Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak wants to issue debit cards to social assistance recipients that can only be used to buy food.
A better idea would be to issue a debit card to Ontario Tories that could only be used to buy a brain, a heart and the nerve to pick on someone other than the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.
Tim Hudak, leader of the Ontario party responsible for the killing of Dudley George and the Walkerton contaminated water tragedy has declared war on Ontario workers.
Hudak wants to get rid of the Rand formula, the “historic compromise” on union security that has governed labour relations in Ontario (and most of Canada) since the 1940′s.
Even disgraced former premier Mike Harris didn’t dare go this far.
Hudak uses the language of “modernizing” Ontario labour law. Of course that’s only if moving worker rights back to where they were in the Dirty Thirties is your definition of “modern”.
It would be very easy to write Hudak off as a right wingnut.
Don’t.
Right-wing extremists have lately got into the habit of getting elected through campaigns of lies, half truths and robocalls. Take Toronto Mayor Rob Ford for example. Someone please take him!
Then there’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who’s on a global crusade to make the world safe for multinational corporations.
Take Hudak very seriously. But do take him on.
A couple of weeks ago we held a little contest here at Class Rage and asked the question “What do you call a restaurant owner who skims tips?”
Carolyn Givens gave us what we thought was the most creative answer. She thought that we should call them a “Restauranteur a la Vulture”. So that’s what we’re going to call them from now on!
We are pleased to see that the Rosseau Muskoka resort near Port Carling, Ontario has been embarassed into backing down on a scheme that would have forced spa workers to hand over their tips or be fired.
This resort is no struggling mom and pop outfit either. It’s a posh resort where rooms start at $269 a night and is connected with the multinational Marriott hotel chain.
Let’s hope that McGuinty follows through this fall on his promise to support NDP MPP Michael Prue’s private members’ bill that would ban this practice.
The practice of restaurant/bar owners and managers skimming workers tips has become a common practice in Ontario. It’s bad enough that wait staff earn only $8.90 per hour instead of the normal appallingly low minimum wage of $10.25 per hour. Now restaurant owners and managers expect workers to defacto pay for the privilege of working in their establishments.
For a second time NDP member of the legislature Michael Prue has introduced a private members bill to ensure that tips only go to servers and workers NOT restaurant owners and managers.
It’s a pretty simple thing. A similar law was passed in the state of New York a couple of years ago.
Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey was initially cool to the idea, but it looks like Premier Dalton McGuinty has given her marching orders to support the bill. I guess kicking the poor with a measly 1% increase in Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Programme (ODSP) payments was enough during this budget round.
So here at Class Rage Towers we’ve decided to run a contest!
Our question is: What would you call a restaurant/bar owner or manager who demanded a cut of a servers tips?
The winner will receive their very own personalized “@classrage.ca” e-mail address and blogging space here on classrage.ca
Just fill in the form below or send an e-mail to: info@classrage.ca
The winner will be announced on July 2, 2012.