By William Doyle-Marshall
After a recent press conference announcing that the Ontario Government was cancelling the majority of Ontario's decent work laws, labour and community groups have been holding emergency actions across the province.
Rallies at the Ministry of Labour and actions across Ontario, repeated their message loud and clear that Ontario needs decent work laws and the January 1 increase to a $15 minimum wage.
The Labour movement is continuing to keep pushing back until every worker in the province has laws that protect them in the workplace and a $15 minimum wage. Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) President Chris Buckley is leading the charge with advocates around Ontario.
They are urging members and community organizations to phone PC Cabinet Ministers about the need for decent work laws.
“Keep the pressure on. The government must not take away decent work laws in Ontario, or the $15 minimum wage,” OFL is emphasizing to members. There is the promise that more actions coming up, so workers are being advised to keep up to date on how they can be part of the movement for $15 and fairness at “oflevents.ca” or at “15andfairness.org”
The law cancelling the province’s decent work laws hasn't passed yet, so everyone is urged to keep up the pressure.
“You can still send MPPs an email defending workers' rights,” the OFL counsels.
Meanwhile, the ninth national Black Business and Professional Convention takes place downtown Toronto Nov 15th at Ontario College of Art and Design University. Dori Tunstall, Dean of Design will be the featured speaker.

According to the National Black Business and Professional Association, host of the event, the Convention is the meeting and birthplace of great minds as it relates to business, entrepreneurship, professional excellence, economic empowerment and higher education. It is designed to target pools of Canada’s brightest students and forward -thinking professionals.
The NBBPC’s main objective is to provide education, career, entrepreneurial and networking opportunities for students/Individuals, businesses and associations across the Nation, especially within the Black community.
Canadian businesses, organizations and government agencies have been invited to attend the Nigeria Canada Investment Summit held November 5th and 6th at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, in Abuja – Nigeria's national capital. The theme is, "Fostering Strong Business Partnerships Into The Future." His Excellency Adeyinka Asekun, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, spearheaded the initiative.
The summit, according to organizers, was designed to unlock opportunities for Canadian companies. It provided a “viable platform for networking between Nigerian and Canadian businesses” with focus on agriculture, mining, power, aviation, financial technology and infrastructure, inclusive of housing.
"There are several Canadian business success stories in Nigeria, including CPCS Transcom, Bombardier and others. This initiative supports the success of more Canadian businesses and enables them to see first-hand, the bountiful investment and trade opportunities that are available," says High Commissioner Asekun.
In its recent newsletter, the BBPA reports Jamaican-born Kamala Jean Gopie is one of two distinguished new members admitted to the board of directors of Providence Healthcare and St. Joseph’s and St. Michael’s Hospitals. Denise O’Neil Green is the other new board member. They will bring their extensive experience in education, equity and community engagement and their commitment to inclusion and compassion to help support the network’s mission and values.
Gopie has a master of Education from the University of Toronto and a long history of commitment to social justice and equity. Her extensive list of awards includes the City of Toronto’s Award of Merit, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee Medals, the YWCA Women of Distinction and the Order of Ontario.
Over the years of her education career, she has been a teacher, a librarian and an equity consultant for the North York Board of Education and an education officer in the Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Equity Secretariat of the Ontario Ministry of Education. In 1998 she was appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Ms. Gopie has also served as an Ontario Human Rights Commissioner.
Ms. Gopie’s work with immigrants and refugees caused her to be involved with many community service organizations, including the United Way, the Jamaican Canadian Association and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations. Since retiring from education, she has continued working with several organizations that seek to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, the Working Women’s Community Centre, Sick Kids Hospital and the University of Toronto, which offers a scholarship in her name are among the organisations benefitting from her experience. Last year the Jamaican-Canadian community worker helped build a school for children in a poor rural community in Malawi. The Malawi Project has since expanded to include sewing and literacy classes for women and HIV/AIDS education for young men.
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to serve on the board of the hospitals at this very significant time of integration,” Gopie said. “I look forward to contributing, and to learning.”