view as a webpage here

This cheeky take on A Christmas Carol reminds us how lucky we are that we don't have to resort to holiday necromancy in our work to eliminate the problem of working poverty.

Turns out the local organizers that make up this network, and living wage employers themselves make the best recruiters.

We ask incoming employers how they heard about the living wage movement, and the most numerous answer is "industry peers", followed by a local organizer or event of some sort.

I wondered how much these increasingly numerous social connections were impacting the rate of employer sign-ups.

Whoa.

Although the followership numbers on our social media accounts and email list increases at a fairly steady rate from one year to the next, we can see a sharp rise in certifications in 2019.

More certifications mean more people who are able to make ends meet and participate in their community. Many employers already pay a living wage prior to certification, and we're happy to recognize them. They are often the ones who do the best recruiting. Many others have raised their lowest pay rates to the living wage in order to qualify for certification, and we always proud to list and recognize them for the first time.

I look forward to making this graph in 2020.

Happy holidays and all the best,

Craig Pickthorne

Communications & Development Coordinator

Ontario Living Wage Network

[email protected]

P.S.

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SELECTED MEDIA COVERAGE

  • Although this is a story about food bank usage, there is definitely a living wage dimension. The report detailed in the CBC peice finds that "Those with employment accessing food banks has increased by 27 per cent." Isn't that the whole purpose of working...to put food on the table? Read Feed Ontario's full report here.

  • As we said, living wage employers make great recruiters. Here's a story from the London Free Press: FACE IT: Life on London's margins is at a 'tipping point.' How can we fix it?. It features the work of certified living wage employer United Way Elgin Middlesex. "Every year, we talk to CEOs and plant managers. So, let’s have a conversation about living wage when we go there. So it’s not just about fundraising, it’s about what you can do as an employer in our community" says CEO Kelly Ziegner.

  • More earned media coverage for the living wage in Niagara region, as the local organizing group Niagara Poverty Reduction Network certifies their 30th living wage employer: Landlord Web Solutions. 610CKTB News coverage