Raise the Rates Campaign

Dear Raise the Rates Campaign Endorsers and Supporters,

On Saturday, March 22nd, we will be having a Raise the Rates meal, rally
and march on the Liberal Party Convention here in Toronto (full details
below). Right now we are booking buses from Ottawa, Sudbury, Waterloo
Region, Kingston, and beyond. We are also setting up ‘meet-up spots’ for
within Toronto for people to meet and come down together.

Ways that you can participate in March 22nd:
-Organize a contingent from your community, union, or group, then post the
information on the Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/203243863219675/
-Organize a local banner and sign making day -Collect pots and pans to
bring down as noise makers -Help us get the word out! Let us know if you
can take posters and flyers for your area, please forward the announcement
email below to all your listserves/websites -Invite someone from OCAP to
make an announcement about March 22nd to an upcoming meeting or event

If you would like to set up contingent, meet-up spot, or bus from your
community, please let us know as soon as possible what support you need in
that (TTC tokens, bus information, etc). You can email us here, or call:

416-925-6939<tel:416-925-6939>.
This is going to be big! We look forward to marching on the streets
together to Raise the Rates!

Solidarity,
-Liisa Schofield
Organizer, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

STOP THE LIBERAL WAR ON THE POOR
Raise the Rates March to the Ontario Liberal Party Convention

Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
Assemble at Metro Hall, King and John, Toronto
1:00 PM
Meal, Rally and March

Join the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/203243863219675/

“Our pots and pans are empty, bring yours to bang!!!!!”

Kathleen Wynne talks about poverty reduction while imposing deeper poverty
on our communities.  She has been a leading member of the Government all
while social assistance (OW and ODSP) rates have lost even more of their
spending power. She was a cabinet minister while the minimum wage was
frozen, while the Special Diet was slashed and while the Community Start
Up and Maintenance Benefit was being eliminated.  There is no question
that the Liberals added their own misery to the brutal cuts that the
Harris Tories imposed in 1995.
Today a single person on Ontario Works is expected to survive on just
$626 a month, while rent and cost of living continues to rise beyond reach.

As we head into another round of provincial elections in the spring, we
will not be swayed by fake gestures and empty rhetoric from any
politicians. We are marching on the Convention to demand from all parties
that enough is enough:

*       Raise social assistance (OW and ODSP) rates 55% Now! Restore
the spending power lost since 1995!

*       Raise the minimum wage to $14/hour Now!

*       Restore the Special Diet and Community Start Up Benefits!

*       No merger of OW and ODSP, stop the attack on Disability benefits!

For information on how you can help build or participate in this March and
Rally call the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) at (416)

925-6939 or email ocap@tao.ca<mailto:ocap@tao.ca>
*Buses coming in from Sudbury, Ottawa, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo and
more, as well as meet-up points with TTC tokens in Toronto – stay tuned
for more info!

What are we fighting for: http://update.ocap.ca/node/1135 On Facebook,
join the Raise the Rates page:
https://www.facebook.com/RaiseTheRates

Twitter: @OCAPtoronto #RaisetheRates

Endorsed by: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Jane-FInch Action Against
Poverty, Parkdale Against Poverty, Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty,
Kingston Coalition Against Poverty, Poverty Makes Us Sick Waterloo Region,
CUPE – Ontario, OPSEU, and more!

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