If there was any doubt about whom Owen Sound Council represents, City Councillors left it at the door on July 17 by passing this resolution: "that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Owen Sound supports the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's request that an Economic Impact Analysis be done of the proposed [workplace] reforms prior to implementation."
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce opposes the Workplace Reforms being proposed by the Wynne Government in Bill 148 and they said as much in a letter to the Premier that was full of dis-information.
City Councillor Richard Thomas, on his way to voting for the motion, called the Reforms a cynical ploy on the part of Liberals to get re-elected. I agree, it is. But so what? Those reforms are desperately needed by people in Ontario and here in Owen Sound who are stuck in poverty because their employers will not pay enough for them to live on.
Councillor Scott Greig, in presenting the motion, said the Reforms would cover all Ontario regardless the size and economics of cities like Owen Sound. Fair point, but if he were truly interested in assessing the economic impact on Owen Sound he could have recommended the City do its own study.
In fact, I suggested just that in emails to Councillor Thomas and the Mayor – that the City convene a 'commission' (for want of a better word) made up of the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Improvement Association, the United Way and the Poverty Task Force to assess the impact of the government's reforms on Owen Sound.
That idea did not make it into the debate. Perhaps they didn't get the memo.
So, it's worth looking at the motion itself. In the wonky world of political maneuvering, it's a stall tactic. The Ontario Chamber is hoping Workplace Reform will be studied (and not implemented) until the cows come home, or until the Liberals are defeated in 2018, whichever comes first.
The problem is the matter has been studied – for seven decades. The economic impact of raising the minimum wage is one of the most studied issues in North America. Practically every one of those studies have shown that there are no serious consequences to doing it. Rather it puts more money into local economies; and in Owen Sound's case, it would likely add over $5 million – cash that would be spent locally.
My guess (based on research elsewhere) is that at least a third of workers in Owen Sound are not being paid enough to live on. We know, for example, that 41% of lone-parent families in Owen Sound and Georgian bluffs make half of the low-income cut-off sent by the federal government. This places huge stress on families and especially women who head most single-parent households.
This information was literally at the finger tips of the Councillors. I know, because I put it there at the beginning of the meeting. And yet, evidence to the contrary, they all but one, voted for the resolution. By that vote, City Council has clearly shown whom they serve – and it's not the people who need their service the most.
