In this edition:
- Ontario CUPE education workers vote 96.5% in favour of strike mandate
- Ontario invests $1.6m in fighting cybercrime
- Wainfleet seeks volunteer firefighters
- GO-VAXX mobile vaccination clinic to visit Niagara College campuses
- Government of Canada announces recipients of national tourism support
Ontario CUPE education workers vote 96.5% in favour of strike mandate
Ontario education workers such as early childhood educators, custodians and school administration staff have voted 96.5 per cent in favour of a strike, the Canadian Union of Public Employees announced Monday.
Laura Walton, the president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions, says the bargaining team can now go back to the table with a clear indication of the level of support members have for CUPE’s proposals.
“[The message is that] education cuts are not acceptable, that more front-line education staff is urgently needed for students to succeed and it’s time for a meaningful wage increase for us, the lowest paid education workers who earn on average $39,000 a year,” she said at a news conference Monday.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the results are not surprising, given education unions’ history of voting in favour of strikes, but he is nevertheless “disappointed.”
“As CUPE moves ahead towards a strike that hurts kids and disrupts families — leaving behind a reasonable offer that also protects the most generous benefits and pension plan in the country — we will continue to remain at the table to make sure kids stay in class without interruption right through to June,” Lecce said in a statement to CBC Toronto.
Ontario invests $1.6m in fighting cybercrime
The Ontario government is investing more than $1.6 million over two years to help fight cybercrime. The funding will be allocated to 18 community-based, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations Chiefs and Band Councils to support projects that prevent online hate crime, human trafficking and fraud.
Funding for projects is being delivered through the Safer and Vital Communities (SVC) grant program and will support a variety of initiatives.
Wainfleet seeks volunteer firefighters
Wainfleet Fire and Emergency Services is seeking dedicated individuals who would like to give back to their community as a Volunteer Firefighter. The deadline for applications is October 14, 2022.
Click here to read more and apply.
GO-VAXX mobile vaccination clinic to visit Niagara College campuses
The GO-VAXX mobile vaccine clinic will be visiting Niagara College on October 6.
Niagara College students, employees, and members of the public can receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster (including the bivalent mRNA COVID-19 booster for eligible populations) by appointment via the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
Appointments can be booked four (4) days in advance of the clinic at 8 a.m. Walk-ins are accepted, while vaccine supplies last.
Government of Canada announces recipients of national tourism support
Today, at Mādahòkì Farm in Nepean, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, along with Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, announced the recipients of National Priorities Stream (NPS) funding.
The $15 million NPS, administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, will leverage the reach and expertise of national tourism organizations to help address the challenges faced by the Canadian tourism sector on its path to recovery and growth. The NPS is part of $1 billion in tourism supports announced in Budget 2021.
The following four national organizations, tourism sector leaders with a wide reach and valuable expertise, have been selected as recipients of NPS funding: the Tourism Industry Association of Canada; the Hotel Association of Canada; the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada; and Tourism HR Canada.
Focus on Small Business
Why podcast marketing could be the next big thing for your small business
USA Today
As you likely heard, a court in Baltimore recently set Adnan Syed free. For many of us who listened to the first season of the podcast Serial way back in 2014 and learned of the tale of Adnan’s odd murder conviction, it seemed like justice was finally served.
Serial was fascinating for another reason as well: The show launched podcasting into the stratosphere.
Certainly the lone advertiser at the beginning of that season, MailChimp, never expected to be part of a cultural phenomenon, but undoubtedly it was happy it was. To date, the first two seasons of Serial have been downloaded – wait for it – 340 million times.
And that just got things started. To say podcasts are hot now would be an understatement.
Minimum wage increase’s ‘timing is pretty tough’ for some small businesses
CTV News
Those earning minimum wage in Ontario are now earning an extra 50 cents per hour as of Oct. 1.
The bump, which was announced earlier this year, puts the new wage at $15.50. It follows an increase back in January, when the rate went up by 65 cents to $15.
While it is great news for earners, some businesses say it could spell trouble.
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), 60 per cent of small businesses in Ontario are still not hitting their usual revenue levels.
“On the bright side, it’s something that we knew was coming. This is sort of the index to inflation. It was announced back in April and comes into effect today,” said Ryan Mallough, the CFIB’s vice-president of legislative affairs in Ontario.
“On the down side, the timing is pretty tough. The recovery coming out of the pandemic has very much stalled.”
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
