and poor health. It is one of many social cuts to come as part of the government austerity measures and we must mobilize and demand that it be restored.

WE DEMAND the full restoration of the Special Diet to a benefit of up to $250 for food and complete reversal of all intrusive measures.

UPDATE: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers vote to unanimously endorse the Raise the Rates campaign...

Contact the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty to sign-on as an endorser to the Raise the Rates Campaign: ocap@tao.ca / 416-925-6939

The Movement is growing: Join the Raise the Rates Campaign!

We are proud to announce a broad range of organizations endorsing the Raise the Rates Campaign -growing by the day!

Many many groups have endorsed, keep reading to see the list.

Dear Allies,

We are contacting you about the ‘Raise the Rates’ Campaign and a call for community organizations, union locals, community health centres, social agencies, drop-ins and beyond to join the campaign and be a part of building a provincial movement to raise social assistance rates to where people can live with health and dignity.

What you can do to join this campaign:

1) Endorse the Raise the Rates Campaign: Take this to your organization and officially sign-on to the Raise the Rates Campaign! Contact us to add your name as an endorsing organization: ocap@tao.ca / 416-925-6939.

2) Join the Movement:

• Invite OCAP and the Raise the Rates Committee to come speak to your organization, union local or centre

• Start a Raise the Rates committee in your area: let’s build this work beyond the next demonstration and in to a movement that is unstoppable.

(in alphabetical order):

• Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
• Aids Action Now
• April 1st Coalition (Kitchener-Waterloo)
• Association of Ontario Health Centres
• Barrio Nuevo
• BASICS Community News Service
• Bathurst Street United Church, Toronto
• Bread and Bricks Social Justice Group
• Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Benefits (Hamilton)
• Common Cause
• Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)
• Community Solidarity Network
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – Ontario
• Coalition Against Psychiatric Assault (CAPA)
• CUPE Toronto District Council
• CUPE 1281 (Ottawa)
• CUPE 2204 (Ottawa, Child Care workers)
• CUPE 3396 (Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board
Education Support Workers)
• CUPE 3906 (Hamilton, McMaster U.)
• CUPE local 4207 (Brock University, St.Catharines)
• CUPE 4600 (Ottawa, Teaching Assists. & Contract Inst., Carleton U.)
• CUPE 4772 (Toronto)
• CUPW Canadian Union of Postal Workers (National)
• Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre
• Disability Action Movement Now (DAMN)
• The Gerstein Centre, Toronto
• Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly
• Health For All
• Health Providers Against Poverty
• Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty
• The Kingston Coalition Against Poverty
• The Love & Rage Liberation Collective
• New Socialist Group
• No One is Illegal – Toronto
• No One is Illegal – Ottawa
• Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH)
• Ontario Network of Injured Worker Groups (ONIWG)
• Ontario Nurses Association (ONA)
• Ontario Public Interest Research Group at U of T (OPIRG-Toronto)
• Ottawa District Labour Council
• Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre
• PASAN(Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Support Action Network)
• Poverty Makes Us Sick (Kitchener-Waterloo)
• Recession Relief Coalition
• Regenesis
• The Regent Park Community Health Centre
• S.H.A.M.E. (Sarnia's Hometown Activist Movement Emerging)
• Sistering Drop-in
• Socialist Project
• Social Justice Collective
• South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
• South Riverdale Community Health Centre
• Sudbury Against War and Occupation
• Sudbury and District Labour Council
• Toronto Drop-In Network, 91 Bellevue Avenue, Toronto
• Toronto People's Assembly
• Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicutural Women Against Rape
• Toronto Drug Users Union
• Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
• Under Pressure (Ottawa)
• Workers Action Centre (720 Spadina Avenue, # 223)