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Our future is worth the fight. But so is our present day.
That’s a key message young workers took away from a Unifor webinar held Feb. 24, 2022, which encouraged union workers under 35 in Ontario to take action and make positive change with not only within workplaces, but in government.
“Young workers are fighting back,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor’s Ontario Regional Director during the Zoom meeting.
“Wage increases that were the norm for the last decade and a half are no longer enough to keep up with the inflation rates that are coming in at around 5%. Young workers are reminded of this constantly when they want to purchase food, fill gas or turn their heads to owning their first home.”
Andy Dewar of Unifor Local 79-M and Jamie Chilcott of Local 88, both part of the Ontario Regional Council Young Workers Committee, gave examples in their opening remarks of how they mobilized.
“For me, that started with wanting to make things better in my community and how to effect change professionally in my local,” said Dewar. “That grew to working on [political] campaigns.”
Roxanne Dubois, the Director of Strategic Planning at Unifor, gave a number of tips for young workers to build their mobilizing skills, including talking to actual humans in person, practising door knocking, knowing the issues, tapping into your talents and following your union. Workers were also encouraged to tap into their networks or find existing groups to connect with, build a team and if they need it, to ask for help. Her advice was to “dream big.”
“Elections for activists and workers are opportunities to make sure we bring our issues to the forefront, to talk to people who normally wouldn’t care about politics, so we can see elections as a way to tap into a bigger conversation,” said Dubois.
To get Unifor’s young workers connected, Dubois said she’ll be setting up a chat for any interested members on Signal, so they can bounce ideas off one another.
There will also be a Young Workers Activist Course at Unifor’s Port Elgin education facility April 24 to 29, 2022, where union members under 35 can develop skills, access necessary tools and participate in workshops.
Rizvi said workers are united, with a stronger resolve than ever since the pandemic began. She encouraged young workers to get involved by volunteering for Unifor campaigns, as the Ontario provincial election quickly approaches in June.
“The last two years have been absolutely crushing. I’m so grateful that all of you are sitting here today and thinking about how every single person can be active in this fight towards having a government that listens to us, consults with people and makes decisions that are good for the interests of the public,” she said.
“Workers want their piece of the pie and it’s about time.”
