Worker-based organization committed to improving the lives & working conditions of people in low-wage & unstable employment.
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ALT Workers' Action Centre. Here's what you need to know about us.
ALT We're a WORKER-LED organization Our members include IMMIGRANT RACIALIZED UNDOCUMENTED NON-UNIONIZED YOUNG workers, and many more!
ALT We're building a MOVEMENT for decent work in Ontario and Status for All.
ALT Our members work in their communities to: ORGANIZE EDUCATE BUILD POWER We connect with thousands of workers every year.
ALT I WORK ON ELECTION DAY. MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2026 CAN I GET PAID TIME OFF TO VOTE? * If you are working and do not have a 3 hour window before or after your shift while polling stations are open, your employer must provide paid time off to make up the difference. * Ontario municipal election polling stations are typically open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. * You cannot be punished or have your wages deducted for exercising this right. Example: If your shift is from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, then your employer must allow you to leave at 5:00 pm and pay you for the 1 hour difference. Questions about your rights on election day? Call the Workers' Action Centre at (416) 531-0778 for free and confidential support.
ALT Help Build the Workers' Movement: Workers' Bowl 2026. Decent Work Champion: “The Workers’ Action Centre is a beacon for a broad movement of the working class. They are needed more than ever with the rise of the anti-democratic billionaires, xenophobia, and deregulations of laws that protect the public good.” - John No, Lawyer at Parkdale Community Legal Services. Donate to our annual fundraiser: WorkersBowl.ca.
ALT 1 in 4 food bank users in Ontario have a job This Thanksgiving, thousands of hampers will be prepared for workers and their families who can't make ends meet. Workers need decent jobs.
ALT FOR TOO MANY ONTARIO WORKERS, THE MATH DOESN’T ADD UP. Many of us are in contract, gig-work, part-time and unstable jobs. Jobs that don’t have benefits, don’t qualify for Employment Insurance (EI), and sometimes don’t even pay wages! Food becomes one necessity we cut to pay our bills. ALL WORKERS NEED DECENT JOBS. We need to fight for jobs that provide fair wages, decent hours, and paid sick days. Nobody should have to choose between food on their table or a roof over their head.
ALT STOLEN WAGES ARE MAKING THINGS SO MUCH WORSE. Many of us are living paycheque to paycheque. So a bounced cheque or not getting paid by a bad boss is a disaster. Yet between 2014 and 2024, $80 million of stolen wages was not collected by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Wage theft happens every day – not getting your tips, not being paid for overtime or all your hours. WHEN THE ONTARIO MINISTRY OF LABOUR DOES NOT DO ITS JOB – WE ARE THE ONES THAT CAN’T PAY OUR BILLS. We need decent work laws AND a government that will enforce them.
ALT Nobody should be working yet not making ends meet. JOIN THE MOVEMENT FOR DECENT JOBS! The Workers’ Action Centre is organizing to build a stronger movement for decent work to fight collectively for our rights and to make sure the government does its job. WorkersActionCentre.org/join_us/
ALT WATCH OUT FOR WAGE THEFT Now that we have a new minimum wage, here are a few reminders for workers!
ALT ADULT EMPLOYEES CANNOT BE PAID LESS THAN THE GENERAL MINIMUM WAGE OF $17.95. Bad bosses will say you can't get the minimum wage because you are “in training” or “in a trial period.” Others will misclassify you as self-employed, even though they control how you work. These are examples of how bad bosses try to evade the law.
ALT YOU CANNOT SIGN AWAY YOUR RIGHTS. Under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, even if you agree to be paid less in writing or verbally, you still must be paid at least the minimum wage.
ALT ONLY YOUNG STUDENTS GET PAID LESS THAN THE GENERAL MINIMUM WAGE. If you are under 18 years old, in school, and work 28 hours or less, you must be paid at least $16.90 an hour, the Ontario Student Minimum Wage. But if you are 18 years old or older, you must be paid at least the general minimum wage of $17.95 an hour.
ALT MINIMUM WAGE APPLIES TO ALL WORKERS, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. Whether you are on a closed work permit, undocumented, or an international student, you are protected by the Ontario Employment Standards Act.
ALT HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WAGE THEFT? 1. Learn about your rights at work. Come to an upcoming Know Your Rights workshop at the Workers Action Centre. These workshops are free. 2. Keep your own records and collect as much evidence as possible. This can include your employment contract, schedules, job responsibilities, photographs, text messages with your boss, and any information about your employer.
ALT HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WAGE THEFT? 3. Talk to your co-workers. Find out if your co-workers are experiencing the same problems at work. You can strategize together, share information, and present a united front. 4. Get support from the Workers’ Action Centre. If you think your rights have been violated or are unsure, call the Workers’ Action Centre at (416) 531-0778.
ALT JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO STOP WAGE THEFT! Our employers steal our wages. Our government allows it to happen. Together, we can stop it. WorkersActionCentre.org/stop-wage-theft
