NDP bill to address precarious employment and unpaid internships

Today’s urban workers need better support, according to NDP MP Andrew Cash.

Cash, the MP for Davenport, is introducing a new Private Members Bill, The National Urban Worker Strategy, to better support workers who are unable to gain permanent full-time jobs with benefits and job security.

“It used to be you could get a job out of school, work for the same company for your entire work life, and make enough to raise a family – and then retire with a pension. Today, all that has changed,” said Cash. “We need new laws and policies that reflect the reality of work in the 21st Century.”

Recent reports show the number of Canadians who are self-employed, on short term contract, or working multiple part-time jobs has reached new heights. With the youth unemployment rate double the national average, many young Canadians are working for free as unpaid interns.

Cash's Urban Workers bill’s key proposals include:

• improving access to Employment Insurance;
• studying options such as income averaging for workers with fluctuating incomes;
• increasing access to a livable pension; and,
• preventing the misuse and abuse of unpaid interns.