The first question you’re probably asking yourself is what does precarious work mean? It’s simple.
Precarious workers are temporary, part-time, agency and on-call workers being hired by companies to replace their full-time workforces. To top it off, Governments all over the world are passing legislation to make it easier for companies to rely on precarious forms of employment rather than employing a stable and secure workforce.
In Canada and the United States, we are joining forces with global partners to stand up against this trend that puts our member’s jobs at risk and exploits workers who participate in temporary/guestworker programs.
On October 7, 2014 you can join the movement! Help make our collective voice heard by sharing on social media.
We are fighting to pass legislation that protects Canadian and American jobs, and overhauling the temporary/guestworker programs to ensure they are provided with the rights that all workers deserve.
In Canada, we have successfully campaigned to reform the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), making it mandatory that any employer that applies must agree Canadian workers will not be laid off and their hours will not be cut if temporary foreign workers are hired. Since the reforms were announced in July 2014, applications have dropped 74%.
In the Gulf South, the #USW is partnering with the National Guestworker Alliance (NGA) and the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice to launch an organizing drive and advocacy campaign that would expose and interrupt employer intentions to use guestworkers to undercut labor standards in the growing energy industry and build new conditions for organizing and community and industry bargaining that will transform the quality of long term jobs in the region and their effect on the local and regional community and economy.
These are just a few examples of the work that is being done in our countries and with your help, we can let the world know that precarious work is not okay; all workers deserve a fair shot and the right for a fair and safe workplace.
On October 7, tell your friends and followers to #STOPrecariousWork! Click here to share in just a couple easy steps.