News in Employment and Work
Report confirms chronic and severe health problems far higher among poor
Chronic and severe health conditions among poor Ontarians are far higher than those of average Ontarians, according to a report called "Sick and Tired: The Compromised Health of Social Assistance Recipients and the Working Poor in Ontario."
Appeal court looks at whether owner must pay employees what bankrupt company owes
A Toronto Star article looks at a case before the Ontario Court of Appeal, which must decide whether a company owner has to pay the employees of his bankrupt company what it owes in severance and termination pay. Employees were represented by the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic and Parkdale Community Legal Services.
Critics denounce injured worker retraining program
This article wraps up a Toronto Star investigation, which showed the Labour Market Re-entry program, run by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, to be costly and ineffective.
New web site promotes dialogue between people with disabilities and broader community
The Canadian Abilities Foundation has announced the launch of its new web site, where people with disabilities and the broader community can discuss issues of importance to all.
Community Development Institute calls for papers for spring conference
How to deal with a recession, job losses, taxpayer-funded bailouts for big banks and transnational corporations and tough times for working families - these are some of the questions planned for discussion at the The Toronto Community Development Institute's Spring Community Development Institute in April.
Governments' unfinished business denies prosperity to poor and racialized people
A Toronto Star opinion piece by Avvy Go, director of the Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, reviews efforts by the federal and provincial governments in 2008 that should have improved the lives of poor and racialized people.
Poverty activists concerned about unemployment, stress among South Asians
In an article on yorkregion.com, poverty activists express concern that the poverty rate among South Asians is growing disproportionately to other groups.
Biggest increase in food bank use found in mid-size communities
The Ontario Association of Food Banks has found an average 13 per cent increase in the use of food banks over the past year, with the biggest jump in mid-size communities that have been hit hard by job losses.
Provincial government introduces legislation that protects temporary workers
The Workers' Action Centre says the Ontario government's legislation to protect temporary workers is good news, but warns that pressure is still needed to keep employers from preventing the laws from being passed.
Social programs should be used as part of stimulus package
A Caledon Institute paper says the federal government can use several of its social programs as part of an economic stimulus package to put additional spending money into the hands of lower-income households.
