“A slap in the face for workers” – NDP calls on government to immediately rescind scab job postings

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario NDP MPPs Jamie West (Sudbury) and Jill Andrew (Toronto – St. Paul’s) are calling to rescind acting job callouts made by the province seeking “non-union actors only,” while ACTRA workers continue to be locked out by their employers.

“This is an incredible betrayal of trust,” said West, the NDP Labour critic. “ACTRA workers came to Queen’s Park, brought their concerns about a two-year long lockout that is threatening their livelihoods. They even spoke to the Minister of Labour who made commitments during Question Period to make calls to resolve the issue – and now, they are simply making the problem worse. These workers deserve better than a government that pretends to listen while going behind their backs with scab job postings.”

NDP critic for Culture and Heritage, Jill Andrew, has been repeatedly calling for fairness for ACTRA workers during their two-year lockout.

“Ontario’s creative and arts industry brings in billions to our province, they deserve dignity, respect, and the ability to pursue work without being bullied by the provincial government,” said Andrew. “This is ridiculous and needs to be remedied immediately. These workers have been losing income for more than two years, it is unfathomable for the government to go back on their word like this – a slap in the face.”