The NDP must be the political home for every worker - white collar, blue collar, and no collar – from the gig industry to the steel industry.
To reestablish ourselves as the political wing of workers in Canada, we need to offer real solutions to the challenges that working people face today.
Some of these threats have been the same for decades: union busting, governments trampling on the right to strike, and big corporations threatening to close up shop and move production elsewhere.
Others are brand new, including the explosion of app-based work, the rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the emergence of remote work. Today, tech billionaires are talking openly about replacing millions of workers with AI, while our government fuels the hype.
We can create new opportunities for workers to fight back and regain control over their work, their lives and their communities. When a plant closes, we will be there to help workers buy it and run it themselves. When tech billionaires threaten the livelihoods of workers in creative industries, we will fight to protect the fruits of their labour. And when generative AI puts entry level jobs at risk, we'll push back with a humans-first AI policy.
Canada needs a new vision for workers' rights – one that fundamentally changes the relationship between labourers and employers. We need a shift in the scales of power so workers are guaranteed decent wages, strong unions, safe workplaces, and fair benefits. The NDP, as the workers' party, needs to lead the charge with a plan to:
Save Jobs, Democratize the Workplace
Create a National Worker Ownership Fund to help employees buy out businesses when owners retire, sell, or relocate. Pass Right of First Refusal legislation to give workers the first chance to purchase their workplace. Defend the right to strike and make it easier for workers to form a union.
Rein in Artificial Intelligence
Pause the expansion of AI data centres in Canada to protect our clean water and preserve our energy for human health and wellbeing first. Provide a public-service "human guarantee" so that you will always be able to talk to a real person when accessing federal services.
Defend Workers' Rights
A bill of rights for gig workers. Ensure transparency and consent for the use of AI in the workplace. Defend telework arrangements and fully implement pay equity in the public service.
EI That Works for Workers
Expand employment insurance so that it's accessible and universal. Increase EI benefits to 75% of previous earnings, and eliminate the 50-week limit on combined parental special benefits and regular benefits.
Justice for Migrant Workers, Immigrants and Refugees
When workers are pitted against each other—citizen against immigrant, temporary against permanent—corporations win and the rest of us lose. Eliminate exploitative work permit restrictions. Welcome refugees. Build a single-tier immigration system based on permanent resident status for all and equal rights.
