Case Study: The Bargaining of Hundreds of Thousands

The fight for the $10 Minimum Wage one of the most far-reaching campaigns to be led by the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. It involved a wide network of unions, anti-poverty groups, students, faith leaders and elected officials. Over a few short months, the campaign forced the provincial government to agree to a raise from $8.00 per hour to $10.25 – a 28% increase over three years. That size of wage raise has seldom been achieved in collective bargaining, but this was done through “political bargaining”. Even though very few of those who benefitted directly were union members, the labour movement took on this issue as a key, winnable fight as part of its struggle for social, economic and racial justice for all.